This guy is a stowaway growing in a pot of leopard plants. Can anyone tell me what it is?

It looks like a variety of ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

Yes to what @plantladylin said. They will grow from a leaf or a stem cutting. They develop an underground tuber that stores water during dry periods. Listed as a plant for dry shade areas. If you poke around at the base and find the tuber you can be sure. Usually the stem is swollen/thicker near the base.

Leaf cuttings



Tuber forming



Stem cutting




Mature stems with swollen bases

Looks like we have a winner. Thanks so much.
Does anyone know if I should report it? Give it its own home? Or leave it where it is.

If it was mine, I would leave it alone (except maybe to rinse the leaves) until after the bulbs bloom in the spring. The bulbs look like they're going to need a bit more light, if possible. BUT if that's not possible, they should just wait to bloom until they can go back outside.

Both plants share the same cultural needs. I would only repot the ZZ if it crowds out the smaller plant. Since the Ledebouria has above ground bulbs and thin roots and the Zamioculcas has sub surface corms with slightly thicker roots they could share a wide deep bowl type planter. I like the look of the two together and can imagine a group of ZZ stems in the center surrounded by the smaller leaves of the Leopard plant. I think it would be especially striking when the smaller plant blooms.

Agree, I like them together and wouldn't separate personally. But definitely report it. ; )

Wildbloomers said: Leaf cuttings

@wildbloomers? I didn't know you can grow this with leaves.

Tuber forming



Stem cutting




Mature stems with swollen bases

purpleinopp said: Agree, I like them together and wouldn't separate personally. But definitely report it. ; )

@purpleinopp, at work, I type repot when I meant to type report. And you type report but I know you meant repot.

Sorry for reviving old thread but I learned something new.

@Agoo, I am curios to see what is the update on your stowaway zz plant. Years ago, our old office had this plant and it was always neglected but thriving.

ZZ is actually an aroid. Many people believe it's a succulent but it's not. It's subterranean tuber stores water so it's very drought tolerant and can withstand a lot of neglect

It IS cool how ZZ plants can start from individual leaflets! I came across a vid a while back of someone who was using slices of pool noodle to hold the leaves floating in water. I would love to try that but have only seen bigger, expensive pots of it since then.

Colleen probably meant to ask if she should repot but ended up asking if it should be reported. I don't have enough experience to have an opinion on repotting, but I still think it should be reported - to us - for amusement. : )

Thank you answering that question. I was wondering who was in charge of the hitchhiking plants reports. Turns out, we are.

LOL! Yeah! That's always my fav plant-o (typo about plants.) People say that all the time, either by genuine typo or auto-correct, and it never gets old for me.

I saw a ZZ plant for half off today and brought it home. And now there is a slice of pool noodle with slits and 7 leaflets, one in each slit, floating with just the ends in water. Hope it works like the vid. Some of those vids are hokum but that one looked real.

We can see if this works like the vid I saw...

Cool! Keep us posted.

Thank you for the photos Tiffany. I was wondering what that set up looked like.

I saw that hack also. What I wonder is why so many hacks involve pool noodles. I've never owned one in my life. Am I just out of the loop? Are they everyday items that everyone owns? Tiffany, do you have a pool?