Can Arrowhead Plants Grow Outside? (Outdoor Care+Bringing Them In)

Many plant owners like to move their houseplants to the balcony, terrace, or backyard as they make those areas look vibrant. But before moving a plant outside, you must first find out if that plant can survive outside.

If you have an arrowhead plant, you might be wondering whether arrowhead plants can grow outside.

Arrowhead plants can generally grow outside in USDA zone 10 and 11. Although they are popular as houseplants, they can still thrive outside as long as it is warm with temperatures above 50°F and there is no direct sunlight. If the temperature falls below 35-40°F, you must bring it inside.

Before you plan to grow or take your arrowhead plant outside, you must understand how the external factors affect the growth and wellbeing of the plant.

This article will explain all these factors and let you know how these affect your arrowhead plant when you take it outside.

Can arrowhead plants go outside?

Arrowhead plants are adapted as houseplants because their requirement is suitable for the controlled environment indoors.

But if you want to take your Syngonium outside, you must examine the external factors and find out if those are favorable for your arrowhead plant.

If you have an indoor arrowhead plant that you want to take outside, do it gradually, as a sudden change of environment can shock the plant.

Making the change gradual will allow the plant enough time to adjust.

You can take your arrowhead plant outside if you reside in the USDA zones 10-11, where the temperatures remain favorable for the growth of the Syngonium.

But, if you live in any other zone, you can’t take your arrowhead plant outside.

The survival of your arrowhead plant outside will depend on the light, temperature, and humidity.

Let’s understand how these factors affect a plant living outside.

How do you take care of an arrowhead plant outside?

The factors you consider while growing your arrowhead plant indoors are the same ones you need to consider while taking care of it outside.

The factors that you need to consider are:

• Light
• Temperature
• Humidity
• Soil
• Placement
• Watering

Let me explain all these to make it easier for you to understand.

Light

Light is an essential factor, and without the proper lighting condition, the plant will face different challenges.

An arrowhead plant thrives in bright indirect sunlight.

But when you take it outside, the light doesn’t remain under your control.

Therefore, you must find a spot where the plant doesn’t get exposed to the intense direct sunlight and doesn’t get shaded from bright indirect light.

The ideal lighting condition for an arrowhead plant is dappled sunlight that it gets under big trees.

So, you can place it under a big tree in your garden or find a partially shaded spot that doesn’t get direct sunlight.

Can arrowhead plants handle full sun?

No, arrowhead plants will not react well to full sun as they are used to dappled sunlight in their native region and require the same in your house or garden.

If you expose the plant to direct sunlight, the leaves will get scorched, and your Syngonium will dehydrate.

Therefore, you must avoid exposing your arrowhead plant to the full sun when you take it outside.

Also read: Arrowhead Plant Light Needs: What Type, How Much & More

Temperature

Arrowhead plants remain in a controlled environment with regulated temperatures when it grows as a houseplant.

But when you take it outside, you can’t control the temperature that the plant experiences.

Therefore, you can understand how important it is to check the temperature outside and make sure it is suitable for your arrowhead plant before you take it outside.

What temperature can arrowhead plants tolerate?

Arrowhead plants can tolerate temperatures between 60-85°F during the day and above 60°F at night.

It is a tropical plant, and low temperatures below 50°F become stressful for these plants.

Can arrowhead plants survive winter outside?

Arrowhead plants will not survive outside when the temperatures go below their preference.

Since arrowhead plants are tropical plants that don’t prefer the low temperatures, light, and humidity in winter, they will require protection from such adverse conditions.

If the temperatures go lower than 50°F during winter, the arrowhead will freeze and undergo major damage.

Humidity

Arrowhead plants prefer high humidity levels, and when the humidity levels drop, it affects their growth.

As long as the humidity levels remain favorable for your Syngonium, you can leave it outside.

But the humidity levels drop drastically in winter, and the air becomes too dry for the liking of your arrowhead plant.

So, in such conditions, you must not leave your Syngonium outside and bring it inside and place it near a humidifier or in a room that has higher humidity levels, such as the bathroom or kitchen.

You must not expose your arrowhead plants to humidity levels below 40-50%.

Also read: Do Arrowhead Plants Like Humidity? (+Misting?)

Soil

Arrowhead plants require fertile and well-drained soil, and if you are already using that for your potted arrowhead plant, you don’t need to make any changes when you move it outside.

Avoid using a regular potting mix as that will retain excess water and make the roots wet, which can cause root rot and other diseases.

