Houseplant · Araceae
Arrowhead Plant
Syngonium podophyllum
Forgiving and quick to fill in, the arrowhead plant will climb or trail wherever you guide it, as long as it gets bright indirect light.
Bright indirect
64–81°F · 18–27°C
USDA 10–12
3–6 ft · 0.9–1.8 m
Overview
If you are new to houseplants, the arrowhead plant is a kind one to start with. Its young leaves come up shaped like little arrowheads on a low, bushy plant, and that shape is where the name comes from. It grows wild from Mexico down through tropical America, sits in the arum family, and has earned a reputation as one of the most forgiving plants you can bring home. You will find it in green, variegated, and pink-veined forms, so there is something to suit any corner.
The lovely surprise is how it grows up over time. That tidy young plant gradually becomes a climbing vine, the stems lengthening and the leaves opening into several leaflets. The shape is yours to decide, and there is no wrong choice. Train it up a moss pole, let it tumble from a hanging basket, or simply keep pinching it back for a soft, leafy mound.
Best of all, it asks for very little. Bright indirect light, soil kept gently moist, and warm air keep it content, and it will happily forgive a missed watering now and then. The one thing worth remembering is the sap, which holds calcium oxalate crystals that can irritate mouths and skin, so settle the plant somewhere pets and small children cannot nibble the leaves.
Care
The short version: offer bright indirect light, keep the soil gently moist but never soggy, and surround it with warm, humid air. Water less in winter, and once it begins to vine, simply add a pole or a basket to support it.
Light
Treat it to bright, indirect light and you will get the best color and the fullest growth. It will get by in medium light and even low light, so do not worry if your spot is on the dim side, but direct sun scorches the leaves, so keep it a little back from a hot window.
Water
Aim to keep the soil lightly moist but never soggy while it is growing, topping up once the surface starts to feel dry. Ease right off from fall through late winter, when the plant slows down and damp soil can quickly turn to root rot.
Soil
A light, well-draining potting mix with a soil base is all it needs. Good drainage really is the part that matters, since water sitting at the roots is the surest way to lose this plant, so do not fret over much else.
Temperature
Ordinary room warmth suits it beautifully, somewhere around 64°F to 81°F (18°C to 27°C). Just keep it away from cold drafts and chilly windowsills through winter, as it cannot cope with frost.
Humidity
Being tropical, it loves high humidity, ideally 60% or more. It will manage in average household air without complaint, but the leaves look their happiest near a humidifier or in a steamy bathroom or kitchen.
Feeding
A little food during active growth in the warmer months goes a long way, using a balanced foliage-plant fertilizer. A few feedings across the growing season are plenty, and you can stop altogether once growth winds down in fall.
Pruning
Do not be shy about cutting it back, because it takes hard pruning in its stride. Pinch and prune to shape it however you like, whether that is a compact mound, a trailing basket, or a vine climbing a moss pole or trellis.
Repotting
There is no need to rush this. Repot only when the plant outgrows its pot and the roots feel crowded, since there is no fixed schedule, and you can move it up a size whenever it begins to look snug.
Size & spacing
Indoors it grows to roughly 3 to 6 feet (91 to 183 cm) as a climbing or trailing vine, spreading about 1 to 2 feet (30 to 61 cm) across. Give it a little room to vine or something to climb, and let some air move around the leaves.
Troubleshooting
Arrowhead plants are wonderfully tough, and almost anything that goes wrong comes back to light or water. Watch the leaves and stems for early hints, find the match below, and you will usually have it sorted before it spreads.
Stems and roots turning soft and mushy with rot
Soggy soil opens the door to soft rot, a bacterial decay that turns stems and roots to mush. Trim away the rotted parts, then settle the cause by switching to a light, well-draining mix and letting the pot drain freely. Water less through fall and winter, when the plant drinks far less than you might think.
Fix:
- Remove affected tissue
- Improve drainage and avoid waterlogged soil
- Reduce watering, especially from fall through late winter
Washed-out, scorched patches showing on the foliage
Too much direct sun is the usual reason, scorching the leaves and leaving washed-out or crisp patches where the light falls hardest. Move the plant somewhere with bright indirect light or dappled shade, and the fresh growth will come in clean again.
Fix:
- Move plant out of direct sun to a bright indirect or part-shade location
Dark spots creeping over the leaves
Distinct dark lesions usually mean bacterial leaf spot, which travels on wet foliage. Gently pick off the marked leaves and keep water off the leaves going forward. Good air movement around the plant does most of the work in stopping it.
