Syngonium podophyllum
Arrowhead works are unkillable .
Okay , you could probably wangle it if you try , but you ’d really have to lick at it to make one of them fail . Even better , their uncompromising nature is hidden beneath a surprisingly beautiful and delicate appearance .
I think that ’s part of what build them such surpassing selection as houseplants – they have beautyandbrawn .
The leafage has a distinct arrowhead - similar shape , as you probably imagine by the name , but it ’s the enthralling array of colors and patterns that stool them extremely appealing .
Most cultivar have soft , muted colour in shades of pinkish , cream , and unripe . A few cultivar are bolder , with deep Bolshevik or emerald green coloring .
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Though I jest about it being impossible to pour down them , you do require to provide a sure set of condition to make them truly glad . That ’s what this guide will show you .
Here ’s what ’s coming up ahead :
What You’ll Learn
Whether you make out all houseplant in general and you require to flourish your solicitation , or you ’re looking for a suitable metal money to add some color and grain to your habitation , arrowheads are staples for a reason .
rent ’s drudge in .
What Is an Arrowhead Plant?
Arrowhead vine , American evergreen , five finger , goosefoot vine , arrowhead philodendron – whatever you callSyngonium genus Podophyllum , this tropic indigene is a inflexible , operose - to - kill houseplant that provides a ton of optic pursuit with its multicolored and uniquely shaped leaves .
In instance you ’re rum , the wordSyngoniumis Greek , and “ syn ” means “ together ” while “ gon ” intend “ sex gland . ” It ’s a reference to the fact that this plant ’s ovaries are mix together in each heyday .
Podophyllum , on the other hand , is Latin , and it denotes leave that attach to a sturdy stalk .
By the way , do n’t confuse this tropical houseplant with specie in theChenopodiumgenus , which are also commonly called goosefoot plants . While they can be delicious leafy vegetable to forage , they ’re completely dissimilar species that wo n’t make very attractive houseplant .
Arrowheads are not philodendron either , despite one of their common names . Closely related to tomonsterasandpothos , they have dissimilar requirement than their cousins .
Goosefoot vine is native to tropical orbit from Mexico to Bolivia . you’re able to also find it naturalized across the globe in spot like Hawaii , Florida , Costa Rica , and the West Indies .
It should n’t come as a surprise that , being so difficult to kill when cultivated indoors , this flora has the potential to be invasive outdoors . For example , in Florida and American Samoa , it has form dumb lustrelessness on the floor of forests , displace native flora .
InUSDA Hardiness Zones10 to 12 , you’re able to grow these outdoors as a ground cover or small President George W. Bush in a shady area .
These plants are epiphytic , starting their living in the trees in the wild , and sending out runners along the branches as they flesh out . They can even institutionalize stems down into the soil to act as trunks if they need extra support .
In the right conditions , they unfold with large , fleshy spathes cover in tiny flowers , and then produce red berries . The flush are in the first place pollinated by beetle in the syndicate Rutelinae and Dynastinia .
bet on the cultivar , a happy specimen can spring up up to six feet tall indoors .
Cultivation and History
Carl Linnaeus first draw the genus asArum auritumin 1763 , in his work “ Species Plantarum . ”
The mintage was reclassify asSyngoniumin 1829 by botanist Heinrich Wilhelm Schott , and the genus was expanded as other species were reclassified and added in 1920 by botanists Heinrich Engler and Johann Krause .
S. podophyllumis educate for sale in tropical field , and exported across the world for use of goods and services as a houseplant and garden specimen .
Propagation
Arrowhead industrial plant respond well to propagation via stem cutting .
If you have access to a parent plant , that ’s the respectable way to go . you could also circularise them by seed or , of course , purchase starts or more mature specimens .
From Seed
It is potential to propagate arrowhead plant from come , but this is emphatically not the preferred method . Germination is patched and it ’s hard to source seeds . On top of that , loan-blend wo n’t grow true , and you might not end up with what you expected in term of color .
If you could observe them from a reputable seller , seeds should be planted in four - inch containers fill with a 50:50 mixture of sphagnum moss and a seed set out spiritualist . Make indisputable the containers have good drainage .
Sow the seeds about half an inch deep , then water the medium thoroughly and keep it moist until a seedling emerges . After that , you may permit the top half - column inch of the culture medium to dry out out between lacrimation , and you may transfer once two or three true leaves have formed .
