Monstera Adansonii Care, Propagation & Varieties

Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by Admin

The Monstera Adansonii is also known by many other names including:

Adansonii plant
Adansonii Monstera
Swiss Cheese Plant
Five Holes Plant

More importantly, it is one of those houseplants that collectors want to have.

That’s because the Monstera Adansonii is rare. It is hard to find and when or if you’re able to find it, it is very expensive to get.

In addition to being rare, the reason why many growers want it is because of its unique looks. The plant is a climber with beautiful green leaves that will grow large fenestrations (holes).

This is a feature that very few plant have. Thus, making it well-sought after.

In addition to being rare, it is likewise expensive. This is because of the low supply and the plant’s popularity thanks to Instagram.

As such, you may find yourself having to bid at auction just to get the plant.

The Monstera Adansonii is native to Central and South America which makes it accustomed to warm, humid climate.

Table of Contents

Monstera Adansonii Varieties

Finally it is also worth noting that there are quite a few Monstera Adansonii varities. Most are hard to find, rare and expensive. But they are beautiful. Here’s a short list (and in no way comprehensive).

Variegated Monstera Adansonii
Monstera Adansonii Round Form
Monstera Adansonii Narrow Form
Monstera Adansonii Wide Form
Monstera Adansonii Friedrichsthalii
Monstera Adansonii Archipelago

Monstera Adansonii Plant Care

Light Requirements

The Monstera Adansonii is native to the forests of Central and South America where, as an epiphyte, it begins life in the understory of the forests covered by the canopy of larger trees and plants.

As it gets bigger, it will climb up tree trunks and grow arial roots to do so.

It does this to get closer to the light by climbing higher than most of the other plants. The higher it goes, the more light it gets. However, it still stays under the partial shade of the largest trees.

Thus, the plant thrives in bright, indirect. Light. But it has no problems with moderate or low light.

That said, the lower the light, the slower it will grow. And past a certain point is will begin to struggle.

That’s because the Monstera Adansonii has a lot of fenestrations (holes). This means it has less leaf surface area to capture the light and also less parts of the leaf participate in photosynthesis. Therefore, if light gets too low, it becomes insufficient to support the plant’s energy requirements.

On the other hand, it cannot tolerate direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time. This exposure can burn its leaves.

This means that you want to be careful with both extremes – too much or too littlw light.

As such, an east or west facing window is ideal as long as you keep it away from the intense rays of the afternoon sun.

If you don’t have a lot of access to natural light where you want to place the plant, you can use grow lights as well.

Temperature

The Monstera Adansonii’s temperature preference is likewise dictates by its life in its native habitat.

Because Central and South America experience tropical and subtropical climates, it is used to warm to hot weather the entire year with lots of sunshine even through winter. In fact, it does not see snow or frost during that time of year.

Instead, it is accustomed to perpetual sun.

This is why the plant also does well in Southeast Asia which has very similar climate conditions.

As a result, the Monstera Adansonii enjoys temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Here, it will grow its best.

It will likewise do well within a larger range of 55 and 95 degrees without any problems. But the farther off you veer from the ideal range, the more its growth can slow down.

However, the most important thing to keep in mind with temperature is that the plant is not frost hardy. And it has problems living below 50 degrees for extended periods of time. So, try to avoid this climate indoors and outdoors.

It is also why should not leave it outside through the winter if you get snow where you live as the lant will not live through the next spring.

Humidity

Humidity is another aspect that’s influenced by where it comes from.

In addition to being warm to very hot most of the year, the regions of Central and South are likewise very humid. On normal days, humidity stays between 55% to 75% and will jump up to 85% or even higher when the rains comes.

This makes the Monstera Adansonii fond of high humidity. And it is happiest when humidity is 60% and above. Thus, it does very well in greenhouses and terrarium.

However, this also makes it a bit more challenging for homes in locations that are farther away from the equator.

If you live in the northern hemisphere including the U.S. and Canada, average home humidity is usually between 30% to 50% depending on what part of the country you live in (and the time of year).

Hot, dry summers and cold winters usually have much lower humidity. Although is you live near bodies of water, it humidity will be higher.

Fortunately, the Monstera Adansonii adapts quite well to moderate humidity. But, try to keep it at 40% and above to prevent dry leaves and crispy tips.

You can also help the plant along by using a humidifier or misting it a few times a week. Placing in on pebble tray or grouping it with other plants likewise helps to varying degrees.

In general, the higher you can bring humidity, the faster the plant will grow.

