Monstera is a popular foliage plant easily recognized by its large glossy leaves that are dissected with deep splits and perforated with oblong holes. In nature, Monstera is an evergreen liana that climbs high into the rain forest canopy, attaching itself to trunks and branches and supporting itself above the ground with long tentacle-like aerial roots. The aerial roots grow downward out of the thick stem and take root where they touch the ground. The vines are only sparingly branched and a single vine can reach more than 70 ft (21.3 m) in length. The leaves of a young Monstera are heart shaped and without holes. They often overlap and cling closely to a tree trunk, and plants in that stage are called shingle leaves. Older plants develop the characteristic split and perforated adult leaves that stand away from the supporting tree trunk. The inflorescence is an 8-12 in (20.3-30.5 cm) creamy white Jack-in-the-pulpit-like structure with a bract (spathe) surrounding a spadix (Jack). The spadix is the fleshy upright spike with tiny flowers on it and the spathe is the boat-shaped bract that surrounds the spadix. The spadix takes a little over a year to mature. It ripens into an aromatic fruit that looks a little like a green corn cob after the spathe falls off. Flowers and fruits are rarely produced in plants grown in the house,
Another interesting characteristic of this plant is that the seedlings, upon germination, will grow in the direction of the darkest area (not just merely away from light) until they encounter the base of a tree to grow on. They will then begin to climb toward the light, which is generally up into the canopy of the tree upon which it is growing.
(Watson, L. and Dallwitz, M. J. 1992. The Families of Flowering Plants.)
All parts of Monstera deliciosa are poisonous except the ripe fruits. However, the unripe fruit if eaten causes irritation to the mouth and throat because the plant contains oxalic acid.
(Watson, L. and Dallwitz, M. J. 1992. The Families of Flowering Plants.)
Monstera deliciosa is native to Mexico and Central America.
(Watson, L. and Dallwitz, M. J. 1992. The Families of Flowering Plants.)
It is said that the ripe fruit of Monstera taste like a combination of banana, pineapple, and mango. The fruit takes a little longer than a year to mature to an edible stage. It can be induced to ripen by picking when the base has started to wrinkle and wrapping in a bag for a few days. When unwrapped, the green "scales" should have separated to reveal the white, edible inside portion. Plants cultivated for fruit are usually grown on the ground in half shade. Widely eaten in the tropics, the fruit is also used to flavor drinks and ice cream or can be eaten as a fresh fruit once ripened.
(Watson, L. and Dallwitz, M. J. 1992. The Families of Flowering Plants.)
We currently have 4 herbarium specimens for Monstera deliciosa in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.
