Syngonium podophyllum

Common Name: arrowhead vine

Family: Araceae

Common Synonyms: Syngonium nepthytis

USDA Hardiness Zone: 10b-11

Growth Habit: Vine

Origin: Tropical Americas

FISC Category: 1

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: No

Introduction Date: 1939

IFAS Assessment:

  • North: INVASIVE
  • Central: INVASIVE
  • South: INVASIVE
Syngonium podophyllum
Michelle Smith
Syngonium podophyllum
Michelle Smith

Description

Rapidly growing vine with variegated arrow shaped leaves on climbing and trailing stems. This species develops large, compound tropical leaves with 3-12 leaflets when able to climb. When not able to climb, the species develops dense mats of 15 cm high plants. Leaves are alternate, simple, lobed, and evergreen. Flowers white in the summertime.

Habitat

Disturbed hammocks, central and southern peninsula

Comments

Escaped from cultivation.

Map of species distribution

Control Methods

  • Manual: Manual: Hand pull vegetation and remove from site or destroy (place in plastic bags until decomposed) (IFAS)
  • Chemical: 3% Triclopyr ester 61.6% L. Basal stem: 10% Triclopyr ester 61.6% L. Multiple treatments are required. (IFAS)
  • Biological: NA

Control Notes

Breaks readily when pulled, roots from nodes, difficult to control, sap is a skin, mouth, and eye irritant, only spreads vegetatively, many populations are the result of discarded landscape material.

References

IFAS. 2011. Integrated Management of Nonnative Plants in Natural Areas of Florida. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/WG/WG20900.pdf Accessed June 13 2017.

Gilman, Edward F. IFAS. 1999. Fact sheet. Syngonium podophyllum. http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/shrub_fact_sheets/synpoda.pdf Accessed june 13, 2017.

Wunderlin, Richard P., and Bruce F. Hansen. Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida. 3rd ed. Gainesville, FL: U of Florida, 2011.

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