We got a leaf of this plant accidentally from a garden store. Initially we did not know much about this unique plant (ZZ plant, Zanzibar gem). I picked up the broken leaf and brought home to make a live plant out of it. In earlier posts here and elsewhere I outlined the technique of rooting, growing from a single stem, or leaf. But this plant taught me a lot about rooting – it required lot of patience.
Initially I put it in water (room temperature) to see how it grows roots. I added a bit of cinnamon to stimulate root growth. To prevent dehydration (drying out) I enclosed the leaf in a plastic bag. The leaf stubbornly remained unchanged without any signs of roots or new growth. For several months it just survived, exhibiting healthy leaf color (pale yellowish green). There was no discoloration or drying out. The winter indoor heating did not disturb it; did not bother much. Finally I got a bit impatient and transferred the leaf to a small pot with fertile loose soil. Slowly I started reducing misting and removed the protective plastic bag (cover). Again the plant did not complain and it continued growing in the soil, away from people’s prying eyes.
Then suddenly out of curiosity I pulled gently the plant (now only a single leaf, a single stem) out of the soil to examine its bulbous root system (rhizome). There at the bottom of the stem I did find a bulbous bulging growth with a few short roots. I was surprised, excited to find a lively growing ZZ (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) Plant specimen. For several years I have been observing and watching this African plant in many offices. I noticed it in an outpatient medical building and in the garden sections of Lowes and Home Depot. Initially I was attracted to its glossy, waxy thick leaves. Like the usual succulents, cacti, and Aloe Vera, this plant also seems to require very little care. Once we pot it properly in a loose fertile soil medium, we can more or less forget it about for many months. A bit of low light conditions (indoors, office front desk spaces) or indirect sunlight through blinds and minimum watering is required to keep this plant alive and growing unattended. There is no need for misting even in dry conditions (heated indoors during winter) because it hardly loses water due to its waxy coating on the leaves.
I do not notice any pests on this houseplant. Over watering is not recommended as it can lead to root (rhizome) rot. It is best to water once a month and let the water fully drain out of the container (pot). The plant comes in three colors: dark green (raven), pale yellow, and light green (yellowish). I’ll get other colors when I find them. There is plenty of valuable information at the Wiki site.
In principle I could have made (six or seven) plants out of this single leaf. You just make a sharp cut of each leaflet and insert the leaflet in a rooting medium and wait for several weeks. This is a slow growing plant and one needs lots of patience. But on the plus side the plant is very stubborn, it is very difficult to damage (lose) it.
Rooting Technique
Let’s review the rooting process. Most gardening hobbyists do not have fully climate controlled green houses. They just have to improvise in their limited indoor surroundings, porch area, or garden. For rapid rooting we need three or four things: a hormone to stimulate the rooting process, clean soil free of fungus and bacteria, controlled green house like ambience, proper temperature, and good illumination (preferably sunlight). There are lots of short videos on the Internet (YouTube) explaining the rooting processes. Experienced gardeners use a variety of substances to promote rooting: Cinnamon, Willow bark or stem, Aspirin (Salicylic Acid), and Aloe Vera, etc. Commercially rooting hormone is also available though it may be a bit expensive. Dr. Paulus (TN, India) showed me his rooting experiments in the Horticulture Department. All we need is clean sand (not too fine, just a bit coarse) and a little shade. He did successful experiments on mango, guava, bougainvillea, and a number of valuable plants. The researcher used a large pit in the ground to keep the plant cuttings a little bit on the cool side (there in the hot tropics); he would house fifty or sixty cuttings (tiny saplings) in sand filled polythene tubes and cover them with a thick transparent plastic sheet. With periodic misting and fresh aeration, Dr. Paulus was able to achieve fast rooting. He was able to achieve high rates of success with hardwood as well as softwood cuttings. The large pit in the ground provided ideal greenhouse conditions: In the nights the pit retained warmth for promoting rooting. During daytime it provided cooler ambience (~ 50 – 55 0F) for the nascent saplings.
After many rooting trials and errors we notice one thing: a freshly cut (slanted cut at 450) stem starts developing a callous growth and new root. The whole process happens naturally and automatically without our deliberate intervention. If we fail in the rooting experiment, mostly it is due to either excessive drying or rotting due to bacteria, etc. A slightly warm (in the colder zones) temperature helps root growth. Drying out of the leaves is reduced with the help of a plastic cover or inverted glass bottle. (to be Continued) Copyright 2026 by the author
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