ZZ plant care: how to look after it indoors

A ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) does well indoors in partial shade, even away from the window, and needs little water: water it only when the soil is dry all the way down, usually every two or three weeks in summer and once a month or less in winter. It suffers below 10⁠–⁠15 °C (50⁠–⁠59 °F) and in soil that stays wet, which rots its roots and rhizomes. It’s toxic to cats and dogs if they chew it.

Updated 12 October 2026. How we write these pages

How to care for it Yellow leaves

Why your ZZ plant has yellow leaves

It’s often too much water. Feel the soil: if it’s still damp days after watering and the base of the stems is soft, the roots or rhizomes are rotting.

If so, take the plant out of its pot and look at the rhizomes: healthy ones are firm, rotten ones soft. Cut away the rotten parts, repot it in fresh, free-draining potting mix and don’t water until the soil is dry.

If the soil has been dry for a long time and the stems look wrinkled, it’s thirsty: left dry for too long, it drops its leaflets and the tips of its stems. An old lower leaf yellowing now and then is normal.

How to care for a ZZ plant

Water

Only when the soil is dry all the way down.

Push a finger into the soil and lift the pot: if it’s dry and light, water until it runs out of the holes, then empty the saucer.

Light

Partial shade, even away from the window.

With more light, out of direct sun, it grows a little faster. Full sun scorches its leaves.

Rhizomes

It keeps water in reserve under the soil.

Its fleshy rhizomes store water and carry it through dry spells. For the same reason they rot if the soil stays wet.

Questions about ZZ plants

How often should you water a ZZ plant?

When the soil is dry all the way down, and not before. In summer that’s usually every two or three weeks, in winter a month or more. A small terracotta pot dries out sooner, a large plastic one later.

Why are my ZZ plant’s leaves turning yellow?

Look at the soil. If it’s been damp for days and the stems are soft at the base, it’s too much water: check the rhizomes and let it dry out. If it’s been dry for weeks and the stems are wrinkled, it’s thirsty. An old lower leaf yellowing now and then is normal.

When should you repot a ZZ plant?

When the roots and rhizomes fill the pot. Choose one just a little bigger, with holes in the bottom, and free-draining potting mix: in a pot that’s too big, the extra soil stays wet for a long time. Wear gloves, because the sap irritates skin and eyes.

Does a ZZ plant flower?

Yes, but rarely. In summer one or two green and white flowers, like small arum lilies, can appear at the base of the leaves. Once they fade, cut them off at soil level along with any dead leaves.

How do you care for a ZZ plant in winter?

Water it even less, only when the soil is dry all the way down, and keep it away from cold windows and draughts: it suffers below 10⁠–⁠15 °C (50⁠–⁠59 °F). It copes with the dry air of central heating, but near a radiator the soil dries out sooner.

Can a ZZ plant live outdoors?

In summer, yes, somewhere shaded and out of direct sun: on a terrace, a balcony or in a garden. Bring it back in before the nights drop below 15 °C (59 °F).

How do you propagate a ZZ plant?

Divide it when you repot, with a piece of rhizome and a few stems in each pot, or take a cutting: pull off a single leaflet and push its base into the soil. It takes patience, because a ZZ plant grows slowly.

Does a ZZ plant need fertiliser?

Not much. Once or twice while it’s growing, in spring and summer, with a houseplant fertiliser at the dose on the label.

Is a ZZ plant toxic to cats and dogs?

Yes. The leaves contain calcium oxalate crystals: if a pet chews them they irritate the mouth and stomach, and eating a lot causes vomiting and diarrhoea. Keep it out of reach, and call the vet if they’ve eaten some.