Monstera 'Peru'

Monstera 'Peru' is the trade name near-universally used for what is most likely Monstera karstenianum, a compact climbing species prized for its thick, deeply quilted, almost armoured-looking leaves in a dense, closely-spaced growth habit unlike the more open climbing style of Monstera deliciosa. The rugged, corrugated leaf texture and small, tidy size have made it one of the more sought-after 'thick-leaf' Monstera species in cultivation, despite ongoing debate among botanists and collectors over its precise taxonomic identity and whether 'Peru' genuinely reflects its country of origin.

Native range

Central America and northern South America (exact wild provenance debated; widely traded under the informal name 'Peru').

Classification

Genus

Monstera

Family

Araceae

Type

Wild

Growth habit

Climbing hemiepiphyte, compact and dense

Morphology

Leaf shape

OvateEgg-shaped leaves, with the wider end near the base., entire (non-fenestrated)

Leaf length

8-15 cm

Leaf width

6-12 cm

Petiole colour

Green

Venation

Deeply quilted, corrugated surface between veins

Texture

Thick, rigid, almost armoured

Variegation

None

Growth habit

Climbing with short internodes, dense habit