From Cuttings
If you have a parent plant and a loving cup of water system , you could make short arrowhead vine sister with little effort . This process is well undertaken in the spring or summertime , because the plant life starts to go dormant in the fall .
Arrowhead plant are vine and the process is similar to what you might do to spread any other tropical vine .
Take a cutting just below a lymph node , the point on the vine where a leaf bud or etymon may come forth .
Now you have a pick to make . you’re able to place the cutting in a container of potting metier or you’re able to place it in water supply .
Either method works well . The difference is that you ’ll exchange ready final result in term of root evolution for an ability to become established quickly , depending on which option you go with .
Cuttings root faster in piss but the roots are weaker , so the plant life needs more time to become established . Cuttings target in a potting medium take longer to grow roots , but those roots are sturdier , and the plant life will become established more cursorily after the roots have shape .
For the urine method acting , position the cut so the cut end is inundate under half-hearted weewee to a point just above the leaf node . localise the jar or your pick of propagation receptacle in a post with bright but indirect light . Replace the weewee every other day or so .
You ’ll start to see stem forming in a calendar week or two . If not , the press clipping did n’t take and you ’ll need to start over .
Once the roots are about an inch or two long , transplant them into potting soil in a container .
To set about your cutting in soil , fill a small container with a seed - starting medium . Place the cutting so the node is cover by the potting sensitive . Water so the spiritualist feels like a well wrung - out sponge , and keep this point of moisture while the roots are forming .
By the time two or three weeks have gone by , root should have developed under the soil . Give the cutting off a gentle tug to see if it resists . If so , there are roots under the grease .
Do n’t transplant it just yet , though . Wait until you see at least two or three new leaves form . Then you’re able to transplant as discover below .
Transplanting
purchase an arrowhead plant from a greenhouse is the most common method acting of obtaining one of these beauties . It certainly give you instant gratification .
To transplant your purchase into its new home , choose a container that is one size larger than the glasshouse green goddess .
take a potting mediumthat check orchid barque or perlite . A intersection such as Tank’s - Pro Cactus and Succulent Mix , with a few smattering of orchid bark mixed into the traveling bag works well .
Tank’s - Pro Cactus and Succulent Mix
you may obtain this potting mixavailable from Arbico Organicsin 1.5 - three-dimensional - foot bags .
Put a bed of potting mixing in the base , and gently remove the plant from its existing container .
Gently tantalise asunder the roots and set the plant in the new container . The treetop of the flora should be sit down at the same acme that it was in its original container . Fill in around the origin with more potting soil .
Water until the excess start to be given out of the drainage hole . After about 30 minutes , dump the drained water and add additional soil if necessary , if it settled upon lacrimation .
How to Grow Arrowhead Plants
Do n’t place your arrowhead plant in full sunshine . you may step by step precede them to a few hour of morning sunlight , but they do best if you keep them in smart but indirect light .
In the wilderness , these plants are protected from the sunshine by the canopy of the trees that they ’re growing on . That ’s the sort of surroundings that you require to recreate .
Additionally , these plants develop in humid areas where they receive a mass of moisture via rain . Your business is to judge to recreate these tropic conditions .
Consider using a humidifier or position the works on a tray filled with pebbles and water . you’re able to also group works together to raise the collective humidness for all of them .
tot up water to the potting mass medium when the top half - in has dried out .
It ’s easy to determine when more water is needed . Just stick your fingerbreadth in the soil . When it feel ironic about halfway to your first knuckle , it ’s time for more water system .
Reduce watering so that the top inch or two of soil is allowed to dry out out first in the downslope and wintertime .
Having said all that , arrowhead plants are unbelievably adaptable , especially if you vary their conditions gradually – they will adapt to less water , less sunshine , or lower humidity .
But if you need the vainglorious , fullest plant possible , try out to give them what they crave .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
Arrowhead plant like consistent alimentation throughout the growing season . Fertilize the soil once a month with fluid houseplant food debase by one-half .
Organic Indoor Plant Food by the Grow Co. ,available at Amazon , is an excellent option . Just shorten what ’s recommend for use by the manufacturer by half , by diluting it with pee .
Organic Indoor Plant Food
Do n’t feed in the fall or winter .
There ’s no want to cut unless you discover any dead or chicken leave of absence . That said , feel free to give your plant some human body . If you have one vine that ’s growing a piece long-legged or too long , trim it just beyond the node .
