The pink Syngonium (Syngonium podophyllum) is also known as an arrowhead vine, arrowhead plant, goosefoot plant, five fingers, and Nephthytis. Whatever you call it, this plant is an easy-to-care-for member of the Syngonium genus and the Araceae family. It is native to parts of South America including Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, and Bolivia.
It is a vining plant that can reach two to six feet tall and the vines can spread out to a circumference of at least two feet. Certain varieties are outliers in terms of height and width. While they can be grown outside in certain conditions, Syngonium podophyllums do well inside in pots and can also be grown in hanging baskets to show off their trailing vines. If you like, you can prune them to maintain a more bush-like shape.These plants can occasionally flower but they generally do not as houseplants. The arrowhead plant is also very good at purifying the air of pollutants.
This species comes in a number of colors, from green to white to pink and some varieties contain all three colors. It is the striking pink members of the Syngonium species that we will be focusing on in this article as well as specific ways that you can adjust their environment to bring out and maintain their beautiful colors.
The arrowhead vine is known to be easy to care for, as long as the correct conditions are met.
Contents
Where to Buy a Pink Syngonium
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How to Care for Pink Synogonium
Water
Let the soil dry out between waterings, and then when watering, make sure that you are being thorough so that all roots are hydrated. Try not to get the leaves and stems wet as too much moisture there can make them prone to blights and rot. Arrowhead vines are mildly drought resistant and can be rejuvenated if they haven’t been watered in a while by soaking the soil in water.
Light
Light is the most important factor when trying to maintain the color of your pink Syngoniums. Arrowhead vines in general prefer bright, indirect light and are also very tolerant of low light. However, pink Syngoniums grown in low light tend to become a darker green. So, if you would like to maintain the pink in your plant, it is best to keep your pink arrowhead vine in bright, indirect light.
As with many houseplants, there can be such a thing as too much light for a syngonium podophyllum. If you notice scorched leaves, moving the plant into less direct light is an easy fix. Direct light can also be a cause of fading colors in the Syngonium.
Humidity and Temperature
This plant can grow between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (16℃ to 22℃ ) but grows best when the temperature is at least 65℉ or above since the plant is not cold hardy. Keep an eye on how frequently the plant needs water and on whether the leaves are drooping to make sure the plant isn’t getting too hot.
The pink arrowhead vine loves high humidity which makes it a great choice of plant to grow in the bathroom. If your bathroom is already full of plants, there are lots of good ways to improve the humidity for your Syngonium in other rooms of the house. You can mist your plant once a week with filtered water, place the plant near a humidifier, or wipe the leaves of your plant with a damp cloth once a week. As mentioned previously, it is important to not let the leaves and stems stay too wet and you should also be keeping an eye out for rot and blight.
Soil
The pink Syngonium should be planted in mildly acidic soil. The soil should also drain well so make sure the pot you plant it in has drainage holes. Pay attention to how rapidly the water seems to drain when you water your plant. If the water seems to be pooling it might be a good time to re-pot because this may indicate that you need a potting soil with better drainage.
Another time to re-pot would be if your Syngonium’s growth seems to be slowing. This may mean that your plant is root-bound. This basically means that your plant has more roots than can comfortably fit in the planting container and the plant isn’t able to get all the nutrients it needs. If this is the case, make sure that you re-pot the plant into a larger pot after assessing the roots.
Fertilizer
Apply fertilizer only in the spring and summer. During that time, apply liquid fertilizer monthly. Some people prefer to fertilize more or less frequently. Your plant will likely tell you if it needs more fertilizer or if it has been over-fertilized.
Pink Syngonium Varieties
There are a number of types of Syngonium with pink foliage to choose from. Consider these varieties when you are on the hunt for your own pink Syngonium.
Neon Robusta
The Neon Robusta has very bold pink, almost copper colored leaves with green undersides. This variety used to be somewhat hard to find but now it is fairly common. The plant is on the bushy end of Syngonium varieties and can reach about 2 feet tall indoors and it can grow taller when it is grown outside.
Pink Allusion Nephthytis
This variety is fairly compact and should not require too much pruning. Its leaves are light green and pink with dark green edges. These leaves also tend to be a bit more naturally curled than other varieties.
