Syngonium variegates are a timeless classic that never goes out of style! With its white and light green leaves and green stems, this plant is a solid choice for your home’s decor.
It’s easy-to-care-for all-terrain plants that are perfect for people who are worried about their plants dying. They’re easy to take care of and they grow quickly.
In Latin, variegation means “diversity of colors.” There is a mutation that causes the leaves to appear to lack chlorophyll, resulting in spots and stripes.
To preserve the variegation of a variegated Syngonium requires a certain level of care.
A Description of Syngonium’s Characteristics
The botanical genus Syngonium belongs to the Araceae family (Aroideae). A total of 20 to 30 species can be found throughout Central and South America’s tropical and subtropical regions.
Syngonium podophyllum is the ancestor of the majority of Syngonium varieties. Other species live on Pacific and Indian Ocean islands.
Syngonium is a type of vine that typically has a single long stem growing from the base (16-65 feet/ 5 to 20 m in nature, up to 6.5 feet/ 2 m in the home).
Large and fast-growing plants can be difficult to manage in the interior. Miniature and dwarf varieties, amoebic forms with lush cascading foliage have been developed by plant breeders.
Using Syngonium in the interior has a number of advantages:
- It’s fun to watch the leaves change color as the season progresses. When compared to the original plant, cuttings appear to be an entirely different indoor plant.
- The vines with large leaves, especially in rooms with minimalist designs and gray or white walls, are a visual delight.
- Syngonium is adaptable, blending well with other indoor plants, and is commonly used to create green walls, which are a mix of several species in one pot or container.
- The vegetative method of propagation is very simple with this plant.
- Pests and diseases are rarely a problem for Syngonium.
How to Care for Syngonium Variegata
Indoor plants can be classified into categories based on their needs. Simple care entails only watering, replanting, and feeding; complex care entails the creation of wintering conditions as well as other manipulations. Indoor Syngonium requires medium care.
Low Temperature Affects Decorative Appearance of Variegated Syngonium
As a rule, the vines prefer a warm environment and will thrive in a typical home or office setting.
In the summer, the ideal temperature ranges from 65-77 °F (18-25 °C). In the winter, keep the indoor temperature between 60-68 °F (16-20 °C).
This plant can withstand a short-term cooling to 54°F (12 °C) without affecting its decorative appearance.
The leaves soften and become translucent after a long period of frost. The leaves of the plant turn yellow and wither when it is exposed to temperatures that are too high for it.
Variegated Syngonium Need More Lighting
Syngonium is a plant that can tolerate some shade. The color of the indoor plant determines where you should place it.
In general, the more light and colored spots there are on the leaves, the brighter the lighting is required.
In direct sunlight, pure green varieties fade and lighten, making them less appealing.
Window sills facing west or east are ideal because they allow the plant to receive morning and evening sunlight, respectively.
For best results, keep it at least 1 m away from any windows facing south or southwest, and place it on a shelf or table.
Hydrating and Watering
Indoor plants should not be watered in accordance with the “little and often” rule. It is critical to adjust the watering schedule based on the needs of the plant.
The condition and age of the variegated Syngonium determine how it should be cared for.
Young plants have lower water requirements. When it’s cloudy and cold outside, water your larger plants 2-3 times per week.
You can tell if there is enough water by the appearance of the Syngonium and by touching the soil. If the soil moisture level falls below an acceptable level, the leaves will droop slightly.
It is critical to keep the humidity level around 60%. In the event of extreme dryness, I recommend placing your variegated Syngonium on a humidity tray, also known as a pebble tray filled with water or wet moss.
The bottom of the pot should be higher than the water level in the pebble tray.
If the soil is bone dry or the plant is severely dehydrated, soak the plant pot in a bathtub or sink. It will assist your Syngonium in quickly reviving.
Feeding
The vines respond to fertilization by growing quickly and producing vibrant, lush foliage.
Two months after planting, you should begin applying fertilizer. To get by until then, the Syngonium relies on its new substrate for nourishment.