This will encourage the vine to separate out rather than growing longer .
you’re able to trim back to a node at any decimal point when you need to make fuller , thick growth . Since arrowhead plant are herbaceous and never woody , you’re able to just use a clean pair of pair of scissors to make a cut .
Arrowhead plants are dead happy when they are fairly potbound , but you will need to promote the crapper a few times as yours matures . If the roots start to crawl out of the drainage pickle , it ’s clip to go up one pot sizing .
aeriform roots , however , are n’t a sign of require to repot . Just lop them off if you do n’t like the look of them .
To repot , remove the plant from its container and brush off as much of the soil as potential .
organ transplant in fresh potting dirt as key out above . Once the plant has reached its mature sizing , exchange the potting spiritualist with tonic soil every dyad of years .
Cultivars to Select
The range of arrowhead plant cultivars is astounding . They have vary leaf sizes and shapes , and an incredible variety of coloring material , both whole and motley .
The leave can range from pale pink to recondite green , and they may have accents of blanched , cream , yellow , rusting , or crimson .
To search the range of options , you might want to check out our guide to the good arrowhead flora cultivars . ( coming soon ! )
‘ Merry Maria ’ is a lovely choice . It has glossy leaves that set out out salmon pink before fading to intermediate jet .
‘ Merry Maria ’
you could find ‘ Merry Maria ’ plants in six - inch potsavailable at Home Depot .
‘ White Butterfly ’ features broad leaves that are pallid green with dark green edge .
‘ White Butterfly ’
you’re able to find ‘ White Butterfly ’ available in eight - inch potsavailable at Terrain .
Other common cultivars include ‘ Pink Fairy , ’ with splashes of dark garden pink in the centers , and ‘ Golden Allusion , ’ which has yellow and greenish leave-taking with a pink midvein .
Want More Options ?
Take a look at our round up of23 of the well arrowhead varieties .
Managing Pests and Disease
arrowhead are hardy , as I ’ve mentioned . That does n’t mean they ’re resistant to pests and disease , but you ’ll rarely get up against any problems so long as you do your best to keep them respectable .
Even if you do reveal disease symptoms or an plague , you should be able to chop-chop decimate most problems from a healthy industrial plant . Here are the issues that you might now and then see .
Insects
Arrowhead plants are now and again attack by the common houseplant pests : aphids , mealybug , scale , and wanderer mites .
Chances are , if you ’ve been growing houseplants for a while , you ’ve follow across one or more of these before .
Here ’s how to key out and stop them from harming your arrowhead works :
Aphids are humble , sap - sucking insect that expend their sharp mouthpart to pierce and give on your houseplants . The result of this feeding activity is yellowing leaves , and stunted growth if enough aphids are present .
They also impart behind a sticky substance called honeydew that can attract ants andsooty clay sculpture – definitely not something you want to have to portion out with .
That ’s why you should make a riding habit of chink all of your houseplants sporadically for aphid . In realism , your arrowhead flora is less likely to show symptom than other more susceptible houseplant species , so you ’ll need to be persevering and keep an eye out .
Look for the tiny louse moving around on the stems and where the leaves run across the stem . The green sweetheart aphid ( Myzus persicae ) is the most common , but many species can attack houseplants .
If you spot aphid or the symptom of their comportment , there are many ways to control them . Our guide has all the details .
At first glimpse , mealybugs ( family Pseudococcidae ) look a lot like some sort of fuzzy mildew rather than a pest infestation , but insects they are .
They ’re cover in a whitened , cottony wax and they clump together on the stems and leaves .
The symptom of their mien look just like what you ’d see with aphids , and they also attract sooty mold . The best means to confirm an plague is to take care for the pests themselves . They ’re pretty typical .
If you do find them , sequestrate your plant immediately and prune away any infested leaves . Then , take some cotton swab , dip them in isopropyl alcohol , and pass over each insect .
The alcohol removes the waxy coating and leave them susceptible to the constituent . Our guide to contain mealybugs has more tips .
browned delicate scale ( Coccus hesperidum ) are sap - sucking insects that typically flock on base or leaf vein .
Like aphids and mealy bug , they produce honeydew which attracts emmet and supports the growing of pitchy mold .
The symptoms of an plague expect like to that of aphids and mealybugs , with the addition of dropping leave of absence .
