Arrowhead plant
Syngonium podophyllum · also called Syngonium, arrowhead vine
Foliage and indoor
- Light
- Part sun
- Pot size
- Medium pot (about 5 to 15 litres)
- Care level
- Easy
- Year round or seasonal
- Kept year to year; in a pot, keep it above about 12.8 °C (55 °F)
- Pets
- ASPCA: toxic to pets
Light and position
Dappled light or part shade. NC State says full sun burns or bleaches the leaves.
Size and pot
A vine that NC State lists at 3 to 6 feet; pinching keeps it bushy. Our pot band: medium pot (about 5 to 15 litres).
Watering
Keep the mix moist; it likes warm, humid conditions indoors.
Potting mix and feeding
Repot every few years and trim the roots to keep the plant manageable.
Growing through the year
Cutting stems as they lengthen keeps the bushy habit and the arrow-shaped young leaves.
Winter outdoors
Cold limit in a pot: about 12.8 °C (55 °F). NC State gives no temperature for this plant and lists it only for USDA zones 10a to 12b, the tropical end of the scale. For tropical plants like this we follow NC State’s container chapter: bring tender plants inside once nights drop to 55 °F.
| Your coldest winter nights | What to do |
|---|---|
| Coldest nights 15 °C or warmer | Can stay out through this winter |
| Coldest nights 10 to 15 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Coldest nights 5 to 10 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Coldest nights 0 to 5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Light frost: nights down to about −5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Hard frost: nights below −5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
A plant can stay out only when its limit is below the coldest night in your band; a limit equal to that night counts as needing shelter. A rare cold snap, wind or a wet pot can still damage plants. We convert °F to °C with NIST’s formula.
Watch for
Aphids, mealybugs, spider mites and thrips; bacterial leaf spot. The sap can irritate skin.
Pets and people
ASPCA lists arrow-head vine as toxic to dogs, cats and horses (insoluble calcium oxalate crystals). Signs include mouth pain and swelling, drooling, vomiting and trouble swallowing.
General gardening information, not professional advice. Plant toxicity details are a starting point, not veterinary or medical advice: if a pet or child may have eaten a plant, contact a veterinarian or doctor promptly.
Care level: NC State’s maintenance rating (Low). Pot band and summary wording are ours, based on the sources below.