ZZ Plant yellow leaves? Causes and how to fix them

The ZZ Plant, also known as Aroid Palm, Emerald Palm, Eternity Plant, Zanzibar Gem, Zuzu Plant, (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) is an easy-care houseplant, but even it can get yellow leaves. Most of the time, it is due to care mistakes, which fortunately can be easily fixed. Here you will learn what the causes are and what you can do about them.

1. Too much watering

The most common cause of yellow leaves on the Aroid Palm is too much water. This is because lucky feathers store water in their rhizomes and therefore need to be watered only a little. Watering too often leads to waterlogging, which can cause the roots to rot. An early sign of this is the leaves turning yellow and mushy.

Solution: Check the roots of your ZZ plant. Take the plant out of its pot and see if some of the roots have already turned brown. Cut off all the brown roots with a clean, sharp pair of scissors and leave only the white, healthy roots on the plant. Plant your Aroid Palm in a fresh pot with fresh soil. Palm soil is particularly suitable as it is permeable and structurally stable. In future, make sure that the soil dries out between waterings. Check with your finger: is the top layer of soil dry? Then you can water.

2. Not enough watering

Although the Emerald Palm is drought-resistant, extreme dryness can also cause yellow leaves. Particularly when neglected for a long time, the leaves turn pale and dry out.

Solution: Water your plant moderately, about every two to three weeks. In summer, it can be a little more, in winter less.

3. Wrong location

Too much direct sun or a location that is too dark can cause stress and encourage yellow leaves.

Solution: The Emerald Palm likes a bright but indirectly lit spot. Avoid direct sunlight and completely dark corners.

4. Wrong fertilizer

Too many or too few nutrients can also harm the plant. Overfertilisation often shows up through yellow or brown leaf edges. If nutrients are lacking, the leaves turn pale yellow.

Solution: Are you fertilising too much? Then rinse the soil with clear water and stop using fertiliser. It is even better to repot the plant in fresh soil. Shake off as much of the old potting soil as possible from the roots. Are you fertilising too little? Then use a liquid houseplant fertiliser in a weak concentration every 4-6 weeks.

Can yellow leaves turn green again

Unfortunately not. Therefore, it is best to remove yellow leaves. This way, the ZZ plant can use its energy to produce new leaves instead of keeping the yellow ones alive.

Image credit:

Zamioculcas, Foto von feey