How Often to Water Monstera Adansonii

When it comes to Monstera Adansonii care, watering is the one thing that destroy the plant.

That’s because it is sensitive to overwatering. And its roots cannot be left standing in water for long periods of time on a regular basis.

If this happens, they will be deprived of oxygen which will eventually lead to root rot.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the plant is a bit drought tolerant. Therefore, you can let it dry out a bit without worrying that this will harm the plant.

So what does this all mean?

It means the best way to water your Monstera Adansonii is to wait until the top 1 to 2 inches of soil dries out before adding more water. This will ensure that the soil does not end up soggy or overwatered.

If you want to be more conservative, you can wait until the soil is dry up to between 50% and 75% of the way down before adding watering.

Anywhere between these ranges is perfect as it prevents you from watering too soon but also avoids letting the plant completely dry out.

On average, you’ll end up watering the plant once every 7 or so days during the warmer months and once every 2 to 3 weeks during the winter.

source: wikimedia commons

Potting Soil for Monstera Adansonii

The best soil for your Monstera Adansonii is an Aroid mix given that the plant belongs to the Araceae family. This makes it an aroid just like philodendrons, anthuriums and pothos.

The ideal soil pH for Monstera Adansonii is 5.5 to 7.0.

Here’s an Aroid potting mix recipe I like to use for my monstera and philodendron plants. You can adjust the amounts based on your plant’s living conditions.

1 part organic potting mix
1 part orchid bark
1 part perlite
1/2 part charcoal

That said, a loose, airy any well-draining soil that stays moist works really well. Again, the key it so avoid overwatering and waterlogging. Therefore, you want something that is able to drain excess moisture quickly.

This means you can use any of the following mixes if you prefer to have fewer ingredients.

50% potting soil with 50% orchid bark
50% potting soil with 50% peat moss
50% potting soil with 50% coco coir

Is the Monstera Adansonii a Climber?

The Monstera Adansonii likes to climb and it will go up a support if you give it one. This is how it grows in the wild in order to get more bright light.

As such, if you give it a moss pole or something similar it will happy climb. And in doing so, it will grow bigger, faster and produce larger leaves.

Fertilizer

The Monstera Adansonii does not need a lot of fertilizer nor is it picky about the kind of plant food it gets. However, it needs to be fed.

This ensures that it gets the proper nutrients it needs to grow and produce foliage.

Without fertilizer, it will grow slower, stay smaller and produce fewer, tinier leaves as well. Additionally, if it lacks certain nutrients, you see its leaves become pale.

Therefore, feed your Monstera Adansonii once a month during the spring and summer. You can use a general houseplant fertilizer, a balanced formulation like 20-20-20 N-P-K or an all-purpose plant food.

Dilute the application by 50% each time you apply. And avoid feeding the plant when the soil is dry.

If you notice pale leaves or yellow foliage, it can mean that the plant lacks nutrients.

You don’t need to feed it during the fall and winter.

Pruning

The Monstera Adansonii is a fast growing plant although it does most of its growing during from spring to fall. Also, it tends to grow faster when you allow it to climb compared to being left in a hanging basket or a pot without staking or a support.

Also, the more light it receives (non-direct sun) the faster it will grow. In contrast, it will grow slower in low light environments.

On average, you can expect the plant to produce one new leave each month with proper care.

Because the Monstera Adansonii is a vining plant, you’ll eventually see its stems get longer no matter where you grow it.

Thus, you’ll need to do some pruning although this is a fairly low maintenance task with this plant.

Because you want to keep as much of its beautiful foliage, you likely won’t trim much of them unless they’re growing wayward or affecting the shape of the plant.

Of course, remove any yellow, brown, damaged or old leaves.

The other thing about monsteras is that they will produce aerial roots. Aerial roots look very different from terrestrial roots in that they come from the stems of the plant and are quite woody in texture. In contrast, soil roots are firm but fragile and white in color.

As an epiphyte, your Monstera Adansonii uses these aerial roots to grab hold of and cling onto trees as they climb. That’s they’re main function while terrestrial roots are more for stabilizing the plant in the soil and absorbing water and nutrients.

Because aerial root can get really long and some monstera will produce a lot of them, you can cut them off if you don’t like how they look. Doing so does not harm the plant or affect its growth. Although they do help it get more humidity when there is dry air.

How to Propagate Monstera Adansonii

Propagating your Monstera Adansonii is easy and there are many ways to do it. The most common (and simplest) is by stem propagation where you take a stem cutting and grow it into a new plant.

