Arrowhead plant

The Arrowhead plant is a common houseplant that likes bright light, but no direct sunlight.  It prefers south facing windows but will do fine in a west exposure or even an east exposure, if it is placed close to the east facing light source.  The scientific name of the houseplant Arrowhead is Syngonium podophyllum.  This is different than the Arrowhead plant which is often found growing wild along waterways and streams in most of the United States. That plant is Sagittaria latifolia. 

Syngonium podophyllum does well in containers.  It is a room brightening plant with its highly variegated light green and white leaves.  The young leaves are more heart shaped, but as they mature they become the classic arrowhead shape.  Arrowhead has a sprawling habit and can be trained onto a trellis as a climbing plant, or pruned hard to keep it as a bushy, short stemmed specimen plant. 

Most sources will tell you to prune your Arrowhead in the early summer for best results.  I prune mine whenever it starts to look like the growth is getting out of control.  It has not suffered any harm from those untimely prunings.  The pruning cuttings can easily be propagated in water.  Simply make a straight, sharp cut on the ends of the stems and place them in a glass of fresh water that covers at least 6 inches of the stem.  A quart sized canning jar works well for rooting.  Replace the water with fresh water at least once a week and carefully transplant to a loose potting mix when you see good sturdy roots, usually within two to three months.

The Arrowhead should be kept in moist potting soil that is allowed to dry slightly between watering.  It is a moisture loving plant and will complain if allowed to get too dry.  As with most plants, it rests during late fall and winter and requires less watering during that time.  It does not tolerate temperatures less than 50 degrees. 

Since about the only thing I do in the house during the summer months is sleep, I move my Arrowhead outside with all my other houseplants.  Otherwise it would be severely neglected.  Arrowhead will only tolerate sheltered, shady outdoor locations and only after nighttime temps aren't dropping below 50 degrees.  It requires watering nearly daily when outdoors. 

I have found the perfect place for mine - it sets right at water's edge at the Woodland Fairy Garden's pool.  I just set the bottom of the planter right in the shallowest water of the pool's edge so it can draw moisture up through the drainage holes and it is perfectly happy there.  The fairies love to sit in the mist under its canopy. 



Wiese Acres Woodland Fairy Garden Pool