Everything You Need to Know About Arrowhead (Syngonium Podophyllum) Plants

Botanical Name: Syngonium podophyllum

Common Name: Arrowhead Plant

 

Plant Description:

Arrowhead plant is native to South America and Central America. This plant has the shape of an arrow, thus the name Arrowhead. Growing it at home or in an indoor setup is not a problem because of its low-maintenance profile.

Arrowhead plant is an ideal plant for climbing structures and trellis because of their natural climbing habit. When the plant matures, it naturally develops the climbing habit. Its hanging vines can also be pruned to look gorgeous and attractive.

Interesting Fact:

When new growth starts to develop, it comes in blush pink color. As the growth matures, it turns into a light green color.

 

Arrowhead Plant Care

The Arrowhead Plant is known for its unique leaves that resemble the shape of an arrow. In low to medium light conditions, this plant is easy to care for and grow indoors.

How to Grow and Care for Arrowhead Plant?

To grow your Arrowhead Plant at home, here is a guide that you can follow. It provides instructions on how to water the plant, what type of light it needs, and the temperature and humidity that suit its needs.

 

Arrowhead Plant

·         LIGHT

Arrowhead loves the bright light. In fact, it grows and flourishes well when it receives sufficient but filtered light. However, it can also tolerate low to medium light.

·         WATER

Arrowhead needs water to grow well. But it prefers its soil to dry out first before another watering. It enjoys moisture during the summer season, too, but not the wet soil. Overwatering may cause its roots to rot. During the winter months, the plant will thrive in less water.

·         TEMPERATURE

Arrowhead prefers room temperature at 65 to 80 degrees when it is daytime, and 60 degrees and above when it is nighttime.

·         HUMIDITY

Arrowhead thrives well in an environment with high humidity. When the air is dry, the plant becomes thirsty. You can mist the plant once a day to provide the needed moisture or add a pebble tray near its pot.

·         FOOD

Arrowhead needs food at least once a month, especially during spring and summer seasons. To encourage its vines to grow fast, it needs all the nutrients from the soil. Water the soil first before applying the fertilizer. During the winter season, while the plant is at rest, there is no need to feed it.

·         TOXICITY

Arrowhead is toxic, and when pets and humans ingest a part of its leaves, it may cause possible vomiting and mouth and stomach irritation.

·         ADDITIONAL CARE

Arrowhead can be lush and bushy. If you prefer the plant to be in a compact size, you can prune the plant and cut the new growth regularly. Don’t forget to use gloves before touching the plant to prevent skin irritation.

 

Common Problems in Caring for Arrowhead

Why the leaves of the Arrowhead Plant turn yellow?

There are several explanations why the leaves of the Arrowhead plant turn yellow. Read on to know why.

·         High Amount of Moisture

The moisture in the soil is one of the reasons why the plant’s leaves turn yellow. It the soil is wet, or if the plant suffers from “wet feet,” the result is the yellowing leaf. Although this type of plant loves high humidity, it is not advisable for the plant, especially its roots to sit long on wetness and moisture. When the soil becomes 50% dry, that is the time to water the plant.

Watering the plant should be done in a proper way. This is by allowing the water to flow freely through the soil down to the pot’s drainage hole. If the pot is on its saucer, discard the excess water from the saucer right away. The plant hates sitting on excess water because it causes the roots to rot quickly. 

In addition, in watering the Arrowhead plant, it is best to do the watering consistently. Irregular and inconsistent watering will only cause the plant to suffer from stress.

·         Insufficient Light

Light is an important factor in the growth and stunning color and shape of the Arrowhead plant. It prefers bright, indirect sunlight. But when exposed to full and direct sunlight, the leaves may burn and wilt. On the other hand, lack of sufficient light is tolerable but it limits the growth of the plant. Yellow leaves happen when the plant becomes weak due to a lack of light.

·         Pest Attack

Bugs, spider mites, and scale are among the pests and insects that affect the Arrowhead plant. These tiny pests absorb all the nutrients they can get from the plant, thus turning the leaves into yellow color. If pests are not treated or removed immediately, the plant may suffer and die. If the plant is weak because of poor lighting, moisture, and stress, pests and insects easily affect the plant.

·         Yellowing Leaves Happen Naturally

Due to the development of new growth from the bottom of the plant, some leaves turn yellow and drop. It happens naturally to give way to the new growth.

 

Why the Leaves of Arrowhead become limp and droopy?

Anyone who grows Arrowhead at home would feel bad when the leaves grow limp and droop. You don’t have to be sad or weary about it. The Arrowhead plant, even if leaves are limp and drooping, can still survive the problem. 

·         Dry Soil

The Arrowhead plant shows limp and drooping leaves when soil is too dry. It wants consistent moisture when soil is 50% dry. To know if the plant already asks for water, feel the soil at least 2” to 3” from the top. If it is dry, it is time for watering.

Extremely dry soil needs thorough and complete water soaking. The plant will enjoy the soak once in a while, especially if humidity is low.

 

How to soak Arrowhead Plant in the water?

1. Fill the sink, tub, or basin with water up to 3” to 4” high. Place the plant on the sink or tub.
2. For 45 minutes, allow the water to reach the soil to its top part. The water goes up through the drainage hole of the pot.
3. After at least 45 minutes of being soaked in water, check the soil if it is already damp.
4. If soil is still dry on top, slightly and gently flow the water on the soil from the top. The water will saturate the soil evenly.
5. Allow the plant to rest for a while as you drain the sink or the tub. When it is done, put the potted plant back to its saucer to its favorite spot.

·         Insufficient Humidity

Arrowhead wants a humid environment. If you are growing and caring for it indoors, make sure that there is enough humidity in the room. Aside from the pebble tray under the pot, you can also add a humidifier in the area to increase humidity, or mist the plant regularly to provide its needed moisture while growing.