Feed your variegated Syngonium with a leafy houseplants fertilizer every three or four weeks.
Apply a solution of specific mineral fertilizer to the Syngonium twice a month in spring and summer (it is especially convenient to use liquid forms).
The liquid fertilizer must have a nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium ratio of 1:2:1. Stop fertilizing completely as autumn approaches.
Pruning
Variegated Syngoniums can be denser and more compact in nurseries and flower shops if a growth inhibitor is used.
As the growth inhibitor effect wears off, the shoots stretch out and become brittle. Under normal conditions, the variegated Syngonium stem grows without branching.
How to get a bushy appearance:
- Plant 2-4 cuttings in a single pot.
- Pinch the tops of the shoots above 6-7 leaves to form the crown of a rooted Syngonium.
- Trim back the leafy stems that have grown back over the winter.
- Reduce the length of overly long shoots by two-thirds of their original length.
- Do not remove the remaining shoots’ aerial roots.
- Use a knife to remove green shoots, and a pair of secateurs to remove woody ones, if necessary. Wear gloves because the milky sap can cause skin irritation. The Syngonium can be propagated by cutting the stems with leaves attached.
Transplanting Annually is Necessary
Once the pot is completely filled with roots, transplant the Syngonium. Young plants grow quickly and must be transplanted annually. Transplanting mature plants every two or three years is sufficient.
Transplanting is the best and least traumatic option if the plant is healthy. Select a pot that is a few centimeters wide and deep than the previous one.
At the bottom, lay a 1inch (2-3 cm) layer of gravel and sand to create a drainage layer. You can either buy ready-made soil composition or make your own.
Syngonium requires little in the way of soil composition to thrive. However, a substrate with a pH value of 5-7 is best for better growth and development (slightly acidic, neutral).
Use a store-bought ornamental-leaved plant mix or make your own Syngonium substrate with turf, loose soil, peat, and sand (2:2:2:1). Toss in a little wood ash, and fill the bottom with the brick chips.
How to Propagate Variegated Syngonium
Rooting apical and stem cuttings is a simple method of propagation for Syngonium.
Planting material can take root at any time of year, but it grows best in the spring and summer. Apical cuttings allow you to get a new vine in a short period of time.
Using the Apical Shoots
Cut the 3-4 inches (8-10 cm) long apex shoots with a leaf and an apex bud 0.5in (2 cm) below the node (thickening on the stem). To keep the wound from rotting, dust it with activated charcoal powder and let it air dry for 15 minutes before dressing it.
Once the cuttings have been rooted in water, you can observe the root growth in action. This will occur within the next few weeks.
Transplant the water-rooted cuttings into the soil when their roots are well developed.
Before inserting into the soil, apply a rooting stimulant to the lower end. Make sure the pot is kept at a temperature of 70-77 °F (21-25 °C).
Propagation with a Stem Cutting
Make a stem cut from the stem just below the shoot’s top. Remove a section of it that is at least 10-15 centimeters long.
The cuttings should have at least three internodes and a few leaves. Add some crushed charcoal to the water and place the cutting there. You must ensure that there is some light exposure, but not direct sunlight.
Variegated Syngonium Varieties
One of the most sought-after variegated plants is Syngonium variegates. Here are some most popular Variegated Syngonium Varieties (with pictures):
Examples of varieties:
- Syngonium Podophyllum ‘Tiffany'”-with pink spots clustered in the center of the leaf plate.
- Syngonium Jade – bicolor (white-green). The spots are scattered unevenly.
- Syngonium Spear Point – with lance-shaped or arrow-shaped leaves. The creamy white color seems to “spread” from the central vein to the edges of the leaf plate.
- Syngonium ‘Aaron Brown – Syngonium with triangular-round leaves. The coloring includes green and chocolate tones.
if you want to learn more about some very rare Syngonium varieties, check out this picture-filled article.
Syngonium ‘Neon’
“Neon Pink” stands out with creamy pink heart-shaped leaves with a lettuce border.
