Syngonium podophyllum 'Red spot tricolor'

Horticultural Background and Tropical Ancestry

Syngonium podophyllum grows as a forest liana throughout tropical America, with a native range extending from Mexico through Central America into South America. Roots produced along the stem attach it to supports, and adult climbing shoots carry more divided foliage than juvenile plants.

Syngonium podophyllum ‘Red Spot Tricolor’ was developed in cultivation as a selection of this tropical American species.

Care for a climbing houseplant

Care: Choose a viable bud with enough green tissue as well as the desired cream and pink. Remove a vigorous all-green reversion if it begins replacing the tricoloured vine.

Light and temperature: Give Syngonium podophyllum ‘Red Spot Tricolor’ abundant filtered light so its green, cream and pink sectors are supported by compact growth. Introduce gentle sun slowly, since the cream and pink areas are less tolerant of intense heat.

Roots and substrate: Grow it in a chunky substrate that drains freely while retaining slight moisture. Water after the upper portion dries and let the entire pot empty.

What Can Go Wrong

Green, cream and pink areas can appear in different proportions from one node to the next. Shoots dominated by white or pink may weaken because they contain less chlorophyll, while vigorous all-green shoots can overtake the patterned vine. Keep growth that combines the desired colours with enough green tissue, and prune back plain-green shoots when they begin to dominate.

A sudden move into strong direct sun burns the palest tissue first. Thrips leave coarse silvered scars with tiny black droppings; mites produce much finer pale speckling. Check rolled new leaves before blaming damage on the cultivar pattern. When wilt appears above dry mix but the roots stay firm, soak the root ball completely and let it drain. Soft roots or a failing stem base in wet mix should be removed before the sound stem returns to warm conditions in a looser mix.

A wet brown patch that continues to grow is not strong colour. Move this vine away from nearby plants and avoid wetting its leaves. The balance of pink, cream and green can change between leaves, so compare several healthy nodes before deciding that the pattern has been lost.

Syngonium podophyllum ‘Red spot tricolor’ is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its leaves and stems contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the mouth, throat, skin and eyes.
• Chewing may cause burning pain, drooling, swelling, vomiting or difficulty swallowing. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional after exposure, especially if swelling or breathing problems occur.

How did Syngonium podophyllum get its name?

The name Syngonium comes from Greek words meaning “together” and “reproductive organs”, referring to the united ovaries in its flowers. The species name podophyllum means “foot-leaved”, a reference to the foot-like arrangement of mature leaf divisions.

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus Syngonium in 1829 in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Literatur, Theater und Mode, volume 3, page 780.

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott first described Syngonium podophyllum in 1851 in Botanische Zeitung (Berlin), volume 9, page 85.