Complete Care Guide: ZZ Raven
Complete Care Guide: ZZ Raven
In this article, you'll find…
Plant Info
Care Guide
Lighting
Watering
Humidity
Soil Needs
Types
Propagating
Common Issues
Frequently Asked Questions
Plant Info
The Insta-famous ZZ Raven (which goes by a number of other names, due to copyright) is a nearly-black cultivar of the well-known and well-loved ZZ plant. This plant is a bit deceptive -- what it looks like stems growing out of potatoes, lined with pairs of small leaves, are actually technically single leaves, lined with leaflets! The "potatoes" in the soil are succulent rhizomes, underground stems that can hold a lot of water. Because of that, ZZ plants, including the Raven, are well-known as "set it and forget it" plants that don't need much in the way of attention.
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Common Name(s) |
Zanzibar Gem, Aroid Palm, ZZ Raven, Raven ZZ, ZZ Midnight, ZZ Dowon, possibly others due to copyright issues |
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Botanical Name |
Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Dowon' |
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Botanical Family |
Araceae, the aroid family |
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Mature Size |
Individual leaves can grow to 2' long; plants will grow bushy and wide! |
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Lighting |
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Watering |
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Humidity |
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Soil Mix |
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Flowers |
Small and insignificant, as well as uncommon |
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Hardiness |
Tropical; keep above 15C/60F |
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Native Region |
Eastern Africa |
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Toxicity |
Take a look at this care guide as an infographic!
Care Guide
This is a very slow-growing plant, which can make it perfect to fit in those specific, hard-to-decorate areas of your house. New leaves will come in a stunning bright, light green, unfurl to their full length, and then gradually darken darken to the dark green that's so dark that it looks black under most lighting. It doesn't need much attention, either, and can survive in most places in your home -- there's no wonder that they're well-loved!
Lighting
Lighting for the ZZ Raven can be a little tricky -- ZZ plants are well-known low-light tolerant plants, and the same does hold true for the Raven... to an extent. Because of the dark green foliage, they need more light than the standard green ZZ plant, ideally, because the chlorophyll isn't at its fullest strength like it is in the standard variety. That having been said, though, they will definitely survive well in low light situations -- growth will just be minimal, possibly even none. On the flip side, if you provide bright, indirect lighting, then you'll see more growth! They can even be placed in direct sunlight, if you acclimate them first.
Make sure to check out our general article on lighting!
Watering
There's an old joke with ZZ plants, where they're called "rent plants" -- as in, if you're watering your ZZ more often than you're paying your rent, it's too much! This is a bit of an exaggeration -- depending on your lighting situation and a number of other factors, you could easily be watering weekly. This is definitely a very low-water-needed plant, but remember to water based on the plant, and not the calendar (or the rent schedule)!
Make sure to check out our general article on watering!
Humidity
Unlike most houseplants, which come from tropical rainforests, the ZZ Raven's wild counterparts don't live in high-humidity areas, and your ZZ Raven will be perfectly happy in your household humidity -- super-high humidity may even lead to complications, though that's rare.
Make sure to check out our general article on humidity – including a couple common myths!
Soil Needs
ZZ Ravens need to have well-draining soil above all else, so that they're not sitting in water, which can cause tuber rot!
Suggestion: Start with 1 parts peat-based potting mix or coco coir -- or, even better, a cactus and succulent mix -- and mix in 1 part perlite for tons of extra drainage!
Don't know why you're adding these things? Check out our article on potting mixes!
Types
The ZZ Raven is a cultivar of the standard green ZZ plant; variegated types exist, but are extremely rare and extremely expensive.
Different cultivars of the ZZ plant include 'Chameleon', with neon green new foliage, and 'Zenzi', a dwarf variety.
Propagating
Want more baby plants? You can easily propagate with a single leaflet (or with more of the leaf)!
Simply take a single leaflet off the stem, and then stick the pointed end in water or a moist substrate (such as sphagnum moss, perlite, or even just potting mix)! Keep the substrate moist, if you're using it, and make sure to give it as much light as possible. Eventually, it will form first roots, and then grow a potato-looking rhizome. Once the rhizome has grown to a decent size, it'll send out its first leaf stem!
Be forewarned, though -- this is a LONG propagation process. It can take literally months for roots to form at all. You can speed it up by giving the leaf more light; by using a part of the leaf stem with multiple leaves attached instead of a single leaf; or by heating the substrate/water from below with a heating pad... but no matter what, it's gonna be slow. Be patient!
Check out our articles on water propagation, soil propagation, or air layering for more details on common propagation methods!
Common Issues
The most common issue by far is overwatering, since they're quite susceptible to it. Other issues include etiolation -- or stretching to find more light. Beyond that, this is a pretty simple houseplant!
All houseplants are susceptible to pests, including mealybugs, spider mites, and more. This plant isn't known to be particularly susceptible to any specific pest!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are ZZ Ravens rare?
Yes and no! They're far more common at specialized nurseries than they have been in years past, for sure, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll be found in every nursery all the time.
Are ZZ Ravens easy to care for?
Yes! They're super simple plants that require little to no attention -- just maybe dusting their leaves now and then!