Houseplant · Araceae
Swiss Cheese Plant
Monstera deliciosa
Hand it bright indirect light and something to climb, and the Swiss cheese plant gives back big, hole-punched leaves.
Bright indirect
Every 7–14 days
61–84°F · 16–29°C
USDA 10–12
Overview
You have probably seen a Swiss cheese plant even if you did not know its name. It is from the rainforests of Central America, where it climbs up tree trunks, and it brings that same jungle vibe into a room. The big leaves eventually tear open into the holes and ribbons everyone knows it for. It is part of the arum family, right alongside philodendrons and peace lilies, and it is just as easygoing as they are.
Wondering why a new leaf came out plain and solid? That is totally normal. A young monstera makes simple heart shapes, and the famous fenestrations only show up once it grows up and gets enough light. Those holes probably help the leaves shrug off heavy rain and let a bit of light slip down to the leaves below, which is pretty handy for something living under a shady forest canopy.
It grows fast and stays easy, so it is a great pick if you are new to all this. Put it in bright indirect light, hand it a moss pole to climb, and it can reach 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 m) tall indoors. Just keep one thing in mind: every part except the ripe fruit is an irritant, so keep it out of reach of pets and little kids.
Care
The short version: bright indirect light, a moss pole to climb, and water only once the top of the soil dries out. Keep it warm, give it some humidity, and feed it through spring and summer.
Light
Give it bright, indirect light near a window, just not the harsh midday sun, which will scorch the leaves. It puts up with medium light and a bit of shade, but a really dim corner? That is what leaves you with small, solid leaves and no splits.
Water
Wait until the top inch or so of soil feels dry before watering again, which usually works out to every 7 to 14 days. Back off through fall and winter as it slows down. Soggy soil is the quickest way to rot the roots, so when in doubt, stay on the dry side.
Soil
Pot it up in a rich, well-drained mix with peat and plenty of structure so water runs right through. A pH somewhere between 5.5 and 7.0 suits it fine, and that airy texture keeps the roots from sitting in water.
Temperature
Keep it between 61°F and 84°F (16°C to 29°C), which is just normal room warmth. It is not a fan of cold drafts and it will not handle frost, so shift it away from chilly windows once winter hits.
Humidity
Do not forget this is a rainforest plant that likes high humidity, and dry indoor air tends to leave the leaf edges brown and crisp. Group it with other plants, set it near a humidifier, or stand it on a pebble tray to bump up the moisture around it.
Feeding
Feed it monthly through spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer while it is actively growing. Then stop in fall and winter while it rests, because feeding a resting plant just leaves salt building up in the soil.
Pruning
Prune in spring if you want to shape it or bring it back down to size. The aerial roots can go onto a moss pole, tuck into the soil, or get trimmed off cleanly, so it really comes down to the look you are after.
Repotting
Repot it every 1 to 2 years in spring, bumping up just one pot size when the roots start circling or poking out the drainage holes. Slowed growth and water that drains straight through are the other clues it has outgrown its pot.
Size & spacing
Indoors it climbs to 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 m) tall and spreads 3 to 8 feet (90 to 250 cm) wide, so give it some real room. A sturdy moss pole keeps all that growth upright and stops the heavy stems from snapping.
Troubleshooting
Nearly every monstera hiccup comes back to watering or light, and the leaves tip you off early if you are paying attention. Find what matches below, work out the likely cause, and sort it before it spreads.
Wilting plant with dark, mushy roots
A monstera that wilts even though its soil is wet is dealing with root rot, usually from overwatering or a mix that holds too much water. Slide it out of the pot, snip off any soft, blackened roots, and repot it into fresh, free-draining soil. Water less from there on and it has a real shot at recovering.
Fix:
- Unpot and trim rotten roots
- Repot in fresh draining mix
- Reduce watering
Lower leaves turning yellow
When a few of the older, lower leaves yellow together and the soil feels soggy, it is nearly always overwatering or a pot that drains too slowly. Let the top of the soil dry out before you water again, and double-check the pot actually drains. A plant left sitting in wet soil is heading toward root rot, so catch it early.
Fix:
- Reduce watering frequency
- Let top soil dry
- Ensure pot drains freely
Fine webbing and speckled leaves
Faint webbing and a dusty, stippled look on the leaves usually means spider mites, which love it when the air turns hot and dry. Rinse the foliage off, raise the humidity so the plant is a lousy host, and reach for insecticidal soap if they stick around. Peeking under the leaves often catches them nice and early.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage
- Raise humidity
- Apply insecticidal soap
Tiny brown blobs plus a sticky coating on stems
Little brown bumps stuck to the stems, often with a sticky film underneath, are scale insects feeding on the sap. Scrape or wipe them off, then coat the plant with horticultural oil to smother any you missed. Most sneak in on a new plant, so give any newcomer a good look before it joins the rest.
Fix:
- Wipe off scale
- Apply horticultural oil
Stems leaning over instead of standing tall
Out in the wild a monstera climbs, so indoors it flops and sprawls when it has nothing to grab onto. Stand a moss pole or trellis in the pot and guide the aerial roots onto it. Doing this early keeps the stems upright and saves them from snapping under their own weight.
Fix:
- Add moss pole or trellis
- Train aerial roots onto support
Little white tufts or a sticky layer on the leaves
White cottony tufts or a sticky residue usually mean mealybugs, aphids, or thrips have moved in. Wipe the leaves clean and follow up with insecticidal soap, doing it again until they are gone. Keeping any new plant apart for a couple of weeks and looking it over heads off most of these, since that is how they usually start.
