Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Raven'

Raven origin and history

'Raven' is the trade name for Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Dowon'. It began in 2006 at a nursery in Segok-dong, Seoul, South Korea, when one leaf on a green ZZ plant developed unusually dark leaflets. Plants grown from those dark leaflets kept the same green-to-black colour change.

The species itself is native to eastern and south-eastern Africa, where it grows in seasonally dry tropical regions.

Caring for 'Raven'

• Light & colour: Bright filtered light supports regular new shoots and rich dark mature foliage. Growth is slower in a darker position.
• Watering: Water only after the mix has dried well. Wet the whole root ball slowly and let the container drain completely.
• Potting mix: Choose a fast-draining houseplant mix that remains loose around the rhizomes.
• Temperature: Aim for about 15–24 °C indoors.
• Repotting: Repot once the rhizomes crowd the pot, new shoots have little room or the mix dries unevenly.
• Feeding: During fresh shoot growth, one or two applications of balanced liquid houseplant fertiliser are enough. Follow the rate on the label.
• Humidity: Normal room humidity is suitable.
• Propagation: For division, lift the plant and split the rhizome cluster into rooted pieces, each carrying a healthy shoot. Leaf cuttings also work, although they take longer to form new rhizomes and shoots.

Troubleshooting 'Raven'

• Pale tan patches appear on the dark foliage: Strong direct sun has scorched the leaflets. Return 'Raven' to bright filtered light while new foliage replaces the damaged leaves.
• Brown scale insects attach to stalks or leaflets: Check the hidden bases as well as the visible foliage. Remove the insects you can see, then apply a scale treatment following its label and repeat interval.
• The lower stalks yellow and feel soft: Prolonged wetness can start rhizome rot. Take the plant out of its pot. Cut soft tissue back to healthy firm tissue with a clean, disinfected tool, then repot into fresh loose mix.
• Wrinkled leaflets accompany drooping whole leaves: Water stored in the rhizomes is running low. If the mix is dry, soak it thoroughly and leave the container to drain.
• Watery tissue softens and spreads quickly: Rot may be moving through the stems or rhizomes. Keep the plant separate, remove affected material with disinfected tools and discard badly rotten rhizomes with the old potting mix.

If you need help identifying a problem, send us clear photos of the whole plant and the affected area. Include the soil or potting mix around the roots.

Zamioculcas zamiifolia ‘Raven’ is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its leaves and stems contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the mouth, throat, skin and eyes.
• Chewing may cause burning pain, drooling, swelling, vomiting or difficulty swallowing. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional after exposure, especially if swelling or breathing problems occur.

Zamioculcas zamiifolia: name and meaning

Zamioculcas combines the genus names Zamia and Colocasia. The epithet zamiifolia means having leaves like Zamia, referring to the resemblance of the compound foliage to that cycad genus.

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus Zamioculcas in 1856 in Synopsis Aroidearum, page 71.

George Loddiges first described it as Caladium zamiifolium in 1829 in The Botanical Cabinet, volume 15, plate 1408. Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler later placed it in Zamioculcas as Zamioculcas zamiifolia in 1905 in Das Pflanzenreich, IV, 23B, page 305.