Caring for Monstera deliciosa

Monstera deliciosa looking especially cute in this basket, which you can find at either of our locations in Raleigh or Durham.

Often referred to as the swiss cheese plant or the split-leaf philodendron (although they're no longer classified as philodendron), this plant is aptly named for the large splits that form in the leaves. Sometimes new leaves will unfurl with splits, but typically leaves will form splits as they mature.

Light

There is much to love about this gorgeous plant, from its unique heart-shaped leaves to its impressive ability to bring the jungle into your living room. Fortunately for us plant lovers, Monstera deliciosa is an incredibly easy houseplant to care for. It thrives in medium to bright filtered light. While direct morning sun is fine, you will want to avoid direct afternoon sun.

Guttation caused by overwatering

Water

Drench this plant and allow the excess water to run out of the bottom of the pot (assuming you have a pot with drainage holes). Allow the top ~25% of the soil to dry out before watering again. This plant likes to stay consistently damp but never soggy. If you notice small water droplets at the tips of the leaves (this is called guttation), you have over-watered your plant.  Simply allow the soil to dry out as usual and cut back on watering a bit.

If you notice brown, crispy leaf margins then you have under-watered your plant. Simply increase either the frequency or amount of watering; you might also want to begin misting your plant to increase humidity. These are tropical plants, so they love humidity!

#goals

Soil

You should use a rich soil that contains a good amount of peat moss; the soil needs to drain quickly to prevent root rot. 

Unlike nearly every other houseplant, this one prefers to be in a relatively large pot. Larger pots promote larger leaves and allow sufficient room for growth. I don't know about you, but I kind of want mine to take over.

Food + Fertilizer

Feed this beauty every two weeks while it is actively growing (spring and summer) with a basic houseplant food at half the recommended strength.

Temperature

As a tropical plant, Monstera deliciosa likes to be warm and does not do well in temperatures below 50F (C). Average household temperatures are suitable. Unlike nearly every other houseplant, this one prefers to be in a relatively large pot. Larger pots promote larger leaves and allow sufficient room for growth. I don't know about you, but I kind of want mine to take over.

Did you know?

The split leaf monstera will flower under ideal conditions, although this rarely happens when kept as a houseplant. However, if your plant babe does flower, the fruit is EDIBLE. The rest of the plant is poisonous, but the fruit of Monstera deliciosa is, in fact, edible. And it is delicious, as its namesake might imply. 

The flower and subsequent fruit of Monstera deliciosa