Monstera is a species of evergreen tropical shrubs and vines native to Central America. Monstera deliciosa is known for its natural leaf holes. It is also called the Fruit Salad or the Cheese plants. The leaf holes of Monstera are called fenestration. They are said to maximise the capture of sun flecks on the forest floor by increasing the spread of the leaf and decreasing the mass of the leaf cells to support it. Let us see the care and maintenance instructions for the Fruit Salad plant and how to keep them in their best possible shape.
Monstera deliciosa and Monstera adansonii are two different species of Monstera that are cultivated as houseplants. The after has longer tapering leaves and completely enclosed leaf holes. The leaf holes of Monstera deliciosa eventually grow towards the edge and open up as they mature. The Fruit Salad Plant is one of the few aroids that produce edible fruit. However, they rarely flower or produce edible fruit indoors.
- Sunlight: Monstera deliciosa thrives in bright to medium indirect light. It is not suited for intense and direct sun but can be adjusted to withstand it.
- Water: The plant requires water every 1-2 weeks to allow the soil to dry out between waterings. In brighter lights, you need to water it more often, and in lower lights, less frequently. Monstera deliciosa can benefit from filtered water or water left out overnight before use.
- Humidity: Although Monstera prefers humid conditions, normal room humidity can also work. To boost the humidity level indoors, you may incorporate a humidifier or a fine mist mister.
- Temperature: Monstera deliciosa, like most other houseplants, prefers a temperature range of 65F-85F. However, you need to ensure that the temperature does not fall below 60 F.
- Soil: This plant requires a well-draining potting mix. To increase the soil aeration, you can mix ingredients like lava rocks or perlite.
- Feeding: You can feed the plant regularly during spring and summer. Since it has epiphytic roots, a liquid fertiliser will be absorbed best. Monstera deliciosa is not too picky and can take any kind of all-purpose plant food or food for indoor plants.
What are the Common Problems with Monstera Deliciosa?
Monstera is generally a pest-free and easygoing plant. However, if pests appear, you need to treat them immediately with weekly sprays of a natural pesticide like neem oil. Regular wipe-downs of the plant are also required. If you notice the leaves turning brown and crispy at the edges, it means the plant is thirsty, underwater, or has high salt buildup. If it is wilting, it could be pot-bound or underwater. If the plant has yellow leaves or black stems, it means it is overwatered.
What Precautions to Take?
Remember that Monsteras can be irritating to dogs, cats and humans if the foliage is consumed. Hence, it is recommended that you keep it out of reach of small children and pets.
Growing monstera in Australia
Monstera deliciosa is one of the few popular indoor plants that can also be grown outdoors across a good part of Australia, which changes how you think about it.
| Location | Outdoors | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brisbane, Gold and Sunshine Coasts | Yes | Thrives in shaded gardens and courtyards |
| Darwin and tropical Queensland | Yes | Grows very large; fruits reliably |
| Northern NSW | Yes | Frost-free positions only |
| Sydney | Sheltered spots | Cold snaps mark the foliage |
| Perth | Shade, with water | Low humidity is the constraint |
| Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra | No | Indoors or a sheltered pot only |
The fruit is edible - but only when fully ripe
This is where the common name comes from, and it needs a genuine warning. Unripe monstera fruit contains high levels of calcium oxalate crystals and will cause severe burning and irritation of the mouth and throat.
The fruit ripens progressively from the base upward over several weeks. The green hexagonal scales lift and fall away section by section as each part ripens, revealing the edible flesh beneath. Only eat the parts where the scales have detached on their own. If you have to pull them off, it is not ready.
In practice, monstera only fruits reliably in subtropical and tropical Australian gardens - a plant indoors in Melbourne will almost never produce fruit.
Why the leaves have no holes
The characteristic splits and holes develop only on mature growth in good light. A young plant, or one in a dim corner, produces plain heart-shaped leaves and people assume something is wrong.
Give it brighter indirect light and a support to climb. Monstera is a climber, and providing a moss pole or letting it grow up a tree or post triggers noticeably larger, more deeply fissured leaves. A plant left to sprawl across the floor stays juvenile.
Toxicity
All parts except the ripe fruit contain calcium oxalate and irritate the mouth if chewed - worth knowing in a household with cats, dogs or small children. It is a common indoor plant in Australia and a common cause of minor pet incidents.
Care
- Bright indirect light. Direct Australian sun through glass scorches the leaves.
- Let the top few centimetres dry between waterings, and reduce noticeably in winter. Overwatering is the main killer.
- Aerial roots are normal. Direct them into the pot or a moss pole rather than cutting them off.
- Feed in spring and midsummer with a balanced fertiliser.
- Wipe the leaves occasionally - dust reduces light capture, and it matters more than people expect.
- Repot every two or three years, in spring rather than midsummer.
Outdoors, give it room
In a Brisbane or Cairns garden a monstera will climb a tree to five or six metres and spread widely, with leaves up to a metre across. It is a large plant, not a tidy one, and it suits a shaded corner where it can be allowed to do that rather than a small courtyard bed.
Takeaway
Monstera deliciosa is a great choice for your indoor plant collection as it requires very little care. To ensure that it stays in good health, make sure you give it plenty of indirect sunlight and water it only once every week or two.
Update: we have published a complete Monstera care guide covering varieties, planting, feeding, pruning and problem solving for Australian gardens.