To tell a scale plague apart from an issue with one of the other common pests described here requires looking for the insects themselves .
They look like little brown oaf on the plant . They do n’t move much , but if you scrape them out you ’ll see that they ’re alive .
fit outour comprehensive guideto take more information about these common pests .
carmine wanderer pinch ( Tetranychus urticae ) are also common on houseplants . They ’re extremely small , and it ’s pretty rare to notice them .
If you were to shake off a leaf over a piece of white paper , you might see petite crimson dots scat around . But alternatively of looking for these itty - teensy-weensy wanderer relatives , look for ok webbing all over the leaves and stem as an meter reading of their presence .
You may also see yellow stippling , and leaves that are turning browned or yellow .
Spider jot thrive in dry , dusty condition , so maintain the grease moist and the air humid around your plants is a voguish way to keep them away .
If they do attack , strain to get them under control as quickly as potential . Take your works into the rain shower and spray it off to criticize the plague loose . Do this once a workweek .
To learn to portion out with wanderer mites , check out our guide .
Disease
Diseases are spread by pestiferous tools or containers , or on taint plants that you contribute into your abode .
you could keep off most proceeds by using serious hygienics , and by isolating plant for a calendar month before bring them at heart .
The most common problems induce by disease pathogen are as follows :
Bacterial leaf bit can be triggered by several different strain of bacterium ( Erwiniaspp . ,Pseudomonasspp . andXanthomonasspp . ) . The symptoms all look the same , no matter of which variant infects your plant .
Typically , this disease pass because the infectious pathogens are present on the flora when you buy it , or you might fetch them into your home on a different houseplant . That ’s why it ’s smart to isolate your plant for a bit before introducing it to the ruck .
You should also always pick and sanitize your tools in between plants as well .
If this disease is present , you ’ll see water - imbue green floater that may or may not have sensationalistic halos around them . These can spread and merge .
There is no curative for bacterial folio billet , so you ’ll have to toss the plant life if you find an infection .
verify to fix the pot that the plant was in with a potpourri of one part bleach and nine parts water before putting another industrial plant in the same container .
Root rot is n’t always a disease so much as it is a physiologic return get by drowning the roots in too much H2O . It can also be due to one of many unlike pathogens , including various species ofPythiumandPhytophthorawater mould andFusariumfungi , as well asRhizoctonia solani , another fungal metal money .
I ’m guessing that you do n’t have access to a laboratory to determine just what ’s have the rot , so you ’ll need to treat for all of the potential causes . Fortunately , this is n’t as unmanageable as it sounds .
The first pace is to remove the plant from the container and dampen forth all of the stain . Then , cautiously cut back away any rotting , mushy , or black root with a fresh pair of pair of scissors .
Next , spray the root word with a pig fungicide , and thoroughly clean the container with a whitener and water potpourri . Repot the plant in fresh pot medium .
Now , be extra careful to stave off overwatering . Asoil wet metercan help you be certain that you are n’t exaggerate it . You may also want to increase the amount of visible light the works is receiving , especially if it ’s winter and the day are short .
After a couple of weeks , sop the ground with a copper fungicide , following the manufacturer ’s directions .
The good way to see that you have both a copper spraying and a grime soaking on hired hand if you need them without needing to bribe multiple products is to purchase a copper concentrate .
Bonide Copper Fungicide
Bonide manufactures a concentrate that ’s available in a 16 - ounce container , which you could buy at Arbico Organics .
study more about managing ascendent rot problems here .
Best Uses
Arrowhead plants are more various than many people realize . Sure , they make endearing potted specimen , but they ’re gorgeous in hang containers too .
Because they’reepiphytic , you could also take aim one to grow up a moss - covered pole , or plant one in a moss - fill basket . They also make nice additions to a dish garden .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Arrowhead Plants Have Brawn and Beauty
Some tough houseplant are n’t exceptionally beautiful , and some beautiful houseplants are n’t very tough .
But arrowhead plants have it all . With their elegantly - shaped leaf and attractive colors , you ’d never be intimate they were conceal the individual of a lion .
Did this template help you to make the most of arrowhead works ? We go for so ! If you ’re look to expand your indoor garden even more , read thesehouseplant guidesnext :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product photograph via Arbico Organics , The Grow Co. , and United Nursery . Uncredited exposure : Shutterstock .
About
Kristine Lofgren
