For first-time plant parents, this plant also offers instant gratification. Syngonium is a relatively fast grower, and there’s nothing like seeing a succession of unfurling leaves to make plant owners feel successful (and proud!).
For those looking for color versatility, it’s also a plant that comes in different leaf colors, from solid
green to variegated types with splashes of white and cream throughout the large, arrow-shape leaves. ‘Holly’ produces
nearly all-white leaves. ‘Pink Allusion’ features pink veins. ‘Maria Allusion’ offers coppery pink tints. And
‘Strawberry Cream’ offers pink new growth.
The botanical (Latin) name is Syngonium podophyllum, but this plant
goes by many common names including arrowhead vine, arrowhead philodendron (because the leaves are somewhat heart-shape
like a philodendron), and goosefoot (named for the webbed-foot appearance of the leaves). It is also sometimes referred
to as nephthytis.
The growth habit of Syngonium fits the needs of those who love a moundy, leafy, bushy plant
as well as those who love a wandering, vining, climbing plant. Which camp do you fall in? If you like the look of a more
compact plant, choose the new Allusion varieties. Older varieties will vine or climb more readily. Give them a leg up by
attaching them to a peat pole.
You can keep either type in check by simply cutting off stems that grow out of the form you want. If you do cut off
stems, it’s easy to sprout them in water to create new plants. Propagate cuttings by snipping off a stem just below a
node and placing in water. Watch for roots to form in a week or two.
Because Syngonium originally hails from
the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, this (and most other houseplants) love humidity. In winter, you
may want to help raise the humidity around this plant by setting it on a pebble tray.
Written by Karen Weir-Jimerson