With stem propagation, you likewise have a few options. These including

Propagating the stem cutting in soil
Propagating it in water
Propagating it in sphagnum moss

Propagating Monstera Adansonii Using Stem Cuttings

Take a stem cutting that’s about 4 to 6 inches long with at least 1-2 nodes. This is the most important part as the nodes are where the roots with grow from.
If the stem you choose has aerial roots even better. That’s because aerial roots increase propagating success rates and speed up the rooting process. I’ve also found that stems with aerial roots will grow shoots and leaves much earlier than those without later on.
Finally try to get at a stem with at least a few leaves on it as well.
Once you’ve chose the stem or stems to propagate, use a sterilized cutting tool and cut about an inch below the node (and aerial roots if any).
Next, decide on whether you want to do water propagation, soil propagation or sphagnum propagation.

If you go with water propagation:

Place the stem cutting in a glass container with water.
Submerge the nodes and aerial roots in the water (if the stem has air roots).
Remove any leaves that end up in the water as these will rot.
Place the cutting in a bright, spot with no direct sunlight.
It will take a 2 or so weeks to see a few roots with good growth. And you’ll likely see the roots grow first in the aerial roots which is very fascinating.
Once the roots grow to between 2-4 inches you can pot up the cutting in soil.

If you prefer to propagate in sphagnum moss:

Prepare a small pot and fill it with sphagnum moss.
Plant the stem cutting into the moss.
Keep the node in the growing medium and remove any leaves that end up there.
If your stem cutting has aerial roots, you have a few choices: cut them off, position them outside the pot or lay them on the sphagnum moss. With the latter, they may voluntarily go into the moss and grow terrestrial roots, but don’t force them into it. They need to do it themselves.
Keep the moss moist especially during the first month to help with growth.
Place the container in a warm spot with bright, indirect light.
After about 4 weeks, you can check the roots. Once they’re grown long enough you can move the cutting into potting mix.

If you want to propagate the Monstera Adansonii cutting in soil:

This basically bypasses the other two above. And by planting it directly into soil you won’t need to transfer the cutting anymore.
The only time you’ll need to move it is when you repot to a larger container once it gets too big for the current one.
Prepare a pot and fill it with potting mix (see the recipes above).
Plant the stem cutting into the mix.
Again, make sure the node is buried in the soil. Keep the aerial roots out of the soil, And remove any leaves that end up touching the soil.
Water the potting soil to keep it moist. Avoid too much moisture.
Place the cutting in a bright spot with non direct sun.
After 4 to 8 weeks it should grow quite a few roots that have established themselves into the soil.

How to Repot or Transplant Monstera Adansonii

On averages, the Monstera Adansonii needs to be repotted once every 2 years. This allows it to get bigger and prevents it from experiencing stress if it gets stuck in too tight a container.

Since that plant has an extensive root system, you want to give it room to grow.

The thing is, because plants grow at different pace depending on their care and living conditions, I prefer to listen to what the plant is telling me rather that follow how many number of years or months to repot.

The best way to do this is to watch the bottom of the pot and surface of the soil. The moment roots start popping out or sneaking out from these areas, it means they need more space an the current pot is not enough anymore.

The best time to repot is early spring although you can do so in autumn as well if you live somewhere with no snow in the winter. The goal is to avoid very hot or very cold days to do so.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

The Monstera Adansonii is toxic when ingested. Thus, it is poisonous to cats, dogs and people. Although it is not deadly, it can cause mild to moderate pain and side effects.

Monstera Adansonii Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

The Monstera Adansonii can get bugs so you want to keep an eye for them.

Regular inspection and cleaning the leaves are good practices. But the most important thing is to isolate the plant and immediately start treatment once you spot any insects.

The most common pests to attack this plant are spider mites, mealybugs, aphids, scales and thrips. All of which grow in population fairly quickly so you want to eliminate them before they do. Otherwise, it takes much longer and more work to eradicate.

Neem oil and insecticidal soap spray are the most common treatments. Both are very effective.

I also like to spray the bugs off with water which takes even less time. But you need to get them all including the adults the eggs since the latter can just hatch and you end up the same problem a few days from now. With the former, they’ll suck on the sap of the plant and lay more eggs.

Diseases

The Monstera Adansonii can likewise get diseases including different types of root rot, blight and leaf spot. All of which are result to excess moisture either in the soil or leaves.

Thus, this is more preventable as you’re in control on how much moisture you give the plant.

By making sure you don’t overwater the plant, use well-draining soil and a pot with drainage, you’ll be able to prevent these issues.