The Ultimate Pink Syngonium Care Guide

Pink, pink, pink... and easy care! And did I mention pink? The Pink Syngonium is just a beauty. I love those heart-shaped leaves (that shape is what gives the Syngonium their 'arrowhead' name). They grow so fast, and are super easy to propagate. She may be pretty as a princess but those delicate pink leaves are fooling you - they are actually super low maintenance once you get the hang of what they love. Find out more below...

Light, temperature & humidity preferences for Pink Syngonium

The whole Syngonium family are surprisingly tolerant of low light, but I recommend medium to bright indirect light for the pink varieties. Avoid direct light though, or you may burn those gorgeous leaves. Keep in mind also that brighter light helps leaves become more pink, but only to a point. Too bright and leaves can fade to green (or too dark and they can revert to green too). 

Syngonium are not huge fans of draughts, or being in the path of your air con or heat pump. Other than that, these girls are pretty tolerant of a wide range of indoor temperatures. Ideally 15 to 26 degrees, but if you get the rest of her conditions right, she'll tolerate cooler and warmer. I'd aim to stay above 10 degrees though.

These babes do love humidity on the higher side. Ideally above 50% humidity, but 60% to 70% will be really appreciated. Not an issue in a typical kiwi summer but keep an eye on humidity over winter, especially if you run a heat pump or HRV / DVS in winter, which dries out the air. Misting and pebble trays don't make a difference, so to get humidity up I use a cordless H2O humidifier for mine. 

What's the best soil for Syngonium? 

Syngonium are part of the Araceae family, related to the Philodendron. Their  soil preferences are similar too, and Syngonium are also superb candidates for growing in Leca. I find my Syngonium family in general (Albo, Mojito and more), love being kept on lightly moist, and can be very thirsty when in a bright light position, so it's best to pick soil that allows for that. 

I keep mine in Bioleaf potting mix, which is a custom blend of orchid bark, pumice, worm castings, fern fibre and more. If yours are as thirsty as mine, you might like to add a little vermiculite in there too for added water retention. You want a balance between free draining and water retention. I wouldn't go full orchid mix or succulent mix or they'll likely dry out too fast, and you'll be watering all the time. Syngonium are great candidates for hydro and semi-hydro too. Have a read of the beginners guide to growing in Leca if you're interested in giving it a go.

What water requirements do Pink Syngonium have?

Not too dry, not too wet, evenly, lightly moist is just right. Better too dry than too wet though if you have to choose, but she won't like being left dry for too long. I am guilty of a 'wet and forget' approach to watering myself, so I tend to underwater, which these girls handle well. I water again when the soil is dry down to about half way to 3/4 of the way down.

If you leave it too long they will droop and wilt, and leaves can curl and go crispy. If caught in time they recover fine. A definite candidate for a pot with drainage hole. Don't risk a soggy bum! I water mine about once a fortnight in winter and up to twice a week in summer, but of course watering frequency depends on your conditions. 

Which fertiliser is best for Syngonium?

Although they can be fast growers, I prefer to fertilise 'weekly weakly' which just means fertilising lightly, every time you water. I don't find Synognium to be heavy feeders, but that doesn't mean they should be 'starved'. If you do grow in Leca, fertilising is a must as Leca doesn't provide any nutrients like organic mediums do. 

My current go-to is GT Foliage Focus or Plant Runner Indoor Plant Food. I feed 5mls GT per 1 litre water, or 1ml per 1 litre of Plant Runner. Plant Runner combines both fertiliser and seaweed, but you can also give yours a monthly boost with seaweed (I use the BioPower organic seaweed at half-strength about monthly of when I remember).

Pink Syngonium Pro Tips & Problem Solving

Fading pink leaves / more green leaves

Look at your light conditions to solve this one. In my experience those pretty pink leaves will fade if there's too much light. Too little light and I also find my girls revert to more green leaves. Try a new spot for a while and see what the new growth does. I find around the medium end of bright is ideal. It is normal to get a mix of some purely pink, some green, and some in-betweener leaves.

Keep in mind also that there are variations of pink. My original girls are overall pinker, but paler pink, compared to the newer ones with a deeper pink colour. You'll mainly find the Syngonium Neon in NZ, and there's also the Syngonium Robusta and Syngonium Red Heart. I've also seen the Syngonium Mickey in NZ (which is a paler pink with cute, smaller, much longer, pointier leaves).  

Vining or climbing?

Not sure if I'd call this a problem as such, but make your Syngonium happy and she'll likely start vining if not given something to climb. One of mine in particular just loves life and is determined to vine with really short spacing between nodes (brighter light also helps them grow more bushy). I chop and prop a lot when a vine gets too heavy and starts to droop (I'll often cut off a vine below a node and put it directly back into the soil). 

Leggy stems

Without enough light these girls can get a bit leggy trying to reach for more light. Try a brighter spot to get more compact growth with shorter stems and more leaves. If you have to, trim off those leggy bits and propagate. New growth should come through nice and bushy in the right spot. 

Pet safe?

Sadly no, like her Philodendron cousins, all Syngnonium are not pet safe. Same as the Phil fam, Syngonium have calcium oxalate crystals which can irritate the lips, mouth, throat and tummy if ingested. No nibbling or eating those leaves! Keep them up safely out of reach of curious pets and kids (they irritate us too if eaten). Not likely to be serious, but any irritation could cause swelling, and swelling and breathing don't really go together. Best kept safely up high.

Is the Pink Syngonium for you?

If you can keep a Philodendron happy you should feel confident moving up to a Syngonium. Although they can be slightly fussier with light and water, don't let those delicate looking leaves put you off. They are easier than they look.