terrestrialeasyFreshwater

Syngonium Albo

Syngonium podophyllum 'Albo-Variegatum'

Also known as Syngonium podophyllum 'Albo-Variegatum', Albo Arrowhead, Arrowhead Vine Albo, Syngonium Albo Variegata

Plantae›Tracheophyta›Liliopsida›Alismatales›Araceae

The white-variegated 'Albo' cultivar of the arrowhead plant — arrow-shaped leaves marbled and blocked with pure white. Grown emersed like the plain species, with roots in the tank water exporting nitrate and the foliage held in the air. The white sectors have no chlorophyll, so it grows slower, needs bright (never direct) light to hold its variegation, and can revert to green or brown at the edges if light or humidity runs low.

Kept differently from Arrowhead Plant

Give it brighter indirect light than the green species and keep it out of direct sun, which scorches the white tissue. Growth is slower; cut back any all-green stems to the last variegated leaf, and expect less nitrate export than the green form.

Terrestrial / emersed plant

Grown with its roots in the tank water and its leaves in the air: a living nitrate filter, not a submerged aquarium plant. Give it bright indirect light; no aquarium CO₂ or substrate needed.

Toxic if eaten

Leaves and sap contain calcium oxalate — toxic if eaten; keep foliage away from plant-grazing fish, while the submerged roots are safe.

Where it's from

Native to Belize, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central and 20 more

Recorded as introduced in Bahamas, Bangladesh, Borneo, Brazil South and 16 more places

The range of its wild species, Syngonium podophyllum.

At a glance

Light: Bright indirect, never direct sun
Growth: Moderate to slow
Placement: Emersed — roots in water, leaves in air
Temp: 64–82°F; 18–28°C
pH: 6.0–7.5
GH: 36–357 ppm; 2–20 dGH

Tanks growing this

Growing in 1 tank

1 tank shared publicly.

Oasis

@SirenScapes

Compatible livestock

See all 3

Betta

Roots seated in a hang-on-back filter export nitrate from a betta's waste.

excellent

Guppy

Adaptable community fish that do well in the stable water this plant supports.

good

Celestial Pearl Danio

Nano fish that appreciate the extra cover and clean water.

good

Member photos

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Photos are added when members log a tank with this species and upload a photo in their tank journal. Add your own tank to contribute.

by @SirenScapes

Common diseases 2Root / crown rot, Yellowing leaves

Root / crown rot

Symptoms

Mushy, blackened, or foul-smelling roots or lower stem; drooping, yellowing foliage — almost always from submerging the leaves or crown.

Treatment

Keep only the roots underwater and the foliage in the air. Trim away rotted tissue with clean scissors, improve surface circulation/oxygen, and let the plant re-establish.

Yellowing leaves

Symptoms

Pale or yellowing foliage, slow or leggy growth.

Treatment

Give brighter indirect light and dose a little liquid plant fertilizer. In a lightly stocked tank the water may lack nutrients for vigorous emersed growth.

Varieties

Arrowhead Plantspecies· 2 tanks Syngonium Milk Confetti· 1 tank Syngonium Neon Robusta

Legality

No state or federal restrictions on record.

Not legal advice, and possibly incomplete or out of date. Rules vary by state and change over time; check with your state wildlife or agriculture agency before buying, keeping or shipping it.

The care information here is written with AI help, so it can contain mistakes. Spot one? Tell us and we'll fix it. Native range: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) (CC BY 4.0).