Well-known and lesser-known Syngonium
Syngonium is a genus of climbing plants from the arum family (aroids), native to tropical rainforests. They are found mostly in Central and South America, southern Mexico and the West Indies. In their homeland, they grow up to 20 meters tall as a woody vine that climbs up trees. Indoors, a syngonium will usually never get that big, but with the right care it will certainly grow to an impressive size and reward you with larger, beautifully colored leaves.
Syngonium includes more than 150 species, and an interesting fact about this plant is that the genus keeps growing. It is a large group of houseplants that come in many colors and shapes. In our part of the world, it is still a fairly undiscovered houseplant. In stores you will usually find only a few common, fast-growing species, but the range is far wider, and many species count as rarities because they are not yet widespread. Syngoniums are also called arrowhead plant or arrowhead vine. They earned these names mainly thanks to their leaves, which are often shaped like an arrow or a heart.
They contain oxalic acid, so be careful if you have pets or children at home: it is poisonous. If swallowed, it causes severe pain in the mouth and strongly irritates the mucous membranes. If an animal or a small child swallows this plant, it is best to consult a doctor, as a very severe allergic reaction could occur.
Unlike other aroids such as philodendrons or monsteras, syngoniums are smaller in both overall size and leaf size, so they are also a good choice for anyone who wants an amazing plant at home but is short on space. Let’s take a look at how to care for syngoniums and what makes them interesting.
Photo: Syngonium White butterfly grown in water only, in a vase.
Beloved, but undiscovered?
Syngoniums certainly have plenty of admirers all over the world. Just look at the marketplaces on social media: syngoniums are traded there a lot, and many growers race to snap up the next rarity. The truth, however, is that they are not among the most popular houseplants. Why is that? There is no definite answer. The likely reason is that although syngoniums have many species and are widespread around the world, they are not often seen in stores, and a large number of species are fairly inconspicuous among other plants. At your grandmother’s you may have noticed what is probably the most widespread species, Syngonium podophyllum White Butterfly, or Syngonium podophyllum Angustatum, which was the most widespread species in the Czech Republic in past decades. Today the choice is far wider and you can get almost any species, although many are still only available abroad.
Syngonium care
Most syngoniums are very easy to care for, apart from a few species that usually also have striking variegation. It is a good choice for complete beginners and hydroponics fans alike. You only need to follow a few simple rules.
Photo: Syngonium mojito has very colorful leaves
Light conditions
Because it comes from beneath the tree canopy, the sun’s rays do this plant no good. It is usually happiest in medium or very bright diffused light, but out of direct sun. Too much light is harmful. If a syngonium gets too much light, damage may start to appear on its leaves and the plant will look sad. In direct sunlight, the plant could die within a very short time, because the sun’s rays burn unsightly spots into the leaves, the potting mix dries out faster and, if you forget to water, the plant also wilts. In strong sun, the leaves can also start to dry out, and with these houseplants that is not a pretty sight.
Ideally, give syngoniums a north-facing spot as close to the window as possible, or an east-facing one. If your apartment faces south or southwest, where the sun shines into the windows almost all day, keep your syngonium farther from the window, out of the sun’s rays, but where it still gets as much diffused light as possible. Syngoniums respond very clearly to light conditions, and if they have too little light, you will see it in pale, washed-out leaves. You can recognize a healthy syngonium by its vivid colors. The rule for syngoniums is: the lighter the variety, the more light it needs, while syngoniums with darker shades make do with less light or even partial shade. Syngonium Neon robusta “pink”, for example, will even reward you in direct sunlight with a gorgeous color that it would hardly get in the shade.
Watering and environment
Syngoniums love high air humidity. They are not plants that like it dry, although you will be able to grow them well even in such conditions. To give the plant maximum comfort, we recommend getting a humidifier for your home and placing the plant somewhere that is not too dry. And if you are crazy about plants, syngoniums rank among the top plants for hydroponic growing. If you would rather skip the high-tech gear for your houseplants, syngoniums will love you for frequent misting of their leaves.
Potting mix
You will do syngoniums a favor with an airy potting mix that does not hold too much water. The plant does not do well in standing water. You can use, for example, a regular potting mix with perlite, water moderately but more often, and let the mix dry out slightly before the next watering. You can use aroid potting mix, which is the best option, or you can mix your own. What matters is that the plant is not in heavy soil that holds too much water and that it drains well. Be sure to add a drainage layer of expanded clay to the bottom of the planter.
A little growing tip. Plant the syngonium in a suitable potting mix and add a drainage layer of expanded clay to the bottom. Place the nursery pot in a pot cover that is larger than the pot, and add a drainage layer of expanded clay about 5 to 7 cm high to the bottom of the cover, so that you can pour water into the bottom of the cover. This creates moisture from below, and the plant will send its roots downward. That way you will not have to water the plant from above, but from below instead.
