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Arrowhead Plant

Syngonium podophyllum

Vining & TrailingEasyFasttoxic to pets
Good to know: The leaves shape-shift with age: juvenile arrowheads split into three, then five lobes as the vine matures, so young and old plants look like different species.

Through the year 🗓️

☀️ Summer now

Water more frequently through the heat and feed monthly while it races.

🍂 Fall

Reduce feeding and pinch stray runners to keep its shape through slower months.

❄️ Winter

Let the top soil dry a bit deeper between waterings and skip fertilizer until spring.

🌱 Spring

Repot and cut it back hard if leggy. Spring pruning triggers a flush of fresh arrowheads.

The details

Light & placement

Light
Medium to bright indirect; pink and variegated forms need brighter light to hold color
Ideal PPFD
100–300 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹
Grow-light distance
18–24 in below LED

Water & feed

Watering method
Keep evenly moist, watering when the top inch dries. It wilts theatrically when thirsty and bounces back within hours of a drink.
Fertilizer
Balanced liquid feed at ½ strength, monthly in spring–summer.

Home & habit

Soil
Rich, well-draining houseplant mix with perlite; pH 5.5–6.5
Humidity
Average; happier at 50–60%
Temperature
60–80 °F
Mature size
Bushy 1–2 ft young; vines 3–6 ft with age
Repotting
Every 1–2 yrs in spring
Propagation
Stem cuttings with a node root easily in water; division of clumps.

When something looks wrong

Overwatering signs
Yellowing leaves, soft stems, persistently wet soil
Underwatering signs
Full-plant droop, curling, crispy brown tips
Common pests
Spider mites, mealybugs, aphids, scale
Care notes: Pinch it regularly to keep the compact arrowhead shape. Left alone, it morphs into a rangy vine. Its dramatic thirsty droop makes watering timing foolproof.

Common problems 🩺

The usual suspects when Arrowhead Plant looks unhappy. Most houseplant trouble is watering or light, not disease — see all plant problems if you are not sure which plant is the culprit.

Yellowing leaves

Likely cause
Overwatering, or occasionally too little light.

What to do
Let the top inch dry between waterings and give it bright indirect light.

Vining out and losing its bushy shape

Likely cause
Normal maturity — it starts compact then becomes a climber.

What to do
Prune the runners to keep it bushy, or give it a pole and let it climb.

Crispy edges

Likely cause
Dry air.

What to do
Raise humidity and keep it away from heat sources.

More like this 🌿

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