Even without the famous "green thumb" you don't have to go without an impressive houseplant: The Zamioculcas zamiifolia, also known as the lucky feather or cardboard paper plant, tolerates almost any location - and doesn't complain about too little care. The green plant, which grows up to one meter high, is practically indestructible as long as you don't drown it with a watering can. After all, the thick-leaf plant, which comes from East Africa, only needs a little water.
What makes Zamioculcas special as a houseplant?
The Zamioculcas is an easy-care houseplant that requires little water and tolerates various locations. It grows slowly and can reach a height of one meter. Its shiny, dark green leaves are distinctive. Showering occasionally helps prevent pests like spider mites.
Profile / Flowers and flowering time
Zamioculcas kept indoors only very rarely produces a flower. However, it is unspectacular anyway: As is typical for arum plants, the flower consists of a thick, whitish bulb that is only a few centimeters high. You may only be able to enjoy flowering if the plants feel completely comfortable in their location and the conditions are optimal. However, to do this you must:
- Continuous ambient temperature around 25 °C
- the humidity is neither too high nor too dry (such as in heated rooms in winter)
- a bright but not full sunny location was chosen
- fertilize and water regularly
- Ensure that the pot is large enough
- the plant is not too moist
- a high-quality compost-based substrate was filled in
The flower shoot, like the leaf shoots, grows directly from the rhizome, but reaches a maximum height of 30 centimeters. Initially, a bract covers the flower, but after sprouting, this breaks off and exposes the white bulb. This in turn lasts for a few weeks before it dries up and turns brown. The seeds that may be formed can in principle be used to propagate the Zamioculcas, but this is a difficult undertaking and unlikely to be successful for the layperson.
Profile / Origin and distribution
It is only since the beginning of the 2000s that Zamioculcas has experienced an upswing as an uncomplicated houseplant. It simply had not been cultivated for this purpose before, even though the species was discovered and described in the 19th century. The home of the plant, which belongs to the Araceae family, is Central and East Africa, where the species is particularly widespread in Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar. There the plant grows primarily in the wooded foothills of the highlands and in lowlands where rocky substrates predominate.
By nature, the Zamioculcas is used to extreme dryness and can survive for weeks to months without water. Typical for the home region is the alternation between dry phases and heavy rain, during which the plant can quickly soak up moisture - and then survive drought again.
Profile / Use
The Zamioculcas can only be kept as a houseplant or in winter gardens, as it is a heat-loving, typically African plant and should not be exposed to temperatures below 16 °C. The plant feels most comfortable at temperatures of 20 °C and above and, due to its resistance to drought, it can also tolerate summer heat and winter heated air without any problems. During the warm summer months, you can also place the plant in a partially shaded or sunny spot on the balcony or terrace, as long as the temperatures do not drop below 20 °C at night. It should also be dry so that the Zamioculcas, which is very sensitive to excess moisture, is not exposed to constant rain.
Profile / Appearance and growth
Botanically speaking, Zamioculcas is one of the herbaceous plants, which, however, does not correspond to its actual appearance. The evergreen lucky feather develops thick, fleshy rhizomes underground from which thickened petioles sprout and can grow up to a meter high. These petioles are the actual leaves of the Zamioculcas: They are club-shaped, thickened and covered with numerous stiff, strong pinnate leaves. All parts of the plant above ground are colored shiny dark green and are a good indicator of the brightness of the location: the leaves become intensely dark green in darker locations.
Overall, the plant appears strong and develops quite dense shoot growth as it gets older, which is why occasionally dividing the rootstock is a good idea: This not only gives you a second plant, but also prevents the plant pot from being damaged at some point root pressure is blown up. In principle, the Zamioculcas grows rather slowly, but can be several decades old and therefore very large.
Profile / Toxicity
Like all aroids, Zamioculcas is poisonous to both humans and pets. The evergreen plant contains skin-irritating substances such as oxalic acid and calcium oxalate, which externally can lead to swelling and redness of mucous membranes and skin. However, poisoning is very rare as the effect is in the form of a burning sensation in the mouth etc.starts immediately and the body is therefore warned. Just make sure that no plant sap gets into your eyes when cutting back, for example, as this can be very unpleasant. In this case, rinse your eyes thoroughly with clean, warm water. However, a visit to the doctor is usually not necessary.
Planting Zamioculcas correctly
If you have bought a new Zamioculcas, it is best to transplant it into fresh substrate straight away. You can tell whether the plant needs a new pot by the roots in the container: If there is hardly any space left in the soil, it is time for a larger container. This should be as wide as possible because the roots mainly expand in width. A drainage hole at the bottom of the pot is also essential, through which excess irrigation water can drain away quickly. To prevent it from becoming muddy, cover the floor with a layer of broken clay. Adding expanded clay or perlite ensures better permeability of the substrate.
Which location is suitable?
Considering its location, the Zamioculcas is pleasantly frugal. In principle, the plant can cope with any space as long as it is not on a south-facing window. The easy-care houseplant cannot tolerate full sun, but still feels most comfortable in a bright spot. If this is not available, simply place the “Zamie” in the shade - it copes well with little light, but then grows much more slowly and develops noticeably dark foliage.
In any case, heat is more important than light intensity, because the Zamioculcas should not be cooler than 16 °C. Temperatures between 20 and 25 °C are optimal for it to thrive, which the plant can also enjoy on the balcony during the warm summer months.
