Indoor plants Zamioculcas

Description

Special Features of Zamioculcas

Zamioculcas is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants of the aroid family Araceae. The family is quite large and comprises over 100 genera and about 2,000 species. However, the genus Zamioculcas contains the single species, Zamioculcas zamiifolia, also referred to as Caladium zamiifolium, Zamioculcas lanceolata, and Zamioculcas loddigesii. Conrad Loddiges, a tropical plant collector, was the first to describe the species in 1829. Exactly a century later, in 1929, a plant with more lanceolate leaflets was described (it was found mainly in Mozambique), but to date the attempts to classify it into a separate species have almost ceased.

Curiously, in addition to its four scientific names, Zamioculcas has lots of nicknames: the Golden Plant (in China), Money Tree, Dollar Plant, Eternity Plant, Araceae Palm, Fat Boy, Zanzibar Gem, ZZ Plant (Zee Zee Plant, Ze Ze Plant, Zed-Zed Plant), and Chinese New Year Festive Plant.

The name zamiifolia was derived from a similarity to the leaves of the plants in the genus Zamia. However, Zamia appears to contain about fifty species, and they are native to warm areas of North, Central, and South Americas, while Zamioculcas is native to tropical South East Africa.

Zamioculcas only became a popular potted plant in Europe in 1996 when it first started to be massively sold at flower auctions in Holland. It attracted the customers' attention by its ever-dark-green foliage and amazing toughness:

- Zamioculcas is not picky about soil composition.

- Zamioculcas is not picky about light, either. However, it will not live long in deep shade or under artificial lighting.

- Zamioculcas is not afraid of reasonable temperature changes.

- Zamioculcas tolerates dry air but it will thrive with two or three mistings a week when the heating on during the resting period from October to February.

- It easily withstands underwatering but can drop leaves.

Zamioculcas rarely blossoms indoor. If it does, it can go unnoticed. The inflorescence, like in other members of the Araceae family, is a spadix with a spathe. The spadix is light cream, the spathe is small and light green, and the peduncle is thick and short. As a whole, the flower is insignificant and hidden among the leaves.

The leaves look very attractive. They are bright and glossy, dense, leathery, resilient, and bulky. From the school botany course we remember a difference between simple leaves (one leaf on one petiole, like, for example, the aspen) and compound leaves, consisting of several leaflets attached to one petiole. This petiole is called the rhachis and should not be confused with the stem!

Zamioculcas attracts attention with its compound leaves consisting of up to 21 leaflets. The rhachis is fleshy and sturdy, thickened at the base, reaching up to one or even one and a half metres in height. Several rhachises can form a rosette. The rosette is not sprawling as, for example, in the pineapple, but compact and erect. Due to these factors and qualities, Zamioculcas looks great as a floor plant and is perfect for home and office.

The Secrets to Successful Growing Zamioculcas

Zamioculcas makes a perfect office plant because of its absolute tolerance.

It prefers bright filtered light although tolerates low light. If you want it to perform better, choose a bright place closer to the window. In the summer, move the plant to the open air (to the balcony or garden) and make sure it is protected from direct sunlight. Bring the pot back home when the night temperature goes down to + 10 ° C.

It is not required to keep the soil moist or water the plant well. Even a complete drying out of the soil will not hurt the plant. Waterlogged soil is much more dangerous.

It is not necessary to spray the leaves to increase humidity. Wash the leaves from time to time to remove dust and make the plant more attractive. In the summer, occasional washing by rain is sufficient.

The best temperatures are 19-24 ° C in the summer and 17-20 ° C in the winter.

Feed the plant carefully, after a new rachis appears. This happens once a month or even less frequently, once every three months. As the new rachis develops, apply fertilizer in weak doses every week.

Repot in February or March once in two years. Choose a stable pot, wide and not very deep. Make sure to put drainage media on the bottom to prevent water stagnation. Potting soil should contain loam (orchid soil), leaf mold, and sand at 1:1:1 and be slightly acidic (pH = 5.0-6.0). You can use cactus potting mix.

Various methods are used for propagation:

- Division of the thick tuberous rhizome root (strictly speaking, this is not a root but an underground stem producing rhachises that grow up and true roots that grow down) and rooting of cuttings.

- Division of the rosette and rooting whole leaves.

- Rooting of individual leaflets.

Zamioculcas needs no pruning.

Potential Problems

In low light, the rachis stretches up; this can sometimes affect ornamentality of the plant.

Be especially wary of overwatering during cold and dark times. This can cause terrible spots on the leaflets, root and rachis rot, and death of the plant.

Mechanical damage of the compound leaf can cause it die.

Dropping of leaflets while keeping the plant on the dry side is a natural process that helps the plant to save water in the lower parts of the rachis.

The appearance of irregular black or dark dashes and stripes along the entire length of the petioles that occurs with age is normal and should not cause concern.

Although the opinion about Zamioculcas's toxicity is greatly exaggerated, avoid ingestion because the plant tissue contains a large amount of so-called "kidney stone", calcium oxalate Ca (COO)2. Unfortunately, it does not prevent mealybugs from attacking the plant and sucking cell sap. Apply insecticides to control pests.