American Evergreen (Syngonium podophyllum)

How much light does an American Evergreen need?

Give this plant medium light indoors, the level it grows best under. It also tolerates low light and bright, indirect light. Outdoors, part shade is the preferred light, and it tolerates full shade too. Part shade means direct sun for only part of the day, about 2 to 6 hours, while full shade means shade from the canopy above all day long.

• Light: Medium light; tolerates low light and bright, indirect light¹

How often to water an American Evergreen

This plant's water needs run from dry to medium. Let the surface of the potting mix dry out slightly before you water it again. The soil moisture level recorded for this plant is moist. Keep the mix within that range, watering again once the top layer has dried slightly rather than letting it go fully dry.

• Water: Dry to medium²

Best soil for an American Evergreen

The soil moisture level recorded for this plant is moist. No other moisture level is listed for it, so aim to keep the potting mix at that one level rather than letting it swing to another. That single value is the only soil-moisture detail documented for this species, with nothing recorded about drainage speed or soil type.

• Soil drainage: Moist³

Temperature and humidity

This plant does best with humidity at 50% or higher. Lower humidity than that is not the level recorded for good growth. It is rated hardy outdoors in USDA zones 10a through 12b. Outside those zones, the hardiness rating recorded for it does not extend to colder areas.

• Humidity: High¹

Fertilizing an American Evergreen

Feed this plant once a month during spring and summer, which is its growing season. Use a reduced rate rather than a full-strength dose at each feeding. Hold off on fertilizer outside of that spring-to-summer window. That timing matches the months of March through August. A reduced rate means feeding at less than the full strength given on a fertilizer's label.

• Fertilizer: Monthly in the growing season (Mar–Aug)¹

Common problems

Watch this plant for aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites. These are the pests recorded for it. Bacterial leaf spot and soft rot can occur, along with stem rot and bacterial blight. Those four problems are the diseases recorded for this plant. In total, three pests and four diseases are listed for it.

• Common pests: aphids, mealybugs and spider mites³
• Common diseases: bacterial leaf spot, soft rot, stem rot and bacterial blight³

Questions and answers

Is this plant toxic to cats or dogs?

Yes, it is toxic to both cats and dogs, the same rating recorded for each animal, based on its listing in poison-control records.

Does this plant need bright light to grow indoors?

No, it tolerates low light, though it grows best in medium light and also tolerates bright, indirect light. Even a spot that gets only low light will not stop it from growing, though medium to bright light suits it better. Outdoors, part shade is the light it prefers, and it also tolerates full shade.

How often should you fertilize this plant?

Feed it once a month during spring and summer, its growing season, using a reduced rate rather than full strength. There's no need to feed it the rest of the year, since that monthly schedule covers only the growing season. That growing season runs from March through August.