Magnificent Monstera deliciosa: Everything You Need to Know
By Tyson Curtis
Monstera deliciosa goes by many names. Some call it the “Split Leaf Philodendron” or “Swiss Cheese Plant,” both of which are great examples of the pitfalls of common names. For starters, this plant is not a philodendron, though it’s distantly related. On top of that, there’s another Monstera that’s also called the “Swiss Cheese Plant”: Monstera adansonii. So for clarity, we’ll just call the plant by its Latin name here: Monstera deliciosa.
The genus Monstera (monster) refers to these plants' ability to engulf full-grown trees at maturity. The specific epithet deliciosa refers to their edible fruit, which are oblong, around ten inches long, and covered in a hexagonal honeycomb pattern. Look at these fruits and it’s plain to see M. deliciosa’s arum family heritage, and its relation to other plants like Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum), Flamingo Flower (Anthurium), and Calla Lily (Zantedeschia). Only rarely does M. deliciosa set fruit in the San Francisco Bay Area, but keep your eyes open, as it's been known to happen!
This garden, above and below, designed by Christopher Reynolds of Reynolds-Sebastiani Design
If you’re lucky enough to get a fruit, it will take up to a year to ripen and smell unpleasant until it’s ready. Don’t get impatient and try it before its yellow (like I did), as the unripe fruit is packed with trichosclereids, giving it an obnoxious fibreglass texture. When ripe, however, it is reminiscent of bready pineapple. In fact, in the plant’s native habitat, from Mexico through Central America, the fruit is known as “Bread Fruit.” Of course this common name also refers to several other similar plants, so...
We all love this plant for the masterfully sculpted leaves. When young, the leaves are simple and heart-shaped, without the characteristic splits and holes. Each leaf emerges larger than the last, and with more character, until they are three feet across, with deeply lobed margins and dozens of inner holes. These adaptations are a nod to the hurricanes that M. deliciosa endures in habitat, and the plant’s effort to reduce friction in storm winds.
Another fascinating feature of M. deliciosa is the aerial root system, which gently attaches to just about anything it touches, given that moisture is high. With this strong support mechanism, Monstera are able to bind on structures and slowly move ever higher, absorbing water and nutrients through their aerial roots as they go. This epiphytic nature makes M. deliciosa an excellent candidate for mounting on a plank or driftwood. They can also be trained up a fence, wall, or tree. Just be sure they have good moisture where the aerial roots are to help them attach to their structure. To create a banyan tree look, direct these roots back into the pot or ground. If the chaotic nature of these roots is too much for you, they can be removed without harming the plant.
Monstera deliciosa thrives indoors, and can also be grown outdoors in a tropical or subtropical climate, including coastal California. They appreciate very bright light and even a touch of direct sun. If placed in full sun outdoors they will survive, but quickly yellow. Indoors in a direct sun window you risk yellowing, but also burning. Monstera watering is considered average; the plants want to have the soil surface dry out between watering. They are fairly drought-tolerant once established, but won’t actively grow without ample water.
Plants for outdoor use are field-grown, while indoor plants are grown in greenhouse conditions; our sales team can help you find the right plant for your needs in our San Francisco nursery.
Regular all-purpose feedings through the spring and summer will give you many healthy leaves and each will be a little further up the plant, which you can treat like a slow-moving vine. As previously noted, these plants can envelope entire trees over time, up to 60 feet! Fortunately Monstera respond well to pruning, starting over wherever they are cut back, and these cuttings are easily rooted in soil, or even in a glass of water changed weekly.
We grow this plant ourselves at Grubb & Nadler Nurseries down in Southern California. That’s the cute little production crop above! We often have several sizes in stock at FGG. Come see us and take yours home!
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