Arrowhead Vine
Arrow-shaped leaves in green, pink, cream or white, on a plant that starts bushy and turns into a vine. Fast, forgiving and happy in medium light; toxic to pets like the rest of its family.
The arrowhead vine is sold as a neat little bush and then, a year later, reveals itself as a climber. Left alone it sends out vines; pinched back it stays compact. The pink and variegated types like Pink Splash and White Butterfly are among the most colourful easy plants there are.
It is a pothos-level plant in difficulty, with more leaf shapes to choose from.
Light
Medium indirect light, and it tolerates low. A north window or a few feet from a brighter one. The pink and white types need more light to hold their colour. Direct sun scorches it.
Water
Water when the top inch or two is dry, every six days or so in summer and every eleven in winter. It wilts visibly when thirsty and recovers within hours. It rots if kept wet.
Soil and potting
A standard well-draining mix with perlite. Repot every eighteen months. Pinch the growing tips to keep it bushy, or give it a pole and let it climb; climbing leaves get larger and more lobed.
Feeding
A half-strength balanced feed monthly in spring and summer.
Propagation
Node cuttings root in water within a week or two. Very easy.
In a hot, dry home
Comfortable here. It likes forty percent humidity but copes with less, and it tolerates AC. Keep it out of hot glass and it is one of the easier colourful plants for a dry home.
Arrowhead Vine varieties
Same care, different look. These are the named forms you will see for sale.
- White Butterfly
The standard form: green leaves with a pale cream-white centre.
- Cream Allusion
Soft cream leaves with green edges and pink veins. Compact.
- Confetti
Pale green leaves freckled with pink.
- Milk Confetti
Milky grey-green leaves with pink flecks. Slower and pricier than Confetti.
- Ice Frost
Silvery frosted leaves with green veins.
- Strawberry
Pink-flushed leaves that deepen in bright light.
- Pink Splash
Green leaves splashed with pink patches.
- Red Arrow
Deep red-bronze leaves on a compact plant.
- Merry
Small, dark green leaves with a pink flush. Compact and easy.
- Gold
Golden-yellow new leaves ageing to lime.
- Moonshine
Pale silver-green leaves, almost white in bright light.
- Albo Variegatum
White-variegated form. Rare and slower.
- Three Kings
Cream, green and white variegation on large leaves. Collector form.
Problems and fixes
Leggy vines, small leaves
Likely cause: Low light
Fix: Brighter light; pinch back and re-root the cuttings.
Colour fading to green
Likely cause: Not enough light for a coloured variety
Fix: Move to brighter indirect light.
Yellow leaves, wet soil
Likely cause: Overwatering
Fix: Let the top two inches dry.
Arrowhead Vine questions
Is the arrowhead vine toxic to cats and dogs?
Yes. Like pothos and philodendron it contains calcium oxalate crystals.
Why is my arrowhead plant getting long and leggy?
It is a vine by nature. Pinch the tips to keep it bushy, or give it a pole to climb.
Can arrowhead vine grow in low light?
Yes, the green types do well in a north window. Pink and white types need more light to keep their colour.
Plants with a similar rhythm
Heartleaf Philodendron
- Light
- Low to bright indirect
- Water
- Weekly
- Pets
- Toxic
