Goosefoot Plant

Goosefoot Plant 'Green Pixie' (Syngonium podophyllum 'Green Pixie') is the compact form of a plant most people know as a climber. It settles at roughly 300mm tall and 300mm across and stays bushy rather than reaching for the nearest support, so it holds its shape on a desk or a shelf for years. Glossy arrow shaped leaves, indirect light, warmth, and very little else asked of you.

Why you'll love it

• It stays small on purpose. About 300mm each way, so it suits the spots larger indoor plants outgrow in a season.
• No trellis and no training. A dwarf selection bred to mound, so there are no runners to cut back.
• Humidity works in its favour. Bathrooms, kitchens and sticky summers suit it, which is the opposite of most compact indoor foliage.
• Low maintenance in the real sense. Moderate water, indirect light, a light feed in the growing season. Heat does not set it back.

Where it works best

Indoors, anywhere in the country. Inside, your climate stops mattering, which makes this an honest choice for cool southern homes. Bright indirect light near an east facing window is ideal.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A 200mm to 250mm pot holds it for two or three years. Outdoors it wants shade, shelter and no frost, so a covered balcony beats an open one.

Small gardens in warm climates. In tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens it fills in under taller planting. Set plants about 300mm apart, roughly their mature width.

Growing Goosefoot Plant in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light indoors, dappled shade outside. Direct midday sun scorches the leaves. It is frost tender, so outdoor planting is limited to tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. In cool temperate and inland districts, treat it as an indoor plant only.

Soil. Indoor potting mix opened up with perlite or coarse bark, in a pot that drains freely. Roots left standing in water are the usual way this plant is lost.

Water and feed. Water once the top 30mm of mix is dry, drain it through and empty the saucer: roughly weekly in summer, every second or third week in winter. Half strength liquid feed monthly through spring and summer.

Pruning and pets. Pinch out any stem that stretches and the plant thickens from the base again. Like all arum family plants the sap contains calcium oxalate and irritates the mouth if chewed, so keep it away from cats, dogs and small children.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown and sold as tube stock: a young plant, usually a small cluster of leaves 100mm to 150mm high, meant to be potted straight on into a 150mm or 200mm container. Expect it to fill that pot within a warm season.

Tube stock travels well, because the root ball is compact and the plant is light. Give it a fortnight somewhere bright and indirect before you look for new leaves. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Browse the wider indoor plant range
• Potting on a tube plant properly
• Find a container in the indoor pot range

Common questions

Will it climb like other syngoniums?

No. 'Green Pixie' is a dwarf, self branching selection that mounds instead of vining. If a stem does stretch, pinch it out and the plant returns to a compact habit within weeks.

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. The sap holds calcium oxalate crystals, which cause drooling, mouth irritation and vomiting if a pet chews the leaves. Rarely serious, but not the plant for a home with a determined chewer.

How much light does it actually need?

Bright indirect light gives the largest leaves and the clearest veining. It survives dimmer rooms, but growth slows and new leaves come through smaller. Avoid direct sun through glass.