Zamioculcas – we grow a dollar tree without problems and hassle

Recently, an interesting flower has appeared in apartments and offices. Its scientific name is Zamioculcas, and people know it as the dollar tree. The plant was first discovered in the tropical forests of Africa.

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It refers to succulents that accumulate moisture in their roots, stems and inside the leaf blade. A distant relative is a money tree with the same properties. What is the beauty of this tropical flower? Are there any secrets for plant care? The answers to these questions will help you fall in love with an African guest in cool latitudes (see caring for a money tree at home).

Zamiokulkas care after purchase

Zamioculcas - we grow a dollar tree without problems and hassle
There is no need to replant the plant immediately after purchase. Wait a few days, let it acclimatize in the new conditions and in the new microclimate of your home.
For planting, a ceramic or clay pot is best suited, since the roots of the zamiokulkas are powerful and, when growing, can simply break the plastic container.

The volume of the pot should not be large, about 3-4 cm more than the diameter of the root system.

Why doesn’t zamikulkas bloom?

Zamioculcas-photo
Nurturing and pampering the plant for years, many stop believing in the possibility of a succulent flowering at home and do not even hope to get acquainted with an exotic flower.
Before despairing, you should pay attention to a number of conditions that are necessary for the successful appearance and maturation of inflorescences. Zamioculcas may not bloom if:

  • thermal, water and light conditions are not observed;
  • the plant is dormant;
  • the soil mixture in a pot does not contain a sufficient amount of nutrients and trace elements;
  • too large a container in which the plant is planted;
  • the presence of pests or diseases.

Growing conditions or how to care for it?

Growing zamiaculcas at home is not at all difficult. You just need to remember about the original growing conditions. His homeland is the mountain plateaus of Central and East Africa. Hence, he likes warmth, bright sunlight and very moderate watering. Let’s take a closer look at some of the features:

Temperature

Zamioculcas-in-a-pot-photo
During the period of active growth (from April to September), the optimum temperature will be +25. It also tolerates an increase to +30.
In the summer, you can take out the zamiokulkas to fresh air, where the plant will feel very good. In winter, during the dormant period, the temperature should not drop below +12. It does not tolerate sudden changes and drafts.

Humidity

Spray with settled warm water, not often, about once a week and little by little.

The leaves are periodically wiped from dust with a damp cloth (you can use special polishes to make them shine). It will be very good if you put the pot with the plant in a tray filled with damp moss or small pebbles, which are moistened from time to time.

Lighting

Loves bright, but diffused light. Shade from direct sunlight, otherwise burn spots may appear on the leaves. Can be placed on the south, southwest window or near the window.

When do you need support?

Support-for-zamiokulkas-photo
Adult specimens of zamiokulkas can reach a height of 1 m.
In this case, the branches under their own weight will disintegrate to the sides and the plant will fall to one side, which can lead to the fact that the branches of the flower may break.

As a support, you can use a ring made of strong wire, or a wooden one.

Where is the best place to put the dollar tree?

While the plant is young and small in size, for it, as mentioned above, a south or south-west window is suitable. Large flowers are very good for outdoor display.

Description

What is the correct name for the dollar tree? This question is of interest to those who are going to grow a flower at home. The fact is that there is also a money tree. This is a completely different plant. It is also called a fat woman. The dollar tree is called zamiokulkas. Such excitement around the presented plant is caused by the statement that it brings good luck and wealth to the house. For unmarried girls, the flowering of zamiokulkas portends an early marriage. Therefore, many representatives of the fair sex by all means strive to make the dollar tree bloom (a photo of how this plant blooms is presented below).

Blooming dollar tree photo

Zamioculcas got its popular name because of its glossy dark green leaves. They are pretty and quite fleshy. With good care, the plant height can reach 1 m or more. The root system of the dollar tree is tuberous. It accumulates water, which helps the plant in natural conditions to survive the period of drought. The dollar and money tree are similar in many ways in their specific qualities.

The flowering of the dollar tree (see photo in the review) at home can be seen quite rarely. During this period, the flower produces an ear of light yellow, pinkish or white. From the outside, it is covered with a sheet. This is the flower of the plant. It can reach a length of 8 cm and does not possess high decorative qualities.

It’s worth noting that the currency tree is a relatively new plant. It has been cultivated as a houseplant relatively recently, since 1996. Under natural conditions, zamioculcas grows in Africa. Accordingly, the preference for the room of the variety remained similar to the wild plant.

Flowering

Flowering-zamioculcas-photo
Under indoor conditions, zamioculcas rarely blooms. To do this, you need to create optimal conditions for him, one of the main is the observance of the temperature regime in the winter.
If all goes well, the plant will delight you with flowering.

