Syngonium

Aroid family. Homeland Central and South America. There are about 30 species in the genus. They are all herbaceous plants or creepers. Many form aerial roots. Rhizome horizontal, rhizome. The leaves are vaginal (at the base they cover the stem), on long petioles. Plants of this family are very similar to close relatives - philodendrons. But their leaves are thinner and softer. The leaf blade is often not smooth, but with noticeable venation and slight tuberosity. In room conditions do not bloom. Syngonium is notable for changing the shape of the leaves with age - in young plants they are arrow-shaped, and in older plants they have clearly defined lobes, and resemble a star of irregular shape, in which one of the rays is elongated.

• Syngonium podophyllum - with light green leaves of a heart-shaped shape, about 7-13 cm long on long petioles. The sheet plate is separate from 3-11 segments, usually fused. There are variegated varieties, characterized by the shape and color of the spots on the leaves.

Syngonium podophyllum 'Pixie'

Syngonium podophyllum 'Regina Red'

Syngonium angustatum

• Syngonium auricular Syngonium auritum - with dark green leaves and bluish stem and well-developed aerial roots at the nodes. The leaf is separate from 3 to 5 segments, with a larger central segment. It has rapid growth. Sometimes it blooms - an ear inflorescence with a cover of about 5 cm, light green in color with a reddish spot on the inside.
• Wendland's syngonium, "Syngonium wendlandii," has dark green leaves on long petioles, tripartite. The central segment is up to 10 cm long, lateral up to 15 cm. The surface of the leaf is velvety, the central vein is silver.
• Syngonium angustatum - leaf lobes narrower, elongated, often a stele-green stripe along the central vein. The original species has pure green leaves. The leaf of this species is pinnate, but not triple, as in the scabbard, but consists of 7-9 segments.

Syngonium podophyllum 'Imperial White'

Syngonium podophyllum 'White Butterfly'

Syngonium podophyllum 'Neon'

In syngonium varieties, confusion sometimes occurs, some are officially registered in catalogs, they can be easily found on English-language sites, for example, Syngonium podophyllum 'Imperial White', or Syngonium podophyllum 'Pixie', and others appear only on Russian-language forums, for example, Syngonium 'Spear Point'. Many varieties come from Thailand, the name of the species is not even mentioned, only the variety is indicated, which is not registered anywhere, but quickly takes root among flower growers.

Other photos of the syngoniums can be viewed on the Flower Collections forum.

Care of Singonium

It is possible to grow singonium as an ampel plant by hanging the pot high, then the branches of the plant will hang down with a green carpet. By the way, it is very convenient to use a tube with moss as a support for syngonium, the plant wraps itself around it and grows up, reaching 1.5-1.8 meters in height. The plant is also well suited for hydroponically growing. In general, Singonium grows rapidly and is quite unpretentious at home.

Temperature: Grows well in warm rooms on average at 18-20 ° C, and in winter at least 16 ° C. In special conditions, it does not need a cool wintering if it is light enough.

Lighting: Bright diffused light, mandatory shading from direct sunlight at noon in spring and, especially, in summer - in the hot sun, the plant can get burns. Species of syngonium with dark green leaves tolerate light partial shade, variegated varieties are more photophilous, they will suit the east or north-west window. In winter, good lighting is required, otherwise the leaves begin to grind and lose color, so by winter move the syngonium closer to the window, or turn on a fluorescent or LED lamp nearby.

Air humidity: Frequent spraying is necessary if humidity is below 50%. Syngonium loves moist air, optimally 50-60%. Remember that watering too often does not compensate for the lack of humidity in the air. Therefore, in winter, install a humidifier or put the pot on a wide tray with wet moss or coconut fiber.

Transplant: Annually or every two years in the spring. Soil - 2 part of leaf, 1 part of humus, 1 part of sand or vermiculite. pH is slightly acidic. Pieces of pine bark (1/5 of the volume of the earth) can be added to the soil for loosening. Choose a wider but shallow pot, with holes in the bottom. Small-leaved varieties of singonium tend to grow upward, gradually emerging from the ground, shrunken scales from old dead leaves remain. This is normal, but somewhat spoils the appearance of the bush, the plant looks unkempt. There is an option when transplanting to cut the lower part of the roots, plant a bush deeper or mulch with fresh earth. But after 3-4 years, completely rejuvenate the bush: divide it during transplantation, select the most healthy parts and plant it together again in one pot.

Reproduction: Cuttings and air branches. Vegetative propagation of syngonium is not difficult. A handle with a heel (a piece of stem), in the presence of aerial roots, is immediately planted in the ground. If there are no air roots, then it is put to root in the water, or planted in a mixture of peat, vermiculite and sphagnum moss (all in equal parts) under a jar, bag, or mini-greenhouse.

Pests of Singonium

Singonium is rarely attacked by pests, but sometimes it is affected by thrips and scale insects.

Scutellum - similar to brown, sometimes translucent, convex warts covered with a hard scutellum, when chipped, a wet spot remains. They settle on leaves on both sides and stems. The damaged plant slows down or stops growing, the leaves dry out.

Control measures. Manually wipe the pests with a soap sponge from each sheet. Water the soil and spray with actara systemic insecticide. In case of severe damage, repeat the treatment. You can spray with actellic, phytoverm and other insecticides.

Trips - light dots, strokes, irregular spots with a silver sheen (like mica) appear on the upper side of the sheet. Sometimes black resin drops and dirty gray husks remain on the leaves. The leaves dry out quickly, the plant stops growing.

Control measures. Wipe the leaves with a soap sponge to remove pest secretions. The plant should be sprayed, if necessary, repeatedly with insecticides (phytoverm, decis, actellic, inta-vir). You can water the soil with an actara. In case of severe damage, repeat the treatment.

Ticks are extremely harmful to syngonium if they enter the house from the street when ventilated or with infected plants. They are not noticeable immediately - the leaves of the syngonium are quite light, they become gray from the tick, the smallest very frequent puncture points are visible through the leaf lumen. Then yellow spots. Sometimes the leaves turn yellow, and ticks are not visible (some species can only be found with a microscope), the web is not always. In this case, arrange a hot shower for the plant: put it on its side in the bathroom and water for 2 minutes from a hot shower, first on one side, then on the other. Repeat three days later. And so 4-5 times. But the soil must be covered with a film every other time to avoid waterlogging, not watered until it dries. Of the chemical agents, acaricides help (phytoverm, actellic, castor oil, etc.).

Growing problems

• Dry brown tips or leaf edges - due to too dry air.
• The leaves turn pale and lose their shine - due to too high humidity or excessive watering, the leaves also turn pale if the plant is too dark.
• New leaves are smaller than old ones - due to lack of lighting or nutrients in the soil.
• Variegated forms of syngonium lose color and become almost green - due to lack of light.
• If brown spots appear on the edge or center of the leaf blade on the syngonium, first of all, reconsider the watering mode. Perhaps you are watering the plant too hard.

In addition, the planting of syngonium in a too large pot (photo on the right), and too heavy, dense soil, leads to flooding, acidification of the earth and stunting.