Need advice for my plant- needs a name and some help?

Dina
by Dina
i live in the northeast. This was given to me about a year ago. It has grown to double its size. I've seen it growing wild in Hawaii. No name for it. My problem is that the leaves are slowly turning brown. It's watered once a week. Is it pot bound? Or is it a watering problem? Thanks y'all
  10 answers
  • Jennifer Emick Jennifer Emick on May 30, 2017

    That's a zz plant.,,and you're likely overwatering it. :)

    • Mir Graham Mir Graham on May 31, 2017

      I agree with Jennifer. And it looks like it needs a bigger pot-- you want to maintain about 4-6 in of soil around it to that the roots don't choke themselves.

  • Den21542985 Den21542985 on May 31, 2017

    It's a ZZ plant or zamioculcas zamifolia, native to the tropics.....it likes to be dry or on the dry side, that could be why the leaves are turning brown. Only water when top inch of soil is dried out. It also likes shade, not full sun and it likes to be root bound. You can take it out of its pot and break it up in sections and repot the sections if you want to make it smaller...they are sort of like a succullent and do not have a big root system.

  • Jessica Serrano-Gregg Jessica Serrano-Gregg on May 31, 2017

    Also what helps is to water from the roots. Meaning don't water it from the top like a normal houseplant but place water directly into the saucer and the plant will drink up what it needs that way! Like how you'd water an aloe Vera plant, never from the top soil because the water just sits on the drier soil causing the water to never really get to where it needs to go and that's directly into the roots, into the stems and then the leaves/blooms. So I think once you let the soil dry out a bit and then the next time you water, try this method. Start with half a saucer full of water and see how fast it drinks it and just gauge it like that. I've never overwatered anything using this method because the saucers only hold so much but If I forget to water the plants they suck it up real quick bone dry! But then I've seen some water left over if I have been good about it. Not sure but it's almost like the roots say ok.. I'm done now.. lol

  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on May 31, 2017

    zz plant and it looks like it needs to re-pot it.They do not like a lot of water.

  • Brenda Brenda on May 31, 2017

    Agree with above. You might want to put outside for summer after you repot then bring it in for winter. Put in a corner close to light on the flo

  • Dina Dina on May 31, 2017

    Thank you all for your comments. Gotta love Hometalk!

  • Jeanine Elizalde Jeanine Elizalde on May 31, 2017

    Thanks! I have one in a pot in my dining room and never knew what it was.

  • Lisa Lisa on May 31, 2017

    I call those plants the "forgetta bout it" plant. They are difficult to kill and barely ever need watering. You just forget they are there and they still survive.

  • Nelson.inc Nelson.inc on May 31, 2017

    They probably like to be root bound. I would advise against re-potting it unless you want it to get even bigger. Trim away any dying leaves...they don't come back to life and only make the plant look much worse.

  • Kim Kim on May 31, 2017

    You should name it Lola.

    • Lin15858806 Lin15858806 on Jun 01, 2017

      Billy or Frank for Billy Gibbons or Frank Beard. I have one named after Dusty Hill! (of ZZ Top)