Monstera deliciosa

Monstera deliciosa is a robust hemiepiphytic climber from the humid forests of southern Mexico to Panama and one of the most widely grown houseplants. In its juvenile stage the leaves are entire and cordate, clinging to trunks and growing upward; as the plant matures and climbs into brighter canopy positions, the foliage changes into large, leathery, deeply split blades with the inner fenestrations the species is known for. Stout, geniculate petioles project the mature leaves outward from the support. The base species remains a worthwhile addition to a collection in its own right. It is large, architecturally distinct, and more forgiving than many of its relatives, which makes it as suited to beginners as to established collections.

Native range

Southern Mexico to Panama

Classification

Genus

Monstera

Family

Araceae

Type

Wild

Growth habit

Robust climbing hemiepiphyte

Morphology

Leaf shape

Juvenile: entire cordateHeart-shaped foliage, featuring a rounded notch (sinus) where the leaf stem attaches.; Mature: deeply pinnately split with inner fenestrations

Leaf length

30-90 cm (mature)

Leaf width

25-70 cm (mature)

Petiole colour

Stout, green, geniculate

Venation

Bold midrib with pinnateVeins or lobes arranged like a feather, branching out symmetrically on both sides of a single main central vein. lateral veins between sinuses and fenestrations

Texture

Leathery, glossy, coriaceous at maturity

Variegation

None

Growth habit

Strong climber with thick stems, conspicuous nodes, and robust aerial roots