You can create an ideal potting mix for your arrowhead plant by mixing:

• 3 parts potting soil
• 2 parts coco coir
• 1 part perlite or pumice

Also read: What Kind Of Soil For Arrowhead Plant? (+Best Soil Mix)

Placement

You can see your arrowhead plant thrive outside as long as you select the correct spot for it, depending on all the external factors.

• You should find a place that doesn’t get direct intense sunlight but bright indirect light.
• The spot must not have a lot of drafts, as cold and hot drafts can stress your Syngonium.
• Don’t place your arrowhead plant in a dark spot that doesn’t get any light or very low light.

Where should I place my arrowhead plant outside?

Avoid placing your arrowhead plant in the southern part of your house or garden, as that side tends to receive the most intense sunlight.

The southern side also receives cold drafts, which can shock the plant.

You can place your arrowhead plant in any other direction, provided it doesn’t get harsh conditions.

You can place the arrowhead plant under a big tree in your garden, where it will get dappled sunlight and get support to grow its vines along the tree.

Or, you can place it beside a wall that can also support its vines.

Watering

Watering plants is the trickiest part of its care routine.

However, once you master it, you will be able to continue it effortlessly.

But the water requirement of the arrowhead plant depends on the light, temperature, humidity, season, and location.

A plant living indoors will have different requirements than one living outdoors.

You can’t follow the same watering routine for the outdoor Syngonium.

You must still water after checking the soil, but you need to check it more frequently as the soil becomes dry faster due to the higher evaporation rate outside.

How often should I water my arrowhead plant outside?

First of all, stop following the same watering routine you did for your arrowhead plant when living inside the house.

The water requirement will not remain constant as the external conditions vary significantly outside.

You should not follow any watering schedule blindly without checking the soil, leading to overwatering, pest infestations, root rot, and many other problems.

The one thing you should tweak is you should increase the frequency of checking the soil and water the plant whenever the soil feels dry.

Also read: How To Water Arrowhead Plant? (How Often+Summer & Winter)

How to move an indoor arrowhead plant outside?

Moving an indoor plant outside should not be done in haste and should be done gradually to avoid stressing or damaging it.

I have jotted down the steps of moving an indoor Syngonium outside to adjust to the changes and thrive outside.

1. You must start by taking your arrowhead plant outside and leaving it there only for 3-4 hours. Place it in a shaded spot that doesn’t get direct sunlight. Bring it inside before evening.
2. Continue this for a few days and then increase the duration gradually after every few days. This will help the Syngonium adjust to the new environment.
3. Continue this for 1-2 weeks.
4. Now expose your arrowhead plant to the morning sunlight for 1-2 hours and move it to a shaded area for the rest of the day.
5. Continue this for 1 week.
6. After that, let your arrowhead plant stay outside all day and night.

This way, you’ll give the plant enough time to adjust to the outside conditions without getting shocked.

But after you’ve moved your Syngonium outside, follow these to make sure the plant does well.

1. After you’ve completed moving the arrowhead plant outside, check its reaction. If you notice any damage, you might need to bring it back inside.
2. Don’t expose your Syngonium to direct sunlight even when it is outside.
3. Water your Syngonium more frequently but not without checking the soil and ensuring that the plant needs it.
4. Fertilize your arrowhead plant with a well-balanced 10:10:10 or 20:20:20 fertilizer. The frequency of fertilizing might increase for a plant living outside.
5. The plant is more prone to pest infestations outside, so spray a neem oil solution once a month to keep pests away.
6. On a bad weather day, check the arrowhead plant and see how it reacts to understand if it has truly adjusted to the new environment.

When to bring the arrowhead plant inside?

The arrowhead plant will thrive outside as long as the conditions remain warm and humid.

But when the temperatures drop below its tolerance during winter, the plant starts getting stressed and incurs damage.

You must bring your arrowhead plant inside before that happens.

So, when you notice a drop in the temperature and humidity levels in the fall, bring your Sungonium inside.

You can move it outside once the external conditions start becoming warm.

Final words

Arrowhead plants can grow outside as long as it gets suitable living and growing conditions. Although that is not attainable in many zones, you can consider moving the plant outside in USDA zones 10-11.

You must gradually move the Syngonium to adjust to the outdoor conditions and bring it inside whenever the temperatures and humidity drops during winter.

Avoid following the same care routine you followed for the indoor arrowhead plant. Make sure you understand the changes in the plant’s requirements when you move it outside and care for it accordingly.

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Reference: CABI, Britannica, United States Department of Agriculture, Wikipedia, Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Missouri Botanical Garden.