Shingle plant (Rhaphidophora hayi) care

Aroids · needs attention to keep

Last updated 26 October 2026

Shingle plant (Rhaphidophora hayi) wants bright indirect light. Water it weekly. Water when the top 5 cm of mix is dry, then water until it runs out of the bottom. Monsteras would rather be a day late than a day early. Pot it in a chunky aroid mix — bark, perlite and coir, something water runs straight through. A balanced liquid feed at half strength, every second or third watering in spring and summer, and repot once a year. Humidity: above 60%. Toxic to cats, dogs and people if chewed — the sap carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which burn the mouth and throat.

The shingle plant: small, round, dark-green leaves pressed flat against a board or bark as it climbs, overlapping like scales. It is grown entirely for that habit and usually sold mounted on a plank; without a flat surface to climb it trails and loses the look.

Quick facts

Water: Water weekly. Water when the top 5 cm of mix is dry, then water until it runs out of the bottom. Monsteras would rather be a day late than a day early.
Light: Bright indirect light.
Humidity: Above 60%.
Soil: A chunky aroid mix — bark, perlite and coir, something water runs straight through.
Feeding: A balanced liquid feed at half strength, every second or third watering in spring and summer.
Repotting: Repot once a year.
Toxic to pets: Toxic to cats, dogs and people if chewed — the sap carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which burn the mouth and throat. Keep it off the floor if anything in the house tastes its way through life. The ASPCA's plant list does not include Rhaphidophora hayi (checked 26 October 2026).
Difficulty: Needs attention.
Mature size: Climbs a board to 1 m or more; leaves 3–6 cm.
Native to: New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

Watering a Shingle plant

Water weekly. Water when the top 5 cm of mix is dry, then water until it runs out of the bottom. Monsteras would rather be a day late than a day early.

That cadence is the one PlantParlour sets for this species when you name it, and it is deliberately on the cautious side — a plant that asks a day early is safer than one that asks a day late. Log each watering and the reminder moves with the plant rather than with the calendar.

Light

Bright indirect light. It is not a monstera and not a philodendron despite both nicknames, but it wants the same thing: bright light out of the sun's direct path, and something to climb.

Humidity and temperature

Above 60%. Central heating in winter is what turns a comfortable room into a dry one, and it is the usual reason an established plant suddenly browns at the edges or picks up spider mites.

Soil and potting

Monsteras are climbers that root into bark in the wild, not into soil. A peat-only compost holds water against the roots and is the usual reason a healthy plant turns yellow. Cut potting soil half-and-half with orchid bark and perlite, or buy a ready-made aroid mix.

Feeding

A balanced liquid feed at half strength, every second or third watering in spring and summer. Stop feeding in autumn and start again when you see new growth in spring — feeding a plant that isn't growing just builds up salts in the pot.

Repotting

Repot once a year. Rarely — it usually lives on its mount. Keep the board or bark it climbs damp, and give it a taller one when it reaches the top.

Common problems

Yellow leaves, usually the oldest ones first
Overwatering, or a mix that holds water. The roots have been wet long enough to start dying back.

Fix: Let it dry out further between waterings, and repot into something chunkier if the mix stays soggy for days.

Yellow leaves: how to read it on any plant
New leaves come out small and with no splits
Not enough light, or nothing to climb.

Fix: Move it closer to the window and give it a moss pole. Fenestration is a maturity signal; the plant withholds it when conditions say stay small.
Brown crispy edges
Dry air, or a build-up of salts from tap water and fertiliser.

Fix: Raise humidity, and flush the pot thoroughly with plain water every few months.

Brown tips and edges: how to read it on any plant
Fine webbing between stems, leaves stippled pale
Spider mites, which arrive in dry warm air.

Fix: Shower the whole plant, then treat every five days for three weeks — one treatment never gets the eggs.

Spider mites: how to read it on any plant

Propagation

Node cuttings root fast in water — a fortnight is normal. It is one of the quickest aroids to propagate.

A cutting taken in PlantParlour keeps its link to the plant it came from, so a propagation years later still traces back to the mother plant — which is the point if you ever sell or trade it.

Toxicity and safety

The ASPCA's plant list does not include Rhaphidophora hayi (checked 26 October 2026).

If your pet has eaten a plant, call your vet, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661. Both are open around the clock and may charge a consultation fee. Take the plant or its label with you.

This is general information, not veterinary advice. We don't test plants: what we say about toxicity follows the ASPCA's published plant list as it stood on 26 October 2026, and that list can change. "Non-toxic" means not poisonous — a pet that eats enough of any plant can still vomit, and fertiliser, pesticide or leaf shine on a plant can harm it. It also only helps if the plant is what you think it is. It covers cats and dogs only; ask your vet about rabbits, birds, reptiles or anything else, and a doctor about children. Read our terms.

Every houseplant in the library the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs

Questions people ask

How often should you water a Shingle plant?

Water weekly as a starting point — that is the cadence PlantParlour sets for Rhaphidophora hayi. Water when the top 5 cm of mix is dry, then water until it runs out of the bottom. Monsteras would rather be a day late than a day early. Light, pot size and the time of year all move that number, so treat it as a reminder to go and check rather than a rule.

How much light does a Shingle plant need?

Bright indirect light. It is not a monstera and not a philodendron despite both nicknames, but it wants the same thing: bright light out of the sun's direct path, and something to climb.

Is Shingle plant toxic to cats and dogs?

Toxic to cats, dogs and people if chewed — the sap carries insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which burn the mouth and throat. Keep it off the floor if anything in the house tastes its way through life. The ASPCA's plant list does not include Rhaphidophora hayi (checked 26 October 2026). If a pet has eaten part of a plant, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 straight away.

How do you propagate a Shingle plant?