A close-up shot of a Syngonium growing in a pot.
Growing, Caring, and Propagating Your Syngonium Indoors
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Planting
If there鈥檚 one thing to know about arrowhead plants, it鈥檚 that they鈥檒l fill up just about any pot you put them in. To avoid root-bound roots, arrowheads should be repotted as soon as you bring them home and repotted again at least every 2 years after that. However, these plants will grow faster and get even bigger if you repot them every year in spring!
- To start, remove your arrowhead plant from its old pot by grasping the plant鈥檚 stems with one hand and using your other hand to wriggle the old pot free. If the pot isn鈥檛 budging, use a butter knife to carefully loosen the soil around the pot鈥檚 edges.
- Add several inches of potting mix to the base of the new pot, gently tease any encircling roots apart, and position your arrowhead in the new growing container so that it鈥檚 at the same depth that it was growing in its old pot. Any well-draining container is suitable for growing arrowheads. However, terracotta pots are recommended for these plants since they drain quickly and reduce the chances of root rot.
- Fill in the empty space around your plant鈥檚 roots with more potting mix and firm the potting soil around the plant鈥檚 stems to keep them upright.
- Water well and return your arrowhead to a sunny spot so it can keep growing!
Growing
Arrowheads are one of the few houseplants that can be grown in water, but they generally grow better in soil. With proper care, these plants can live for 10 or more years, and they should produce lots of offshoots that you can propagate and share with friends. However, if you want arrowheads to look their best, it鈥檚 important to provide your plants with the right care!
Light
One of the best things about arrowhead plants is that they can grow in relatively low light. That said, bright, indirect light is best for these plants, while direct sun can scorch their leaves. Variegated arrowheads usually prefer a little more light, while solid green varieties are more tolerant of shade.
Water
Like most other tropical houseplants, arrowheads should be watered about once a week in summer and a little less in winter. You鈥檒l know it鈥檚 time to water your plants when the top few inches of their soil feel dry. And remember, arrowheads are prone to root rot, so be sure that you don鈥檛 overwater them!
Fertilizer
For optimal growth and lots of lush leaves, fertilize arrowhead plants about once a month from spring through early fall with an organic liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength. Once their growth slows in autumn, withhold all fertilizer until your plants produce new growth in spring.
Humidity
Arrowheads are tropical plants that love extra humidity. However, these plants aren鈥檛 as picky about humidity as many other houseplants, and they鈥檒l grow just fine at standard indoor humidity levels. If desired, you can keep arrowhead plants in a well-lit, steamy bathroom or place them on top of a pebble tray for a humidity boost!
Seasonal Care
During winter, arrowhead plants should be watered a little less and don鈥檛 need fertilizer. Beyond that, arrowhead plant care doesn鈥檛 fluctuate much throughout the year, although these plants will need to be pruned from time to time if you don鈥檛 want them to get too large.
To prune arrowhead vines, simply trim long stems and vines back to a leaf node using sharp, sterilized scissors or shears. Don鈥檛 throw out those prunings, though. Arrowhead plants are some of the easiest plants to propagate from cuttings!
Propagation
Arrowhead plants can be propagated in soil or water at any time of the year. However, cuttings usually root best when propagating in spring or summer using the water propagation method!
- Using sterilized scissors or pruners, take 4- to 6-inch long cuttings from healthy arrowhead stems at a leaf node. If the cuttings have a few aerial roots, they鈥檒l root even faster!
- Place the cuttings in a clear glass jar and add enough water to submerge the base of the cuttings. If any leaves are touching the water line, cut them away with scissors.
- Move the cuttings into bright, indirect light and replace the water daily to keep everything fresh.
- In a few weeks, you should start to see small roots forming at the base of the arrowhead cuttings. Once the roots are 1 to 2 inches long, repot the cuttings into individual pots filled with a rich potting mix, and care for your new arrowheads just like the parent plant!
Most arrowhead plants produce green leaves, which may be ornamented with splashes of yellow or white variegation. However, arrowhead plants come in a range of colors, and you can find cultivars with brown, pink, or even white leaves!
- 鈥楥ream Allusion鈥: More compact than most arrowheads, this plant produces pale green leaves with a touch of pink leaf veining.
- 鈥楽trawberry Cream鈥: If you crave even more pink, try growing the stunning 鈥楽trawberry Cream鈥 arrowhead. These plants have pale pink leaves that get even brighter when the plants receive plenty of indirect sun.
- 鈥楢濒产辞-痴补谤颈别驳补迟耻尘鈥:&苍产蝉辫;One of the most dramatic arrowheads you can find, this rare plant features bright white variegation on its medium green leaves.
Lauren Landers
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