Looking for the ZZ plant vs. Snake plant comparison?
Well, that's what you will find in the following guide!
Both these plants are known for their adaptive nature, which makes them suitable for indoor places.
Even though these plants belong to harsh desert conditions, they can do pretty well in our homes and offices.
That said, you need to know the different characteristics of these plants to grow them properly in such conditions.
So, let's compare the ZZ plant and Snake plant with each other and find out more about them below.
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What Is ZZ Plant?
The ZZ Plant is also known as Zamioculcas zamiifolia.
As mentioned earlier, this plant is generally found in the African region, where it can also grow in outdoor conditions.
The plant often sends out stems that grow in an upward direction as compared to lateral growth in some of the other indoor plants.
The leaves of this plant can have a green to dark green color shade, and it greatly depends on the location of the plant.
This plant doesn't prefer too much sun and water.
What Is Snake Plant?
The Snake plant is known as Dracaena trifasciata, and it comes in different varieties.
These varieties are commonly separated through their variegations and colors.
Originally from African regions, it is a perennial plant and grows well in indoor conditions too.
This plant doesn't produce a long stem and has long flat leaves that grow in rosette formation.
It does require a moderate amount of sunlight and water.
Now, let's move to the comparison section!
ZZ Plant vs. Snake Plant - The Differences
Here are some of the differentiating factors between these two plants -
1. Color
The ZZ plant comes in black, green, yellow-light green, and variegated colors.
However, green ones are predominant in most nurseries and plant shops.
Talking about the Snake plant, you will find this plant in different shades of green, white, and yellow variegations.
The common Snake plant has green-white variegation.
2. Size
The Snake plant can grow up to 5-6 ft tall, whereas the ZZ plant grows up to 4-5 ft.
When you keep them in indoor conditions, these plants don't grow as tall as the sizes mentioned above.
In most cases, you will find them growing up to 2-3 ft tall max.
It happens because of a lack of sunlight and an infrequent supply of water and nutrients.
3. Leaf Shape
The ZZ plant has a typical leaf shape that we get to see in most plants around the world.
However, the Snake plant has an elongated flat shape that comes from the plant's adaptive nature to survive in harsh conditions.
The name of this plant, i.e., the Snake plant, is also derived from the shape of its leaves.
Sometimes, it is referred to as the mother-in-law's tongue plant.
This type of leaf helps retain enough moisture.
4. Root System
Both these plants have rhizomes that help store food and water for the plants.
However, the main difference between these two root systems is the shape of the rhizomes.
The Snake plant has elongated rhizomes, but the ZZ plant forms a bulb-like rhizome.
This is why the ZZ plant succumbs to overwatering relatively quickly compared to most other plants in the garden.
5. Light Requirement
The ZZ plant does alright in indirect light and should be kept away from direct sun.
It doesn't like too much direct sunlight and might turn yellow or black when exposed to such conditions.
On the contrary, the Snake plant can tolerate bright sunlight.
You can also keep it on your windowsill, and it won't mind at all.
In fact, it might just grow quicker than you'd expect.
6. Water Requirement
The ZZ plant doesn't like to sit in too much moisture in the soil.
When the water levels increase in the pot, this plant doesn't absorb water from its surroundings and starts to rot in the process.
So, it's absolutely averse to overwatering.
Regarding the Snake plant, it does alright even if you overwater it sometimes.
This plant requires a moderate amount of water, but you shouldn't be overwatering it repeatedly.
7. Difficulty Levels For Growing These Plants
The difficulties in growing these two plants depend on your experience and atmospheric conditions.
But in general, the ZZ plant is a little fuzzy about watering and sunlight issues.
It doesn't tolerate extreme conditions.
So, you will always find it challenging to grow this plant at home.
On the contrary, the Snake plant is quite forgiving in that sense.
If you overwater it or keep it in direct sun for a few days, it will still manage to survive without much issue.
Therefore, it's a great plant to have in your home garden, especially if you're a beginner and want to choose between these two plants.
Meanwhile, in the following section, you will learn the similarities between them.
ZZ Plant vs. Snake Plant - The Similarities
Here are some of the similarity factors for these two plants -
1. Adaptability
Both these plants are pretty adaptive in their own way.
Of course, they do need a bit different conditions in an indoor environment, but they do adjust to available conditions well.
2. Low Maintenance
Yes, the Snake plant and ZZ plant are low-maintenance plants.
You can pretty much neglect them for an extended period, and they will still do well with available resources in the pot.
Their requirements are fairly low, and that's what makes them the best plants for indoor places.
3. Propagation
The ZZ plant and Snake plant can be propagated through leaves and stems.
Both these plants also support the soil and water propagation methods.
So, you will not find an issue while propagating these two plants.
If you have a damaged plant in your garden, you can use any of these methods to get new plants or create backups for the existing ones.
4. Overwatering, Root Rot, Yellow Leaves Issues
Yes, the Snake plant and ZZ plant exhibit similar responses to the above issues.
These plants will go through these conditions at least once in their lifetime, and you will probably see mushy leaves, wrinkled leaves or stems, and black/brown patches on the leaves or stems due to the same issues.
The techniques to recover your plants from such issues are similar, including pruning, repoting, transplanting, etc.
5. Availability
Since both these plants are widely popular in the world, you will never have an issue with their availability.
You will easily find them in your local nurseries or garden centers.
Also, these plants are perennials in nature, so they will be available throughout the year.
Well, these are the few differences and similarities between the ZZ plant and the Snake plant.
Now, let's have a look at the FAQs below.
FAQs
No, both of them are two different varieties of plants, though they belong to African regions.
There are quite a few similarities between them, and I've listed some of them in the above guide.
Yes, the ZZ plant is an air purifier plant, and it helps remove toxins like toluene, benzene, and xylene.
You can keep this plant in your living room as well as your bedroom, and it will surely help clean the air in your rooms.
Yes, it can thrive in low-light conditions.
This type of light condition is suitable for the ZZ plant, as it's not good at dealing with direct sunlight.
You can water this plant once or twice a month, depending on the weather conditions in your place.
The ZZ plant doesn't need a lot of sunlight.
It will do just fine even if it receives a couple of hours of indirect sunlight in a day.
You can also keep it under LED light if natural light is not available in your place.
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