About
Known for its heart-shaped, waxy leaves featuring large, oval perforations, *Monstera adansonii* is a popular houseplant often called the Swiss cheese plant. It is a fast-growing hemiepiphyte vine that thrives in high humidity.
Field notes
Morphology
The leaves are heart-shaped, possess a somewhat thick, waxy texture, and feature large, oval-shaped perforations. As a houseplant, it can grow 3–5 feet (0.9–2 m) tall, and as a vine, it can reach up to 13 feet (4.0 m).
Distribution & habitat
It is found in tropical forests across much of South America and Central America, and also in the West Indies, including Antigua, Grenada, Saba, St. Kitts, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Tobago, and Trinidad. It is common near river valleys at lower elevations.
Cultivation notes
This easy-to-care-for houseplant prefers bright, indirect sunlight and well-draining soil. Some cultivars, such as 'Archipelago', exhibit variegated leaves.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- easy