Even without the famous "green thumb" you don't have to do without an impressive houseplant: The Zamioculcas zamiifolia, also known as lucky feather or cardboard paper plant, tolerates almost any location - and does not complain about too little care. The green plant, which grows up to a meter high, is practically indestructible as long as you don't drown it with a watering can. After all, the succulent plant from East Africa only needs a little water.

The lucky feather is a frugal houseplant

Table of Contents

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  1. Profile / flowers and flowering time
  2. Profile / origin and distribution
  3. Profile / use
  4. Characteristics / appearance and growth
  5. Characteristics / Toxicity
  6. Plant Zamioculcas correctly
  7. Which location is suitable?
  8. What soil does the plant need?
  9. Care / Fertilize
  10. care / watering
  11. Care/dividing and repotting
  12. care / cutting
  13. maintenance / propagation
  14. Care / Diseases and Pests
  15. frequently asked Questions
  16. species and varieties

    17. Profile / flowers and flowering time

    A Zamioculcas kept in room culture only very rarely produces a flower. However, this is unspectacular anyway: As is typical for the arum family, the flower consists of a thick, whitish bulb that is only a few centimeters high. You may only be able to enjoy flowering if the plants feel completely comfortable in their location and the conditions are optimal. However, this requires:

    • be permanently present at around 25 °C ambient temperature
    • the humidity is neither too high nor too dry (such as in heated rooms in winter)
    • a bright but not full sun location has been chosen
    • regularly fertilized and watered
    • attention was paid to a sufficiently large pot
    • the plant is not too damp
    • a high-quality compost-based substrate has been filled in

    Like the leaf shoots, the flowering stem also grows directly from the rhizome, but is a maximum of 30 centimeters high. At first, a bract covers the flower, but this snaps off after sprouting and exposes the white spadix. This in turn lasts for a few weeks before it dries up and turns brown. The seeds that may have formed can basically be used to propagate the Zamioculcas, but this is a difficult undertaking and hardly successful for the layman.

    Profile / origin and distribution

    Only since the beginning of the 2000s has the Zamioculcas experienced an upswing as an uncomplicated houseplant. It was simply not previously cultivated for this purpose, although the species was discovered and described as early as the 19th century. The home of the plant, which belongs to the Araceae family, is Central and East Africa, where the species is widespread, especially in Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar. There the plant grows mainly in the wooded foothills of the highlands and in lowlands where rocky subsoil prevails.

    By nature, the Zamioculcas is used to extreme drought and can go weeks to months without water. Typical for the home region is the alternation between dry phases and heavy rain, during which the plant can quickly soak up moisture - and then survive drought again.

    Profile / use

    The Zamioculcas can only be kept as a houseplant or in conservatories, since as a heat-loving, typically African plant, it should not be exposed to temperatures below 16 °C. The plant feels most comfortable at temperatures above 20 °C, and due to its resistance to drought, it also tolerates summer heat and winter heating air without any problems. During the warm summer months, you can also place the plant in a semi-shady or sunny place on the balcony or terrace, provided that the temperature does not fall below 20 °C at night. It should also be dry so that the Zamioculcas, which is very sensitive to excess moisture, is not exposed to constant rain.

    Characteristics / appearance and growth

    From a botanical point of view, the Zamioculcas is one of the herbaceous plants, which, however, does not correspond to its actual appearance. The evergreen lucky feather develops thick, fleshy underground rhizomes from which thickened petioles sprout and can grow up to a meter high. These leaf stalks are the actual leaves of the Zamioculcas: they are club-shaped and thickened and covered with numerous stiff, strong pinnate leaves. All parts of the plant above ground are shiny dark green in color and are a good indicator of the brightness of the location: the leaves turn an intense dark green in darker locations.

    Overall, the plant appears strong and grows quite densely with increasing age, which is why dividing the rootstock from time to time is a good idea: This not only gives you a second plant, but also prevents the plant pot from being burst at some point due to root pressure. Basically, the Zamioculcas grows rather slowly, but can be several decades old and therefore very large.

    Characteristics / Toxicity

    Like all arum plants, the Zamioculcas is poisonous to both humans and pets. The evergreen plant contains skin-irritating substances such as oxalic acid and calcium oxalate, which externally can lead to swelling and reddening of the mucous membranes and skin. However, poisoning is very rare, since the effect in the form of a burning sensation in the mouth etc. sets in immediately and the body is therefore warned. Just make sure that no plant sap gets into your eyes when cutting back, for example, as this can be very uncomfortable. In this case, rinse your eyes thoroughly with clear, warm water. However, a doctor's visit is usually not necessary.

    Plant Zamioculcas correctly

    If you have bought a Zamioculcas new, it is best to transplant it into fresh substrate right away. You can tell whether the plant needs a new pot by the root penetration of the container: if there is hardly any space left in the soil, it is time for a larger pot. This should be as wide as possible, because the roots mainly expand in width. A drainage hole on the bottom of the pot is also essential, through which excess water can drain quickly. To keep it from silting up, cover the floor with a layer of potsherds. Adding expanded clay (€19.73) or perlite ensures better permeability of the substrate. (€37.51)

    Which location is suitable?

    With regard to its location, the Zamioculcas is pleasantly frugal. Basically, the plant gets along with any place, as long as it is not on a south-facing window. The easy-care houseplant does not tolerate full sun, but still feels most comfortable in a bright spot. If you don't have one, simply put the "Zamie" in the shade - it does well even with little light, but then grows much more slowly and develops noticeably dark foliage.

