I present to you my unusual flower, mysteriously named Zamioculcas. It only appeared as a houseplant in the late 20th century. It also goes by other names, including the dollar tree, everlasting tree, dollar palm, and celibacy flower. It belongs to the Araceae family and is considered an evergreen succulent, so it is grown under the same conditions.
The leaves are always glossy, even when young. This is the smallest shoot, but it already looks so shiny:
The flower easily tolerates drought and high room temperatures. Zamioculcas is unique, as it has no trunk, only stems with complex leaves. In other words, the stem grows directly from the root. Amazing, right? It's clearly visible in this photo:
But the root system is very powerful. It's a huge underground tuber with thick root shoots. When I repot it, I get the impression they're not roots, but worms. Honestly, if I had a photo, you'd see it. A root like that requires a sizable pot. And here's a mature plant, three years old:
