18 Arrowhead Plant Facts: Benefits, Risks, Caring And More

The young arrowhead plants are indoor plants, and many people prefer them due to their bushy, luscious, and colorful leafage.

Syngonium podophyllum plants are primarily found in Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, South America, Texas, Hawaii, Florida, and the West Indies. The arrowhead plant is part of the Araceae family that also comprises zantedeschia or calls, philodendrons, and caladiums.

The arrowhead plant is commonly used as a decorative and ornamental article at home, but also has medicinal values. This plant purifies the air and the concoction of the leaves is a remedy for stomach pain. The bark and the roots of the arrowhead plant have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory features and can treat wounds and many skin ailments.

Facts About Arrowhead Plant

A few other important arrowhead plant facts are that we can grow it outdoors and indoors. Let's explore some more facts:

• There are many varieties of these bushy plants like Bold Allusion, Painted arrow, Syngonium podophyllum Emerald Gem, Holly, Variegatum, strawberry creamy Syngonium, and Pink Allusion.
• The arrowhead plant is a good indoor plant and requires bright light but not direct sunlight, and the leaves burn out if they come into contact with the direct sun. The soil should be moist and well-drained for the plants' growth. Syngonium podophyllum plants are climbing stems. For indoors, there are various hybrid plants of an arrowhead with better durability and resistance with less maintenance.
• In the outdoors, the arrowhead is a shallow water plant that grows in slow-moving waterways. These broadleaf arrowhead plants can grow up to 3 ft (0.9 m) in height. To maintain the size of these plants when grown indoors, shortening is required. We need to prune the dead leaves and stem as it is not useful to the growth of the plant.
• The stem of the plant is bluish-green in color. The leaves of these plants have different colors according to how they are positioned on the stalk. The Syngonium podophyllum's leaves come in colors of pink, light green, green, and creamy white.
• Syngonium podophyllum plants are known as the mono flower species and only around 1-11 flowers bloom. The flowers are mostly in light orange or green in color. The flowers develop in a flask shape and have creamy white and greenish-colored leaves encased in them. The female flowers are at the bottom of the plant and the male flowers are above the female flowers.

Benefits Of Arrowhead Plants

Syngonium podophyllum was discovered around the 19th century in the tropical rain forests of America. This adaptable plant can be grown in a bushy form indoors or as an arrowhead vine outdoors. Other benefits include:

• The arrowhead plant is not just beautiful but also an exceptional air purifier. It has the trait of eliminating volatile organic compounds like xylene, toluene, formaldehyde, and benzene from the air and cleaning it.
• It also decreases the dry air and improves humidity indoors. The enthralling patterns of these plants begin with heart-shaped leaves that grow into an arrow shape with age. As it grows into an attractive climber the leaves change into different colors like light green, dark green, and pink.
• This beautiful plant grows very easily with even less light and maintains its appealing look all around the year. It is a great absorber of carbon dioxide.
• The plant can thrive in just water without soil. They are the best gorgeous and decorative houseplants with colorful, glossy leaves of various textures and patterns.

Risks Of Arrowhead Plants

Syngonium podophyllum plant is definitely versatile and comes in various styles and colors. Let's explore some potential risks:

• The hybrid or miniature versions can be grown on tabletop, terrariums, and dishes. On the outdoors, as climbers, the regular varieties of this plant can be grown.
• Its consumption can be harmful to animals and humans as well, but it is especially said to be poisonous to cats.
• The arrowhead plant as it grows contains more crystals of calcium oxalate and it is present in the sap, leaves, and body of the plant.
• These crystals are known to be poisonous which also have sharp edges on their sides.

Looking After Arrowhead Plants

Arrowhead plants can be grown individually or along with other plants. Let's take a look at how to look after one of these plants:

• The roots of this plant spread wildly if grown outdoors.
• An ideal temperature for the growth of the arrowhead plant is 65-80 F (18.3-27 C) in the day and more than 60 F (16 C) at night.
• The plant usually needs humid conditions for growth, especially during the winters. During the spring and in summer, the plant consumes a lot of water.
• In between watering the plant, it should be allowed to dry as too much wetness will cause root rot.
• The plant needs fertilizers, especially in the growing season, summer, and spring.