The Variegated Thumb

Zamioculcas zamiifolia is an unusual Aroid that is commonly kept as a housplant.  It has several interesting common names, including ZZ Plant, Aroid Palm, and Succulent Philodendron.  If you’ll remember the old Sesame Street game and were given a line up of Aroids, including the ZZ Plant, I can guarantee everyone would pick the ZZ as the plant that is “not like the others.”

One of my Zamioculcas zamiifolia plants back when Pee-Wee decided to try eating it. (click picture for that story)

And unlike other Aroids, the ZZ plant has a unique method of propagation.  Many plants can be rooted from a single leaf; this is a common method for Begonias and African Violets.  But the ZZ plant doesn’t merely produce roots when a leaf is used for propagation.

I received a ZZ Plant from my Aroid-collecting friend, Russ, about 9 months ago.  Somewhere in the mix, a couple of leaves fell off the plant and I decided to try a propagation technique that I heard was somewhat successful for ZZ plants.  I stuck two of the leaves into the potting soil, right next to the rest of the plant.  I haven’t given the plant any special care whatsoever.  It has been sitting outside in the shade and getting watered with the rest of my plants – weekly or a little more often when it is really hot and dry.

Recently, I was repotting my ZZ plant into a more suitable container when I noticed that one of the leaves had a new stem growing next to it.  I gently removed each of the leaves from the soil to find that both of them had successfully begun to produce new tubers!  I have read that this process can be very slow – often a year or more.  I’m pretty sure mine has not been in the soil for more than 6-8 months and both of them have taken.

Zamioculcas zamiifolia leaf starts

Most Aroids can not be propagated from a single leaf and petiole.  Most Aroids require at least one section of stem (from joint to joint) in order to produce roots and form a new plant.  The ZZ apparently carries all of its reproductive needs within the petiole.  I have had one occasion where I propagated a Monstera from a single leaf and petiole that had been torn off my plant by my Boston Terrier, Pee-Wee.  I haven’t heard of other people propagating Monsteras this way, so I’m not sure how successful this type of propagation normally is.  I just stuck the long petiole in water, not really expecting anything to happen, just enjoying the leaf while it was still green.  The leaf never browned and eventually started forming a thick white root from the base of the petiole.