Plant
ZZ plant.
Zamioculcas zamiifolia
An East African aroid that stores water in potato-like rhizomes and grows in sudden flushes of new stems. Its glossy leaflets tolerate office light and neglect better than almost any houseplant.
How to help it thrive.
Light & placement
It holds on at 500–1,000 lux under office lighting, but produces more and sturdier stems at 5,000–15,000 lux near an east window. Turn the pot a quarter each month so stems don’t lean, and keep it out of afternoon sun.
Water & drainage
Wait until the mix is dry through most of the pot, often every 2–4 weeks in summer and 4–6 weeks in winter, then soak and drain. The rhizomes tolerate 10 °C (50 °F) only when dry; cold and wet together is how most ZZs die.
One thing to remember
Months without a new stem are normal between flushes; extra water only risks rotting the rhizomes.
Further reading: Horticultural source
