ZeeZee Plant - can I divide it like a Hosta?

I bought this beautiful plant at our community garage sale yesterday, (5 bucks!) and I was wondering if I can divide it by chopping up the root ball? I read online about taking cuttings from it, but have seen nothing else about dividing. Forgive me if this is a "baby question". I don't have too many house plants, but I'm told the ZeeZees are very easy keepers.

Also, I have read that ZeeZees are very toxic, and that they can even poison clay pots, making them useless for any other type of plants. Is this true? I want to put it in a very pretty Roseville reproduction planter I bought, (It was 5 bucks, too!) but I don't want to ruin the pot by having it absorb ZeeZee poison!

If the plant clearly has two stem sections emerging from the pot you can divide it. Otherwise, if you want to grow another plant look for tiny bulblets to form at the base of the petiole where it joins with the stem. The petiole is the support of an individual leaf and the stem is the main support and central axis of the plant.. It is possible to grow an entirely new plant from these bulblets.

Although I have become aware that few people take the time to read the links I provide with scientifically researched material designed to be easily understood, few actually read the links such as this one which tells you how the plant grows in nature and why it can be grown many ways including in a tropical environment based on information from botanical scientists with quotes from scientific texts:

http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Zamioculcas%20zamiifolia%20pc.html

I have read every single post I can find on the ZZ plant on the internet and the fast majority are in direct conflict with botanical science.

In my experience, the "poison" thing is almost totally a myth. For some unknown reason lots of internet sites like to claim all aroids are "deadly poisonous" which is a scientifically proved to be bogus. The Chinese began eating aroids over 10,000 years ago and they are eaten today throughout the world including most of SE Asia, India, all of Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. Even the so called "deadly" Dieffenbachia is eaten by many South American tribes.

People all over the world eat many aroids all the time and there have been only a couple of scientifically cases of "aroid poison" due to calcium oxalate crystals. I guarantee you eat the stuff every single day. The same calcium crystals are found in Parsley, Chives, Cassava, Spinach, Beet leaves, Carrot, Radish, Collards, Bean, Brussels sprouts, Garlic, Lettuce, Watercress, Sweet potato, Turnip, Broccoli, Celery, Eggplant, Cauliflower, Asparagus, Cabbage, Tomato, Pea, Turnip greens, Potato, Onion, Okra, Pepper, Squash, Cucumbers, Corn and other foods!

I quote a medical doctor and a number of scientific sources to prove that bogus theory here:


http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Calcium%20oxalate%20crystals.html

The claim a ZZ can "poison" a pot is without foundation in science and I have inquired of more than a few scientists to try to verify this fact.

Just like anyone should question any "I'll make you an instant millionaire" offer that comes in your email, every grower should question these bogus claims and do their own research. Just like the "millionaire" claims are designed to take advantage of people, so are the claims of "poison".

The ZZ plant (Zamioculcus zamiifolia) lives in an area of Africa that has almost equal periods of heave rain followed by periods of dryness and needs to be grown in extremely fast draining soil containing a lot of sand. Like any plant, it can't make chlorophyll without a source of water on a fairly regular basis even though it does endure a long period of dryness.

Please forgive, me but I read this stuff all the time and have yet to find a qualified scientist to make such a claim. They just aren't true.

Steve
www.ExoticRainforest.com

At the big plant production places they grow ZZ from leaves. You need greenhouse conditions to be successful.

I have more luck with Calathea>

Steve, I read your link with interest, and I thank you for taking the time to answer. That is what is so great about DG, everyone is so willing to share their knowledge and experience, even when it is just a "newbie" question.

I'm no so interested in propogating this particular plant, as I was just wondering if the whole plant would fit in a new pot had for it. That is why I asked if I could divide the root ball. The mix it is growing in is pretty loose, with plenty of perlite, so I guess it should be happy. It is kind of rootbound, but I understand some tropicals like that?

Dale, that Calathea is beautiful! The leaves look painted. :)

Your plant appears to have more than a single plant so dividing it should not be difficult. Just select a point where the plants appear to divide naturally and cut straight down with a sharp knife through the root ball. You may need to take it out of the pot but just mix more soil with sand added along with cactus soil. If you water it regularly while not attempting to over water it the plant should prosper.

If it begins to drop a bunch of leaves it is likely thirsty and trying to become deciduous as it does in nature during the dry season. However, if you want to propagate it and a leaf does fall make up a fast food salad container that has a few holes in the bottom, fill it with the cactus/sand mix, lay the leaves on it (be sure and look for the bulblet), mist it regularly and keep the lid closed to hold in the humidity. It may take months but eventually one of the leaflets will root from the bulblet. Just make sure the bulblet is in contact with the soil mix.

Steve


This message was edited May 16, 2010 7:34 PM

I have been doing more research in an effort to learn where wild stories like the one you heard originate. It is likely this one is a variation of a story going around in SE Asia.

I made a post on the International Aroid Society forum Aroid l and asked if any of our botanists had heard such a tale. Aroid botanist Peter Boyce who works in Malaysia responded with this: "The best one circulating here in Malaysia is that the pollen alone is enough to cause death in adult humans. I know of NO science whatsoever to back-up these claims."

I also inquired of botanists at several botanical gardens and every one that responded agreed there is nothing in science to confirm any of these tales are valid.

Steve

Steve,

Thanks for all the info. No wonder my ZZ was dying. Replanted it yesterday and already it is smiling.

You're amazing.

Nancy

The first ZZ I ever grew (many years ago), I started from a leaflet. At that time, I had never seen a fully grown ZZ (the leaflet was given to me by a friend whose plant I never saw) so I had no idea how large it could grow. So I turned my botanical imagination loose while I waited for that leaflet to produce a plant. Here is what my imagination came up with - Pinnatidendron altissimum! Here's a link to my Aroidia page about it:

http://aroidiaresearch.org/pinnatid.htm

Hi, LariAnn,

Where have I been? I never (as far as my feeble mind goes back) remember that you drew. What a lovely artist you are. You are full of surprises. Thanks for showing.

Nancy

Great imagination!

Steve