Well, it’s the end of February, and I’ve been looking forward to it because even though winter does not officially end until early morning on March 20^th (spring arrives at 5:48 a.m. on that day), the worst of it is pretty much over. We often have one last major snowfall in the month of March, but the days are warmer and most of it melts on its own without the need for snowplows.

And this year, everyone is really, really tired of winter, and really, really looking forward to it ending. It has felt like the longest winter in years with its endless snowfalls, one after another. On average, my city’s winter sees between 200 (79 inches) and 225 centimeters (89 inches) of snow, which is more than I care for. But this year, it has surpassed that. To date, this winter has dumped 273 centimeters (107 inches) of snow on us, and we’re not done yet!

Unsurprisingly, it’s been snowing for the past couple of days, and according to the meteorologists at Environment Canada, up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) of snow will get dumped on the city throughout this coming week. So, from what they’re predicting, it’s going to snow today, tomorrow, the next day, the day after that and maybe even a day or two after that. A possible six whole days of continuous snow until the city is blanketed – again. If these weather gurus are right about the next few days of nonstop snowfall, by the time February finally exits, it will have snowed 22 out of the month’s 29 days. %$%!#@$!?#! And March may begin with some flurries. Again: %$%!#@$!?#!

Can you say fed up?

Anyhow, a couple of days ago when I learned that snow is headed our way – for the gazillionth time – I decided to take a drive over to the three greenhouses located near my home (and near one another) before we get snowed in, before the car needs to be cleaned for the gazillionth time, before it’s difficult to get around and before I go absolutely mad. It was a desperate attempt to try and connect with nature, a little greenery, something, anything that would provide me with hope that, yes, there really is a season called spring – and it will arrive. Soon. It will. It will.

So I went to see, to breathe in some greenery, albeit small, that a northern city is stripped of during the winter. If you live in an area where you are never deprived of living green outdoors, you have no clue how depressing it can be, especially when it lasts for many, too many, months. I wasn’t going to buy anything, most of the time I don’t, but hey, if I ran across something spectacular, why not?

Well, I didn’t run across anything spectacular or something that really appealed to me, so I came home empty-handed. But I did discover that one of the local greenhouses had brought in a bunch of ZZ plants, which is terrific because they are hardly ever available for sale. And in addition to that, this shipment includes smaller specimens, which basically means that they are much more affordable. And I would have been ecstatic about the discovery if I hadn’t bought one of these plants a few months ago. So in a way, the trip was a bit of a letdown, because had I not already had a ZZ plant, I could have experienced the elation of finally purchasing a plant that was on my wish list in addition to the soul-soothing stroll through the greenhouse that I’d gone there for. And that would have been like getting a good buzz, but in this case, a good nature buzz.

So I didn’t experience that buzz, but the trip was still worthwhile, just for the botanical view. There were a lot of nice, lush plants but nothing that I wanted to bring home. Many of the plants in all three greenhouses I already have (or have had in the past and have no interest in growing again), and most of them didn’t really appeal to me for one reason or another (not my type, too big, too pricey).

But in any case, it brought the ZZ plant to mind, a plant that I’ve been meaning to write about because I think everyone should grow one. So that’s what I’m going to do.


The (Almost) Indestructible ZZ Plant

If all you can grow is artificial plants, consider this succulent that is as close to indestructible as any plant can possibly be. Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, fairly new to the world of interior plants but increasing in popularity rapidly, is a very attractive plant that thrives on neglect and requires very minimal care. With its dark green, glossy, fleshy and oval-shaped leaves, you’d never guess just by looking at it that this eccentric-looking specimen, commonly-referred to as the ZZ plant, belongs to the Araceae Family of plants, which includes popular members such as Aglaonema, Alocasia, Anthurium, Caladium, Dieffenbachia, Epipremnum Aureum (Pothos), Philodendron, Spathiphyllum, Syngonium, and quite a few others.

Resources providing information about care for this plant do not exaggerate when they say that Zamioculcas Zamiifolia is very difficult to kill. About the only thing that will do in this foolproof specimen - that is native to the dry grasslands and shady areas of lowland forests in Tanzania and Zanzibar in Africa - is over-watering. But not just a one-time incident of over-watering, but a few of them back to back. It will not just succumb to the extra moisture; it will give you a chance to improve the situation first, by dropping hints of dissatisfaction, like a lower leaf or two turning yellow. And if you improve your watering habits, it will forgive you, with one less leaf or two, and keep on going.

Having said all that, it’s obvious that you must water this plant carefully. Use a highly-porous, fast-draining soil and water moderately during the active growing period, from spring to early fall. Give the plant a thorough drink and then allow it to dry considerably before the next one. In the winter, let it dry more and water sparingly, especially if the spot it’s growing in is cool and shady. In addition, you will have to use some common sense with watering techniques for this succulent. For example: if your ZZ plant is growing in a warm, brightly lit area during the growing season, it will get dry faster and probably require more water. And if it’s growing in a low light area where temperatures are cool, the medium will take much longer to dry and less water will be needed. If you’re ever hesitant, err on the side of dryness, put the watering can down and step away from it. It’s much better to under-water this plant than to over-water it.

As an alternative, you can convert to the hydroculture system and get rid of water woes for good. Zamioculcas Zamiifolia converts eagerly but must be inspected regularly while it forms water roots. Every week to ten days disassemble your hydroculture setup and check for signs of rot on the tuber. If you find any, remove it, wash the area well and repot; no need to worry, the plant will be fine.

A ZZ plant can tolerate very low light areas quite well (another reason for its appeal), and look attractive in spite of it. But if you can provide it with brighter light, even better. This is a painfully, slow growing plant that will grow even more slowly if placed in a dim area. Choose a spot that offers bright, filtered light; protect against direct middy sun, which can burn the leaves. Some early morning and late afternoon sun can be tolerated.

Cold temperatures can cause rotting, so keep the plant warm. A temperature as low as 15 °C (59°F) is tolerable (although plant growth will slow down considerably), but ideally, the optimal temperature range is between 18 °C to 26 °C (64° - 79 °F). Like bright light, warmer temperatures will encourage new growth, which is already terribly slow. Every little bit helps. Finally, humidity is not critical; dry air is tolerated extremely well.

Many internet sites, and quite a few of my houseplant books, write (insist) that the ZZ plant does not have insect problems, or that they usually don’t have insect problems (whatever that means). Now, I don’t know if this is true or not because even though my ZZ plant has never been infested by any creepy bug, I’ve only had it for a few months and I’ve never grown one in the past since it’s only been a few years that it’s been available commercially. So, who knows? Maybe it’s true, maybe it’s not.


Apparently, there are several other common names applied to Zamioculcas Zamiifolia like Eternity Plant, Fat Boy Plant, Aroid Palm and Arum Fern, but I’d personally never heard of them until I conducted some research on the internet. Regardless of what it’s called, this is a plant everyone should add to their indoor collection. If you see one locally at a decent price, don’t hesitate to pick one up. It’s worth it.

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