Hi, r/houseplants! My mom found this really pretty plant outside by our complex's dumpster, so instead of leaving it to die, she decided to give it to me. However, I have no idea what kind of plant it is or how to care for it.
If it helps, we live in a very dry, mountain climate, and we already have a humidifier and a light for a few other plants my mom has. Any advice would be much appreciated! <3
by flightflightly
21 Comments
Quarantine it and keep it away from any other plants! Assess very closely for pests. I think it’s a ZZ plant but I’ve never owned one so I can’t be for sure. But I know a lot of times people throw out plants when they get pests because they don’t want to risk them spreading to their other plants. Lots of bright indirect light, and water when it’s dry 3-4” down (the depth of your index finger).
It’s a ZZ. A pretty young and/or healthy one. Give it a little water whenever the soil is dry and I believe indirect sun is fine.
Definitely a zz plant and a pretty healthy looking one. People also toss out plants when non plant people are gifted plants or they’re moving and don’t give a shit. This guy will thrive under your light and a humidifier. They usually end up suffering because they’re known as a “low light” plant but all that means is that they won’t die as fast as other plants will under similar conditions. So easy to care for
Definitely a ZZ. They don’t like to be too wet, mine is thriving in full sun, I think indirect sun would be ok too. It looks beautiful, but like the previous person said, make sure it doesn’t have any pests. Good for you, nice free plant!
Good looking plant. I LOVE FINDING PLANTS IN THE GARBAGE…. MY FAVORITE!!!!!
Not too much water
This is a ZZ plant. They’re often marketed as low light plants and while they can tolerate less light, like all plants they do better with light. They also don’t need to be watered very often. I would let it get fully dry before watering to avoid overwatering. They store water and are very drought tolerant.
It looks like a chameleon ZZ. I agree with the quarantine.
Geeez, how can someone through away such nice and healthy ZZ.
I agree with last comments. Quarantine it for a while.
It a very thankful plant. Not too much water.
Love it. U will fun with it
That’s a gorgeous ZZ plant! They’re pretty chill- slow growing, thrive on neglect, and basically impossible to kill. Mine does just fine in a north window (low light), but people say they do great with more light too. I water mine about once a month but it might need more if you put it in a window with more light. If you’re not sure it needs water yet, it’s fine to wait a few extra days because you can’t really underwater these guys. Best of luck to you and your new plant friend! 💕🌱
Just don’t over water! Zz plants have little “potato” looking things in the soil that hold water.
Most important piece of advice: don’t over-water. I water mine once every 4-8 weeks and it’s doing great. They’re susceptible to root rot.
In general I agree with the advice that has been given with two small differences. I have several ZZ plants and they do not prefer high humidity. They also tolerate limited direct sun but prefer hours of bright light.
Watering really prompts 2 questions. First, when to water and second, when it is time to water, how much to water.
Water when you can poke an index finger down into the soil and it is bone dry. Simple as that. How long it will take to dry out will vary with the seasons and the conditions of your home such as room temperature, drafts, closeness to heat sources, drafts, type of pot it is in, type of soil, etc.
When it is time to water, water fully letting the water freely run through the pot with excess draining out the pot’s bottom holes. This assumes you have well draining soil (such as indoor container soil mixed with perlite in a 1:1 ratio).
New information I would add is that as this plant grows and matures, it is natural for its long leaves to flair outward a bit. So make sure you allow some space for that when you place it. You can use Velcro to keep the tall leaves together.
Beautiful ZZ😍 water once a month. The only way to kill it is to water it more than once a month.
zz plant! they thrive on being ignored
It’s a zz plant. A common place for them is the dump unfortunately. They’re super easy to take care of though! Due to its roots.
I have a really big zz let it dry completely before watering. Mines in a south facing window
It’s a zz but I’m suspicious as to why it’s tossed…. Inspect it super carefully for pests. Like under the leaves and on the stems, especially for anything tiny like moving long sand particles, or weird white puff splotches.
That’s a ZZ plant. They’re super cool and pretty easy to take care of. They can handle a decent amount of neglect. In fact, overwatering is really the main thing you have to watch out for. They don’t need much humidity, so don’t worry about that.
They are not succulents, but you can kind of treat them like one (same basic care you’d give a Jade tree) because every part of the plant stores water. Leaves, stems, and they have rhizomes, which look like little potatoes. I usually water mine every 4-6 weeks, but you can feel the rhizomes and leaves, and as long as they are very firm, it does not need water. When it is time to water them, you need to be very thorough about it but then make sure to drain well after.
They are marketed as low light plants, but they actually love light, just like any other plant. They can survive an insanely long time without extra light and even not being watered, but they’re not going to be very happy and you won’t see very good growth.
They also don’t like a lot of extra room in their pots. I get the most growth when it looks like more can’t possibly fit. People hate it when I say that, but I’ve had a big healthy ZZ collection for years, and I see this consistently. They are very slow growers, though.
ZZ Plant. Check and quarantine for pests, but otherwise its looking very healthy.
Care is very easy. Give it the sunniest spot in your home, loose sandy soil, water only when the entire pot is bone dry.
Zz plant. Super hardy. Quarantine 10-12 days. DO NOT water till soil is completely dry. Good chance the other owners had a dog or a cat in the house. Plant is super toxic to animals. So if you have a pet, please please keep it far away from them.