Why Are My ZZ Plant Stems Turning Black?

Is your ZZ plant stem turning black?

Well, it could be a sign of a significant issue in the plant.

Many times when we neglect our indoor plants or take too much care of them, we end up seeing such problems in the plants.

The black stems problem in the ZZ plant is a perfect example of both the extremes of plant management.

But thankfully, you can still save your plant from this state.

In the following guide, I have shared some useful ideas and tips that might help in tackling this issue effectively.

So, let's not waste more time here and get started with the guide.

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Why Are My ZZ Plant Stems Turning Black?

I know you must be eager to know why the stems of your ZZ plant are turning black.

Here's a list of possible reasons for you -

1. You're Overwatering Your ZZ Plant

Whether you see black spots or entirely black stems on the ZZ plant, it's likely because of the overwatering situation in the pot.

When you water this plant more than its requirement, you will see it succumbing to a rot-like situation.

The rotting will begin at the root level and slowly spread to the parts above the soil, i.e., the stems and leaves.

When the stems start rotting, they will change their color from green to brown and black.

This transition happens at a fast pace.

If you don't intervene at this stage quickly, there is a chance that you might just lose the plant.

So, be careful when you want to water this plant.

2. You Have Black Fungus On The Plant

Black fungus is another common sight in this type of plant.

This issue surfaces when the plant sits in wet soil for too long.

The fungus may be present in the soil, but it's the moist environment that often provides a great platform for it to thrive and spread.

Like the rotting issues, the fungus will also spread quickly.

It will try to reach the fresh and tender parts pretty fast before moving to other parts of the same plant or different plants in the garden.

Compared to overwatering or rotting issues, the black fungus problem is slightly tricky to address in this type of plant.

Since it mostly happens because of the wet soil, you will have to deal with multiple issues at the same time.

Therefore, you will have to be quick in action and follow the right strategy to remove this type of fungus from the ZZ plant.

3. You Have Exposed The Plant To Direct Sunlight

Most plants like sunlight, and they can't grow well without it.

But when it comes to the ZZ plant, it pretty much hates direct sunlight.

When you expose this plant to direct light, its stems and leaves begin to droop and wilt after a while.

So, if you see a black-colored stem on the plant, it could be because of the sun.

It might sound a little weird because most plants thrive in this type of condition.

However, it's not the case with the ZZ plant.

4. The Growing Conditions Are Not Suitable For The Plant

It's a rare possibility, but you shouldn't rule it out completely.

Even though you're not overwatering your plant or keeping it in a low-light room, the environmental conditions can play a role in hampering the growth of the plant.

In the case of the ZZ plant, the plant doesn't like too much humidity and moisture in the air.

When this type of situation arises, you might see its stems turning black.

You will find this issue after a few days of exposure to such conditions.

Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do with this issue.

Since the environmental conditions are not in our hands, the only thing you can do is keep the plant safe from them.

Try to avoid exposure to these conditions as much as possible.

Once the conditions turn favorable, you can start reviving the plant with some standard gardening practices.

As you can see, these are pretty much the common reasons for this issue, and most of them arise from a situation where you put in a lot of effort in caring for your plant.

In the following section, you will find some quick tips and tricks that should help resolve this problem.

4 Tips To Fix Black Stems On ZZ Plant

So, how do you revive this plant so that it can come back to life from this issue?

Well, let's look at some of the tried and tested methods to fix the black stems problem -

1. Remove The Dead And Damaged Stems From The Plant

The stems that are damaged and dead due to this issue are not going to come back to life.

So, it's better to take them off the plant.

While performing this task, make sure you don't remove the fresh ones from it.

The ones that are relatively fresh and intact will help in the recovery process.

2. Spray Fungicide On The Plant

As mentioned earlier, it's likely to be a fungus issue on your plant.

To fix this problem completely, you will have to spray fungicides on it.

Now, you can use neem oil spray or some other available fungicide to spray on the plant.

This should help resolve the issue quickly.

Moreover, you will have to spray the plant a couple of times to entirely eradicate the fungus and bacteria.

3. Transplant It To A New Pot

Finally, transplant the plant into a new pot.

Change the soil and let it grow in this new environment.

4. Observe The Plant For A Few Weeks

Now, the only thing to do is to observe the plant for the new few weeks.

This will give you an idea as to how well the plant is responding to the fungicides sprays.

Note: Apart from these fixes, you should continue to take care of the plant.

You may also try propagating a couple of stems from the plant if you feel it's not going to make it in the end.

In the next section, I have shared some FAQs related to this topic.

Let's have a look at them below.

FAQs

1. Why Are My Plants Stems Turning Black?

The stems can turn black due to excess watering, fungus attack, or too much sunlight.

All these issues generally lead to this problem.

2. How Do I know If My ZZ Plant Has Root Rot?

You will have to remove the plant from its pot to confirm the root rot.

Other than that, you can look at the leaves and stems carefully.

If the leaves are drooping or the stems are mushy, there is a high probability that the plant is going through the root rot problem.

3. Do ZZ Plants Turn Black?

Yes, the ZZ plants can turn black if you let them be in an overwatered or fungus-affected pot.

These are the two things that can lead to ZZ plants turning black.

That said, it's quite rare to see the entire plant transforming into black color.

Most probably, you will see a few leaves, and some parts of stems turn black due to the aforementioned issues.

4. How Do You Save A Rotting ZZ?

The best way to save a rotting ZZ plant is using the transplant method.

When you transplant it to a new pot, it provides a better environment for the plant.

Apart from that, you essentially remove the possibility of fungus development in the plant.

That's how you should go about saving this plant.

Meanwhile, do prune the dead roots from their rhizome, as these roots are not going to grow back in any possible way.

5. Can ZZ Plant Recover From Overwatering?

Yes, it can recover from overwatering, but the whole thing depends on how the plant is doing at the current stage.

If it's been in the overwatered pot for a couple of weeks, you might have a difficult time reviving this plant.

In this situation, you should think of repotting and propagating it.

These are the only ways through which you can continue to have a ZZ plant in your home garden.