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When it comes to easy-to-care indoor plants, there is a tropical one that we cannot overlook: the zamioculca (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), which in some countries is also called fortune plant.
It is a very striking species, with very striking leaves and stems and highly appreciated both for its interior decoration capacity and its extraordinary resistance. If you want to learn more about how to take care of a zamioculca, keep reading us in this article by Ecologist Verde in which we show you a practical and complete guide on the zamioculca care.
Characteristics of the zamioculca
Scientific name Zamioculcas zamiifolia, This tropical plant native to Africa is very suitable for beginner 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 on its leaves and stems fleshy, 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 meterAlthough in a pot and indoors, it tends to be kept somewhat below this height.
- The flower of the zamioculca has very little ornamental value, since it is small inflorescences of a very inconspicuous yellow tone, so it is a species mainly appreciated as Green plant.
- Their 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.
Location and light for the zamioculca
This plant is grateful to be in illuminated areas, although you do 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 impact 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 does 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-shadow, that is, close to sunlight but not directly.
Irrigation for the zamioculca
It's very important do not 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 it the earth dries up between the irrigations, 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.
Substrate and compost for zamioculca
Since it is a plant that does not tolerate excess humidity, it is very important that its substrate offers the best possible drainage. Prepare a bed of expanded clay, coarse gravel or some other similar material in the base 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.
Regarding the subscriber, the plant appreciates a contribution monthly in warm months, which can be dissolved in irrigation water. It should 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.
When is the zamioculca transplanted
This plant has very strong and highly developed roots, which will not take long to occupy all the available space in the pot if it is growing properly. For this, approximately every 2 years it will be necessary to transplant it to 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.
My zamioculca has yellow leaves, why?
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.
My zamioculca has fallen stems, what do I do?
If the leaves seem to lose strength and the stems drop languidly, it is most likely because you are watering the zamioculca excessively.
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 risks and check that the substrate has had time to dry before watering 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.
