zz Plant

Cheerful cartoon sun character with sparkles on its face, holding a flowering plant in one hand and a daisy in the other. A smiling cloud floats beside it. The sun wears pink sneakers and is surrounded by radiant yellow beams.

low to indirect Sun

Can tolerate low light conditions

☀︎ Avoid harsh sun ☀︎

ZZ plant is notorious for not being very particular about sunlight. Please note that it will be its happiest in bright, indirect sunlight!

Although it can survive in dimmer areas, if you start to notice leggy stems, it may be time to relocate.

Cartoon water droplet character smiling and flashing a peace sign while holding a yellow watering can. Surrounded by flowers, bees, and grass, wearing pink sneakers.

Keep Soil Dry

This is a drought-tolerant plant

Let the soil completely dry out before watering. Overwatering is the most common cause for issues for ZZ plant. Remember, it is retaining moisture on its own, so don’t drown it!

ZZ plant prefers low humidity.

It isn’t fussy, so indoor humidity will work just fine.

Cartoon snail with a bright blue spiral shell and a smiling cream-colored body.

Groovy Root mascot. A cartoon red flower pot character happily planting a seedling with a trowel, surrounded by dirt, smiling flowers, bees, and a second small pot. Wearing blue sneakers.

soil needs

ZZ digs a fast-draining, low-moisture mix that dries out fully in between waterings.

When choosing a potting mix for ZZ, look for mixes that include:

ᯓ Pumice ᯓ

Adds airflow and boosts drainage while holding a bit of moisture.

ᯓ Perlite ᯓ

Improves drainage and prevents waterlogging.

ᯓ Coarse Sand ᯓ

Adds structure and boosts drainage to prevent compact soil.

Yellow cartoon flower pot with a smiling face, holding a sprouting seed with two green leaves.

Common Issues

A definite sign of overwatering. Soil that has been overwatered can lead to root rot.
Remove affected leaves. Cut back on waterings.
If issue persists or you suspect root rot: remove from pot, trim away dead, mushy roots, and repot in fresh soil.
Remember to let the soil dry out completely before you water your ZZ.
A sign of not enough sunlight.
If you notice your ZZ is looking leggy or leaning, try moving it to a sunnier spot.
Often due to low humidity or inconsistent watering.
Increase humidity slightly if you can, using a humidifier or a pebble tray. Or try watering on a more regular schedule.
This does not mean to overcorrect with watering too often! Just make sure you don’t neglect it too much.
Brown tips do not heal! You can totally snip them off for a cleaner and greener look. Use clean scissors to trim slightly past the crispy edge, following the natural leaf shape.
Snipping them off is primarily cosmetic, but also can help redirect energy to healthy growth.

Sometimes issues can be the result of a pest infestation. Make sure to watch out for these creepy crawlers:

𖢥 Mealybugs

𖢥 Scale

𖢥 Spider Mites

Not Pet Safe

ZZ plants can be toxic to pets if ingested. If you have pets, keep ZZ plants out of their reach.

Smiling cartoon daisy in a red flower pot with a buzzing bee flying nearby. To the right of the image it shows the text “Rooting For You” in a wavy line.