Arrowhead or Goosefoot Vine

Syngonium podophyllum

‘Cream Allusion’, ‘Exotic Allusion’, & ‘Maria Allusion’

sin-GO-nee-um   po-do-FIL-um

Syngonium podophyllum Schott is the accepted scientific name for this Syngonium species. It was named and described by Heinrich Wilhelm Schott in Botanische Zeitung (Berlin) in 1851.

The genus, Syngonium Schott, was also named and described by Mr. Schott in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst in 1829.

As of 11-25-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online by Kew lists 41 species in the Syngonium genus. It is a member of the plant family Araceae with 142 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

THERE ARE A FEW LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING.

I bought my first Syngonium podophyllum from Lowe’s in Greenville, Mississippi while living at the mansion in Leland in June 2012. It was labeled ‘Exotic Allusion Nephthytis’. In October I bought two more, ‘Cream Allusion’ and ‘Maria Allusion’. I think the last two were incorrectly labeled but I found the correct name on the Exotic Angel website from Costa Farms. For a while, I thought the ‘Exotic Allusion’ was also mislabeled and was a ‘Plum Allusion’ instead. Now ‘Plum Allusion’ isn’t available.

Nephthytis is a genus of plants native to Borneo and Africa that is unrelated to Syngonium. They were originally confused with one another and they do look quite similar. Many companies still use the common name Nephthytis even though they are not the same plant. Syngonium podophyllum is native to Mexico down to the middle part of South America. Both genera are members of the Araceae family.

USEFUL INFORMATION:
Family: Araceae.
Origin: Species native to Mexico down through mid-South America.
Zones: USDA Zones 10-12 (° F).
Size: Depends…
Light: Part-shade.
Soil: Well-drained.

I sold the mansion in Mississippi and returned to the family farm in mid-Missouri in February 2013. I gave up around 200 plants but I brought many with me including the three Syngonium podophyllum.

The Syngonium podophyllum is a popular houseplant and they are even grown as landscape ornamental in Florida. They are, after all, members of the Araceae family of Arums like Colocasia, Alocasia, and Caladiums. Being so, care should be taken when handling this plant if you are sensitive to sap with oxalic rawhides. The sap can cause skin irritation and eye damage, just to name a few symptoms.

In my opinion, the Syngonium podophyllum is similar to many species of Philodendron. They look the nicest when they are first brought home, but as they grow they have a tendency to flop or sprawl. Most people are unaware that this plant is actually a vine and buy them because of their beautiful leaves.

Their leaves change shape as they mature. Young leaves are kind of ovate with a heart-shaped base and are around 5” long. They mature to an arrow shape and can grow around 14” in length. 

In the wild, they produce a typical-looking aroid-type flower. They rarely flower as a houseplant.

They need regular watering during the spring through summer months but less during the fall and winter. Their soil should be allowed to dry out between watering and excess moisture can cause their roots to rot.

Since this plant will eventually vine, you may want to re-pot into a hanging pot. They develop an extensive root system, so they should be repotted every spring. They are easily propagated by divisions and cuttings and easily root in water. 

Growing the Syngonium podophyllum can be a little frustrating if you think you bought a plant that will stay nice and tidy looking. You can control the size and shape of the plant by cutting off the climbing stems. Regular pruning will keep the plant bushier and the juvenile-shaped leaves will be retained.

These plants like high humidity and appreciate regular misting. You can also keep their pots in a tray with pebbles and water to add humidity.

I no longer have these plants, but they were very interesting to grow. Although they will put up with an amount of neglect, they respond much better with adequate care. You just have to realize they will NOT stay the neat and tidy plant you bought them as. Although it will take some time for them to vine, they will sprawl somewhat much sooner.

In all, they make a great houseplant or one you can put on your patio in a shady area. Too much light will cause their leaves to burn.

I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
GARDENING KNOW HOW