Syngonium Albo is a foliage plant known for its striking leaves. Did you know growing this one does not require much? It is easy and cheap to keep your houseplant happy and growing with steadiness.
Syngonium albo is an easy-to-care-for plant. It has fantastic adaptability to thrive indoors and outdoors. It loves being treated in bright indirect natural light.
What are Syngoniums?
Syngonium podophyllum, commonly called arrowhead vine, is native from Mexico to Ecuador. It is an evergreen climbing vine that typically grows 3-6’ long.
Syngonium albo is an attractive ornamental houseplant. It is one of the most attractive members of the arrowhead vines.
As a houseplant, Syngonium albo is a gorgeous and rare but coveted variety. More interestingly, as the plant grows, the leaf shape transforms.
Young leaves grow up to 5.5” long. They are ovate with heart-shaped bases. Variegation may not be pre-determined but sometimes silver and white variegation is possible.
Flowers are born in groups from the leaf axils.
Syngonium (Arrowhead Plant) Care
How do you care for your Syngonium albo?
1) Where to Situate your Houseplant Indoors
Syngoniums are low light-tolerant plants with excellent growing capabilities in bright indirect light.
Exposing your plant to low light for short periods may lead to the leaves turning green. The variegated ones will likely lose their color hues.
Growing these plants outside is possible. However, there come many challenges and growth issues. If the leaves are exposed to direct light they’ll more likely get scorched.
In terms of where to situate your Syngonium albo:
- Locate your houseplant 3 feet from a well-lit north-facing window
- Another spot is an east or west-facing window more so if you live in cooler regions
If you are using light meters just keep the light intensity of 4400 lux.
We should keep these plant pots almost 1 meter away from the windows when growing indoors to reduce the maximum light exposure.
2) Watering Frequency
Misting Syngonium (Arrowhead Plant)
Generally, indoor plants do not require water more often. The ornamental Syngonium albo plants are planted indoors and do not receive scorching sunlight. Therefore, they do not lose moisture very soon because the humidity in their medium remains preserved for a long time.
If you keenly monitor your plants telling when they need water becomes an easy thing. Their appearance in terms of texture and turgidity can be significant.
Keep in mind that freshly sprouted plants require much less water. If your plant is in its small pot it is safe to water twice every week.
Water your Syngonium albo when the top inch layer of soil has dried out. Early morning misting is beneficial for mature ones. Mist more often if you notice brown leaf tips.
3) Indoor Warmth for your Syngonium
Regulation of temperature has primary importance in the flawless growth of plants.
Syngonium Albo plants can thrive at the average room temperature. The temperature range is more or less similar to the other indoor ornamental plants. An ideal temperature promotes better growth of these plants. The ideal warmth can range from 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
The game changer for its happy growth is in tracking indoor temperature changes. Always guard your plant against any extremely hot and frosty cold environment.
Keep up with the plant’s growing progress to ensure that indoor warmth does not drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Either of the conditions is fatal and negatively impacts Syngonium albo houseplants.
Winter is the best period if you need to grow these plants outdoors. Just see to it that the temperature does not rise above 80°F.
4) Soil and Potting Requirements
Unlike in their natural habitat, the availability of essential nutrients in your rooting medium ensures the nourishment of your houseplant.
Besides a porous and well-draining root medium, a mix of soil rich in nutrients for growth can boost both the growth and health of your houseplant.
Another important soil aspect is pH. For better absorption and general growth, Syngonium albo prefers a slightly acidic environment. The generic pH of 6.1 to 6.9 is ideal for your plant. Incorporating elemental sulfur, aluminum sulfate, or sulfuric acid is a simple way to reduce soil pH.
If you want good results go for commercial mixes. Miracle-Gro Potting Mix is good to go.
5) Humidity and Temperature
For some houseplants, the higher the humidity the better the plant’s growth. However, this does not mean excess humidity will increase your plant’s growth capability or unleash its potential.
If you want your plant to feel happy, work with humidity devices. The ideal humidity level is 60% to 70%.
Misting your houseplant does not harm them but do not mist frequently.
These houseplants cannot sustain cold drafts and cooler surroundings. They also won’t like being exposed to heat vents.
They are a bit tolerant to those cooler and warmer environments. Place your plant in outdoor rooms that support 15 – 26 Celsius degrees.
6) Fertilizing Requirements (When + How to)
The application of fertilizers results in these arrowhead plants’ dynamic and speedy growth. Using diluted liquid fertilizer for these plants can work more efficiently.
Feed them during the active growth period. Stick to a once-every-two-weeks application schedule. Withhold any form of feeding or fertilizer application when autumn arrives.
You may also use water-soluble houseplant fertilizers.
The specific liquid fertilizer used for these plants should have nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the ratio of 1:2:1, respectively.
7) Repotting Syngonium Albo on a Moss Pole (Video Clip)
To make your plant comfortably climb up, use a moss pole. You can go for a DIY customizable one or you purchase one from a nearby plant store/seller.
Propagating your Syngonium Albo
The use and manipulation of mother plant nodes is the easiest way to produce a new arrowhead plant. The propagation steps are straightforward.
Using Cut Nodes
1. Select a healthy and disease-free mother plant:
- Cut small nodes (joints in the stem containing buds) from its branches.
- Ensure each stem cutting is small, has a node, one or two leaves
- It is essential to cut the stem close to the bottom side of the nodes
This will ensure the node can carry out maximum photosynthesis and develop rapidly.