The variety is commonly known as “Syngonium Neon” in abbreviated form. The additional words in the name – “robusta,” “tetra,” and so on – describe the color variations. Syngonium ‘Neon robusta,’ for example, has light pink leaves.
Syngonium Panda
A fast-growing variety is distinguished by its bush form. The white or light yellow spots, speckles, and streaks on the matte dark green leaves give this cultivar its name.
Syngonium Albo Variegata Imperial White
Imperial White is a white-leaved variety with small patches of green and light green colors.
This type of Syngonium is more difficult to propagate and care for. If the soil lacks nitrogen, the interesting coloration is lost; if there is too much nitrogen, the leaves fall off.
Syngonium Pixie
“Pixie” is a miniature variety with green-white leaves. It grows slowly and remains compact.
Very convenient for small spaces. Pixie Syngoniums are becoming more and more sought after by collectors.
Syngonium Pink
Pink Syngonium is a lovely-looking plant. This variety is grown as a bush or vines. The coloration becomes paler with age. Syngonium ‘Pink spot’ is a fast-growing one. Leaves are creamy pink with crimson speckles when young.
Pink Splash is a variety whose leaves look like they have been splashed with pink paint.
Syngonium Regina Red
A densely pubescent Syngonium with short shoots. The leaves are pink on top and green on the bottom. If there is insufficient light, the spectacular coloration is lost.
Syngonium Aurora
‘Aurora’ is a similar variety with pink leaves. With its compact size, Syngonium “Red Spot” is ideal for those with limited space in their home.
The height of the plant is approximately 1.6 feet (50 cm). The leaves have a pink, green, and brown hue to their appearance.
Syngonium Confetti Tricolor
“Confetti tricolor” is a one-of-a-kind variety that stands out for its distinct coloration. Pink and yellow spots and splashes are scattered throughout the light green leaves. Leaf plates change in size and shape as they get older.
Syngonium Butterfly
Butterfly Syngonium ‘Butterfly’ is named for its marbled-looking leaves with white-green streaks. The popular ‘White Butterfly’ variety can grow up to 1.5 meters in length.
Light green at the edge of the lamina encircles arrow-shaped leaves, which are light in the veins.
Syngonium Christmas
Typical Syngonium podophyllum vines with lance-like leaves Syngonium ‘Christmas’ appears to be very festive. Green, light green, pink, and cream hues adorn the leaf blade’s coloration.
Syngonium Brocante
“Brocante” is a variety whose coloring has been compared to chocolate. The foliage is dense and green-brown in color. Veins in red, pink, and cream colors stand out on the leaf’s dark background. The leaves have a glossy appearance.
Syngonium Arrow
Syngonium “Arrow” is a classic variety with spear-shaped leaves. A fast-growing, low-maintenance Syngonium cultivar. The leaves are emerald green in color with creamy white veins.
Variegated Syngonium Problems
Poor care is the primary cause of most Variegated Syngonium issues. Fungi and bacteria aren’t always necessary for root rot to take place. The root is suffocated by a wet environment, which eventually causes it to die.
Lack of oxygen or aeration causes this problem. After drying out the soil and removing any rotten parts of the plant, you can replant it in a new pot.
After the first few days of repotting, stop watering and gradually return to your normal watering schedule.
Variegated Syngonium pests include aphids, thrips, and scabies. Although pests rarely attack Syngonium, aphids, and scabies are the most common problems.
Variegated Syngonium leaves are harmed by aphids on the underside and the tops of the shoots, respectively. Leaves turn yellow and fall off after being damaged.
Fighting a large insect colony requires quick action, so isolate the infested plant as soon as possible. The best way to get rid of insects is to use both natural and chemical insecticides.
In case one spraying is not sufficient, a follow-up treatment is performed one week later if necessary.
Variegated Syngonium Toxicity
The toxicity of Syngonium has been established beyond doubt. The plant is toxic to dogs and cats due to its calcium oxalate content. Syngonium can cause skin irritation and If consumed it may cause vomiting.
So, keep this type of plant out of the reach of small children and pets. While pruning makes sure to wear gloves to protect skin from irritation.