The ZZ Plant is one of nature’s hardiest house plants, capable of surviving weeks on end without water OR direct sunlight, this is a fast-growing plant whose leaves will absolutely “wow” you. What’s even better is that ZZ plant propagation is SUPER easy, meaning it’s BEYOND simple to make more plants out of the ones you already have. Here’s my five-step guide on zz plant propagation from an adult plant–it’s SO easy!
ZZ Plant Propagation: Step One
I find it best to do ZZ plant propagation with a mature, healthy ZZ plant. These usually absorb the shock from separation better, plus, they already have some pretty intense roots!
The first step in ZZ plant propagation is removing your existing ZZ plant from its pot. You can do this by grabbing at the base of the ZZ plant and pulling it straight out of the pot–I find it best to do this plant over some kind of tarp as to not make a mess!
Shake off as much soil from the roots as possible before moving on to the next step.
The roots will look a little crazy (I’ve heard them compared to potatoes or “mandrake” babies from Harry Potter), but this is perfectly normal for a ZZ so you shouldn’t be alarmed!
ZZ Plant Propagation: Step Two
Now that you have removed the soil from the roots, use a clean knife to cut away a healthy-looking frond from the ZZ plant bunch–you can take as many fronds as you would like. If you’re planning on filling a large pot, take several!
In most cases, you should be able to gently pull apart the ZZ plant fronds, in other cases, the roots might be tangled or jumbled. In the case of jumbled roots, use a clean knife to separate them from the mother plant.
ZZ Plant Propagation: Step Three
Now that the fronds have been separated, you can take the mother plant and repot it into your designated pot with a fresh batch of soil. While new soil isn’t necessary, I find it to be a good habit to swap out the soil once a year to help curb the spread of pests and diseases, and since you’ve already started the repotting process, why not finish it!
Once the mother plant is back in its home, you can focus your attention on the fronds you pulled out for propagation.
In most cases, these fronds can be immediately planted into soil in another pot, no rooting necessary as the roots are already developed. HOWEVER, I noticed that the roots on my chosen frond were blackening–a sure sign of root rot–so I clipped the roots from the cutting to hopefully curb the problem. To cut, I simply cut the end off the bottom of the ZZ fronds–nothing too fancy!
ZZ Plant Propagation: Step Four
Now that the damaged roots have been trimmed, it’s time to start growing new roots! To encourage the growth of roots, place your ZZ fronts in an inch or two of water. Make sure that only the bottom few inches of the plant are covered so that the stem itself doesn’t end up rotting. Change the water every 3 days until new, healthy roots form.
Though it takes a few days for roots to form, you should notice fully healthy ZZ roots appearing in a week or two, after which, you can move on to the final step!
ZZ Plant Propagation: Step Five
After your roots have reached the length of a few inches, it’s time to plant your ZZ plant propagation into some soil so that the real magic can begin!
To pot, simply remove your ZZ from the water, taking care to remove and trim any rotting roots as you remove them from the water.
Place the healthy propagation into a bed of well-draining soil and surround just as you would any other plant. Give the soil a good soaking after you have finished and place your ZZ in a place you love!
A few tips for ZZs: The less water the better! I water my ZZ twice a month or only when it looks severely wilted. Additionally, ZZ plants are low light loving divas! Never place your ZZ in an area of direct sun or crispy leaves will be in your future!
