Monstera Deliciosa Care - AKA Swiss Cheese Plant

Learn about monstera deliciosa, a wonderful tropical houseplant that is easy to grow, and makes a beautiful statement in your home.

This tropical rainforest beauty can be found in many interior design magazines and home decor photos. It's no wonder with these gorgeous enormous green leaves that fill up a room and add texture and color.

A while back my daughter and I found this guy at a local nursery.  There were actually several Monstera plants in this one pot.

We were able to split the container into four plants. She took one for herself and another for her friend Al. I kept one and gave the other to my sister-in-law.

If you don't have enough of a plant to take divisions, you can also propagate through leaf cuttings as shown in this article.

It's been about 9 months and after repotting my division is doing great. It even has a couple of new leaves.

However, when I saw this on our recent trip to Maui, I realized just how magnificent it can be in a tropical environment. Monstera deliciosa is actually native to Mexico and Central America but grows well in zones 10-11, making Hawaii a perfect fit.

Monstera deliciosa Care

Space
Even in a home environment, this guy can get quite large so make sure you have enough space for it. You can pinch it back to curb the growth but you may not want to.

Lighting Conditions  
Bright Indirect Light
I have mine in the living room near a southeastern window. Not too close. Direct sunlight may burn the leaves. Monsteras will grow in low light conditions but more slowly and will have fewer holes or fenestrations in the leaves.

Water
I water it well, once a week during the warmer months and every other week during winter. Just make sure that your pot has a drainage hole or your plant make get root rot from excess water sitting in the bottom of the pot. Like many houseplants overwatering and slow draining potting soil can be the death of a plant. If you find the leaves are turning yellow chances are they are getting too much water.

Humidity
Since they are native to the rainforest Monstera does enjoy humidity. You can place a humidifier in the room or add a whole house humidifier to increase the moisture. However, I have found that it's not a deal-breaker.

Fertilizer
You can fertilizer the Monstera about once every other month with a light all-purpose plant food.

Other Tips
This guy can grow over 60 ft in its preferred environment and can get rangy, so staking is a must. You can make your own Monstera Moss Pole to stake the plant when it gets too big.

Monstera deliciosa grows long aerial roots that like to attach themselves to tree trunks in the rain forest.

 

Caution: All parts of the Monstera deliciosa are poisonous, except for the fruit and that's only when it's ripe, so keep it away from small children and pets. 

Many times you may see this plant classified as a split-leaf philodendron. However, if you check out this video you will see that the Swiss Cheese plant is a better common name, as the key to differentiating the two is that Monstera leaves have distinct holes.

If you enjoy houseplants then this easy to grow beauty may be a perfect choice to add to your home decor.