    In any case, heat is more important than light intensity, because the Zamioculcas should not be cooler than 16 °C. Temperatures between 20 and 25 °C are ideal for them to thrive, which the plant can also enjoy on the balcony during the warm summer months.

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    What soil does the plant need?

    Commercial standard soil, which may be pre-fertilized, is sufficient as a substrate. The lucky feather is also suitable for green plants, indoor plants or palm trees. The houseplant feels most comfortable in soil with a high proportion of compost. Mix clay granules or perlite into the substrate for better permeability. Be careful not to keep the plant too moist - if the substrate becomes moldy, the "Zamie" will be too wet and will need a new pot and fresh substrate as soon as possible. If you prefer hydroponics instead of soil, the already low maintenance effort is reduced even further.

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    Care / Fertilize

    Like any potted plant, the Zamioculcas also needs a regular supply of nutrients. Fertilize them about every four weeks with a low-dose, liquid green plant fertilizer that is given with the irrigation water. Alternatively, you can also provide the plant with a long-term fertilizer in spring - for example in the form of a stick or cone - so that fertilization cannot be forgotten during the summer months. Stop fertilizing during the winter.

    Plants that have been freshly repotted in pre-fertilized soil should be fertilized after eight weeks at the earliest, as well as diseased or pest-infested specimens, which are only supplied with nutrients again after they have recovered. Plants are like humans in that sense: you're probably eating less when you're in bed with a fever.

    care / watering

    The Zamioculcas stores moisture in its thick, fleshy leaf stalks, which it uses to survive dry periods in its East African homeland. This is a succulent plant that only needs to be watered a little - but still must not dry out constantly. Always water the "Zamie" when the substrate has dried well - you can determine this with clay pots by the "knock test". Gently tap the pan with your knuckles. If the resulting clay sounds hollow, it's time to pour. Use well stale tap water at room temperature or collected rainwater. Excess irrigation water should be removed promptly.

    From time to time, place the Zamioculcas in the shower and wash them off with a gentle, lukewarm shower jet. Taking a shower kills several birds with one stone: On the one hand, you remove accumulated dust from the leaves and, on the other hand, you increase the humidity, so that pests that occur more often when it is dry, such as spider mites, don’t stand a chance.

    No concrete information can be given with regard to the casting quantity. Basically, the Zamioculcas needs more and more frequent water during the summer months than in winter. How much and how often you water depends on the brightness at the location, the ambient temperature and the size of the plant.

    Care/dividing and repotting

    You rarely have to repot the Zamioculcas, in contrast to many other potted plants, the lucky feather likes to be in cramped pots and only needs a new one when its roots threaten to grow out of the planter. This is usually the case about every three years. You can also use this opportunity to divide large plants into two or more individual plants and plant them separately. This is the quickest and easiest way to propagate the attractive plant. The best time for this measure is spring, and you should also water the plant(s) more intensively for a few weeks after repotting.

    care / cutting

    Even if the lucky feather grows slowly, over the years it can become quite high and, above all, extensive. Nevertheless, do not cut back the plant, otherwise unsightly bare spots will remain. The Zamioculcas does not sprout again from the cut stump, it often remains for several years. Instead, simply divide plants that have grown too large.

    However, sometimes you still have to use a knife or scissors because diseased or dead shoots must be removed as quickly as possible. Cut off dried or rotting leaf stalks directly at the base and dispose of the clippings with household waste.

    maintenance / propagation

    The lucky feather can also be propagated with leaf cuttings, which you simply place in a pot with potting soil with the cut side down, keep the substrate slightly moist and place the container in a warm and bright place at around 25 °C. It is best to cultivate the cuttings in a greenhouse, as roots form more easily in tense air. However, you need a lot of patience until the leaf has actually taken root and a new shoot develops: this process can take up to a year. Even after that, the new seedling grows quite slowly. In addition to individual leaflets, petioles up to 20 centimeters long with several leaflets are also suitable for propagation.

    Care / Diseases and Pests

    The Zamioculcas is a hardy houseplant that very rarely gets sick or attacked by pests. Basically, only spider mites, which often occur in dry and warm locations, are problematic. You can keep this plague away by occasionally showering the plant.

    frequently asked Questions

    Zamioculcas gets brown leaves, what to do?

    If the Zamioculcas suddenly gets brown leaves, there are usually care mistakes behind it. Find out if you

    • water too much or too little
    • fertilize too much or too little
    • the ambient temperature is too high or too low
    • the humidity is too high or too low.

    As soon as the cause has been determined, initiate appropriate countermeasures.

    Zamioculcas gets yellow leaves, what to do?

    Yellow leaves on the lucky feather, on the other hand, are a clear indication of a location that is too damp. In this case, immediately repot the plant in fresh, dry substrate and cut off rotten roots or leaf shoots if necessary. Water the Zamioculcas less often or less in the future.

    tips

    The petioles can be a meter long and sometimes even longer. You can tie them up with a raffia ribbon or something similar to stabilize them so that they don't overhang or even snap off due to their own weight.

    species and varieties

    There is basically only one type of Zamioculcas available commercially, although a variegated variant can also be admired in the Berlin Botanical Garden. However, this is only rarely available and can then be purchased for a great deal of money. On the other hand, it is doubtful whether the Black Zamioculcas 'Raven', which is occasionally offered, is actually a separate variety. The very dark leaf stalks and leaflets of this variant are actually also developed by any normal lucky feather - as long as it is dark enough. A dark location and thus little light automatically lead to dark-colored leaves with this species.

Category:

Vegetable garden