Fix:
- Wipe leaves
- Apply insecticidal soap
Whole, unsplit leaves even as the plant grows
Two things cause this, and the first is just plain youth. A young monstera makes solid, heart-shaped leaves and only starts splitting once it grows up, so give it a little time. The other reason? Too little light, so move it somewhere bright but out of direct sun and give it a pole to climb, which nudges the splits along faster.
Fix:
- Move to bright indirect light
- Allow plant to mature
- Add climbing support
Brown, crispy edges along the leaves
Dry indoor air is usually behind it, and low humidity leaves the margins brittle and brown. Leftover salt from fertilizer can do the same thing. Bump up the humidity around the plant, and every now and then flush the pot through with plenty of plain water to wash those salts out.
Fix:
- Raise humidity
- Flush soil to leach salts
Toxicity
This one belongs up out of reach, and here is why. Every part except the fully ripe fruit is packed with insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that burn the mouth and throat the second they are chewed. A bite can hurt pets, livestock, and kids, and even the sap can sting skin and eyes, so wash your hands once you are done handling it.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Moderate
A cat that bites a leaf gets a fast, painful burning in the mouth, then drools, paws at its face, and might throw up. The tongue and lips can swell up enough to make swallowing tough.
Dogs Moderate
Right after a chew, expect drooling, pawing at the mouth, and retching, since the crystals sting the moment they touch. Swelling of the lips and tongue can come next.
Horses Moderate
The same crystals bother a horse's mouth and gut, bringing on lots of drool and discomfort. The good news is most horses spit the bitter leaves out before they eat much.
Rabbits Moderate
The sharp oxalate crystals make this a poor, risky nibble for a rabbit, with mouth pain and a refusal to eat afterward. Keep it well out of reach.
Livestock Moderate
Grazing animals that mouth the foliage get the burning irritation and the drooling that tag along. The harsh taste usually stops them after just one bite.
Birds Caution
A pet bird that chews the leaves can get the same mouth irritation, so treat the plant as off-limits. Keep cages and perches away from it.
People Caution
Every part except the fully ripe fruit burns the mouth and throat if chewed, and unripe fruit does the same. Only the ripe fruit is safe to eat, so keep leaves and green fruit away from kids.
Sap may irritate skin and eyes; wash hands after handling
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Past the plain green plant, there are a few prized variegated forms that pop up in collections. Want to know which ones? These are the names worth having.
'Thai Constellation'
Grown from tissue culture so its creamy white streaks stay put, it flecks deep green leaves with constellation-like markings and comes along a touch slower than the plain species.
'Albo-Variegata'
Its bold white and cream patches come from an unstable chimera, so the markings shift from leaf to leaf and the foliage runs a little smaller than the species.
'Variegata'
Basically a catch-all for variegated forms, it carries patterned foliage on leaves that stay somewhat smaller than those of the species.
var. borsigiana
A smaller, more compact form that botanists now treat as just another name for Monstera deliciosa rather than its own separate plant.
How to propagate
Here is the fun part: this plant is easy to multiply, and one healthy plant can turn into several for nothing. Two methods cover just about everything.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer · 4-8 weeks to root
Cuttings are the easy way to make new plants, and spring through summer is when to take them. Cut a section with at least one node, ideally just below an aerial root, then stand it in water or push it into a moist mix. Give it 4 to 8 weeks and fresh roots take hold.
Air layeringModerate
Growing season · 6-8 weeks
Air-layering takes a bit more patience, but it works great during the growing season. Wrap a fistful of moist sphagnum moss around a node that has an aerial root and keep it damp until roots push into the moss, which takes about 6 to 8 weeks. Once they have formed, cut the rooted section free and pot it up.
Myths
The monstera is a kind of philodendron.
That old trade name split-leaf philodendron hangs around, but it is not right. Monstera deliciosa belongs to the genus Monstera, not Philodendron, even though both sit in the arum family Araceae and honestly look pretty similar at a glance.
Misting the leaves makes them split.
Spraying the leaves with water does nothing for those famous holes, so you can skip it. The splits, called fenestrations, come with age and good light as the plant matures, not from misting, no matter how much you do.
Aerial roots should always be cut off.
Those thick roots reaching out from the stem are perfectly normal, and the plant uses them to climb. Train them onto a moss pole or tuck them into the soil, or trim them back if you would rather, since taking them off does no harm.
Monstera fruit is poisonous.
The fear is half true, and that is what makes it so confusing. Only the unripe fruit irritates the mouth, thanks to calcium oxalate crystals, while the fully ripe fruit is safe and tastes like banana and pineapple.
The more holes a leaf has, the better the plant is doing.
Holes are about age and light, not good feeding. A well-fed plant in dim light can stay solid-leaved, so judge its health by how it is growing and its color rather than counting the splits.
Caring for a variegated monstera is no different from a green one.
The white parts of a variegated leaf have no chlorophyll, so the plant has less to work with. Give it brighter light and expect slower growth, because it just cannot power itself the way an all-green plant can.
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- Wisconsin Horticulture, UW-Madison Extension
- University of Florida IFAS Extension
- Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment (CGAPS / Invasive Species Committees)
- Royal Horticultural Society
- Royal Horticultural Society