Syngonium podophyllum

Syngonium podophyllum

This plant is a member of the Araceae family of plants, sometimes known as aroids. Many of these plants come from tropical climates and were traditionally used as houseplants. However, in Sydney we can grow many of them outdoors as permanent plantings, as a groundcover, or in pots. On the whole, they are best suited to shadier parts of the garden, with sufficient moisture: many can actually grow well in ponds. They can introduce an element of bold contrast with their distinctive leaves and flowers, and mix in well with other warm-climate plants that grow well here, creating the ambience of a tropical rain forest.

Helleborus foetidus Gold Bullion with golden Acanthus and Syngonium

Helleborus foetidus Gold Bullion with golden Acanthus and Syngonium

There is a huge variety of foliage forms in the family, but many, like the Syngonium, which hails from Central and South America, have striking arrowhead-shaped leaves; the colloquial name is arrowhead vine. The basic form has plain green leaves; the ones I grow have cream-variegated, lime-tinted and silvery-green foliage, respectively. The plants seldom flower in cultivation, Some of the aroids have aerial roots, which allow the plants to climb up trees, but when they do this they change their nature and become more aggressive and may lose the variegation their foliage, sporting much larger, plain green leaves. I would discourage plants from doing this. I think they are best used as a groundcover (ht 60cm) in a dry, shaded site.

Dwarf silver-white cultivar of Syngonium podophyllum

Dwarf silver-white cultivar of Syngonium podophyllum

Keep it in check by trimming back every so often. The flowers are insignificant. Propagation is by division of the tubers or air layering. I have a dwarf-leaved cultivar of my larger form, described above, called 'Pixie' as well as a beautiful silvery-white leaved one and a pink-hued one, possibly the cultivar 'Neon robusta' (ht 20 cm). None of these compact ones have not so far proved to be rampageous!

All parts of the plant contain calcium oxalate crystals. If chewed or eaten, symptoms include gastric irritation, salivation, a tingling or burning sensation of the lips, mouth, tongue and throat followed by swelling.