Snake Plant or ZZ Plant? How to Choose
If there is one question we answer more than any other at the packing bench, it is this one. Someone wants a plant that will survive their home, their schedule or their track record, and they have narrowed it down to two: the snake plant and the ZZ plant. Both are famous for being hard to kill, and both deserve it. But they are not the same plant, and the right choice depends on your space more than on toughness.
What they have in common
Both plants store water. The snake plant holds it in its thick, upright leaves; the ZZ plant holds it in fat rhizomes under the soil. Both grow slowly, cope with less light than most houseplants, and handle a missed watering far better than an extra one. Both are slow to show stress and slow to recover from it, which is why the main rule for each is the same: do not overwater.
They also share a drawback. Neither is safe for pets. Both are toxic to cats and dogs if chewed, so if you have animals, neither is on our list of pet-safe plants, and you may want to look there instead. Otherwise, keep either one out of reach and call your vet if it gets nibbled.
Shape and space
This is where they really differ, and it is usually what decides it.
A snake plant grows straight up. Its stiff, sword-like leaves rise from the soil in a tight cluster, so it adds height without taking much floor or shelf space. It suits narrow spots: beside a window frame, at the end of a desk, in a corner next to a door. Taller varieties can reach three feet or more in time.
A ZZ plant grows up and out. Its arching stems carry rows of glossy, oval leaflets, and a mature plant is roughly as wide as it is tall. It looks fuller and softer, and it needs a wider spot: a broad shelf, a side table, or the floor.
Light
Both cope with dim rooms, and both grow faster with more light. If anything, the ZZ plant edges ahead in the very darkest corners. Its glossy leaves keep their deep color in poor light, while a snake plant in deep shade can look a little dull and stop growing altogether. In a bright room both do well, as long as they are kept out of hot afternoon sun, which can scorch either one.
For a room that is genuinely dim, either belongs on a list of low-light plants. For a spot that gets no natural light at all, neither will survive long without a grow light.
Water
This is the easiest part, because the answer for both is: less than you think. In most homes, each needs water every two to four weeks in summer and less in winter. Let the soil dry out completely, then water thoroughly and let the pot drain. If you are not sure how often to water in your home, push a finger deep into the pot; if there is any moisture at all, wait.
The ZZ plant is slightly more forgiving of a long gap, because its rhizomes hold so much. The snake plant is slightly more sensitive to cold, wet soil in winter, which can rot the base of the leaves quickly.
Pots and repotting
Both like a pot that drains fast and dries out between waterings. A terracotta pot is ideal for either, because the clay pulls moisture out of the soil. Both are also happy to be slightly crowded, so there is no rush to move them up a size. When roots start pushing out of the drainage hole, or a ZZ plant's rhizomes begin to bulge the sides of its pot, it is time; our repotting guide walks through it.
One practical note: pot either of them into a terracotta pot with a gritty, free-draining mix and you have done most of the work of keeping it alive for years.
Growth
Neither is fast. A snake plant typically sends up a few new leaves a year, usually as new shoots from the soil beside the main clump. A ZZ plant sends up a few new stems a year, each unfurling pale green and darkening as it hardens. Both grow noticeably faster in good light and warmth.
So which one?
- Choose the snake plant if you need height in a narrow space, prefer a clean, upright outline, or want the plant that takes up the least room.
- Choose the ZZ plant if you want something fuller and glossier, have a wider spot to fill, or the space is the darkest in the house.
- Choose both if you cannot decide. They look good together, the upright leaves of one against the rounded mass of the other, and they need exactly the same care.
Whichever you pick, give it a pot with a drainage hole, the brightest spot it can have without harsh sun, and as little water as it will put up with. Do that, and the hardest part will be remembering it needs anything at all.