Syngonium podophyllum Schott (Pink Splash)
This variety is on the rarer side. The leaves of this plant are green with uneven spots of pink throughout. Some plants also have some shades of cream in the leaves but not as much as in the Red Spot Tricolor variety. If you want to learn more about the Syngonium Pink Splash, check out our article on How to Care for Syngonium Pink Splash.
Variegated Pink Flecked
This variety is closely related to the Pink Splash variety. It also has green and pink variegated leaves but its leaves are rounder and heart-shaped while the Pink splash variety’s leaves are thinner and more arrow-shaped.
Red Heart
True to its name, Syngonium Red Heart has leaves with a more heart-like curve than many of the other varieties of its species. This plant has reddish-pink and green leaves and it tends to be on the shorter side.
Strawberry Cream
This variety has very pointed leaves. Unlike other similar pink varieties that have green new growth that turns pink, Strawberry Cream’s new growth is pink from the beginning and it stays pink.
Strawberry Ice
The Strawberry Ice variety is among the rarer Syngonium varieties. The leaves are larger and closer to a heart shape than the arrow shape seen in many other varieties. The colors of the leaves include green, cream, and a few shades of pink.
Regina Red
This variety is on the shorter side, not exceeding much more than a foot of height, but it can spread up to four feet. This variety’s leaves have a bit more texture than some other varieties and each leaf is either fully pink or is mostly green with pink accents.
Pink Perfection Syngonium
This variety is rather rare. The plant has unique large multi-lobed leaves that are mostly light green with plenty of pink near the veins. This plant can reach almost four feet tall.
Berry Allusion Nephthytis
The leaves of this variety are mostly green and cream with some pink accents at the veins.
Bold Allusion
This variety tends to grow more slowly than other varieties. It has cream colored leaves with dark green and pink accents.
Maria Allusion
The Maria Allusion variety has subtle pink accents on the veins of the leaves and the leaves themselves are mostly light green with dark green edges. This variety is on the newer side in the Syngonium world.
Cream Allusion
This is another variety with only a bit of pink along the veins of the leaves with the majority of the leaf being cream and light green with dark green edges. The Cream Allusion is another compact variety.
Julia Allusion Nephthytis
This compact variety has pointed light green leaves with pink accents and some dark green edges.
Red Spot Tricolor
This variety is very rare. This variety is similar to the Pink Splash variety in that the leaves are Green with pink spots but this variety has cream colored spots in addition to the pink ones.
Red Plum Allusion
This variety has wide, heart shaped leaves that start as a dark plum color and as they mature they become dark green with pink veins. This variety can grow very tall and it needs a fair amount of pruning if you wish to keep it on the small side.
Mango Allusion
It should be noted that this variety has bright pink accents on its leaves as a juvenile but as the plant matures the leaves become a mix of dark green and light green.
Propagation
The pink Syngonium is very easy to propagate in either water or potting soil. As with any propagation, the most important step is cutting the clipping in the right spot. Start by choosing a relatively new growth shoot and identify the nodes near the base of the stem and cut at least an inch under the node. If you need help finding the nodes, just look for the point on the stem where there is a bump on either side. Sometimes using your hands can be easier than just a visual assessment. The stem that you have can have at least one leaf, multiple leaves, or merely the beginning of a leaf and you should be successful.
Place your clipping in either a clean container filled with water or a small container of potting soil. If you are using water to propagate, make sure that you are changing the water frequently and keep an eye out for any rot. If you are using potting soil, keep the soil consistently moist and watch the leaves to make sure they aren’t wilting.
Under both conditions, make sure that the clipping is warm and has a good source of sunlight. Though this plant grows easily, it is worth propagating a number of clippings at once just in case. Even if you end up with more plants than you want at the end, it doesn’t hurt to have some to give as gifts.
Propagation usually takes a few weeks. Once your cutting has grown enough roots you can plant it into soil and watch it thrive.
Toxicity of the Syngonium
One very important thing to note about any syngonium is that it is toxic for humans, cats, dogs, and horses. All parts of the plant include crystals of calcium oxalate which can be very painful if ingested. According to the ASPCA, signs of poisoning from the Syngonium include oral irritation or swelling, excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. The sap from the stems can also be irritating to the skin. If you have pets or children, keep the Syngonium out of reach.