Martin
Hydroponics
This is the pinnacle of plant growing. Not many people dare to try it, and that is a real shame. Do you know what hydroponics is? In short, it means growing plants in water, without potting mix. Hydroponics uses special zeolite substrates such as Managreen, but you can also use perlite on its own, expanded clay on its own, sphagnum moss, Seramis and more. You can even use plain water with no substrate at all. The point is that the plant has a clean root system that feeds on the moisture in the air inside a closed container or directly on the water. If you use, for example, sphagnum moss or Managreen substrate, the root system will take all its nutrients from the elements these highly porous materials soak up, and the roots then “suck” them out. We will write more about hydroponics in a future article, which you won’t want to miss.
Photo: Syngonium Pixie after cleaning the roots and moving it to hydroponics
Would you like to try hydroponic growing? For beginners, we recommend first choosing the right plant and using cuttings that put out roots in water alone, then letting the plant grow in water only. Moving a plant from potting mix to water takes time, and the plant may die.
Rooting tip. When switching to hydroponics, the best option, if your houseplant allows it, is to take cuttings with aerial roots. If the plant has no aerial roots, wait until they form. Without an aerial root, a stem will root very poorly or not at all. Get some sphagnum moss and put the cuttings in it, ideally in a glass or other transparent container, and keep the sphagnum moss moist at all times. The plant will put out a root system in a fairly short time. If you do everything right, the plant can, under certain conditions, be grown in sphagnum moss even long term, or you can then move it to a more permanent container with hydroponic substrate or just water. Don’t forget to fertilize.
Martin
More about sphagnum moss can be found in our previous article.
Repotting and propagation
Syngoniums are easy to repot and propagate.
A plant is ready for repotting when roots are growing out of the planter and the whole root ball is full of roots. Syngoniums only need repotting about once every 2 years, each time into a slightly larger planter. If the plant seems to be struggling, check that you have the right potting mix. If it is unsuitable, consider repotting into a better-quality mix.
Propagating syngoniums has never been easier. Older plants form young shoots at the base, which gradually separate from the plant, so after a while you can split off the young shoots, which start growing fairly soon. An easier alternative is to shorten the plant after some time by taking a cutting: cut off a shoot, ideally with one leaf and a piece of stem that must include an aerial root. Place it in sphagnum moss or in water so that the aerial root is submerged; after a while, it will put out roots. With syngoniums, it takes about 1 to 4 weeks, depending on the size of the plant, before the cutting puts out more leaves, from which a new shoot grows.
Diseases and pests
Syngoniums are very susceptible to spider mites and thrips, which we wrote about in a previous article. Watch out for these little critters, because they can kill a plant and, unfortunately, they are almost invisible at first glance, especially in the early stages when they are not yet very big. If your plant is in a suitable spot, you water it properly and it has not been sunburned, yet it still seems to be declining or its leaves are turning yellow, check it carefully: these 2 parasites, which feed on the plant and suck it dry, are often to blame. The most effective products against these pests are, for example, Vertimec for spider mites and Substral Careo for thrips.
Photo: Syngonium Pink splash Allusion is one of the rarer varieties, with pink speckles
Syngoniums
As we mentioned at the beginning, there are many syngoniums, so let’s look at the most common species and a few rare ones that you can get here. The most widespread and fastest-growing syngoniums undoubtedly include Syngonium podophyllum White Butterfly, Syngonium Pixie, which is more compact, with smaller leaves, and Syngonium Neon robusta “pink”, which delights with its pink leaves. Some syngoniums have a different, three-lobed leaf shape and grow much more slowly. These include, for example, Syngonium podophyllum Angustatum, Syngonium Pink Splash, which also counts as a rare variety, or Syngonium Trileaf Wonder. A very interesting variety is Syngonium Wendlandii, which has very dark, velvety leaves with white veining in the middle. Admirers of darker leaves will love varieties such as Syngonium Dark Maria, Syngonium Berry or Syngonium Red Arrow.
Among syngoniums there are dozens of rare varieties that are very hard to find and have interesting color combinations. The easier ones to find include the already mentioned Pink Splash, Syngonium Albo variegata with white variegation, Syngonium Aurea variegata with yellow variegation and Syngonium Frosted heart “Ice frost”, which, unlike the others, has completely different, rather oval leaves. But the list goes on and on, for example Syngonium Pink Splash Allusion (photo), Syngonium Mojito, Syngonium Chiapense variegata, Syngonium Pink Splash tricolor, Syngonium Batik, Syngonium Confetti and Milk Confetti, and more.
Fascinating leaves
Syngoniums are interesting in how they grow: when young, they do not need a support, but the bigger they get, the more they need one. The best choice for growing them this way is a sphagnum moss pole, or possibly a coir pole, although we do not really recommend it, because it does not hold moisture well. Syngoniums change the shape of their leaves as they mature, so it is fascinating to watch this plant grow from the very beginning to its peak: every leaf will be slightly different. And the older the plant, the bigger the leaves.
Happy growing, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments. We will be glad to help you grow your syngoniums.
Author: Martin Seidl