About

Monstera deliciosa, the Swiss cheese plant or split-leaf philodendron, is a species of flowering plant. The common name "Swiss cheese plant" is also used for the related species from the same genus, Monstera adansonii. The common name "split-leaf philodendron" is also used for the species Philodendron bipinnatifidum.

Monstera deliciosa is native to tropical forests of southern Mexico, south to Panama. It has been introduced to many tropical areas, and considered a low-to-moderate invasion risk in Hawaii, Seychelles, Ascension Island and the Society Islands. It is very widely grown in temperate zones as a houseplant. Although the plant contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which cause a needlelike sensation when touched, the ripe fruit is edible.

How to grow it

Monstera deliciosa is commonly grown outdoors as an ornamental plant in the tropics and subtropics. The plant requires a lot of space and a rich and loose soil (ideally garden soil and compost in equal parts). If it grows in the ground it is better to plant it near a tree, where it can climb, if not against a trellis. It is a "moderately greedy plant", in that it needs to be watered just to keep the soil slightly moist. Its hardiness is 11 (that is to say the coldest at −1 °C or 30 °F). It cannot withstand these temperatures for more than a few hours, but it can live outside in certain temperate regions (Mediterranean coast, Brittany). A steady minimum temperature of at least 13–15 °C (55–59 °F) is preferable, allowing continuous growth. Growth ceases below 10 °C (50 °F) and it is killed by frost. It needs very bright exposure, but not full sun.

Forcing a M. deliciosa to flower outside of its typical tropical habitat proves to be difficult. Specific conditions need to be met for the plant to flower. However, in its tropical and subtropical habitat, the plant flowers easily.

Safety

Monstera deliciosa is moderately toxic to both cats and dogs because it contains needle-like insoluble calcium oxalate crystals. These crystals may cause injury to the mouth, tongue, and digestive tract. It also causes dermatitis by direct contact with cat and dog skin.

Where it grows

Monstera deliciosa is native to humid tropical forests, in lowlands and on lower mountains, in the south of Mexico and also in Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama. The seeds fall to the ground, then the seedlings crawl (negative phototropism) until they meet a tree on which to attach. The many adjacent roots thus allow the plant to anchor against its new support and reach the canopy light (although it rarely grows in full sun and prefers a light dimmed by the foliage). Introduced plants can also be found in other parts of North America (Florida), Asia (Malaysia and India), Australia and the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic (Sicily, Mainland Portugal, Morocco, Madeira), also in Madagascar.

Uses

In those areas where it grows naturally, M. deliciosa is considered a delicacy due to its sweet and exotic flavor. The fruit may be ripened by cutting it when the first scales begin to lift up and it begins to exude a pungent odor. It is wrapped in a paper bag and set aside until the scales begin popping off. The scales are then brushed off or fall away to reveal the edible flesh underneath. The flesh, which is similar to pineapple in texture, can be cut away from the core and eaten. It has a fruity taste similar to jackfruit and pineapple. The unripe green fruits can irritate the throat and the latex of the leaves and vines can create rashes in the skin, because both contain calcium oxalate: that is the reason why the fruits have to be consumed when the scales lift up. The black irritant fibers can be swept off with the application of a little citrus juice.

Other Monstera plants

Monstera acacoyaguensis · Monstera acuminata · Adanson's monstera · Monstera anomala · Monstera