A Raven ZZ is a unique-looking plant due to the purple and black leaves. It is a low-maintenance plant, perfect for any beginner new to plant care. Here are the tips for proper Raven ZZ plant care!
Common Names
- Zamioculcas zamiifolia Raven
- Raven ZZ
- Zamioculcas Dowon
- ZZ Dowon Plant
- Black ZZ Plant
What Soil Mix Works Best for a Raven ZZ Plant?
A succulent potting mix that is well-draining works best for a Black Raven ZZ. You can also add a little sand, gravel, pebbles, and perlite into the mix to give the soil a bit more texture.
In addition to that proper draining soil, you want to place this plant in a container with drainage holes. Overwatering this plant without letting it dry can result in root rot, so use a container with holes to let the water flow out of it.
Can you use Fertilizer?
You can give this plant a liquid fertilizer during the spring and summer since that is when the most growth occurs. The general rule for a new plant is to use half as much fertilizer as the recommendation to start. You want to ease the plant into fertilizer, and giving it too much may cause it to go into shock.
How Much Sunlight Does a Raven ZZ Plant Need?
A Raven ZZ houseplant performs best with bright indirect light and low light conditions. This plant doesn’t do well with direct sunlight since it can burn the leaves. If the plant is near a window that receives powerful rays of sunlight, consider putting blinds over the window to reduce the sun’s glare.
However, be careful about keeping this plant in an area in your home with little light. Signs that the indoor plant needs more sunlight are if the plant becomes leggy. Leggy means that the plant is reaching for additional light, so make sure that there is indirect light in the room to grow healthy.
What Temperature Works Best for a Raven ZZ Plant?
A Raven ZZ plant does best with 60-85 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures.
What Humidity Requirements Does the Raven ZZ Plant Need?
A Raven ZZ is a slow grower and does best with low humidity levels. That means you don’t need to worry about investing in a humidifier to increase the humidity levels for the plant. Chances are, your home humidity levels will work great for this plant.
How Often Should You Water a Raven ZZ Plant?
During the growing season, you can water the plant once each week. Only give this plant water when the top two inches of soil are dry. If you water this plant too much and too often, you could be overwatering it, which causes root rot.
Reduce your plant’s watering schedule to once or twice a month during the winter. As a note, this plant stores water through its rhizomes, so it tends to have enough water to last a long time during the winter, so you don’t have to water it that often.
What Size Does Raven ZZ Plants Grow to Typically?
A Zamioculcas zamiifolia Raven grows between 1-3 feet tall under the best growing conditions. However, the plant’s growth is slow, so it can take a year or two to reach its full height.
Most Common Bugs
Mealybugs might attach themselves to this plant. If you notice these bugs on the plant, you can gently remove them with neem oil and a paper towel. If you are skeptical about getting all of the bugs from a towel, you can shower this plant in a sink to ensure that the bugs are gone.
Most Common Diseases
A common disease for this plant is root rot from overwatering it. To fix root rot, you will need to remove the plant from the current soil, shake off any excess dead roots, place it in fresh soil, and make sure there are proper drainage holes for this plant. You can also repot this plant in a slightly bigger container if you have had the plant for a year or two, and it looks a bit small in the current container.
Can you Propagate a Raven ZZ Plant?
This houseplant has a patent on it, which means you can’t sell it via propagation. The patent agreement is with Costa Farms in the United States.
However, you can propagate this plant to be in your home or office, but you can’t sell it to others. While you can use leaf cuttings for propagation, the stem and water method might be the easiest.
- Cut a stem that has a few nodes on it off the mother plant
- Put this cutting into a glass of water
- Roots should form in a few weeks of keeping it in the water
- Once roots form, you then place the plant into fresh soil to promote new growth
Can you Repot a Raven ZZ Plant?
When it comes to repotting a Raven ZZ plant, you should only do it when it shows signs of stunted growth, root rot, or browning of the leaves. To repot this plant, you want to use a container that is two inches bigger in diameter with fresh potting soil. Once you place the plant into the new home, you want to give it a few days before watering just the plant has time to settle into the new environment.
Where Does the Raven ZZ Plant Originate from Originally?
The plant’s first appearance came out of South Korea. The owner of a nursey noticed that the plant looked different from the rest of the ZZ plants. After a successful propagation, and a plant patent recognizing the plant, it is now one of the most popular ZZ plants.
What USDA Zone Works Best?
A USDA Zone between 9-10 works best for this plant.
Is this Plant Toxic?
Since this plant contains calcium oxalate crystals, it is toxic to digest for humans and pets. It might make sense to put this plant on a shelf if you have a pet who likes to nibble on leaves. Another issue with this plant is that it can irritate if the sap gets on your skin.
How to Clean the Leaves on a Raven ZZ Plant?
To keep the shiny purple-black leaves look on the plant, you regularly want to remove dust from it. You can give this plant a quick rinse down in your sink or shower to remove the dust. Let the excess water flow through the container before putting the plant back in its original location.
Conclusion – Raven ZZ Plant Care
In summary, a Raven ZZ Plant is low-maintenance and easy to manage. The plant only needs indirect sunlight, low water, and not much humidity. Not only is it easy to manage, but the deep purple leaves will make this plant stand out from the rest, so it will be a conversation starter whenever anyone sees it!
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