The arrowhead vine family includes the lovely indoor plant Syngonium ‘White Butterfly’. The Syngonium Podophyllum, sometimes known as the “white butterfly,” is a low-maintenance, relatively quick-growing aroid. The plant will reward you with mottled foliage and arrow-shaped leaves that mimic a butterfly’s wings. The leaves age and turn whiter, becoming more impressive as the plant gets bigger. The plant comes from Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Mexico; it belongs to the Araceae family; and it is semi-tropical.
The adult green leaves of this cultivar have an arrowhead form with white venation, whilst the young shoots have a heart-shaped pattern and are largely white with green borders. Given the correct conditions, these low-maintenance houseplants thrive in strong indirect light and will flourish in your indoor garden. Check out the White Butterfly Syngonium care instructions, watering suggestions, and propagation tactics below!
Characteristics of the White Butterfly Plant
Light Preference: Semi-Shade, Full Shade
Water Preference: Lots of Water
Preferred Climate Zone: Tropical
Plant & Rootzone Preference: Moist Soils, Well-Drained Soils, Fertile Loamy Soils
Appearance: Arrow-shaped leaves with a creamy white center and a green edge that start out darker and lighten as they mature. Large leaves and a trailing habit characterize the White Butterfly cultivar.
Foliage: The sagittate-shaped immature leaves develop into compound leaves with three leaflets and gradually increase to adult leaves with 5 to 9 leaflets. When damaged, the leaves release a milky sap.
Stems: When damaged, the stems release a creamy sap.
Used for: The best indoor plant for indoor and interior gardening schemes, as well as a shaded patio. suitable for underplanting in gardens with a tropical theme.
White Butterfly Planting Instructions and Care
Planting a trailing indoor plant in a hanging basket makes it lush and really lovely. It has a perky habit and large leaves. It can be grown outside in tropical gardens, but if the area appeals to it, it may naturalize; keep it under control outside wilderness. Avoid sap, handle cautiously, and keep kids and dogs out of the way. These indoor vines are among the easiest plants to care for they can withstand very little light, making them ideal for newbies. Discover how to take care of this lovely indoor vine!
Plant Size & Growth
The white butterfly Syngonium may grow to a length of 3 to 6 feet and a spread of 1 to 2 feet if given enough time to develop. Whether the plant has a supporting structure or is cultivated as a hanging plant determines the length and direction of development. Lack of gravity or support causes white butterfly plants to grow more tightly packed and twisted. Older Syngonium white butterfly leaves take on a variety of interesting looks as the plant ages.
New leaves are often heart-shaped, silvery-white to cream in color, with a dark green border. Syngonium leaves develop into the recognizable butterfly arrowhead form as they become older. This continues until the leaves get their final lobed form and reach a length between 5 and 14 inches (12.7 and 35 cm). Color and pattern change over time. The bulk of the leaves are white, creamy white, or silvery white, ranging from greenish-white to white.
Plants Flowering and Fragrance
White Syngonium Butterfly seldom blooms when cultivated indoors. Small greenish-white flowers on a thick spadix are what a mature white butterfly arrowhead plant looks like when it blooms. Later, crimson or brown-black berries take their place.
Light
Despite the fact that these plants can tolerate low light levels, they will develop more quickly and keep their vivid coloration and patterns if they are planted in medium to strong indirect light. Their leaves will burn in the sun. Avoid direct sunlight since it will scorch the leaves. If your location doesn’t get enough natural light, you may alternatively grow sygonium under artificial lighting. During the winter, try relocating your White Butterfly Arrowhead vines closer to the light source. Also, keep in mind to rotate your plants every time you water or otherwise take care of them to promote a full-bodied plant.
Water
Let these indoor plants partially dry out in between waterings. Lower leaves will dry out and become brown if they are kept dry for an extended period of time. If this occurs, water the soil and give the plant time to rehydrate. In the spring and summer, this plant should be maintained only slightly wet, and in the fall and winter, the soil’s surface should be allowed to completely dry out. During the spring and summer, water should be applied every 3 to 5 days, and in the cold months, every 1 to 2 weeks.
Soil
We advise choosing a soil combination that is heavy on organic matter, but also loose, light, and allows for adequate drainage. The majority of bagged potting soil is suitable for your arrowhead vine, but stay away from potting mixtures with moisture-retaining crystals. They have the ability to keep the soil moist for extended durations, which may harm roots.