Frequently Asked Questions: Common Problems and How to Solve Them
The leaves on my pink Syngonium have started curling. How do I stop this?
This can be a common issue with a lot of house plants for a variety of reasons. For Syngonium the main causes are low humidity, over or under-fertilization, a lack of light, a lack of space for roots, not enough water, and too much heat or cold. Those are a lot of possible causes so start by assessing if any of these could be obvious causes. If nothing seems to be a very clear cause, next try to eliminate possible causes one by one. Also, look out for other issues that could indicate the cause. For example, if your plant is also losing its color, this may be an indication that the cause of the curling leaves is low light.
My pink Syngonium’s leaves are curling and turning yellow. What do I do to get it back to the right color?
That color change is indicative of a lack of magnesium or nitrogen. Seeing this in your plant may mean that you need to fertilize your plant or change its soil. If that doesn’t help, you may want to test the soil to see if there are any other nutrients lacking in your soil.
My Syngonium hasn’t been growing very much recently, how do I get it to grow more?
Lack of growth could be the result of a number of things. The plant could be rootbound and need a bigger pot. Check to see if any leaves have dark spots. If this is the case, the plant may be wanting phosphorus and this can be fixed by applying a fertilizer.
I forgot to water my pink Syngonium for a while and now its leaves are turning brown. Is there anything I can do?
A Syngonium can luckily be rejuvenated after prolonged lack of watering by soaking the roots in water. Remove any dead leaves as well to keep your plant fresh.
The leaves on my Syngonium seem to be getting less pink. How do I return it to its former glory?
Take a look at the location of your Syngonium and assess how much light it is getting throughout the day. Fading to green can be the result of your plant not getting enough light or too much direct light throughout the day. The ideal amount of light for your plant to be getting to maintain its color is bright but indirect light.
How do I prevent my pink Syngonium from getting too leggy?
Part of the fun of a Syngonium is how easy it is to grow it either as a vine or in a bush shape. To keep a more compact shape, simply prune any especially long vine-line protrusions. As with many plants, it’s best to prune during high-growth times like spring and summer. You can even use what you prune to easily propagate more Syngoniums. Your plant may also be getting leggy as a result of not getting enough sunlight.
I’ve noticed the leaves on my Syngonium seem to be drooping a lot. Am I watering it too much?
Actually, the most likely cause for this is that your plant is just too hot. Try putting it in a cooler environment and/or watering it more frequently.
My pink Syngonium seems rather sparse since I moved its location. How do I get it to stop dropping so many leaves?
If your Syngonium is dropping a lot of leaves, it seems likely that its new location is not providing the plant with enough light. To correct this you should move the plant somewhere so that it can receive more light. You could also investigate an indoor plant light for a form of artificial sunlight. If the new location is well lit, the issue may be that you are underwatering or overwatering your plant.
How do I keep my pink Syngonium clipping from getting moldy while propagating it?
This is a quick fix. The clipping is probably getting moldy because the water needs to be changed more frequently.
My Syngonium has dark spots on the leaves and it smells weird. How do I stop and prevent this?
This sounds like bacterial blight and stem rot caused by the Erwinia bacteria. Check the stem of your plant to see if it is infected. Unfortunately, if the stem is infected you may need to get rid of the whole plant. Make sure that when you are watering your plant that you are watering the soil and not getting the leaves or stems wet.
A bunch of small concentric circles have appeared on the leaves of my Syngonium. What is that and how do I get rid of it?
That sounds like Myrothecium leaf spot which is a fungi spread by water. Injured or juvenile plant tissue is most likely to get infected by this so avoid plant injuries. Too much fertilization can also encourage Myrothecium. To treat this, remove any diseased leaves, apply a fungicide, and make sure that you don’t over-fertilize in the future.
I accidentally exposed my pink Syngonium to cold weather and now it is drooping and discolored. Can I save my plant?
As long as your plant wasn’t exposed to the cold for too long, it may be able to recover. The first step is to get your plant somewhere warm and with good access to sunlight. With a few weeks of regular care you will likely see it start to bounce back.
Parts of the leaves on my pink Syngonium look darker and wet. Is this normal?
What you’re describing occurs when the soil your plant is in is warmer than the plant itself. To correct this, maintain an indoor temp of at least 65°F and make sure you are watering your plant with room temperature water rather than cold water.
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