ZZ plants are an excellent low maintenance houseplant. They are quite popular due to their beauty. They sport thick dark glossy leaves. Their reputation as an easy houseplant is because they can adapt to lower levels of light and they also don’t need to be watered very often. While these factors make them easy to care for it can also make them easy to neglect. Some neglect can lead to your ZZ Plant drooping. Read on to find out some of the common reasons your ZZ Plant might be drooping and learn whether you should do something about it.
Size is a Factor
At a certain size, the ZZ Plant stems will start to droop or flop over. It’s just simple physics the stems are long and they’re too heavy to remain upright. In the picture above, my ZZ Plant is in a 20 inch pot. The diameter of the actual plant is about five feet. A ZZ Plant this size is going to have heavy stems that arch and droop. This one is actually tied up so it’s not even drooping as much as it would unassisted.
If you have a ZZ Plant that is very large, congratulations. Stems drooping on a very large ZZ Plant is relatively normal due to the size and weight of the stems. If your ZZ Plant is smaller and it’s drooping, then you should continue reading to see if you can identify what’s causing the drooping.
Lack of Light
ZZ Plants have lower light needs compared to many houseplants. However, there is such a thing as too little light for a ZZ Plant. If a ZZ Plant doesn’t receive adequate light, then the stems will grow longer, and as a consequence thinner, to reach toward the light. Long thin stems are more prone to drooping because they lack the strength to hold the rest of the stem up.
A ZZ Plant suffering from lack of light will begin to grow branches that are stretched out. The stem will be longer than all the other stems on the plant. In addition, the space between the leaves will be further than the other stems on the plant. See an example of that below. To read more about ZZ Plant light requirements check out my post.
If your ZZ Plant seems to be stretching toward the sun, then you need to give it somewhere to be to receive more light. Maybe you move it closer to a window. You could also get a grow light to help supply artificial light. A stem that is already stretched out will not shrink back to the appropriate size.
Lack of Water
Lack of water can also cause a ZZ Plant to droop. It can be very difficult to tell if you are underwatering your ZZ Plant. ZZ Plants require infrequent watering because they have tuberous stems and very thick roots which are called rhizomes. The rhizomes and the stems hold a lot of water, so you need to water your ZZ Plant pretty infrequently. That can lead to trouble though. It can be hard to have your ZZ Plant on the same watering schedule as your other plants and that can lead to trouble.
An underwatered ZZ Plant may develop yellowing leaves and also wrinkled stems. I’ve found that the stems start to look wrinkled before I see yellow leaves, but maybe that’s just my ZZ plant. You can see an example of a wrinkled stem below. A wrinkled stem is obviously going to be weaker, and therefore prone to drooping.
To fix an underwatered ZZ Plant you just need to increase the amount of water you supply or the frequency at which you water, don’t do both or you’ll risk having the opposite problem. If the water runs through your ZZ Plant soil very rapidly without absorbing into the soil, then you may have hydrophobic soil. Soil can become hydrophobic if it has become too dry. To fix this, you can submerge your pot into water to allow the soil to absorb the water from the base of the pot through the drainage holes. This technique is called bottom watering.
Damage
A ZZ Plant may droop after becoming damaged. The stems are plump and fibrous which gives holds the stem upright. If a stem incurs damage then it may begin to droop because some of the fiber may have lost its strength. Damage may happen whether you know it or not. It could happen when you move your plant or if something falls on it. If you have pets, kids, or roommates, they could damage your plant without you knowing. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to repair damage that causes drooping. You can use a stake and ties to help prop up your stems if you prefer that esthetically.
Lack of Nutrients
Inadequate fertilization may also cause your ZZ Plant stems to droop. It’s probably the least likely cause of all of the reasons listed above. First, ZZ Plants are not heavy feeders in terms of fertilization. You should feed them about once a month during the growing season and not at all during winter. An under-fertilized ZZ Plant will show other visible signs such as leaf yellowing much earlier than you see signs of drooping.
You can confirm whether your ZZ Plant is under-fertilized by using soil rapitests. Several tests come to the pack so you can have them around or test multiple plants. The tests check the three major macro nutrients for plants nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. If you confirm that you do have a nutrient deficiency, then all you need to do is start fertilizing. Stick to water-soluble fertilizer which will absorb quickly.
Do you have other concerns about your ZZ Plant? Post them in the Comments section.
I'm a long time plant lover on the quest to happily coexist with as many plants as I can. Let's grow!