Temperature
The White Butterfly Syngonium plant flourishes at temperatures between mild and moderate. It loses leaves if stored in cold temperatures for a prolonged period of time because of its semi-tropical nature. Keep it away from air conditioning systems to prevent shock. 61 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees to 21 degrees Celsius) is the ideal temperature range for the White Butterfly Syngonium. It can withstand temperatures as low as 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius). Anything less than this causes a wide range of issues, including as withering and dehydration.
Fertilizer
During the growth season, vines of the Syngonium White Butterfly should be treated twice a month using a liquid fertilizer that is 1/2 strength. As an alternative, you can use a slow-release fertilizer in the early spring or top-dress the soil with compost or worm castings. Make careful to incorporate the compost into the current soil and water right away.
Humidity
For these indoor vines, a humidity level of 40 to 50 percent is sufficient, but if you can, a humidity level of 60 to 80 percent is best for most houseplants.
Repotting
In contrast to the roots, the Syngonium White Butterfly grows mostly around the stems and leaves. Small pots usually complement the plant well because of this. However, it is good to repot the plant into a larger container if you detect decreased growth or an increase in watering frequency. Repotting entails uprooting the plant, covering the drainage holes in the new pot with a coffee filter, and adding a layer of potting soil. Plant it in the new container, loosen the roots, and give it enough water. Take the plant to its appropriate location, allowing the soil to drain.
Pruning Instructions
Most plants grown in containers may be freely clipped to keep the proper size and form. Maintaining clipped foliage also keeps plants appearing orderly, promotes the growth of additional side shoots and blooms, and reduces the need for the plant to establish a deep root system. Given that the roots are in a small area, this is significant.
You should also sprinkle or hose off the leaves every week or so during the growing season, and a bit less frequently during the winter, to maintain beautiful foliage. The plant will benefit from fertilization roughly once a month during the spring and summer. Apply a mild fertilizer to avoid root burn.
How To Propagate the Syngonium ‘White Butterfly’?
You can create fresh offsets for the plant with just a few simple tools, so you don’t need to be an experienced gardener to do it. The warm months of spring and summer are the best times to propagate. These are the months of growth when the temperature will be just right for the plant to build strong roots. In addition, compared to the frigid winter months and the cooler fall months, when the plant will go into dormancy, the growth rate will be faster in these months.
Propagation Through Stem Cuttings
Prepare a suitable potting mixture, preferably one that contains organic materials. Cut a section of a White Butterfly Syngonium stem with an aerial node from a healthy stem.
Put the section in a vessel filled with fresh water. For roots, submerge this cutting in water or place it immediately in soil. To produce some humidity around the stem if you live in a dry area, you can choose to keep it covered with a case or plastic sheet with ventilation holes. This will greatly speed up the procedure as a whole.
The clipped section will start to form its first baby roots in a few weeks. Move the segment into the originally prepared potting mix after the roots reach a length of a few inches approximately. To create a solid foundation, add additional soil and water. Put the pot with the section in a spot with plenty of sunshine.
More roots will start to sprout in one to two weeks, and new leaves won’t start to grow for nearly four weeks. You may take care of the plant as a mature White Butterfly Syngonium plant after it is able to stand up straight on its own.
Propagation Through Division
Choose a grown, healthy plant, then carefully pull it out of the pot with the dirt. The plant will completely fall out of the container with a little tap on the base. To make the portions visible, loosen the extra dirt around the roots. Snip a piece of the plant, leaving the stem, leaves, and part of the roots intact, using a pair of sterile garden shears.
Repot the parent plant. The clipped part should be planted in new potting soil and treated normally. It’s possible that the mother plant and the newly potted portion are withering, but this is typical and is caused by the stress of the transplantation process.
Both plants will be ready to go in a few days.
White Butterfly Syngonium Pests or Diseases
This plant has a high level of disease resistance. This is among the benefits of this vine’s perennial growth. It is still prone to bacterial leaf spots and root rot, though. Aphids, mealybugs, scale, and spider mites are the four most frequent pests that affect this exquisite vine. Rub the foliage with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball to get rid of them. On get rid of these pests, apply an insecticidal soap to the foliage. Use this procedure once or twice every week.