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What soil does the plant need?
Commercial standard soil, which can be pre-fertilized, is sufficient as a substrate. The Lucky Spring is also suitable for green plants, houseplants or palm soil. The houseplant feels most comfortable in soil with a high compost content. For better permeability, mix clay granules or perlite into the substrate. Be careful not to keep the plant too moist - if the substrate molds, the “Zamie” is too wet and needs a new pot and fresh substrate as quickly as possible. If you prefer hydroculture instead of soil, the already low maintenance effort is reduced even further.
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Care / Fertilization
Like every potted plant, the Zamioculcas also depends on a regular supply of nutrients. Fertilize them about every four weeks with a low-dose, liquid green plant fertilizer (€14.00 on Amazon), which is administered together with the irrigation water. Alternatively, you can provide the plant with a slow-release fertilizer in spring - for example in the form of a stick or cone - so that fertilization cannot be forgotten during the summer months. Stop fertilizing during the winter.
Plants that have been freshly repotted in pre-fertilized soil should only be fertilized after eight weeks at the earliest, as should specimens infected with pests or sick, which will only be supplied with nutrients again after they have recovered. In this respect, plants are like people: you probably eat less when you're in bed with a feverish cold.
Care / Watering
The Zamioculcas stores moisture in its fleshy, thick petioles, which it uses to survive dry times in its East African homeland. This makes it a succulent plant that only needs to be watered a little - but still shouldn't dry out constantly. Always water the “Zamie” when the substrate has dried thoroughly – you can determine this with clay pots using the “knock test”. Gently tap the pot with your knuckles. If the resulting sound sounds hollow, it's time to pour. To do this, use well-stale, room-temperature tap water or collected rainwater. Excess irrigation water should be removed promptly.
From time to time, place the Zamioculcas in the shower and shower them with a gentle, lukewarm shower jet. Showering kills several birds with one stone: On the one hand, you remove accumulated dust from the leaves and, on the other hand, you increase the humidity so that pests such as spider mites that occur more often in dry conditions have no chance.
No specific information can be given regarding the amount of water poured. Basically, the Zamioculcas needs more and more frequent water during the summer months than in the winter. How much and how often you water depends on the brightness of the location, the ambient temperature and the size of the plant.
Care / Dividing and Repotting
You rarely have to repot the Zamioculcas. In contrast to many other potted plants, the lucky feather likes to be in cramped pots and only needs a new one when its roots threaten to grow out of the planter. This usually happens about every three years. You can also use this opportunity to divide large plants into two or more individual plants and plant them separately. This is the quickest and easiest way to propagate this attractive plant. The best time for this measure is spring, and you should also water the plant(s) more for a few weeks after repotting.
Care / Cutting
Even if the lucky feather grows slowly, over the years it can become quite high and, above all, extensive. However, do not cut the plant back, otherwise unsightly bare spots will remain. The Zamioculcas does not sprout again from the cut stump; it often remains for several years. Instead, simply divide plants that have become too large.
Sometimes, however, you still have to use a knife or scissors because diseased or dead shoots need to be removed as quickly as possible. Dried or rotting leaf stalks are cut off directly at the base and are best disposed of with household waste.
Care / Propagation
Furthermore, the lucky feather can be propagated by leaf cuttings, which you simply place with the cut side down in a pot with potting soil, always keep the substrate slightly moist and place the container in a warm and bright place of around 25 °C. It is best to cultivate the cutting in an indoor greenhouse, as roots form more easily in tense air. However, you need a lot of patience until the leaf has actually rooted and a new shoot develops: this process can take up to a year. Even after that, the new plant grows quite slowly. In addition to individual leaflets, petioles up to 20 centimeters long with several leaflets are also suitable for propagation.
Care / Diseases and Pests
The Zamioculcas is a robust houseplant that rarely gets sick or attacked by pests. Basically, the only problem is spider mites, which often occur in dry and warm locations. You can keep this pest away from your neck by occasionally showering the plant.
Frequently asked questions
Zamioculcas gets brown leaves, what to do?
If the Zamioculcas suddenly gets brown leaves, there are usually care errors behind it. Find out if you
- watering too much or too little
- fertilize too much or too little
- the ambient temperature is too high or too low
- the humidity is too high or too low.
Once the cause has been identified, take appropriate countermeasures.
Zamioculcas gets yellow leaves, what to do?
Yellow leaves on the lucky feather, however, are a clear indication of a location that is too humid. In this case, immediately repot the plant in fresh, dry substrate and, if necessary, cut off any rotten roots or leaf shoots. Water the Zamioculcas less frequently or less in the future.
Tip
The petioles can be one meter long and sometimes even longer. So that they don't overhang or even bend due to their own weight, you can tie them up with a raffia ribbon or something similar and stabilize them that way.
Species and varieties
There is basically only a single variety of Zamioculcas available commercially, although a variegated version can also be admired in the Berlin Botanical Garden. However, this is only rare and can be purchased for a lot of money. However, it is doubtful whether the occasionally offered Black Zamioculcas 'Raven' is actually an independent variety. The very dark petioles and leaflets of this variant are actually also developed by every normal lucky feather - as long as it is dark enough. A dark location and therefore little light automatically lead to dark-colored leaves for this species.
