Botanical name: Monstera deliciosa
Named by: Frederik Michael Liebmann (1849)
Family: Araceae
Genus: Monstera
Native area: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Southeast and Southwest Mexico, Mexico Gulf, Nicaragua, Panamá
Trade names: Monstera, Monstera deliciosa
Common names: Swiss cheese plant, Cheese plant, Mexican breadfruit, Fruit salad plant, Split-leaf Philodendron
Photo by Houseplants.xyz / Negabiljaka.com
Care difficulty: easy
Light preference: bright light
Minimum temperature: 10°C (50°F)
Optimal temperature: 18-27°C (65-80°F)
Humidity: medium to high
Watering: water when soil is dry
Fertilizing: 20-20-20 biweekly during growth period
Soil: equal mix of coconut peat, orchid bark and perlite; lecca
pH: 5.5-6
Repotting: every 1-2 years
Speed of growth: moderate
Mature size: up to 8 meters (26 feet) x 2.5 meters (8 feet)
Flower: white, similar to those of Spathiphyllum, rarely flowers indoors
Propagation: stem cutting with a node, offshoots
Pests: mealybugs, spidermites, scale, thrips
Diseases: phytophthora root rot
Toxicity: toxic (insoluble calcium oxalates)
Notes:
- guttation (xylem sap droplets on leafs) is a sign that there's too much moisture around the roots
- can be easily propagated from stem cuttings in water, sphagnum moss, lecca or soil
- aerial roots can be trimmed
- wipe the leaves with a damp cloth and don't use any leaf shine
