Goosefoot Plant

Goosefoot Plant 'White Butterfly' (Syngonium podophyllum 'White Butterfly') is the indoor plant to buy when you want fast, pale foliage with very little fuss. Arrow shaped leaves are washed cream and soft green, and the plant climbs to around 1m on a moss pole or trails to about 60cm from a shelf or hanging pot. The sap contains calcium oxalate, so keep it away from pets and small children who chew.

Why you'll love it

• It grows fast. New leaves unfurl through the warm months at a pace that makes a small plant look established within a single season.
• Pale foliage that holds up. The cream and green variegation stays bright in the moderate light most homes have.
• Two plants in one. Give it a moss pole and it climbs to about 1m with larger leaves, or let it trail and it stays a soft mound of about 60cm.
• Low maintenance. Water, a pinch of the growing tips and an occasional feed is the whole routine.

Where it works best

Indoors. The use it suits best, and indoors your climate stops mattering. Bookshelves, bathrooms, desks and bedrooms all work, provided the light is bright and indirect.

Balconies and courtyards. A sheltered, shaded balcony in a tropical, subtropical or warm temperate garden suits it in the warmer months, out of direct sun and wind.

Pots and containers. It looks right in a hanging pot, a raised planter where it can spill, or a pot with a moss pole for height.

Growing Goosefoot Plant in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light gives the best variegation and the fastest growth. Direct sun through glass scorches the leaves, while deep shade slows growth and shrinks them. It is frost tender, so outdoors it belongs only in frost free tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens.

Soil. A quality free draining indoor potting mix in a pot with a working drainage hole. It is humidity tolerant and appreciates a bathroom or a grouping of plants.

Water and feed. Water when the top 2cm to 3cm of mix feels dry, then let it drain fully and empty the saucer. Ease back over winter when growth slows. A half strength liquid fertiliser monthly through spring and summer keeps the new leaves large.

Pruning. Pinch the growing tips regularly to keep it bushy rather than stringy, and cut long runners back to a leaf node. Those cuttings root readily in water within a few weeks.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as tube stock, currently supplied to order, and in 200mm pots sold in packs of six. Tube stock is a young rooted plant that fills a 150mm pot within a season, given how quickly it grows. The 200mm plants are ready to display straight away.

A little leaf curl or a dropped lower leaf after transit is normal. Leave the plant somewhere bright and indirect for a week before repotting. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Indoor plant tips for beginners
• Browse the wider indoor plant range
• Other plants with variegated foliage

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. The sap contains calcium oxalate, which irritates the mouth and stomach if chewed and can cause drooling and vomiting. Keep it up high, or choose a pet safe plant instead.

Why are the new leaves greener than the old ones?

Not enough light. Move it closer to a bright window, out of direct sun, and the cream variegation returns on the growth that follows.

Should I use a moss pole?

Only if you want height. On a pole it climbs to about 1m and the leaves get noticeably larger. Left to trail it stays softer and smaller leaved.