Cojoba arborea Plants GrowTropicals
Zen Sleeper Tree

Cojoba arborea

£27.99
Pot size
11cm £27.99

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Complete the set up
Jungle Mix - Premium Houseplant Potting Mix
The perfect soil Jungle Mix - Premium Houseplant Potting Mix · 2.5L · £4.99
Description

Cojoba arborea, sold as the Zen Sleeper or sleeping tree, is an elegant evergreen with feathery, mimosa like foliage. Its leaflets fold shut every evening and unfurl again at dawn, a daily rhythm the plant keeps by its own internal clock. Few indoor trees have this much quiet character, which is why it sits with our rare and unusual plants.

Origins

A rainforest tree of the pea family, native from Mexico through Central America and the Caribbean to South America, where it grows into a substantial canopy tree.

Care

Give it plenty of bright, indirect light and keep the compost lightly moist, letting only the surface dry between waterings. It likes steady warmth above 15C, away from cold draughts, and appreciates a touch of extra humidity. In a pot it grows at a measured pace and stays at houseplant scale. Find companions among our houseplants and large plants.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Zen Sleeper Tree

Give me bright light out of the midday sun and water me when the top of my soil feels dry.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
Get to know me

About Zen Sleeper Tree

Cojoba arborea is a houseplant that takes a little effort. It needs bright indirect light, watering once the top 2 to 3cm of compost has dried out, average household humidity and a minimum temperature of 15°C.

Good for

Living Room

Care level

EasyChallenge

A little effort

Light

ShadeFull sun

Bright, indirect light

A bright spot with plenty of indirect light. Shield it from strong direct sun, which can scorch the fine leaflets. Read moreShow less

A bright spot with plenty of indirect light. Shield it from strong direct sun, which can scorch the fine leaflets.

Watering

Evenly moistDries out fully

Let the top few centimetres dry out

Keep the compost lightly moist, letting just the top couple of centimetres dry out between waterings. It dislikes both drying out completely and sitting waterlogged. Read moreShow less

Keep the compost lightly moist, letting just the top couple of centimetres dry out between waterings. It dislikes both drying out completely and sitting waterlogged.

Humidity

Average homeHigh humidity

Happy at normal household humidity

Average home humidity is acceptable, though it appreciates a little extra. An occasional mist or a spot near other plants keeps the feathery foliage happy. Read moreShow less

Average home humidity is acceptable, though it appreciates a little extra. An occasional mist or a spot near other plants keeps the feathery foliage happy.

Temperature

Keep above 15°C · Likes a warm room

A warm, stable room between 18 and 28C, away from cold draughts and radiators. Keep it above 15C year round. Read moreShow less

A warm, stable room between 18 and 28C, away from cold draughts and radiators. Keep it above 15C year round.

Feeding

Feed monthly with a balanced fertiliser from spring to autumn, and let it rest over winter.

Growth habit

Tree-form →

Plant type

Foliage houseplant →

Also known as

Cojoba arborea

Genus

Cojoba
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do the leaves close at night?

Cojoba arborea folds its leaflets shut each evening and reopens them at dawn, a movement called nyctinasty that follows the plant's own internal clock. It is why the trade nickname is the Zen Sleeper, or sleeping tree.

Why are the leaflets closing during the day?

Daytime folding is usually a stress signal. Check that the compost has not dried out, move it away from cold draughts, and give it time to settle after repotting or a change of position.

How big does a Zen Sleeper get indoors?

In its native forests it is a genuine canopy tree, but in a pot it grows steadily rather than rapidly and is easily kept at houseplant scale with an occasional light prune.

What light does it need?

Plenty of bright, indirect light. A spot near an east or west facing window is ideal. Keep it out of strong midday sun, which can scorch the fine feathery leaflets.

Is Cojoba arborea difficult to care for?

Not especially, as long as it is warm. Steady light moisture, average humidity and temperatures above 15C keep it content. Its main dislikes are cold draughts and dried out compost.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

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Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Cojoba arborea
£27.99