Grow Monstera adansonii in bright, indirect light, in a chunky mix that drains well, and water when the top one to two inches of soil are dry. Give it a pole if you want bigger, more holed leaves, or let it trail if you do not. Keep it warm, keep it out of strong direct sun, and keep it away from pets that chew.
It is a faster and more forgiving plant than its reputation suggests. Most problems come back to the same two things: water applied by calendar instead of by check, and not enough light.
What is Monstera adansonii?
A climbing aroid in the family Araceae, native to the tropical rainforests of southern Mexico, Central America and tropical South America. In the wild it climbs trees using aerial roots, and NC State notes its leaves can reach up to 18 inches wide there. Indoors they stay much smaller. It is sold as Swiss cheese vine, five hole plant and Adanson's monstera.
Compared with Monstera deliciosa, Penn State Extension describes adansonii as having much smaller leaves with oval holes, and a denser, more vigorous habit. Indoors it typically reaches 3 to 8 feet tall.
How much light does it need?
Bright light without hot direct sun. Penn State's guidance for monstera is bright light but not direct sun, and NC State notes direct sun scorches adansonii leaves. A spot near an east window, or set back from a south or west window, suits it well.
Low light will not kill it quickly, which is why it is easy to under-light. What you get instead is stretch: long gaps between leaves, smaller new leaves, and a leggy plant reaching toward the nearest window. Penn State notes that monstera gets leggy in lower light.
Do the holes depend on light?
Indirectly, yes. Fenestration in monstera is tied to maturity: juvenile leaves are smaller and less cut, and the holes become more pronounced as the plant grows. Research on the genus links the holes to life in the rainforest understory, where much of a plant's light arrives as brief sunflecks. Indoors, the practical point is simple: a plant in poor light grows slowly and produces small, weak leaves, and small leaves carry fewer and smaller holes. If new leaves are coming in with fewer holes than the old ones, look at the light first, then at whether the plant has anything to climb.
How often should I water Monstera adansonii?
Water when the top one to two inches of soil are dry. That is Penn State's threshold for monstera, and it works better than any fixed schedule because the plant's water use changes with light, temperature, pot size and season.
- Push a finger into the soil to the second knuckle.
- If it is dry at that depth, water thoroughly until it drains from the bottom.
- Empty the saucer. UF/IFAS advises not leaving water sitting in it.
- If the soil is still damp, check again in two or three days.
Adansonii tends to be grown in smaller pots than deliciosa, and its leaves are thinner, so it often needs checking more frequently even though it uses less water overall. In winter, growth slows and the RHS advises watering sparingly. That is the season when root rot starts. Our monstera watering guide covers seasonal intervals and the overwatering signs in more detail.
What humidity and temperature does it need?
The RHS gives moderate to high humidity, and Penn State recommends above 50% for monstera. Penn State's temperature range is 60 to 85°F, away from cold drafts. UF/IFAS gives 55°F as the minimum.
Dry indoor air in winter shows up as crisp, brown leaf edges. A humidifier is the reliable fix. Grouping plants and moving the pot away from heating vents also helps. Misting does very little for ambient humidity, and NC State specifically advises against splashing water on the foliage and recommends good air circulation, because wet leaves invite leaf spots.
What soil does it like?
Moist but well drained. The RHS recommends a peat-free, loam-based potting compost, and Penn State suggests a well-draining potting mix with bark, perlite or charcoal added. UF/IFAS mentions orchid mix. The common thread is air around the roots.
A reliable home version is a good houseplant potting mix with orchid bark and perlite or pumice worked through it. Use a pot with a drainage hole, and go up only about two inches in diameter when repotting. A pot that is too large holds wet soil the roots cannot reach, which is one of the common routes to rot.
Feed in the growing season. The RHS suggests a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly while the plant is actively growing, and none to speak of in winter.
Should it climb or trail?
Either works. It depends what you want from the plant.
- Climbing. Adansonii is a natural climber. Given a moss pole, a coir totem or a plank, its aerial roots attach and the plant grows upward. Climbing plants generally produce larger leaves, which is where the bigger holes come from. The RHS recommends a moss pole or other support if you want it to climb, and UF/IFAS describes training it up a sphagnum-wrapped pole.
