Syngonium care indoors and propagation at home

Syngonium

Syngonium varieties, propagation, care, pruning, toxicity, benefits 

What is Syngonium/ Arrowhead plant?

Syngonium is a genus of flowering plants, perennial evergreen climbers native to tropical rainforests in southern Mexico, the West Indies, Central and South America. Syngonium Podophyllum is also known as Nephthytis/ GooseFoot. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, it is also commonly known as Nephthytis triphylla. It is available in a variety of colors, and as the individual leaves mature from the young, they turn into attractive plants. Syngonium species are often grown as houseplants, usually only in the juvenile stage. It is the most commonly cultivated species, and is often referred to simply as Syngonium. 

Characteristics of Syngonium Podophyllum

Common name: Arrowhead plant/arrowhead vine/ goosefoot/nephthytis/ tri-leaf wonder/ African evergreen

Botanical name: Syngonium Podophyllum

Plant type: Family Araceae

Origin: Native to Mexico, Central and southern America, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador

Mature size: 3-6 feet tall, Spread 1-2 feet

Light requirements: Low-medium, indirect sunlight

Water requirements: Water when soil dry

Soil: Fertile, moist, well drained with pH 5.5-6.5

Humidity: 40-60%

Temperature: Winter minimum temperature 55 to 65°F), 70 to 90 °F during the growing season.

Propagation: Stem cuttings and division

Bloom: Bloom but unlikely indoors

Flowers: Mono flowering plant, forming from 1-11 inflorescences

Pests: Mealybugs, thrips, aphids, spider mites, scales

Fertilize: Fertilize during growing season      

Toxicity: Yes

Varieties of Syngonium

There is a substantial difference in the shape and color of the leaf between the different varieties

Bold Allusion beautiful, slowly growing variety with creamy green leaves and pink veins

Cream Allusion A particularly compact type, cream allusion nephritis has medium-sized leaves that are creamy green in color and pink in color

Exotic Allusion light green leaves filled with creamy white

Holly smooth type with practically white leaves with green edges and veins

Julia Allusion compact type with light green leaves with a copper pink color.

Maria Allusion new variety with light green leaves that are heavily shaded and copper pink in color

Painted Arrow beautiful variety with creamy green leaves spread in light green colors

Pink Allusion light green leaves, dark green in color, and accented with pink veins

Strawberry Cream unique pink new growth. Bright light brings the best color to the leaves

White Butterfly most popular species and has greenish white leaves

Berry Allusion low-light, easy-to-grow housing plant with light green leaves that blend with cream and pink

Bold Allusion beautiful, slowly growing variety with creamy green leaves and pink veins

How to make a compact table plant?

Pruning 

The low maintenance arrowhead plant is an interesting and versatile house plant. Syngonium needs to be pruned indoors 2 to 3 times a year to look beautiful and avoid the ugly flop effect and give the appearance of more bushes.

 The hardy evergreen arrowhead plant is an enthusiastic climber. When left unpruned, the arrowhead can grow up to six feet tall and look beautiful when it is trained to climb or allowed to cascade around a hanging basket or pot. ۔ Sieve to make a compact tablet plant. It requires a certain amount of care and pruning that other plants do not normally do.

With many varieties, cultivars and colors to choose from, it harmonizes well with any ornamental plants and is interested in variegated shades of green and white, silver, cream, pink or even purple.

Leaves

Color and shape

It is always changing shape and evolving. A young plant or new leaf will give you arrow-shaped leaves and leaves are usually variegated when young. Diversity disappears as the arrow plant matures. The leaves come in attractive shades of green and white, silver, cream, pink and even purple. So, if you compare recent cuttings with their parents, you will think that they are very different plants.

How to propagate Syngonium Podophyllum at home

Propagation

Plant propagation can be accomplished in a number of ways. Seeds are easy, but often take months or even years to mature. Propagation is by cuttings or air layering. Arrowhead plant is easy to propagate and there are 2 easy ways to propagate by cutting the stems. All types of syngonium are propagated by stem cutting.

What is good time to propagate Syngonium?

Spring, summer and autumn are good times because the roots grow faster in hot weather. Evergreen plants response better to propagation in spring season.

Propagate syngonium plant by stem cutting in water or potting compost

Take the branches to the desired length below a node. You want to make sure the stems are long enough so that at least 2 or 3 nodes can go into the water or soil. And, make sure your prunners are clean and sharp before you cut them. 

Remove some lower leaves from each stem. They will die anyway and you will see new growth emerging throughout the rooting system.

Put the cuttings in water or potting compost. Make sure 2-3 nodes are covered with water or soil.

Propagate Syngonium plant by division

The Syngonium plant can also be propagated by the method of distribution as the plants age, they thicken and bend slightly, so it can be difficult to divide.

How Syngonium is toxic?

Also, because the plant is a bit poisonous you really want to know where all the parts of the plant are growing and crawling around, especially if you have children or hungry pets around. The tissues of the twigs contain sharp crystals of calcium oxalate. 

Contact with plants, especially accidental damage, can cause inflammation of the skin, which is manifested by itching, burning and the appearance of blisters. 

Plant juices can cause burns and tears when they get stuck in the eye.

Contact with plants through the mucous membranes of the mouth causes them severe irritation, which is seen as sharp, burning pain and swelling. Ingestion of plant causes inflammation of gastrointestinal mucosa.

How to care Syngonium Podohyllum

Water requirements

In spring, water freely from spring to autumn, sparingly in winter. Water he arrowhead plant when the soil surface begins to dry out. This plant likes to stay moist, but not wet or soggy.

Sunlight requirements

They require good light conditions, but not direct sunlight. They will withstand low light levels. Most species of this low-light plant can thrive in bright light, unless they are exposed to high sunlight, especially in hot weather. The arrowhead plant can be exposed to the sun - the white, bleached parts on the leaves are formed in direct sunlight.

Temperature

For successful growth, the winter minimum temperature should be maintained at 55 to 65 F, which during the growing season is 70 to 90 F.

Humidity

They require high humidity 50-60%, including misting the leaves regularly. Because air layering plants need a humid environment to form aerial roots.

Fertilize

Feeding in spring and summer. It is not necessary to fertilize the arrowhead plant, but if you wish, use a house plant fertilizer following the instructions regarding product packaging. You do not need to fertilize the arrow plant in winter.

Soil pH

Well-drained, fertile soil works well for growing all types of arrowhead plants with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5.

How Syngonium is beneficial for our health

These have the ability to reduce indoor air pollution. Syngonium also absorbs organic compounds such as benzene, formaldehyde, toluene and xylene. They also reduce germs from the air and increase humidity.

Syngonium absorbs contaminants in their leaves, and move to the toxic root zone. Indoor plants also emit water vapor, which helps plants absorb contaminated air into their roots, where plants have converted toxic substances into plant food.

Written by: Yaseen.A