Plants & Flowers

Family: Araceae

Synonyms: Nephthytis podophyllum

Distribution & Habitat: is a perennial vine native from Mexico to Panama.

Common Names:
Arrowhead plant, Arrowhead vine, Arrowhead Philodendron, Goosefoot, Trileaf Wonder, African evergreen

Description:
Syngonium podophyllum usually produces medium green, rounded leaves 15 cm long and 10 cm wide with three deep-cut lobes when the plant is young. Mature plants produce leaves up to 30 cm long and wide divided into five or seven segments. There are a number of interesting varieties of Syngonium podophyllum as Syngonium podophyllum neon with extremely bright solid pink – richly saturated colour on each arrowhead leaf.

Syngonium podophyllum

Proper Care:

Light: Give Syngoniums bright filtered light throughout the year. Never subject them to direct sunlight.

Temperature: Normal room temperatures are ideal. Syngoniums cannot tolerate temperatures below 13 0c.

When never indoor temperatures are above 18°C, increase the humidity for actively growing plants by standing pots on trays of moist pebbles.

Watering: Water actively growing plants moderately, allowing the top centimetre or so of the mixture to dry out before watering again. Syngoniums normally have a short winter rest period, during which they should be given only enough water to keep the mixture from drying out completely.

Feeding: Apply standard liquid fertilizer about once every two weeks to actively growing plants.

Potting and repotting: Use an equal parts combination of soil-based potting mixture  and coarse leaf mould or peat moss. Repot each Syngonium every spring, moving the plants into pots one size larger when roots have filled the current pots. These plants do not require large containers. A 13 or 15 cm pot or a 15-20 cm hanging basket should be the maximum required. After such a size has been reached, top-dress plants every spring with fresh mixture.

Propagation: Propagate in late spring or early summer from tip cuttings 8-10 cm long. Take each cutting just below a node, strip off the bottom leaf, and dip the cut end in hormone rooting powder. Plant two or three prepared cuttings together in an 8-10 cm pot of a moistened equal-parts mixture of peat moss and coarse sand or perlite. Enclose the whole in a plastic bag or propagating case, and stand it in bright filtered light. After rooting has occurred (normally, in four to six weeks), uncover the pot and begin to give the rooted cuttings just enough water to make the rooting mixture barely moist.

After another month begin to apply monthly doses of standard liquid fertilizer. Four or five months after the start of propagation transfer the young plants, in groups, into the potting mixture recommended for mature specimens and treat them as adult Syngoniums. When transferring the plants keep them together. For hanging baskets it is effective to plant two or three groups in each basket.

Usage
Syngonium can be used as a specimen in small containers up to 22 cm in diameter and the very small plants in cell packs or small individual containers are frequently used in combination planters, such as dish gardens. One of the most popular usage of the plant is in hanging baskets from 14cm to 32 cm diameter. Commercial interiors capers use Syngonium in a variety of other cascading applications and occasionally as ground covers. Although few producers grow it as a totem, it is an excellent candidate for this application.

WARNING
All parts of the Syngonium podophyllum plant are poisonous if eaten.

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Syngonium podophyllum indoor plants

Family: Aspleniaceae

Synonyms: Thamnopteris nidus

Distribution & Habitat: native to tropical southeastern Asia, northern Queensland in Australia, Hawaii, Polynesia, Christmas Island, India, and eastern Africa.

Common Names:
Bird’s Nest Fern, Crow’s Nest Fern

Description: Asplenium nidus gets its common name, bird’s nest fern, from the fact that its shiny, undivided fronds are arranged in an upward-spreading, bowl shaped rosette. These apple green, slightly undulate fronds may grow up to 1.5 m long, but are more often about 45- cm long by 5-8 cm wide. Each one has a dark brown central rib that narrows and fades to merge with the colour of the rest of the frond for the last third of its length. For the first few weeks, new fronds, which unroll from a central spongy, fibrous, dark brown core, are delicate and easily damaged. They should not have the dust wiped off them at this early stage. Harder, more mature fronds, on the other hand, will benefit from occasional wiping with a damp cloth. Brown spore cases are arranged in herringbone fashion on the backs of some of the mature fronds of the plant. Asplenium nidus does not produce offsets.

Bird's Nest Fern

Proper Care:

Light: These Aspleniums should be exposed neither to bright sunlight nor dense shade. Give them medium light all year long.

Temperature: All these species do well in normal room temperatures although they can actually withstand quite low temperatures.

Watering: During the active growth period water plentifully as often as necessary to make the potting mixture thoroughly moist. Water the potting mix, not the center of the rosette, otherwise it can easily rot.

During the rest period water sparingly, enough to keep the potting mixture from drying out. It will not hurt these ferns to dry out for a while, but it is best to keep them evenly moist.

Feeding: Apply liquid fertilizer to well established plants once a month during the active growth period.

Potting and repotting: For a suitable potting mixture use a FERNS potting mixture. Aspleniums have fine, dense, black roots, which form very solid root balls. Repotting is needed only when the root ball becomes so dense and crowded that the pot is full of roots and obviously the plant is not absorbing enough moisture when watered. When this occurs, move plants into pots one size larger in the spring.

The roots of these plants will often adhere firmly to the sides of a pot, and in some cases it may be necessary to carefully break the pot so as to be able to remove the plant.

Propagation: Propagation of Asplenium nidus is possible only by spores and is impractical for most amateur growers.

Propagation of Asplenium nidus is not easy because each spore case on this frond contains millions of spores which are almost impossible to see, let alone handle.

Usage
Asplenium nidus will make a wonderful centerpiece in any garden decoration, whether planted in a pot, container, hanging basket or even on ground. Excellent as an accent in any landscape or rock garden. Being an epiphyte growing on large trees in the rainforest, parks or along roadways, it can be cultivated on trees growing in one’s garden to enhance the garden view.

Problems: Leaves will scorch if plant is in a draft or dry air. If scale insects invade plant, spray with soapy water followed by clean water.

Summary:

Asplenium nidus
These plants require some special conditions and are unlikely to thrive without them.

CHARACTERISTICS:
Foliage – green
Shape – rossette

PROPER CARE:
Watering in rest period – sparingly
Watering in active growth period – plentifully
Light – medium
Temperature in rest period – min 16C  max 24C
Temperature in active growth period – min 18C max 24C
Humidity – high

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Asplenium nidus ferns, foliage plants, hanging plants, indoor plants, outdoor plants