ZZ Plants (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) are known for their hardiness and low maintenance, making them ideal plants for beginners.
Given their popularity, it’s not hard to see why houseplant enthusiasts would want to grow as many of these beautiful plants as possible.
Fortunately, it’s easy to produce more of these plants for free with different propagation methods. Choose to propagate from cuttings, leaves or division, or all three, for a mass of ZZ plants you can grow almost anywhere.
How to propagate from stem cuttings
choose a tribe
A healthy propagated plant begins with a healthy cutting. Examine your plant and choose a healthy stem (technically a petiole) with dense foliage and glossy dark green leaves.
Avoid stems with yellow or brown leaves, or damaged or diseased stems, as these problems can spread to your new cutting.
Keep aesthetics in mind when choosing your power. Since there will be a visible cut line, choose an area covered with other foliage. Also consider the balance of the whole plant and possibly take two cuttings, one on each side, to keep the plant in shape.
remove the stem
With the stem (or stems) chosen, take a sharp knife or secateurs. The cleaner the cut you can make, the faster the plant will heal.
Before you begin, be sure to clean and sanitize your tools. If used beforehand, all tools can carry bacteria and diseases that spread not only to the new cutting, but also to the parent plant.
You can remove just the tip of the stem or the entire stem at once. However, the stem will not grow back after the cut, so your plant will generally look neater if the entire stem is removed.
Cut the stem into sections of at least 4 inches. You can keep the cuttings longer if you want them to look stronger as they develop roots, which is what I did here.
remove the leaves
The bottom half of the cutting rests in water or on the ground. For this reason, it is important to remove the leaves leaving part of the stem exposed.
Simply pull the leaves with your finger or cut them with scissors. You don’t have to throw them away either: following the propagation method below will allow you to grow even more ZZ plants.
Carrot
Like most stem cuttings, you can root your ZZ plant in water or soil. Water allows you to monitor rhizome and root growth, but soil produces stronger roots that better withstand transplant shock.
To root in water, get a glass large enough to hold the cuttings upright. Make sure it is clean before filling to avoid bacteria growth. Then insert the cutting into the glass so that the lower half is covered and the leaves stick out of the water.
Leave the glass in a bright place, away from direct sunlight. Refill the water every few days and change it completely once a week.
For rooting in the ground, make a mixture of equal parts coconut and perlite. This mix drains well enough to prevent rot while retaining enough moisture to promote rhizome and root growth. Fill a pot with the growing mix and water to pre-moisten.
Poke a few holes in the ground with your finger and plant the cutting, or several cuttings in the same pot if you are pruning them. Press around the cup to anchor it in place and move the pot to a bright spot with plenty of indirect light. Keep the soil moist but not soggy until signs of new growth appear.
Transplantation
Once the rhizome has developed roots several inches long within a few months, you are ready to transplant your cutting.
Fill a larger pot with potting soil for houseplants or mix your own potting soil by combining two parts potting soil with one part perlite and one part coco or peat. Make sure the pot has adequate drainage holes to prevent root rot.
Plant one or two cuttings in the same pot. Press around the plant to remove air bubbles and water immediately after transplanting.
How to propagate from leaf cuttings.
delete a sheet
Although not as common as stem cuttings or division, leaf cuttings are also a popular propagation option for ZZ plants. If enough of the stem is removed along with the leaf, it will develop its own rhizome and eventually grow into a full-fledged plant.
This process couldn’t be easier. Simply pull a healthy leaf off the main stem with your fingers as you turn. Part of the stem must be attached to the leaf to develop a new rhizome.
You can do this with a single leaf, but since leaf cuttings don’t root as reliably, it’s best to remove a few at a time. You can also use the leaves you removed from stem cuttings with the propagation method above to try both at the same time.
carrots
carrots in water
With the right glass, you can root these leaves in water. This is trickier than stem cuttings because the waterline must be kept low to avoid touching the main part of the leaves, which means it must be regularly refilled as it evaporates. Thin glass is also needed to prevent the leaves from falling into the water and rotting.
Fill the chosen glass with filtered or distilled water and let the leaves sit. Keep refilling the water every day or several days as needed. Once you see rhizomes growing on the tips of the leaves, transplant them into the soil.
carrots in the ground
Rooting the leaves in the ground usually requires less care and maintenance because the soil retains more moisture than the thin layer of water can provide, especially on a hot day.
Make a mixture of coconut fiber (or peat if you already have it) and perlite, fill a container and water beforehand so that the excess drains off. Then simply press the leaves vertically into the ground, leaving most of the leaf exposed.
Place the container in a warm, bright place away from drafts to prevent the leaves from falling. A rhizome can take a few months to grow, and even longer for a full petiole to develop, but these wonderfully easy-care plants are worth the wait.
Transplantation
When you notice that the rhizomes have small roots, transplant the leaves to a pot with more room to grow or let longer roots grow before transplanting to avoid shock.
As with stem cuttings, simply prepare the potting mix and plant as normal. Leave the new pot in a location with bright indirect light and keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy until new growth appears.
How to propagate by division
Remove the plant from the pot.
One of the easiest ways to instantly get two plants from one is to propagate by division. This is only possible with established plants, but it also improves their growth by limiting crowding and giving them more room to spread out in the pot.
As with transplanting, begin by removing the plant from its existing pot. Wait a few days before watering to facilitate elimination. If it’s still stuck, gently squeeze the sides of the jar to loosen it.
Shake off old soil to make root growth more visible. You can also rinse them with water to remove any traces of old dirt before separating them.
Section
With the rhizomes and roots clearly visible, you should see clear sections to divide the plant into. Each section should have plenty of root growth to avoid shock and stress when transplanting.
Some divisions can be separated, while others must be cut. Be sure to use a sharp knife to separate them, as any damage will take longer to heal, leaving your plant vulnerable to pests and diseases for a longer period of time.
If your ZZ plant is too tall, it can be difficult to find the easiest way to separate it. Fortunately, they can still survive if cut into small sections, as long as there are enough roots in each section. With a sharp, sanitized knife, cut directly into the rhizome, avoiding damage to the root and stem if possible.
Replant
Prepare as many pots as there are divisions, filling them with special potting soil for indoor plants. Plant each division in a separate pot by filling them with soil, supporting the plant and filling around the openings with more soil a few inches below the rim.
Press around the base to anchor the plant in place and water well. Leave the new pots in an indirect location and continue to water well until the plants are established.