Mature size & growth rate

How big does ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) get?

Also called Zanzibar gem, eternity plant.

About ZZ plant

Zamioculcas zamiifolia · also called Zanzibar gem, eternity plant · houseplant

ZZ plant is a near-indestructible African native that stores water in potato-like underground rhizomes. It tolerates low light, drought, and neglect and is the standard recommendation for offices and dim apartments. Mildly toxic to pets.

Zamioculcas zamiifolia is an aroid native to the forest understory and grassland margins of eastern Africa, from Kenya and Tanzania (including Zanzibar) south to Mozambique and KwaZulu-Natal, where it endures a long, pronounced dry season.

Growth is slow and flush-based: new feathery, pinnate fronds emerge as bright spears from the rhizome a few at a time, and a mature houseplant typically reaches roughly 2 to 3 feet over several years.

Mature size: 60-90 cm tall

Watch for — No new growth: Normal in low light or winter; otherwise check the roots.

Sources: libguides.nybg.org, bbg.org, en.wikipedia.org

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

ZZ plant stays fairly low but widens over time — it spreads into a bigger clump by offsets, runners or rhizomes rather than shooting upward. Indoors and in a pot, expect 60-90 cm tall. A pot, your light levels and a little pruning are what set the final size in a home, far more than the plant's theoretical potential.

Size here is about width, not height: the plant builds an ever-wider clump or sends out plantlets and runners while staying relatively short.

Growth rate and years to mature

ZZ plant is a slow grower. Realistically, expect many years — it gains very little each season, so it can hold the same shelf-sized footprint for 5-10+ years. Its feeding profile backs this up: half-strength balanced liquid feed every 6-8 weeks during the growing season.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the zz plant repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast zz plant grows.

How to keep zz plant smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For zz plant specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

Divide the clump every year or two — splitting zz plant is the main way to control its spread and refresh it.
Remove runners, plantlets or offsets as they appear if you want it to stay a single tight clump.
Keep it slightly pot-bound; a snug pot naturally limits how wide the clump can get.

The keep-it-smaller method, step by step

Lift the whole plant. Slide zz plant out of its pot in spring when the clump has filled it.
Split the clump. Tease or cut the rootball into two or more sections, each with healthy roots and growth.
Repot one division. Put a single division back in the original pot to reset it to a smaller size; pot or give away the rest.
Remove offsets as they form. Through the year, detach new runners or pups to stop it spreading again.

How to grow zz plant bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for zz plant the accelerators are:

Give it a wider pot and let the clump fill it — width is exactly how this plant gets bigger.
Brighter light speeds up clump and offset production noticeably.
Leave plantlets and offsets attached and feed through the growing season for the fastest spread.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The zz plant light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When zz plant outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for zz plant:

The clump bulging over the pot rim or splitting the pot — the cue to divide, not to find a bigger room.
A dense centre that goes bare or tired while the edges keep spreading.
Runners or offsets escaping across the shelf or into neighbouring pots.

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the zz plant repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the zz plant propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

ZZ plant size — frequently asked questions

How big does zz plant get?

ZZ plant reaches 60-90 cm tall when grown indoors. Size here is about width, not height: the plant builds an ever-wider clump or sends out plantlets and runners while staying relatively short.

Is zz plant slow or fast growing?

ZZ plant is a slow grower. Expect many years — it gains very little each season, so it can hold the same shelf-sized footprint for 5-10+ years. ZZ plant stays fairly low but widens over time — it spreads into a bigger clump by offsets, runners or rhizomes rather than shooting upward.

How long does zz plant take to reach full size?

Roughly many years — it gains very little each season, so it can hold the same shelf-sized footprint for 5-10+ years. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep zz plant smaller?

Divide the clump every year or two — splitting zz plant is the main way to control its spread and refresh it. Remove runners, plantlets or offsets as they appear if you want it to stay a single tight clump. Keep it slightly pot-bound; a snug pot naturally limits how wide the clump can get.

How can I make zz plant grow bigger or faster?

Give it a wider pot and let the clump fill it — width is exactly how this plant gets bigger. Brighter light speeds up clump and offset production noticeably. Leave plantlets and offsets attached and feed through the growing season for the fastest spread.