Is a Zanzibar gem the same as a ZZ?

Yes. Zanzibar gem is another name for the ZZ plant, Zamioculcas zamiifolia, according to Clemson Cooperative Extension. It is the only species in its genus, so every ZZ, including the black Raven, is the same plant.

Is a ZZ plant toxic to cats?

Yes. NC State Extension lists the ZZ plant as having medium toxicity to cats and dogs, Clemson Cooperative Extension labels it not pet safe, and UF/IFAS Extension says all parts are toxic if eaten. Keep it away from pets that chew, or choose from our pet friendly plants.

Are black spots on ZZ stems normal?

Yes. Clemson Cooperative Extension says black spots on the stems are normal on a healthy ZZ. Yellowing stems and soft rhizomes are the warning sign; they usually mean too much water.

Do ZZs need big pots?

No. A ZZ grows slowly and rarely needs a bigger pot; move it up only when the rhizomes are pressing against the sides, and a pot that is too large stays wet and invites root rot (Clemson, UF/IFAS). A large ZZ is a matter of time, not pot size: Clemson says it reaches two to four feet tall and wide.

Can a ZZ live in a room with no window?

A ZZ can live in low light, and Clemson Cooperative Extension says it can be easily grown in darker rooms, but it still needs some light, and bright, indirect light speeds up its slow growth. Ryan keeps a ZZ in the shop washroom, which has no window and a light that’s on whenever the shop is open, as what he calls “a public demonstration.” When a customer tells him they have no light at all, he sends them in there to wash their hands. Read Ryan’s full ZZ plant care guide.

Can you pot my ZZ before it leaves?

Yes, every ZZ is potted before it leaves the shop, and the potting is included in the price shown. Choose the grow pot or one of the house pots offered with each plant and size; potting is $1 per inch of pot, already built into that one price.

What sizes of ZZ do you carry?

We carry ZZ plants in three- to fourteen-inch pots. The small pots hold young plants for a shelf or a desk corner; the ten-inch and larger pots hold big, full clumps. Each plant’s page shows only the sizes in the shop now.

Do you deliver ZZ plants in Toronto?

Yes. Delivered by hand across Toronto and the GTA. You can also pick one up at 702 Queen St W. We don’t ship ZZ plants elsewhere in Canada.

ZZ Plants

At Chive Plant Studio, our plant shop at 702 Queen St W in Toronto, the ZZ is the plant people check for a price tag on the underside of a leaf. “Is it supposed to look this fake?” they ask, tapping one, and then they apologise to the plant. It is supposed to look like that: UF/IFAS Extension says the leaflets are naturally glossy, as if they’d been polished, and need no leaf polish. Then they carry it to the till the way they’d carry a certificate: proof, at last, that they can be trusted with something alive.

Someone once drew us a diagram on the back of a receipt to show how the daylight turns two corners to reach her desk. We had to tell her, gently, that plants don’t have periscopes. A ZZ takes lower light than most plants, but it still needs some, and Clemson Cooperative Extension says bright, indirect light speeds up its very slow growth. We carry ZZ plants in three- to fourteen-inch pots, and the black Raven, when we have them. Our ZZ plants are grown by our nursery partners and brought to Queen West.

Delivered by hand across Toronto and the GTA. You can also pick up at 702 Queen St W. Every ZZ is potted before it leaves the shop, in its grow pot or one of our house pots, and the potting is already in the price. Read Ryan’s full ZZ plant care guide.

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