Syngonium Wendlandii Care & Propagation

Last Updated on April 14, 2022 by Admin

The Syngonium Wendlandii is a rare climbing plant that is best known for its dark green leaves and its white-silver variegation in the middle of its leaves.

It is commonly called the Silver Goosefoot Plant or the Velvety Syngonium Podophyllum.

And it is one of the two most popular Syngonium varieties. The other one being the

The plant is native to the tropical forests of South America where you’ll find it clinging onto and climbing on tree trunks.

How do you care for the Syngonium Wendlandii? The plant needs medium to bright indirect light to maintain its variegations. Try to avoid low light.

It enjoys warm, humid conditions and moist soil. But it hates wet feet which makes it susceptible to overwatering.

Table of Contents

Syngonium Wendlandii Plant Care

Light Requirements

The Syngonium Wendlandii can tolerate low light as well as bright light. This gives you a lot of options when it comes to where you want to place the plant both indoors or outdoors.

However, for optimal growth and the best leaf color, I suggest keeping it in medium to bright indirect light.

On the other hand, while the plant has no problems with low light, I don’t recommend it.

Little light increases the risk of less variegations. It can also cause the plant to lose its variegations. If this happens, you essential lose its most attractive feature.

As such, good light is very important.

But be careful about excess light.

Avoid very strong, harsh or intense light. This includes direct sunlight during the middle of the day as well as in the summertime.

Outdoors, don’t leaves it in full sun.

While the plant can tolerate an hour or two of direct sunlight, more than that on a regular basis will eventually scorch its leaves.

However, it is worth mentioning that there is one exeption.

This is direct morning sunlight before 10:30 a.m. That’s because the morning sun is gentle and not harsh.

And the Syngonium Wendlandii actually loves this kind of sun.

So, if you can, position it near an east facing window which is where the sun comes in during mornings.

Otherwise, keep the plant in indirect or filtered light indoors and partial shade outdoors.

Temperature

The Syngonium Wendlandii is a tropical plant that is native to Central and South America.

As such, it enjoys warm to hot climates that are very consistent.

So, whether you keep the plant indoors or outdoors, these are the to features you want to keep in mind.

Its ideal temperature is between 55 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It can tolerate a bit hotter conditions as well.

But the most important thing to watch out for here is the cold.

The plant is not frost hardy. Nor does it like the cold.

In fact, once the temperature drops under 50 degrees Fahrenheit, it will begin to struggle. You’ll initially see this from its slower growth.

The longer it stays in the cold or the lower the temperature goes, the most likely it will have issues.

Additionally, it enjoys consistently moderate to warm weather, which makes indoor care ideal.

But even in your home you still want to be careful with some things. Air conditioners, cold drafts or heaters.

Similarly, cold spots where the temperature can suddenly drop more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit at nighttime.

These all bother the plant because of either the cold breeze or fluctuations.

Outdoors, it is best suited for USDA Hardiness zones 10 to 12. If you live in these areas, you can keep the plant outdoors all year round without a problem.

But below Zone 10 and colder, make sure to bring the plant back indoors if you give it some vacation time outdoors during the summer.

Humidity

The Syngonium Wendlandii thrives in high humidity, ideally 60% to 80%. This will allow the plant to grow more leaves and maintain its most vibrant colors.

That said, it has no problems with humidity between 40% and 60%.

This makes it more manageable for most homes. Although depending on where you live, it may still be a bit on the high side.

The important thing to watch out for are brown leaf edges and tips.

If you see this happening, it is the plant telling you that humidity is too low. And that it needs more moisture in the air.

In case this happens, you can mist the plant a few times a week.

Although I do prefer setting it on a pebble tray or humidity tray. Both are easy to setup and take only 15 minutes.

You can also use the things you already have at home to create these trays.

Of course, you can go out and get a humidifier.

How Often to Water Syngonium Wendlandii

Watering is the most important thing to pay attention to with the Syngonium Wendlandii. That’s because this is where things can go wrong.

And they can go terribly wrong to the point the plant deteriorates significantly or ends up dead.

As such, it is very important to get this right and take your time to observe what it needs from you.

The Syngonium Wendlandii enjoys water.

While it only needs moderate watering, the plant likes soil to stay consistently moist.

However, do you need to be careful with watering as it will not tolerate excess moisture. Overwatering is the biggest no-no for this aroid.

And it can lead to root rot.

Therefore, always be on the lookout for changes in leaf color.

Yellow leaves usually mean the plant is being overwatered. Brown leave is a sign of underwatering.

Of the two, overwatering is way worse since it is more difficult for the plant to recover from this. Additionally it can lead to stem rot, root rot, bacterial and fungal diseases.

So, always allow the plant to dry between waterings.

Wait until the top 1-3 inches of soil has completely dried before you add more water. Never add before that.

Also, water in the mornings as much as possible. Avoid later day watering is there’s less sunlight to help the soil dry.

Doing this will allow you to automatically adjust your watering schedule instead of having to memorize things.

During hotter weather, the soil will dry faster, so you’ll be watering more regularly.

In the winters, soil will take much longer to dry. Feeling the soil will let you know that and by the time the top few inches have dried, it will usually be 2 to 3 weeks.

Syngonium Wendlandii Potting Soil

The best potting soil for Syngonium Wendlandii will retain moisture and have good drainage. Additionally, the plant likes soil with pH between 6.0 to 7.5.

The ironic combination allows the roots to stay hydrated since the soil stays moist. But it avoids wet soil by quickly draining excess liquid.

The latter prevents waterlogging and overwatering.

