They are incredibly resilient, can do well in low light conditions with little water, and have been known to survive long periods of neglect. If you tend to struggle with keeping houseplants alive, this may be the one for you!

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Continue reading to learn all about growing Z. zamiifolia indoors.

Here’s the lineup:

What Are ZZ Plants?

Zamioculcas zamiifolia, also called Zanzibar gem, aroid palm, zuzu, or ZZ plant, is a tropical perennial with small, waxy, dark green leaves that grow along multiple fleshy stems.

Hardy in USDA Zones 9 and 10, they make fantastic indoor houseplants everywhere else. They can grow as tall as five feet, but typically only reach two or three feet indoors.

Every part of this plant stores water, from its bulbous underground rhizomes to its fleshy leaves, hence its high tolerance for drought and neglect.

When grown in their native habitat, ZZ plants produce small white spadices protected by green spathes near the base of the stalk that are often hidden by the leaves, similar to what you might see on a peace lily though they are less showy.

But flowering is not typical when these are grown as houseplants.

Cultivation and History

ZZ plants are native to rocky, arid regions of eastern Africa, from Kenya to northeastern South Africa.

They were originally documented as early as 1829 under the name Caladium zamiifolia, but did not become widespread as ornamentals until the 1990s, when Dutch-owned nurseries in South Africa

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