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Zamioculcas
Toxic🐾Zamioculcas zamiifolia · (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
Arum family (Araceae)
Description
Zamioculcas is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, containing the single species Zamioculcas zamiifolia. It is a tropical herbaceous perennial plant, and is native to eastern Africa, including Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Its common names include Zanzibar gem, Zuzu plant, emerald palm, ZZ plant, aroid palm and eternity plant.
External use only!
This plant must NOT be taken internally. Use only as compress, salve, or bath.
- RawWhole plantExternalClinical trial
As a living houseplant, Zamioculcas zamiifolia absorbs measurable amounts of formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from indoor air according to Kim et al. (2014). The study tested 86 houseplant species in closed chambers. The ZZ plant showed particularly good tolerance to the test gases alongside a high elimination rate.
Preparation & dosage
- RawWhole plantExternalFolk medicine
As a complement to NASA data (Wolverton 1989), follow-up studies confirm the ability of the Araceae family to absorb volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The ZZ plant belongs to the same family as the top performers listed in the NASA study.
Preparation & dosage
[#src_src_nasa_zamioculcas_zamiifolia] [#src_src_wp_en_zamioculcas_zamiifolia]
- RawWhole plantExternalFolk medicine
Thanks to extreme drought tolerance owing to thickened rhizomes, the ZZ plant is ideal for beginners and travelling plant owners. It survives gaps of several weeks without watering and grows even under artificial light.
Preparation & dosage
[#src_src_wp_en_zamioculcas_zamiifolia] [#src_src_rhs_zamioculcas_zamiifolia]
Distribution in Europe
🪴 Grow at home
- ☀ Light
- low light
- 💧 Water
- sparse
- 🌱 Soil
- Cactus/succulent soil
- 🪴 Pot
- 20 cm
- ⭐ Difficulty
- ★☆☆ beginner
- 🐾 Pets
- toxic to pets
Tips:
- Stores water in rhizomes — watering every 3-4 weeks is enough.
- Tolerates almost any light.
- Grows slowly — don't worry if nothing happens for a while.
Care tips are general indoor-gardening recommendations, not scientific sources.