The inflorescence is not quite ordinary – it is a corn-like ear, white with a yellowish tinge, bordered by a greenish blanket.

The bud comes out from the base of the flower, from the ground itself, just like the leaves. From a botanical point of view, the structure of the flower is very interesting. The upper part of the ear consists of only male flowers, and the lower part only of female flowers. Moreover, they are separated by several rows of sterile flowers. It is clear that with such an arrangement, self-pollination of the plant is impossible.

Looking at the flower from the side

dollar tree in the interior
The dollar tree is a neat bush with original leaves, which are covered with a thin layer of wax and consist of 8 or 12 feathers growing separately. Each specimen has a fleshy structure that stores moisture in case of dry periods. Likewise, it retains water and tuberous rhizome. It is often referred to as the natural reservoir of moisture for a rainy day.

zamioculcas blooms
The dollar tree can grow up to a meter in height and decorate any home interior. Unlike the money tree (crassula), it periodically blooms with an unusual inflorescence. When you look at the flower from the side, it seems that a yellow or cream-colored corncob has appeared among the fleshy leaves. In fact, this standing bud is made up of many miniature flowers that shine brightly in the daytime sun.

the beginning in a gentle blanket
Usually, the inflorescence is hidden under a light green veil, so it is not immediately visible. The photo clearly shows the dollar tree during its flowering period.

Since the plant originated from the tropics, it is quite rare to see its buds in Europe. However, the flower is prized for its pretty foliage.

The plant was first described in 1828 by the famous collector of tropical flora K. Loddjes. He named it – the benevolent Caladium. 28 years later, Heinrich Schott, an Austrian biologist, added it to the list of tropical plants as the Zamioculcas of Loddjes. Only in 1908 did the director of the botanical garden in Berlin immortalize its modern name. Despite this, many indoor plant lovers know the flower under the name of the dollar tree.

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beautiful leaves of zamioculcas
Since the plant blooms very rarely, the leaves are considered its main advantage. It grows up to 100 cm and more, when the right conditions are created. How to achieve this result when caring for a flower? It turns out it’s not difficult. The main thing is to stick to simple tips.

Since Zamioculcas is considered a poisonous plant, transplanting or pruning is performed with gloves. Otherwise, contact of juice on open skin leads to unpleasant burns that have to be treated for a long time.

Transfer

transplant-zamioculcas-after-purchase-photo
The best time to transplant zamiokulkas is spring. Young plants are replanted annually.
Adults – only when the roots begin to crawl out of the drainage holes. The pot is taken quite a bit larger. It is imperative to fill in the drainage, about 1/4 of the pot.

The soil should be light, moisture and air permeable, with an admixture of sand. You can add fine expanded clay to it. A good substrate for cacti and succulents.

how-to-plant-zamioculcas-photo

The root system of zamiokulkas is a dense tubers, rather fragile. If they are damaged, the plant may die.
Therefore, it is better to transplant by the transshipment method, with a lump of earth. In this case, the tubers cannot be completely covered with earth. They should be about 1 cm open at the top.

Very large, adult plants are not transplanted, but simply replace the top layer of soil in the pot with a new, more fertile one. To do this, carefully, so as not to damage the tubers, take out 5-6 cm of soil, and then just as carefully fill in the fresh one.

Reproduction at home

Reproduction-zamiokulkasa-leaf-photo
Zamioculcas is propagated most often by division during transplantation. The tubers are cleaned from the ground and carefully separated from each other. Each section should have a leaf with a bud and several roots.
Young plants are planted in separate small, shallow pots. At first after planting, caring for them consists only in very limited watering. The first feeding is applied only after a new young leaf appears.

Ready-cuttings-zamiokulkas-photo
You can also propagate zamioculcas by leaf cuttings.

To do this, carefully cut a leaf with a bud at the base of the plant with a sharp knife. The cut site is immediately sprinkled with activated carbon powder.

The resulting stalk is dried for several hours. Then they are planted in a container filled with loose soil, slightly buried and watered a little. The container with the handle is placed in a warm place, out of direct sunlight. Usually the roots appear after a month. But it is possible further, so be patient.

Cuttings are watered exclusively by spraying, infrequently and little by little. To speed up the process, you can cover the top with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect and reduce evaporation. However, in this case, it is necessary to ventilate the container with cuttings from time to time to avoid rotting.

Care

It consists in providing him with normal conditions of detention, watering and feeding. No special techniques or skills are required from the owner. Even during the flowering period, the plant is undemanding to the conditions of maintenance.

Plant conditions

The temperature at which the plant feels normal is from 18 ° C to 30 ° C. The plant perfectly tolerates heat and drought, but hypothermia is dangerous for it. The temperature drop below 16 ° C is critical.

