Cultivar · genus Zamioculcas
Raven
Zamioculcas zamiifolia · ‘Raven’
Guide
Written and kept by people who grow it. Every section carries its source.
A Blackened ZZ
Raven is a patented cultivar of the familiar ZZ plant, selected for foliage that darkens toward black rather than staying plain green. It carries the species' rhizome-and-drought-tolerance toolkit, just dressed in a moodier color.
Source: NC State Extension
Discovered, Not Bred
Raven was found in Asia in 2015 and patented by its discoverer, who granted Costa Farms exclusive North American propagation rights. That origin as a discovered sport, rather than a deliberate cross, is why it carries the registered name Raven and the cultivar tag 'Dowon.'
Source: Costa Farms
Same Toughness, More Tolerance
Raven keeps the species' forgiving nature but is noted to tolerate a notably wide range of light and moisture conditions, growing in low, medium, or bright light alike, just more slowly in dimmer spots. It can take direct sun through a window in northern areas, though southern afternoon sun, especially in summer, risks scorching the leaves. Water as the top half of the mix dries, since the thick rhizomes let it coast for weeks if needed, and feed in spring and summer only if faster growth is wanted.
Source: Costa Farms
Lime to Jet Black
What sets this selection apart is the color journey of its leaves: new growth opens an electric lime green, then each leaflet slowly deepens into a rich purple-black as it matures. Petioles can show green, black, or purplish tones along the way, and the glossy, pinnately compound leaves still emerge from the same thick, water-storing rhizome typical of the species.
Source: NC State Extension
Care recipe
Each fact carries its confidence tier — and says whether it belongs to this cultivar or is inherited from the species.
Care notes reviewed by Horta
- Humidity
- ai:claude-sonnet-5
- Care
- ai:claude-sonnet-5
Low light
≈ every 28 days
Medium
15–26 °C
Gritty, free-draining mix — cactus mix cut with perlite
not explicitly stated in sources
Light feed once or twice a season — easily overfed
Slow
Rarely flowers; spathe is green and spadix is brown to grey, and indoor blooming may indicate the plant is unhappy with its conditions.
Toxic to cats & dogs
Insoluble calcium oxalates — oral irritation, drooling, vomiting. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar inherits it and none can override it.
Reference images
Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.
PrimarySources: ai:claude-sonnet-5 · ASPCA
Kept true by its growers
Every fact here carries its source. Grow ‘Raven’ yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.
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