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Indoor Plant Care
Repotting · ZZ Plant

How to Repot a ZZ Plant

Every 2–3 years: NC State rates ZZ growth as slow, and Clemson HGIC gives that interval for slow growers. Best time: Spring or summer, while the plant is actively growing, per Clemson HGIC. New pot size: 1–2 inches wider, per Clemson HGIC. UW Extension warns that excess soil in an oversized pot holds water around the roots and favors root rot.
ZZ plantZamioculcas zamiifolia
  • Part to full shade
  • Dry between
  • Toxic to cats and dogs (NC State)
Frequency
Every 2–3 years: NC State rates ZZ growth as slow, and Clemson HGIC gives that interval for slow growers
Best season
Spring or summer, while the plant is actively growing, per Clemson HGIC
Pot size
1–2 inches wider, per Clemson HGIC. UW Extension warns that excess soil in an oversized pot holds water around the roots and favors root rot.
Soil mix
Well-drained potting soil, per NC State Extension, which notes ZZ can be treated much like cactus and other succulents and does not tolerate wet feet.

Signs your ZZ Plant needs repotting

Rhizomes (potato-like underground storage organs) visible at the soil surface or bulging the pot; soil drains very fast because rhizomes have displaced it; plant is top-heavy and tips over.

Step-by-step

  1. 1Let the soil dry completely before repotting.
  2. 2Slide the plant out gently — the rhizomes can be brittle.
  3. 3Brush away soil to inspect rhizomes. Healthy rhizomes are firm and pale brown. Cut away any soft or dark sections.
  4. 4If dividing, separate clumps so each section has rhizomes with stems attached.
  5. 5Pot in dry succulent mix at the same depth. Do not bury the top of the rhizomes.
  6. 6Hold off on the first watering, then water only once the mix has dried out, as NC State advises for this plant.

What kills ZZ Plant after repotting

  • Repotting in wet soil — ZZ rhizomes rot if their cuts contact moisture
  • Dense potting mix — holds water and suffocates rhizomes
  • Burying rhizomes — they should sit just below the soil surface, not deep

Species sources: NC State Extension — Zamioculcas zamiifolia; Missouri Botanical Garden — Zamioculcas zamiifolia.
Repotting guidance: Clemson HGIC — Indoor Plants: Transplanting & Repotting; Illinois Extension — Tips for Repotting Houseplants; UW–Madison Extension — Houseplant Care; UW–Madison Extension — Root Rots of Houseplants; Iowa State Extension — How to Care for Houseplants.

For full ZZ Plant care, see the ZZ Plant care guide. For the basics that apply to any plant, see how to repot a plant (general).