Ask the Plant Hunter: Raven® ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Dowon')

[@alexan6118]

Just found this beauty at Lowes! Thank you Costa Farms! 🖤🌿🖤🌿🖤🌿

[@CostaFarms]

Thanks for giving her a great new home!

[@reilleyfarnsworth6100]

Finally found my dream raven today ♥️ thank you for all your hard work to make this beautiful plant adorable

[@CostaFarms]

Thank you for giving her a great home!

[@buttondr2123]

I really like listening to this guy. I first saw him on LifewithAshleyAnita channel. It’s great content, please keep it coming!

[@pacificgardener]

I love my Raven ZZ plant! They're really hard to find! Can't find it here in Vegas but I bought one when we had vacation in Flagstaff AZ. 😂

[@CostaFarms]

Thanks for giving your Raven a great home! We're glad you're enjoying her!

[@deehermione943]

Lol I just bought this exact plant from Walmart same pot and everything! I love it.

[@CostaFarms]

Thanks for giving your Raven ZZ a great home!

[@mf3361]

Lol same here , just bought one today from Walmart , beautiful plant .

[@MrsCynfuller]

Thank you for sharing. I just bought one and I love the color so much, I’m gonna go get another one to go on either side of my ponytail plant. Thanks for the info

[@CostaFarms]

Thanks for giving your Raven a good home, Cynthia! Glad to hear you're happy with her! ♥

[@desiTravelerOfficial]

This is an awesome video, you answered all the questions I wondered about... and I just can't wait to know what all you have in store.... :)

[@gardeningwithgeetkumar]

Beautiful upload.. Sir

[@salsatoma]

I love your video, with all the detailed info! The funnt thing is the raven zz is actually not so easy to get in korea. Its kind of rare since most of the raven zzs are exported. I really love this plant amd dont wanna kill it ,, but the leaves are drying out starting with the lower leaves. I thought i probably overwatered and i found that one of the bulbs rotten(half), and the tips of the long snake like roots are dried out. Considering these two factors, should i water the plant or not.... ?

[@CostaFarms]

Hi wow: It sounds like your ZZ may have been overwatered if the rhizome is rotting. If the thicker roots suffocate and die, they can look dried out. I always recommend feeling the moisture level with your finger before watering --- if it feels moist, wait a few days and check again. If it's really dry, then go ahead and add some water. Hope this helps! ---Justin, Costa Farms Horticulturist

[@LarryHatch]

RAVEN(r) is great but there are now four other contenders for the "best black" ZZ. Have you guys tried those as most are not patented?

[@miriamjavier3987]

I bought my Raven ZZ March 2022. Just last week I found a stalk with white stem and leaves? It died because it needs green leaves for chlorophyll. What’s going on with it? I don’t overwater it and its in a sunny area with no direct light. I have another one with no natural light, and that one also had white stalk with white leaves.

[@CostaFarms]

Miriam: It's hard to say without more details, but the most common reason for "albino" plant shoots is a random genetic mutation that prevents that shoot from producing chlorophyll. If a plant is especially hungry for nutrients --- which yours shouldn't be if you just got it from us in March --- nutrient deficiency may prevent it from developing as much chlorophyll on the new growth, but nutrient deficiencies don't usually cause a complete lack of green coloring. Does this help at all?

[@miriamjavier3987]

@@CostaFarms Yes it does. Mine is completely healthy. My batch is just a lucky awesome phenomenon! Thank you for the reply. I’ll continue to support your work.

[@montagauriemontagaurie3141]

watched the vid......... didn't see my question.......... I'm pretty sure I found a Raven ZZ at the gettin' place and they let me have it because it looked dead, I am hoping to revive it, my question is would using SuperThrive on it be a problem?

[@CostaFarms]

Hi Montagaurie: I'm afraid we don't have any direct experience with that product, so we can't say for sure. But as long as you follow the directions on the product packaging, we'd guess it would probably be fine?

[@kellywitzel4444]

What does lower leaf loss mean? Thanks for the video

[@CostaFarms]

Hi Kelly! Most commonly, it points to a watering issue. Raven® is exceedingly drought tolerant --- so much so that it can dry out enough it loses is foliage, but then rebound if watered again. Likewise, too much water can cause the roots to start to suffocate. When this happens, the plant tends to drop some of its leaflets to compensate for the root loss. ---Justin, Costa Farms Horticulturist

[@stevenm6453]

I ordered this plant from Costa Farms through Amazon the first message was the plant would be shipped a day later than the advertised shipping date and then the plant never showed up . Amazon gave me a refund . Not sure what's going on at Costa Farms. Also they should ship it in a plain box with no plant store advertisements on it just a sticker that says handle with care/fragile so its less likely to be stolen.

[@CostaFarms]

Steven: Very sorry to hear you've had these experiences, and we wonder if you might have have purchased from a scammer? Unfortunately there are some who buy our plants and then re-sell them as Costa Farms plants.... Ours should always arrive in a Costa Farms box with Costa Farms information inside the box. You can doublecheck by looking at your order confirmation: If the "sold by" part on the order says anything but Costa Farms, then you bought from someone else. ---Justin, Costa Farms Horticulturist

[@audreylundmisner8888]

💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤

[@alexmacalister2157]

Where can I see pictures of ZZ in nature? Or video

[@CostaFarms]

Hi Alex! Unfortunately we don't have any images of a ZZ in its native environment, but you should be able to find images or video if you search Google for the topic.

[@Ms2cents]

I can’t wait for what you have in store! I’m guessing maybe a variegated one with maybe yellow and green or cream and green? That would be so pretty!

[@angel.heart007]

What is the best soil mix and fertilizer for the raven?

[@angel.heart007]

Also do the bulbs have to be exposed or should I bury it completely?

[@CostaFarms]

Any good general-purpose potting mix formulated for use on houseplants should be fine for Raven®. If you're concerned about overwatering, look for a mix that offers good drainage (or add drainage by tossing in some extra perlite, sand, or bark). Here at Costa Farms, we use coir mixed with shredded wood and some sand. In terms of fertilizing, any general-purpose fertilizer formulated for use on houseplants should be just fine. Raven® isn't fussy!

[@CostaFarms]

​@@angel.heart007: You can leave the tubers exposed, if you wish. If you don't like the look of them, you can slightly cover them. But don't bury them, especially if you lean on the side of giving it more water than less.

[@Samual_Jones]

I just saw this plant in a video, was wondering where it came from.. now I know! kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKWXq6mlo9GNq6s