2. Place the cuttings in the water vessel at room temperature
- Ensure the node is submerged in water
- The node of every cutting should be below the water surface to form roots.
3. Transfer the rooted nodes to the new potting mix
- Monitor your new plant to be root formation on the nodes
- Replant each node in a new growth medium
Wait until the roots develop entirely before you transfer them permanently
4. Post Propagation Care
- Cull your newly developed plants
- Protect them from pest attacks
- Never expose them to direct sunlight
- Ensure a consistent humidity environment
It is safe to propagate every season, but spring and summers are the best seasons to propagate Syngonium albo plants.
Common Growth Issues with your Syngonium Albo
Here are common issues that may impact the growth and development of your Syngonium plant.
a) Plant Leaves Turning Yellow
Leaf yellowing is commonly due to insufficient water or issues with the water. Though, these plants do not love being stuffed with excessive water.
Solving this problem should be easy and cheap. Water only when the top inch of the potting soil has dried out. Use the appropriate pot size. Strive to schedule the watering pattern according to the season. And water according to the prevailing weather conditions.
If it is too dry and windy, you may be required to water often so. When it is cold and calm you need not water on a schedule. Consider the amount of water as well.
Additionally, if you are a plant grower and enthusiast, examine the status of the soil regularly. You can improve the appearance of these plants by removing the yellow leaves.
Infestation of your houseplant by insects and bugs can also be a reason for yellowing leaves. To solve it, apply protective pesticides on your plants.
b) Stunted Growth
Stunted growth is primarily linked to lack of or deprivation of required nutrients and minerals in the soil.
Lack of required intensity-hour sunlight can also lead to retarded growth.
Overwatering is another factor that slows down the growth of arrowhead plants.
c) Your Houseplant Losing its Variegation
Syngonium Albo plants lose their attractive leaf colors due to changes in chlorophyll formation and distribution. This is manifested in the ability of leaves to trap light and convert it.
Traditionally, if your arrowhead plant can’t receive sufficient light under optimal conditions, it may start to lose variegation. Normally, it is difficult to determine or predict this behavioral response.
It is impossible to manually repair variegation problems. Oftentimes, exposure and withdrawal of these plants to direct sunlight can aid. Another trick is to remove more of the solid green foliage.
d) Leaves Turning Dry and Brown
Dry air in hot summers makes the leaf tips dry and brown. That dry air evaporates the moisture of leaves, and as a result, their tips tend to get dry.
We can overcome this problem by keeping the plant leaves moisturized. We should spray water on them frequently to keep their leaves turgid and fresh.
e) Your Plant Leaves Curling
Syngonium Albo plant leaves start curling when they find low humidity, over-fertilizing, and excessive light exposure. Persistency if leaf curling may also result from water or watering issues.
Another tricky bit is changes in air humidity and warmth. Leaf curl resulting from humidity and temperature is more common in the winter. This is attributed to the temperature drop in the wintertime.
If you kind of allow the indoor warmth to drop below the optimal value, your plant may also experience leaf curling.
Although rare, a nutrient deficiency could account for some cases of leaf curls.
Preventing leaf curl is easier to deal with. Emphasis is put more when the plant is still young and tender. So choose your potting media wisely and repot when the signs are clear.
If you notice your arrowhead vine plant leaves curling and rolling during the summer, bring them indoors.
f) Your Plant Growing Leggy
Syngoniums have exceptionally delicate stems. If not well tended to they may drop downwards.
One fix to this issue is supporting these leggy stems. These supports might be wooden sticks or thin metallic rods.
The best thing to do is: to pinch off stems growing too long above 6 or 7 leaves. This encourages your houseplant to grow and look bushy.
Plant Profile + Care Highlight
| Scientific Name | Syngonium podophyllum ‘Albo Variegatum’ |
| Common Name | Arrowhead vine |
| Light | Bright indirect sunlight |
| Watering | Let the top inch dry |
| Temperature | 60°F to 70°F (15 to 26°C) |
| Hardiness Zone | 9a, 9b, 10a, 10, 11 |
| Humidity | 50% to 60% |
| Soil Type | Nutrient-rich, quick-well draining |
| Soil pH | 5.5 to 6.5 pH soils/mix |
| Fertilizing | A higher phosphorus liquid fertilizer (once a month in spring and summer) |
| Repotting | Standard 2-year cycle (prefer symptom-based repotting) |
| Pruning | Summer (remove the yellow and dry plant parts) |
| Propagation | Root nodes in water |
| Toxicity | Toxic to humans and pets |
| Mature Size | 6 feet as a houseplant |
| Blooming | Rarely blooms indoors |
Sources and References
- Syngonium podophyllum. Mossouri Botanical Garden. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b621#:~:text=Syngonium%20podophyllum%2C%20commonly%20called%20arrowhead,shape%20as%20the%20leaves%20mature. Accessed online 27 Jan 2023
- Scientific J. Flowers & Ornamental Plants. https://sjfop.journals.ekb.eg/article_198629_409c2713c2152d45c5c166ffca2cb455.pdf. doi: 10.21608/sjfop.2021.198629. Accessed online 29 Jan 2023
- Syngonium podophyllum. ITIS. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=42553#null. Accessed online 29 Jan 2023
- Arrowhead vine. The State of Queensland, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/59948/arrowhead-vine.pdf. Accessed online 27 Jan 2023