On the other hand, avoid heavy soils or dense mixes. These will retain way too much moisture which keeps the roots in water for longer than they’d like.

The reason the right kind of potting mix is important is that it can easily negate your watering efforts as the soil will just hold on to all the liquid.

So, even it you water correctly, you end up with waterlogged soil. This causes overwatering in the end.

The good news is it is easy to make the perfect potting mix for Syngonium Wendlandii.

A very simple but effective potting mix recipe uses equal parts of:

Potting soil
Perlite
Orchid mix

Alternatively, you can also use:

50% potting soil
25% coconut coir
25% pumice and charcoal

Both work and you can go with whichever ingredients you already have on hand.

Finally, the third part of preventing overwatering is the kind of pot you use.

Make sure you use a pot with drainage holes at the bottom. This will let any liquid that drains from the soil to exit the pot.

If not, it will accumulate at the bottom of the container and keep the soil wet, which defeats the purpose of well-draining soil.

Fertilizer

The Syngonium Wendlandii will grow best with fertilizer.

You can use different fertilizers as the plant is not overly picky about the kind you use. Instead, what’s important is that it gets the proper nutrients.

The simplest ways to make sure is to use a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength.

Feed the plant during its growing season. This is when it will grow the most and produce most of its leaves.

Once every 2 to 4 weeks works well.

Stop feeding once fall comes around and only restart when spring arrives. Don’t feed the plant during winter as it does not need plant food them.

Besides liquid fertilizer, you can likewise opt to go with slow-release fertilizer.

These come in pellet form that will dissolve at different times. So, you do need to distribute them in the soil.

But it also reduces the number of times you need to feed the Syngonium Wendlandii.

Whatever you use, avoid over fertilizing the plant.

This increases the salt residue in the soil that will eventually cause fertilizer burn.

Pruning

The Syngonium Wendlandii is a slow growing plant. But it will eventually reach anywhere from 2 to 5 feet high.

Indoors it usually gets to the lower end of that range. Although a lot depends on the care you give it, how much space you allow it to grow and whether or not you prune it.

When allowed to climb, it will grow faster and taller.

Although many growers will just keep it in pot without any support. In this case, it will look like a shrub.

That said, the plant will produce many leaves over time.

This makes it lovely to look at if you allow it to get bushy.

The great thing about the Syngonium Wendlandii is that its looks can vary significantly depending on how you prune and shape the plant.

It will also produce aerial roots.

Depending on how you feel about air roots you can keep them around or prune them.

The important thing is to always sterilize your cutting tool before pruning. Additionally, never prune more than 30% of the plant in one sitting.

This will stress it out.

Instead, split up the trimming session over a few months.

How to Propagate Syngonium Wendlandii

The simplest way to propagate the Syngonium Wendlandii is to use stem cuttings.

Stem propagation works really well for this plant. And you can use water propagation or directly plant it into soil.

I prefer soil propagation but I do know many growers who like to propagate in water since it lets them monitor the roots as they grow.

Since the plant has many stems, it is easily to do multiple stem propagations, if you wish, at the same time.

Here’s how to propagate the Syngonium Wendlandii from stem cuttings.

Take a healthy stem cutting. This is the most important step. Ensure the cutting has at least 2 nodes and several leaves on it.
Sterilize your cutting tool with alcohol then cut below the nodes.
Plant the cutting in a pot filled with well-draining soil mix.
Water the soil and keep it moist. Also, place the pot in bright, indirect sunlight.

It will take around 3 to 5 weeks for roots to develop and start grabbing hold of the soil.

If you prefer to propagate in water, you can likewise do so.

Just place the cuttings in a container or jar filled with water. Keep the nodes under the liquid but remove any leaves that end up there.

It takes about 3 to 4 weeks for enough roots to develop.

When the roots reach about 1-2 inches long, you can transfer the cutting to a pot with soil mix.

How to Repot or Transplant Syngonium Wendlandii

The Syngonium Wendlandii is a slow growing plant that usually needs repotting every 2 years.

You won’t need to repot the plant unless it has outgrown its current pot. So, don’t be in a hurry.

The best time to repot is during spring to early summer.

When you do, choose a container that is one size larger. And replace the potting soil as well.

Since the plant’s roots are not very extensive, you don’t need a large pot. In fact, avoid overpotting the plant.

Also, avoid very deep pots since the roots don’t need that much space. They’re better off with shallower containers.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

The Syngonium Wendlandii is toxic when consumed. It contains calcium oxalate crystals that get activated once ingested.

Therefore, it is not safe for young children, dogs and cats to play around the plant since they may accidentally chew or swallow its leaves.

This will lead to inflammation, pain and swelling.

Syngonium Wendlandii Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

The Syngonium Wendlandii is not prone to Syngonium Wendlandii but it can get attacked by common houseplants pests including mealybugs, aphids, thrips, spider mites and scale.

Therefore, regular inspection is very important.

And if you spot any don’t wait to treat them.

Immediately isolate the plant and start treatment. You can use neem oil or insecticidal soap.

You can likewise pick off the bugs one at t time or use alcohol in cotton. But for me, these are just too tedious since you need to get the insects one at a time.

Diseases

Overwatering is usually the cause of most diseases.

And in most cases, you want to check the leaves for the first signs.

Although, root rot and stem rot can happen with overwatering, it is usually harder to spot the symptoms with these two, especially root rot since they are under the soil.

As such, when the leaves change color or have some abnormal markings of any kind like spots, stripes and others, always check for root rot, stem rot, bacterial and fungal infections.

Of course, the best option is just to avoid excessive watering in the first place.

This includes both the soil and the wetting the leaves.