Arrowhead plant pests, webbing or sticky leaves: causes and what to do
6 results in the diagnosis tree begin with pests, 5 of them marked likely when the answers fit. They are ordered here for Arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum), using what its sources say about pests and diseases, humidity and watering and 4 problems recorded for it.
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Syngonium podophyllum is a species of aroid that is a popular houseplant. Common names include: arrowhead plant, arrowhead vine, arrowhead philodendron, goosefoot, nephthytis, African evergreen, and American evergreen. Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Native range: Mexico to Trop. America (wet tropical). Also sold as African evergreen, American Evergreen, Arrow-Head Vine, Arrowhead Vine, nephthytis and Trileaf Wonder.
What Arrowhead plant’s sources say that bears on this
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by aphids, twospotted spider mites, mealybugs and banded greenhouse thrips. Diseases: bacterial leaf spot.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In a greenhouse, greenhouse red spider mite and mealybugs can occur. Diseases: usually none.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
- ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Watering
- During growth, water generously and feed every 3 or 4 weeks with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Water less in winter.RHS · read 13 September 2026
How this shows up on an Arrowhead plant
Curled, sticky new leaf blades with green or black insects: aphids
Green, black or pale insects crowd the soft tips and buds of the arrowhead plant. New leaf blades curl, and white cast skins collect below.
NC State Extension lists aphids among the pests it may attract. They favor tender tips and buds, so the damage concentrates where the plant is growing.
Telling it apart: What the white bits are. Aphids leave papery cast skins; mealybugs leave wax with an insect inside.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Fine pale speckling on the leaf blades, then webbing at the tips: spider mites
Speckling spreads over the arrowhead plant until the leaf blades look washed out and bronze, with fine threads at the growing points.
RHS lists spider mites among the pests it may attract. They feed from the underside, so the damage shows on top long before the mites are noticed.
Telling it apart: Webbing. Only mites spin fine silk at the shoot tips.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Silver-flecked leaves and marked or distorted flowers: an insect pest
Patches of the arrowhead plant turn silver-gray, with black specks of excrement, and new growth may be scarred.
NC State Extension lists thrips among the pests it may attract. They rasp the surface cells and drink the contents, which leaves the silvered, empty tissue.
Telling it apart: The black specks. Silvering with black dots is thrips; pale dots without them point at mites.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026White, cottony tufts in the joints of the leaf blades: mealybugs
Clusters of white wax sit where each leaf blade joins the stem and along the undersides of the arrowhead plant. Lifted with a cotton swab, each tuft holds a soft, pale insect, and the leaf blades below are sticky.
RHS lists mealybugs among the pests it may attract. Mealybugs pierce the stem and draw sap, which weakens new growth and leaves a sticky residue.
Telling it apart: Where the white is. Mealybugs gather in joints and under leaves; a powdery coating across the top of a leaf is mildew.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Possible causes, likeliest first for an Arrowhead plant
Most likely spider mites
Ranked higher because Arrowhead plant's recorded problems point this way.
- Fine pale speckling on the leaf blades, then webbing at the tips: spider mites RHS
Why: Spider mites feed on individual leaf cells, and each emptied cell shows as a pale speck.
What to try:
- Move the arrowhead plant away from other plants.
- Wash the leaves, top and underside, with a strong spray of water in a shower or sink.
What would settle it: Hold a sheet of white paper under a leaf and tap the leaf. Tiny specks that move across the paper are mites.
Most likely mealybugs
Ranked higher because Arrowhead plant's recorded problems point this way.
- White, cottony tufts in the joints of the leaf blades: mealybugs RHS
Why: Mealybugs are soft insects that cover themselves in white wax, which gives the cottony look.
What to try:
- Move the arrowhead plant away from other plants.
- Wipe off every insect you can see with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, testing a single leaf first.
What would settle it: Touch a tuft with a cotton swab. If a small, pale, oval insect is underneath, it is a mealybug.
Most likely aphids
Ranked higher because Arrowhead plant's recorded problems point this way.
- Curled, sticky new leaf blades with green or black insects: aphids NC State Extension
Why: Aphids cluster on soft new growth and flower buds, where the sap is easiest to reach.
What to try:
- Rub them off with fingers, or rinse them off in a sink or shower.
- Repeat every few days while new ones appear.
What would settle it: Look for the pale shed skins among the insects. Aphids molt as they grow, and the skins are left behind in the colony.
Less likely for an Arrowhead plant, still possible
Questions
- What usually causes pests on an Arrowhead plant?
- For Arrowhead plant: spider mites, mealybugs and aphids.
- How can I tell which one it is on my Arrowhead plant?
- What can you see? Fine webbing, and tiny pale speckles on the leaves; White, cottony tufts in the leaf joints; Small brown or pale bumps on stems and leaves that do not move; Clusters of small, soft insects on the new growth; Tiny dark flies around the soil; Sticky, shiny residue, but no insect I can see.
- What do Arrowhead plant's sources say about its pests and diseases?
- NC State Extension: Can be troubled by aphids, twospotted spider mites, mealybugs and banded greenhouse thrips. Diseases: bacterial leaf spot. RHS: In a greenhouse, greenhouse red spider mite and mealybugs can occur. Diseases: usually none.
- What does this look like on an Arrowhead plant?
- Green, black or pale insects crowd the soft tips and buds of the arrowhead plant. New leaf blades curl, and white cast skins collect below. Telling it apart: What the white bits are. Aphids leave papery cast skins; mealybugs leave wax with an insect inside.
- Is Arrowhead plant safe to handle while I check it?
- Its sources list it as toxic to cats, dogs and people. Wash your hands after handling the roots or sap, and keep trimmings away from pets.
Other plants that show pests
AlocasiaFine pale speckling on the leaves, then webbing at the tips: spider mites
Dumb caneHard, rounded scale on the undersides of the leaves
Elephant earClusters of small soft insects on the shoot tips and buds: aphids
Heartleaf philodendronPale stippled leaves and tiny moving dots underneath: a mite pest
Lacy tree philodendronFine pale speckling on the leaf blades, then webbing at the tips: spider mites
MonsteraDull, finely mottled leaf blades and faint webs: spider mites
Something else wrong with the Arrowhead plant?
What this does not cover
This page orders a decision tree's results using a plant's sourced care. It has not seen your plant, its pot or its window, and two problems at once are common: that is the usual reason a confident answer turns out wrong. The questions in the diagnosis tool narrow it further than a list can.