ZZ plant
Zamioculcas zamiifolia
Also called Zanzibar gem and Eternity plant
Houseplant · AroidsStores water in its rhizomes. The commonest way to kill one is kindness.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 21 daysDrench and drain — water the whole surface until it runs from the holes.
- Light
- Low to bright indirect
- Feed
- Every 60 days
- Humidity
- Low
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out in high summer RHS H1B, to 10°C
- Size
- 0.75 m tall · 0.75 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Eastern Africa
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
PeopleHarmful if eaten, and irritates skin
HandlingTake care handling it
Sap irritates skin and eyes; RHS advises gloves when dividing.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- One whole stalk yellows from the bottom up and lifts away with a wet, brown base — the potato-like rhizome under the compost has gone.Rhizome rot · disease
- Leaflets fall from the lowest part of a stalk while the tip stays glossy, usually weeks after the plant was moved somewhere darker.Leaflet drop · disorder