The American evergreen is a tropical perennial shrub or vine in the Araceae family climbing to 6 feet. It is desired in interior settings for its low-maintenance, green or variegated, long-petioled leaves and bush-like habit with some cascading stems. Its blooms are rare in interiors. The ideal location will include a warm setting with high humidity. Avoid locations with full sun, as direct sunlight will tend to burn or bleach the foliage. Typically a perennial, it can be grown as an annual for your containers or other bright but shady locations. Young plants will have a shrubby habit, but as the plant ages, it will take on a vine-like habit. If you wish to retain the arrowhead foliage, cut off the stems as they begin to develop. That will allow the plant to keep a more shrub-like habit. Repotting every few years and trimming the root system can keep the plant manageable. Its flowers are green to greenish white form on a spike and are encompassed by a green-white sheathing bract called a spathe. Groups of flowers form in the leaf axils. As the plant matures, its leaves change shape. Its juvenile form has ovate, heart- or arrowhead-shaped leaves up to 5.5 inches long. They may have a silvery and/or pink variegation. The adult form has longer, narrower leaves. If allowed to climb a tree as it does in nature, the leaves will eventually become pedate (having feet) and contain 5 to 11 leaflets. There are also lobed leaves representing a transition from juvenile to adult stage. This plant is typically sold in its juvenile form. Its uses include use in a hanging basket, as a ground cover, climber, or as a small shrub. Quick ID Juvenile leaf arrowhead-shaped, adult leaf lobed Leaves have long petioles, are sub peltate Bush-like habit with some climbing or trailing stems Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Watch for aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites. Bacterial leaf spots and soft rot can occur.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
The juvenile leaves are alternate, simple, sagittate (arrow-shaped), acute to acuminate, and entire. They are dark green above, paler green beneath; intermediate leaves 3-lobed, median segments constricted at base, basal segment triangular. Adult leaves are pedatisect (divided), segments 3-11, confluent to free, median segment obovate to elliptic, acuminate, lowermost segment auriculate, dark green above and paler beneath. Petioles are long, green to reddish-green, subpeltate, and sheathing at the base.
Flower color
Green; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Spadix
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Inflorescence is a spathe cluster, axillary, spadix shorter than the spathe. The spathes overlap to form a boat-shaped tube, green to yellow and white, sometimes marked with red or purple.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Black; Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
Fruit is an egg-shaped cluster of round berries.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
The stems are succulent, green, climbing, with adventitious roots.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
South America to Mexico
Distribution
Native: Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuelan Antilles. Distribution: Bahamas, Bangladesh, Borneo, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Malaya, Puerto Rico, and the United States
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Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Aphids Found on Flowers and Foliage; Aphids on Ornamental Landscape Plants; Twospotted Spider Mites on Landscape Plants; Mealybugs; Banded Greenhouse Thrips
Disease problems
Bacterial Leaf Spot on Greenhouse Ornamentals
Problems
Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses; Weedy
Resistant to
Humidity
Propagation
Division; Layering; Stem Cutting
Poison severity
Medium
Poison parts
Flowers; Leaves; Roots; Sap/Juice; Seeds; Stems
Poison symptoms
Oral irritation, pain and swelling of mouth, tongue, and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting (not horses), difficulty swallowing