Dollar tree in a comfortable environment

Decor element

The plant loves a lot of diffused light; there should be no direct sunlight. However, zamiokulkas will normally feel on the windowsill by the windows of either side of the house, as well as under artificial lighting.

Watering the Plants

The plant prefers moderate watering with water at room temperature. Zamioculcas does not tolerate an excess of moisture. Roots can begin to rot as early as the second day after watering if excess moisture is not removed. It is necessary to monitor the plant and water it only when the substrate is completely dry, up to the appearance of cracks in it.

Yellowed leaves are the first sign that the plant is getting too much moisture. Do not overdo it with watering. The plant lives in an extremely arid climate and can do well without water. The plant also needs reduced air humidity.

Plant nutrition

The growth rate of zamiokulkas is very slow, therefore, to accelerate its growth, it is recommended to carry out top dressing. Specialized fertilizers for succulents are best suited for these purposes. The feeding process has a number of nuances, non-observance of which can destroy the plant. Let’s consider them in detail:

  • it is undesirable to use nitrogenous fertilizers, it is better to use magnesium-potassium fertilizers to stimulate growth
  • repeated feeding are made no earlier than 3-4 weeks after the previous
  • fertilizers are applied only to wet soil.

It is forbidden to feed the plant during the period from October to February.

Trimming

cropping-zamioculcas-photo
Pruning zamiokulkas is needed to form the crown plants, improving its illumination, removing yellowed, diseased or bare branches.
With the help of pruning, you can give the crown of the plant a ball shape.

It is best to prune during a period of active growth, in spring or summer. If you do this during dormancy, winter sleep – the branches will be weak and pale, the appearance of the plant may deteriorate.

Care after flowering

beginning-zamiokulkas-photo
After the active flowering phase, it is necessary to provide the plant with the so-called “dormant period”.
At this time, it is enough to limit watering and stop any feeding.

To recuperate the zamikulkas, it is necessary to be in a rather cool room, in which drafts and sudden changes in temperature are excluded.

Immediately after flowering, it is not advisable to transplant the flower and perform actions related to its reproduction.

Rejuvenation

Plant rejuvenation is the separation of an old, highly overgrown zamiokulkas bush during its transplant.

In addition to formative pruning, anti-aging is also carried out. This means that you need to remove the old branches that have lost their decorative appearance. After pruning, ugly stumps often remain at the base of the plant. They can be removed very carefully during transplantation.

Caution! Zammoculcas juice contains substances that, if in contact with the skin, can cause burning and redness, and allergic reactions in the form of a rash. Therefore, all work on transplanting, planting, reproduction and pruning should be carried out only with rubber gloves. But for this reason, you should not give up growing such a beautiful, spectacular flower. When he stands on a windowsill or on the floor, he does no harm to anyone.

Watering

watering-zamiokulkas-photo
Watering should be very moderate throughout the year. As the saying goes, “it is better to underfill than to overfill,” since the roots rot from waterlogged soil.
Excess water from the sump must be drained immediately, preventing it from stagnating.

Water in the summer when the soil in the pot dries well. In winter, even less often, 1-2 times a month is enough. Thanks to the tubers, thickened stem and dense waxy leaves, the plant, like succulents and cacti, has the ability to accumulate moisture, and then spend it as needed.

Attention! Overflow for zamiokulkas is worse than drought!

Top dressing and fertilization

During the period of active growth (from April to September), they are fed 1-2 times a month, not more often. Fertilizers are usually used for cacti and succulents. The concentration of the feeding solution can be made less than indicated in the instructions for use of the drug.

In general, with top dressing, the situation is the same as with watering: it is better to underfeed than overfeed. Young, newly transplanted zamioculcas plants are not fed until new fresh leaves begin to appear.

Important! In winter, during the dormant period (from October to March), feeding is stopped.

Pot selection and transplant issues

Oddly enough, but the conversation about caring for zamiokulkas begins with these questions. There are few plants that are capable of destroying the pot in which they are located with their root system, and zamioculcas is one of them. The powerful root system of zamiokulkas sometimes grows faster than its stems and leaves and, growing, is capable of tearing apart plastic pots.

Therefore, the first thing, as soon as you buy a zamiokulkas, check if the meta in his current “house” is enough for him and if he does not need to expand his “living space”. However, you should not do this right away: the plant must be allowed to adapt for about a month. If you purchased zamioculcas between October and February, despite the size of its pot, it is best to wait for March for transplanting. It is recommended to replant the flowering plant one week after the end of flowering.

