Araceae
Monstera
Climbing aroids that fenestrate as they mature. Most of what is sold as a houseplant wants more light and a chunkier mix than it usually gets.
Native to Tropical Central and South America
Species
How Monstera generally wants to be treated
Species pages start from this and record only where they differ.
- Light
- Bright indirect. An east window, or a few feet back from a south or west one. Direct midday sun scorches the leaves; deep shade produces long internodes, small leaves and no fenestration.
- Water
- Water thoroughly once the top 2-5 cm of mix has dried, then let it drain completely. They tolerate a short dry spell far better than they tolerate sitting wet.
- Humidity
- Comfortable above 50%, better above 60%. Below about 40% the leaf edges crisp and new leaves tend to open with fewer fenestrations.
- Temperature
- 18-29 °C. Growth stalls below about 15 °C. Keep them off cold glass and out of winter draughts.
- Substrate
- Chunky and free-draining — roughly equal parts orchid bark, perlite and coir. Straight potting compost holds too much water against the roots.
- Fertilizer
- A balanced feed at half strength every second or third watering through spring and summer. Little or none through winter.
- Propagation
- Stem cuttings with at least one node, ideally with an aerial root attached. Roots readily in water, sphagnum or straight into a chunky mix.
- Dormancy
- No true dormancy, but growth slows markedly in low light and cool temperatures. Cut back watering to match.
- Common problems
- Yellowing lower leaves are almost always too much water rather than too little
- Crisp brown edges point at low humidity, or salts accumulated from feeding
- New leaves opening without fenestration usually means not enough light
- Spider mites and thrips establish quickly in dry air — check the undersides
These are the Monstera defaults. The rules that hold across everything — what bright indirect actually measures, when to water, what humidity does and does not do — are on the general plant care page.