Zamioculca care

Scientific name Zamioculcas zamiifolia , this tropical plant native to Africa is very suitable for beginners gardening enthusiasts or those who have little time to care for their plants. Here we start talking about its characteristics:

• The zamioculca plant owes its particular appearance to its ability to accumulate water in its leaves and fleshy stems , which act as a reserve in case of drought, making it a succulent plant.
• It is a perennial plant, which in its original habitat reaches heights of up to 1 meter , although in pot and indoors it usually stays somewhat below this height.
• The zamioculca flower has very little ornamental value, since it is small inflorescences of a very inconspicuous yellow tone, so it is a species mainly appreciated as a green plant .
• Its leaves are toxic , so it should be avoided that children or pets can ingest it by mistake.

If you like these types of plants with a striking green color, here you can discover 51 green indoor plants .

This plant is grateful to be in bright areas , although it does not need it as much as other indoor plants. If you have a well-lit room, where you can place your zamioculca away from the direct incidence of the sun’s rays, you will be giving it a good contribution of light that will prevent its stems from fading or decaying.

With regard to temperature, as it is an indoor plant, it is understood that it will not be exposed to extreme conditions. In any case, the zamioculca grows well in temperatures above 15 ºC , so try not to place it in rooms where the temperature will drop below that value.

If you place it outdoors, keep all this in mind and place it in an area with a suitable temperature and in semi-shade , that is, close to sunlight but not directly.

It is very important not to over water this plant since, like most plants with water retention capacity, too abundant watering can easily cause root rot.

So avoid watering the plant as much as possible when watering it, and be sure to place it in a pot with drainage holes. Let the soil dry out between waterings , especially if your plant is not in a very bright area. In cold months it will be necessary to further reduce the frequency of watering. If you have doubts, it is better that you water little, than in excess.

We encourage you to learn more about the topic of irrigation with this other post that tarts about When to water the plants .

Since it is a plant that does not tolerate excess humidity, it is very important that its substrate offers a drainage that works as well as possible. Prepare a bed of expanded clay, coarse gravel, or some other similar material at the bottom of the container, and then use a lightweight, well-draining universal substrate . Here you can learn more about the proper substrate for plants that retain water well in their stems and leaves: How to make substrate for cacti and succulents .

With regard to the subscriber , the plant appreciates a monthly contribution in the warm months , which can be dissolved in the irrigation water. It is desirable that it be a quality fertilizer, rich in microelements and macroelements. We recommend you learn with this other guide How to make homemade organic compost for plants .

This plant has very strong and highly developed roots, which will quickly occupy all the available space in the pot if it is growing properly. Therefore, approximately every 2 years it will be necessary to transplant it into a new, larger container.

It is possible that the strong roots of the plant deform the pots or containers, forcing us to carefully break them in order to extract and transplant it. If you see that this is the case, transplant it the following spring.

We advise you to take a look at this other post on When and how to transplant a plant .

There are several reasons why the leaves of a zamioculca turn yellow :

• The first and most common is that you are watering it excessively. If this is the case and the trend continues, the leaves will darken to black, a sign that the plant is rotting. Prune with a sterilized tool all the affected leaves and space the waterings.
• It may also be that your plant needs a transplant or a supply of compost, since it has depleted the nutrients in its soil.
• It could be due to an attack by the cottony mealybug, a pest that sometimes affects this plant. Look for the pest on the underside of the leaves and apply Neem oil or potassium soap .
• It can also happen that you are getting too much direct sun and burning the leaves. In this case, you will see that they begin to yellow but in a short time they become more brown, dry and fall off.

If the leaves seem to lose strength and the stems drop languidly, it is most likely due to over- watering the zamioculca .

If you wonder what to do if your zamioculca has fallen stems, we recommend that, as in the previous case, to recover the plant if this type of problem occurs, space the waterings and check that the substrate has had time to dry before water again.

If you want to read more articles similar to Zamioculca care , we recommend that you enter our category of Cultivation and care of plants .