Monstera Swiss Cheese Plant

You can make a big impact with this green goddess. It is extra special because the leaves have fenestrations or perforations from a young age. They developed the perforations to cope with high winds in the wilds of their habitat.

You can enjoy this plant a number of ways – in a pot, as a climber, in a hanging basket, or even a kokedama. In the wild they use their aerial roots to climb tree trunks. In a basket, simply let them hang loose and turn regularly for even growth. In a pot you can keep it compact and prune as required, or use a stake to keep it upright, allowing it to climb the walls/window frame, post etc. or just let it sprawl.

Monstera is commonly known as The Swiss Cheese Plant, Fruit Salad Plant, Hurricane Plant, Window Plant, Mexican Bread Fruit, Split Leaf Philodendron.

SIZE (HxW): 40-400cm x 50-300cm

I SEE THE LIGHT: They grow best in a bright, indirect light – if you need a light to read by during the day in their position, it is too dark. If it is too dark the stalks of the leaves will be elongated and droop, and the perforations won’t be as prominent because the leaves won’t grow as big. In too much light the leaves will scorch.

I NEED A DRINK: Average, you can go away for a week without having to worry. In winter, you can pretty well just leave it to its own devices for a week or two. In fact, you are more likely to kill them with kindness – water only when the mix begins to dry out. They don’t mind a bit of humidity, if live in a cold climate, your heating in winter might dry the plant out (leaf tips will turn brown or just drop off. You can provide some humidity for your beloved plant, by placing them over a plate with rocks and water, this will form a bit of humidity around the plant. Or if you want to get very fancy and grow a few of these tropical treats, a humidifier is a good investment – they are also good for you. Another option is to grow them in a terrarium. You can also spritz the leaves every so often.

I WILL SURVIVE: In pots choose a good quality potting mix to ensure they have the drainage they need. They like a decent sized pot as they have a deep root system. Choose an option with drainage holes, or be promise to be careful with watering - they don’t like to sit in boggy soils. A diluted liquid fertiliser in spring and summer will keep them happy and healthy. You will only need to repot if they are root bound, every few years.

Don’t go too much bigger with pot size, they appreciate a gradual increase – this also allows you to collect more pots and refresh the soil every so often. Wipe the leaves with a soft cloth to keep them free of dust.

You can grow the stems up a moss/bark pole, if you are doing this it is ideal to do it at the time of potting so you don’t disturb the roots.