Species · genus Monstera · Araceae

Adanson's Monstera

Monstera adansonii Schott

Also known as: Swiss Cheese-plant · Mountain Ears · Tarovine · Five Holes Plant · Monkey-Mask

Growth habit

climber

Native range

Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Leeward Is., Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panamá, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Windward Is.

Reference · M. adansonii

Cultivars of M. adansonii

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

‘Variegata’

The variegated Monstera adansonii carries white or yellow pa…

Early

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A tropical climbing aroid from Central and South American forests, where it ascends tree trunks as an understory vine reaching for filtered light. It wants warmth, steady humidity, and a free-draining mix; let the top inch or two of mix dry before watering, and avoid leaving the roots sitting wet. Give it a support such as a moss pole to climb, mirroring its natural habit.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-12d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 12 days

Humidity

High

Temperature

18–29 °C

Soil mix

Chunky, well-draining aroid mix with bark and perlite

Propagation

Stem cuttings rooted in water or moist mix

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed monthly in the growing season

Growth rate

Fast

Flowering

Rarely flowers indoors; grown for its fenestrated leaves

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-12d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Adanson's Monstera yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.