Native to the rain forests of Central America,
Monstera is a popular foliage plant easily recognized by its large
glossy leaves that are dissected with deep splits and perforated with
oblong holes. Other common names are Ceriman, Swiss cheese plant (or
just cheese plant), splitleaf philodendron, monster fruit, monsterio
delicio, monstereo, Mexican breadfruit, locust and wild honey,
windowleaf, balazo, and Penglai banana. It is said that the ripe fruit of Monstera taste like a combination of banana, pineapple, and mango, hence the name Fruit Salad Plant. To get to its pineapple-like flesh, the scaly exterior must be flaked off and delicately prepared.
The fruit is ripe when the hexagonal plates fall off. That
happens slowly, from the base of the fruit upwards, and the fruit may be eaten
in stages for this reason. Unripe fruits should not be eaten and is said to
cause irritation and rashes.
Makes a great house or container plant.
Hardy zone
10+, however, in zone 8 and 9 you can trim larger leaves back in fall
and cover the remainder of the plant, it comes back just fine every
spring.Fresh seeds are seldom available but found here:
Monstera Deliciosa Seeds
Best sown indoors at 70-80°. Seeds will germinate in 30-60 days. Take care to procure seeds that have been freshly harvested and are shipped wet, being sure to sow seeds immediately upon arrival. It is not recommended to sow these seeds out-of-doors.
Transplant seedlings when
there are at least two sets of true leaves. Monstera is tender below
59°, so it can only be grown outdoors in a few areas of the United
States. Outdoors, site it in partial shade and provide a tree, arch, or
pergola for it to climb. It makes an ideal house plant as it tolerates
dry air and low light. Indoors, provide indirect light, a rich soil kept
evenly moist, and 65° nights. The large leaves show dust in a
conspicuous way, so clean them from time to time to keep them shiny.