Fix:
- Remove affected leaves
- Avoid wetting foliage and improve air circulation
Fine webbing, cottony fluff, or twisted sticky shoots
A handful of common pests are drawn to arrowhead plants, and each leaves its own little trail. Spider mites stipple the leaves and spin fine webbing, mealybugs appear as white cottony tufts, aphids gather on tender new growth, and scale clings to stems as hard little bumps. The moment you notice any of them, separate the plant, wash the pests away, and follow up with an insecticidal treatment.
Fix:
- Inspect and isolate the plant
- Wash off pests and treat with an appropriate insecticidal control
Stretched-out stems trailing with sparse leaves
There is nothing wrong here, this is simply your arrowhead plant growing up. It starts out bushy and compact, then settles into its natural vining habit as it matures, so the stems stretch and begin to trail. Offer a moss pole or trellis to climb, let it spill from a hanging basket, or pinch the stems back to keep it full and neat, whichever you prefer.
Fix:
- Provide a moss pole or trellis for the plant to climb
- Grow in a hanging basket to let stems cascade
- Prune or pinch stems to keep the plant compact and bushy
Toxicity
This one is best kept up and out of reach, though it is easy to live with safely. Every part carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, and a single bite stings the mouth right away. The sap can bother skin as well, so handle cuttings gently and place the plant where pets and children cannot reach it.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Moderate
A cat that bites a leaf feels the sting almost at once. Look for heavy drooling, pawing at the mouth, and a sore, swollen tongue and lips, often with vomiting and trouble swallowing soon after.
Dogs Moderate
Dogs react much the way cats do. The mouth burns on contact, so watch for drooling, swelling around the lips and tongue, vomiting, and an unwillingness to swallow.
Horses Moderate
The crystals irritate a horse's mouth and throat, bringing drooling, swelling, and difficulty swallowing. Horses cannot vomit, so the trouble stays in the mouth and gut.
Rabbits Toxic
Keep the arrowhead plant well clear of any rabbit. The same calcium oxalate crystals that harm cats and dogs irritate a rabbit's sensitive mouth and gut, and it is simply not a safe green to offer.
Livestock Toxic
Grazing animals that chew the foliage end up with a painful mouthful of oxalate crystals, with drooling and oral swelling the usual result. Fence the plant off from any livestock that might browse it.
Birds Toxic
The sap is no kinder to birds. A pet bird that nibbles the leaves can suffer the same mouth irritation and swelling, so keep cages and perches away from the plant.
People Caution
No part of this plant is meant to be eaten. A bite gives a sharp burning in the mouth, and the sap can leave skin irritated, so wash your hands after taking cuttings and keep it away from small children.
All parts contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals; sap can irritate. UF/IFAS notes the toxic sap makes mechanical handling (e.g., string trimming) inadvisable outdoors
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Growers have chosen the arrowhead plant over the years for its leaf color and markings, running from near-white through bright green to deep pink veins. Here are a few of the named cultivars you are likely to meet.
'White Butterfly'
Its greenish-white leaves are brushed with creamy white-yellow veins and rimmed in dark green, making it the palest of the group.
'Pink Allusion'
Raised in Florida, it shows deep pink veins running down the centers of light olive-green leaves, and that pink stays put as the leaves get older.
'Robusta'
A named cultivar raised in the commercial Syngonium trade following UF/IFAS production guidelines.
'Neon'
Another commercial pick listed in the UF/IFAS production guidelines for interiorscape Syngonium.
'Lemon Lime'
A production cultivar from those same UF/IFAS guidelines, named for its cheerful bright green coloring.
How to propagate
Making more of this plant could hardly be easier, which is part of the fun. A cutting taken in the warm months will root almost by itself, and if you would like a fuller plant, you can air-layer a longer stem with a little patience.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer · Roots in a few weeks
This is the easy route, and honestly the plant nearly does it for you. Take a tip or nodal cutting in spring or summer as long as it has a node, and any aerial roots already on the stem give it a welcome head start. Sit it in water or moist potting mix and it will root within a few weeks.
Air layeringModerate
Spring to summer · Several weeks
Air layering asks for a bit more patience, but it works nicely, and it is the method commercial growers rely on to bulk up Syngonium. Wound a stem and wrap it in spring or summer, then give it several weeks to form roots before you cut the new plant free.
Myths
An arrowhead plant is really just another type of philodendron.
They do share the arum family, which is where the mix-up starts, but the arrowhead plant is Syngonium podophyllum, a separate genus from Philodendron. The leaves give it away: young ones wear the arrowhead shape behind the name, then grow into compound leaves split into 3 to 11 leaflets, something philodendrons never do.
Sources
- Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Atlas of Florida Plants, Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida
- UF/IFAS Plant Directory
- UF/IFAS EDIS (EP244, Cultural Guidelines for Commercial Production of Interiorscape Syngonium)