Burst plastic container under the influence of roots

Plastic container burst under the influence of roots

Based on this, a more preferable option is to use ceramic pots with a fairly wide top; this is necessary so that the plant has the opportunity to at least somewhere to put its roots in the absence of a transplant for a long time. Ceramic pots with a narrow neck are capable of destroying zamiokulkas, destroying its root system, if it has nowhere to grow. In addition, pots with a narrow neck will not allow transplanting a large tuber of a plant – it may simply not fit into a small diameter hole.

Diseases and pests

Zamioculcas-diseases-and-pests-photos
Zamioculcas is very rarely affected by pests and diseases. Sometimes scabies, spider mites or aphids appear on it.
If they are found, the plant itself and the soil in the pot must be carefully treated with a solution of a suitable insecticidal preparation.

If you do not want to use chemicals, you can try some folk remedies for pest control. For example, from a spider mite, a plant is pollinated with ground sulfur (this must be done outside the living quarters).

Also, a good effect is obtained by treatment with a tobacco solution of low concentration. To get rid of aphids, sometimes it is enough just to rinse the crown of the plant under a strong stream of water (while the soil in the pot must be covered with a film so as not to flood the tubers).

Spots on the leaves may be due to fungal infection. To combat it, you must also use the appropriate drugs. The appearance of diseases is usually the result of improper care. For example, with excessive watering or stagnation of water in the pan, stem rot is observed – the leaves begin to dry out and gradually fall off.

How to reanimate a houseplant?

The question often arises of how to reanimate a plant that has begun to rot?
You need to immediately get it out of the pot, carefully free the roots from the ground and carefully examine them, rinse thoroughly in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Cut off all rotten places with a sharp knife, clean up to healthy tissue. Slices must be sprinkled with activated carbon powder. Let them dry for a few hours.

In the meantime, also treat the pot with a solution of potassium permanganate, fill with fresh soil and plant the plant again. Do not water it for a while. In the future, so that there are no troubles, you need to try to avoid mistakes in care.

Possible mistakes

Let’s take a look at some of the most common mistakes:

  • Excessive watering. Signs: the leaves turn yellow and gradually dry out. The roots and stem begin to rot. Transplant, and immediately.
  • Insufficient lighting. The plant loses color, the branches become thin and elongated. The appearance deteriorates. Rearrange to a more suitable, illuminated place.
  • Insufficient air humidity. It is especially important in winter, when dry air comes from hot heating batteries. The tips of the leaves become dry and brittle. Spray more often with warm, settled water or put a pot with a plant in a pan filled with moist moss, expanded clay, pebbles, shells, which need to be moistened from time to time.

Attention! If the old leaves turn yellow, but young branches with green leaves appear, this is normal, just cut off the old leaves.

Zamioculcas grows very slowly. Moreover, this does not depend on the conditions of its maintenance, the same happens in nature, this plant has such features. Sometimes it can simply “freeze” for a while, not grow at all. No need to be scared, no big deal. If the plant looks healthy and there are no pests, everything is fine.

Some signs associated with the dollar tree

There are many signs associated with zamiokulkas, and mostly positive.

  1. A flower in the house of a lonely girl promises her soon to find female happiness and meet her other half.
  2. Zamioculcas better known by the nickname “dollar tree”because green leaves are associated with foreign exchange. According to feng shui, it is recommended to place the flower in the southeastern part of the apartment, which contributes to the material well-being of household members.
  3. If the leaves of zamiokulkas begin to turn yellow and fall off, then this is a harbinger of money waste in the near future.
  4. Zamiokulkas bloom is very rare, and therefore speaks of the upcoming great happiness or success in business.

Advice! Signs are more likely to come true if the plant is not bought in a store, but donated by a successful person or a happy married woman.

FAQ

Quite often, when growing zamioculcas, questions arise.

Why is it growing poorly? Why doesn’t it give new shoots?

Zamioculcas-in-a-pot-photo
There may be several reasons: insufficient light, a cramped small pot, improper planting – buried tubers or the absence of a drainage layer in the pot, too low temperature, drafts during winter dormancy.
Maybe the plant was recently bought or transplanted and is just getting used to new conditions for itself.

How often does it bloom?

Under indoor conditions, zamioculcas blooms very rarely, and if it blooms, then already in an adult state.

It is necessary to create the most optimal conditions for it, but even so, young plants most likely will not bloom.

However, as with any rules, there are exceptions, and in some gardeners who are very fond of their pets, zamiokulkas can bloom at an earlier age.

What to do if a branch breaks off?

Carefully, with a sharp knife, cut it off at the very base of the stem and be sure to sprinkle the cut with activated carbon powder.

According to numerous data from the forums of amateur flower growers, the main reasons for failures when growing zamiokulkas in indoor conditions is excessive watering, as well as non-compliance with the conditions of detention during the winter dormant period, when the plant needs a low air temperature in combination with humidity.

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Anna Evans

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