Monstera Deliciosa

Monstera name is presumably derived from Latin monstrum, monster, referring to the unnatural appearance of the perforated leaves.

Monstera contains about 60 species native from Mexico to Brazil and Bolivia. These plants prefer areas with abundant light, such as open areas in the forest or the upper canopy. The seedlings grow terrestrially toward darkness (often toward a tree or rock face) to find something on which to climb. Once vertical growth begins, thick aerial roots search out support and moisture. Sometimes tightly appressed “shingle” leaves are present in the early climbing stages. These grow pressed flat against the tree trunk or rock face. In the pre-adult phase, stems are usually climbing or pendent and the leaves become progressively larger and more dissected.

The broadleaved, heavily perforated forms of the species so common in cultivation originated in the northern limits of its range, in the Mexican states of Veracruz and Chiapas. Farther south, the leaf blades are usually smaller and often lack perforations altogether.

Ceriman was introduced to cultivation in England in 1752 and was being grown in Hawai’i by the 1870s.

Cultural Uses

• Monstera deliciosa is used in the landscape as a plant cover for walls, tree trunks, and fences, or as a soil binder or ground cover on banks and slopes
• The distinctive leaf has become a widely used design theme for fabrics and graphics and has come to symbolize tropical foliage