Zamioculcas zamiifolia , or the ZZ plant for unretentive , is an idealistic houseplant for beginner gardener . It can flourish without a lot of light or pee , and it is well-heeled to propagate and apportion .

We link to vendors to help you bump relevant products . If you corrupt from one of our links , we may earn a commission .

ZZ plants are typically set off from leaf cutting , which means you’re able to produce many young plants from a single parent .

A close up horizontal image of a ZZ plant growing in a large terra cotta pot.

go forward reading for instructions . Here ’s what we ’ll cover :

What You’ll Learn

Propagating ZZ plants from leaves is incredibly easy , and since it requires only a single leaf clipping per cloned start , this method make it easy to ward off damage the parent plant .

The only downside is that this process can be dumb , so solitaire is key !

While it is also potential to commence new ZZ plants by dividing and separating the rhizome , this method acting is not recommended , as doing this may have significant damage to the parent .

A close up vertical image of pots of Zamioculcas zamiifolia leaf cuttings rooting in soil. To the top and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

Taking Cuttings

set about by peck a foliage from a mature stalk , and snip it with as much of the petiole seize as potential .

Since this method takes a farseeing clip to bring forth results , and not all cuttings may take , it is a ripe idea to cut several at once to increase your chances of achiever .

Once you have skip a few leaves , let them posture out for an hour or two to leave the cut ends to callosity over . This should avail to protect them from rotting .

A close up horizontal image of the foliage of a Zamioculcas zamiifolia plant growing in a container pictured on a soft focus background.

If you prefer , it is also possible to take stem cuttings . The main downside is that you may only take a few at once or you risk harming the parent plant life .

To do this , cut a few inches off the top of a mature bow , with at least two leaves attached . you could rootle stem in a similar manner to foliage cut , following the instructions below .

Rooting in Soil

witness a crapper with good drainage holes . The sizing is n’t really important , and whatever you have on deal should work fine . The plants will in the end be repot into gravid containers after they rout .

you may plant several leaves in one big smoke , spacing them an inch or two asunder , or plant them singly in pocket-size pots .

Start by sate the grass or spate with awell - draining , lite potting intermixture . A blend of half potting grunge and one-half perlite or vermiculite will puzzle out well . You could also use a intermixture of half perlite and halfpeatorcoconut coir .

A close up horizontal image of the foliage of Zamioculcas zamiifolia, a popular houseplant.

enclose each leaf cut side down into the potting premix , sinking it about half an in , or just profoundly enough so it will stay upright .

Water well and set the container in a tender region that find bright , indirect light . Preferably , this should be somewhere you will remember to water them every duo of week , since it may be many calendar month until they root .

Each leaf will eventually produce a new rootstalk and roots . Be patient and keep in judgment that this can be a dumb process !

A close up vertical image of a pot with several Zamioculcas zamiifolia leaves set in soil for rooting.

In idealistic grow conditions of about 80 ° F , they may create new rootstock in about four weeks or so , but when grow in more typical indoor temperature , this could take up to nine months .

You may be able to speed up the outgrowth by setting the pots on a heat pad design for industrial plant extension , or by spread over them with clear plastic bags to create a humidity dome . If you do this , be sure to open up the covering briefly each week , to allow for some flow of air .

After about a month , start checking for root by labour softly on the leaves . But do so carefully , as the unexampled root are well damage .

A close up horizontal image of a small Zamioculcas zamiifolia leaf set in coconut coir to take root.

You may also set about to find the leaves moving upwardly as stems begin to raise . This is another sign that they have rooted .

Once the leave of absence have develop small rhizomes and a couple of roots , replant each into its own six- or eight - in smoke to carry on growing .

Rooting in Water

If you favour , you’re able to also try root your cutting in weewee . This method declare oneself a fun visual way to monitor your progress . However , it can also be very slow , and there is more of a opportunity of rotting .

put the cut leaf or stems in a narrow cupful with a small amount of water . You need to utilize just enough water to cover the cut ends . ready the cup in a ardent and bright localization , vary out the piss a couple of times a week .

Be patient , as it could take months for the roots to raise large enough to repot . Once you start to comment roots forming , it is prison term to pot up the cuttings in soil .

A close up horizontal image of a Zamioculcas zamiifolia plant leaf cutting that has developed a rhizome.

Give the Gift of Plants

StartingZamioculcas zamiifoliafrom leaf cutting is a fun ( and loose ! ) way to grow new works .

As long as you ’re willing to wait for results , you will wind up with plenty of baby plants to go around – not a badholiday gift ideaif you have meter to design forwards !

To learn houseplants , check out these articles next :

A close up horizontal image of a variegated Zamioculcas zamiifolia plant stem set in soil to root.

© require the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .

About

Heather Buckner

A close up vertical image of a ZZ plant stem rooting in a glass of water.