• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Guides
  • About
  • Contact

Indoor Mint logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Guides
  • About
  • Contact
search icon
Homepage link
  • Guides
  • About
  • Contact
×

Home » Indoor Plant Guides

Published: Aug 10, 2021 · Updated: Sep 5, 2022 by Harshad Sawant · Leave a Comment

ZZ Plant vs. Snake Plant

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.

zz plant vs snake plant cover image

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, the 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 leaves 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, 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

1. Is A ZZ Plant A Snake Plant?


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.

2. Do ZZ Plants Clean The Air?


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 bedroom, and it will surely help clean the air in your rooms.

3. Does ZZ Plant Do Well In Low Light?


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.

4. How Often Should I Water ZZ Plant?


You can water this plant once or twice a month, depending on the weather conditions in your place.

5. How Much Sun Does A ZZ Plant Need?


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 the natural light is not available in your place.

Over To You

I hope you enjoyed this quick comparison guide of the ZZ plant vs. Snake plant.

If you want to know any further details about these plants or have more suggestions, do let me know in the comments below.

I'd be glad to help you out with your queries.

If you liked this guide, do share it with your friends and family.

More Indoor Plant Guides

  • How To Root Haworthia Pups With No Roots
  • repotting the plant
    How To Fix Root Rot Without Repotting
  • monstera grow light distance
    What Is The Right Grow Light Distance For Monstera?
  • jade plant top heavy
    5 Ways To Revive A Top Heavy Jade Plant

About Harshad Sawant

Hello there!

My name is Harshad, and I'm the gardening expert at IndoorMint.com.

Gardening is one of my passions, and I enjoy pretty much everything connected to plants.

I strongly believe in sharing knowledge with everyone, so you'll always find me posting new how-tos and guides on this blog.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Harshad - Blogger at Indoormint.com

Hi, I'm Harshad, a gardening enthusiast who likes to grow different varieties of indoor plants. I have been growing houseplants for over 15 years, and I share those experiences and learnings through this blog.

More about me →

As Featured In

indoormint featured on

Popular Guides

  • monstera small aerial root
    Can I Cut Monstera Aerial Roots?
  • zz plant new growth
    How To Encourage New Growth In ZZ Plant
  • zz plant light green leaves
    5 Tips To Fix Light Green Leaves On ZZ Plant
  • succulents growing in sand
    Topping Potted Plants With Sand

Trending Guides

  • aloe vera white fungus cover image
    13 Tips To Fix Aloe Vera Plant White Fungus
  • pothos companion plants
    10 Beautiful Pothos Companion Plants
  • spider plant growing long stem cover image
    Why Is My Spider Plant Growing Long Stem?
  • multiple plants in one container featured image
    11 Tips For Growing Two Plants In One Container

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About

Privacy Policy

  • Privacy Policy

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2022 Indoor Mint