- Trailing. In a hanging basket or on a high shelf it trails readily. Expect smaller leaves spaced further apart, and prune the tips to keep it full.
If you train it up a pole, tie the stems loosely with soft ties and set the aerial roots against the pole so they can grip. Our sibling guide on using a moss pole for monstera goes into setup and when to extend it.
How do I propagate it from cuttings?
Adansonii propagates easily from stem cuttings. UF/IFAS describes it as taking a stem cutting with at least one node, or with roots already showing. The node is the point on the stem where a leaf and aerial root emerge; without a node, a cutting will not grow a new plant.
- Cut just below a node, keeping one or two leaves on the cutting. Wear gloves, as the sap is an irritant.
- Root it in water, changing the water when it clouds, or put it straight into moist sphagnum or a light, airy mix with the node buried.
- Keep it warm and in bright, indirect light.
- When the roots are an inch or two long, pot it into your usual mix and keep it evenly moist for the first few weeks.
Penn State also lists air layering as an option for monstera. For a fuller walkthrough of water versus soil rooting, see how to propagate monstera in water and soil.
What pests should I watch for?
NC State lists spider mites, mealybugs, aphids, whiteflies and scale for adansonii. The RHS names scale and glasshouse red spider mite. Penn State adds thrips and fungus gnats for monstera generally.
- Spider mites: fine pale stippling on leaves, sometimes webbing underneath. Worse in dry air.
- Mealybugs: white, cottony clusters in leaf joints and along stems.
- Scale: small, hard brown bumps on stems and leaf undersides.
- Fungus gnats: small flies around the soil surface, usually a sign the mix is staying wet too long.
Check leaf undersides each time you water. Early infestations are far easier to deal with than established ones.
Is Monstera adansonii toxic to pets?
Treat it as toxic. The ASPCA lists Monstera deliciosa as toxic to cats and dogs, under several common names including cutleaf philodendron and Swiss cheese plant, with insoluble calcium oxalates as the toxic principle. On both its cat and dog plant lists, deliciosa is the only Monstera species with an entry. Monstera adansonii is not listed. Note that the ASPCA's "Swiss cheese plant" entry refers to deliciosa, not to adansonii's "Swiss cheese vine."
The absence of a listing is not a finding of safety. NC State lists adansonii as poisonous, with calcium oxalate crystals and symptoms including inflammation of the mouth and throat, vomiting, drooling and loss of appetite, and notes its sap can cause skin irritation. The RHS rates it harmful if eaten and a skin and eye irritant. Keep it out of reach of pets that chew, and call your vet or an animal poison control line if one does.
How is adansonii different from mini monstera?
They are often confused, and they are not the same genus. Mini monstera is Rhaphidophora tetrasperma, from peninsular Thailand and Malaysia. Adansonii is a true Monstera from the American tropics.
| Feature | Monstera adansonii | Mini monstera |
|---|---|---|
| Genus | Monstera | Rhaphidophora |
| Leaf openings | Oval holes inside an unbroken leaf edge | Deep splits and lobes that open to the leaf edge |
| Native range | Southern Mexico to tropical South America | Peninsular Thailand to peninsular Malaysia |
Care is very similar for both. Our mini monstera care guide covers the other plant in full.
Where to go next
Our Monstera adansonii is in stock and ships in a nursery pot. Everything we carry in the genus is on the monstera hub, and the wider aroid family is in the monsteras and aroids collection.
Sources
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Monstera adansonii
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Rhaphidophora tetrasperma
- RHS: Monstera adansonii
- Penn State Extension: Monstera as a Houseplant
- UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County: Holey leaves, when holes in leaves are a good thing
- Muir, C.D. (2013). How did the Swiss cheese plant get its holes? The American Naturalist (PubMed abstract)
- ASPCA: Cutleaf Philodendron (Monstera deliciosa)
- ASPCA: Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List for Cats
- ASPCA: Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List for Dogs