Zamioculcas zamiifolia is part of the Araceae family and its native range is Kenya to KwaZulu-Natal. 'Raven' (Dowon) is a cultivar which was discovered as a naturally occurring mutation in 2006 at a nursery in South Korea. Zamioculcas zamiifolia have compound leaves (a leaf whose leaflets are attached to the middle vein but have their own stalks). Each leaf is made up of several pairs of elliptic leaflets, these are dark green, almost black, leathery and glossy. They are one of only a few species that can be regenerated from a single leaflet. These plants have large rhizomes under the soil which store water; this is why these plants are fairly drought tolerant.
Genus name comes from the unrelated genus Zamia and culcas comes from calcas, the Arabic name for an elephant’s ear. Specific epithet means ‘looks like Zamia’.
Pot: ø 14cm.
Height: Approximately 30cm from base of pot.
Light: These plants are tolerant to lots of different types of light but grow best in bright indirect light, meaning the plant sees the sun for 0-4 hours per day - this could be through trees or a translucent curtain, it’s important for the plant to see the sky in order to thrive.
Water: Allow the potting mix to completely dry out in between waterings, carefully aerate the mix with a few pokes of a skewer or blunt stick (avoid poking by stems), pour water slowly over the top and allow the water to pass through the drainage holes.
Potting mix: A well draining mix composed of coco coir, perlite or vermiculite, orchid bark and worm castings.
Fertilising: Feed your plant every other watering during the growing season or when you observe active growth. You can dilute fertiliser to half the recommended amount but never add more.
Temperature: 18-30°C.
Humidity: Average to moderate humidity, increasing humidity can be achieved by grouping plants together, placing the plant on a tray of watered pebbles and by using a humidifier.
Zamioculcas zamiifolia is toxic, keep out of reach of pets and children.