Millennials’ love of houseplants has been reignited through social media. One plant in particular has achieved fame—at least on Instagram. Huge, glossy, dark green leaves with intriguing perforations that don’t even suggest carelessness quickly bring to mind a tropical rainforest. It’s a delicious Monstera plant. Or is it a philodendron with split leaves?
The tropical monstera, as it is commonly known, is a native of Mexico and is mostly valued for its fruit (hence the scientific name). However, it also does well as a houseplant: It can grow remarkably big, tolerates moderate levels of sunlight, and doesn’t require much water.
This plant has several different names, some of which refer to its attractive foliage and others to its excellent fruit (“fruit salad plant” and “monster fruit”). If the conditions are right, those leaves grow holes. One monstrous term for the holes is “Swiss cheese plant.” Split-leaf philodendron is an additional.
If you enjoy gardening, you’re probably already familiar with several of the flowering plants of the philodendron genus, such as the peace lily. Technically speaking, the monstera isn’t even a philodendron.
The arum family, a much bigger group of plants that also contains the perennially well-liked pothos, one of the nicest and simplest houseplants in the world, comprises both monstera and true philodendrons. The requirements for water, light, and climate are identical among all of these plants, and they all contain calcium oxalate, which makes them poisonous to both people and animals. Numerous of these plants feature unusually shaped leaves, such as those with lacy fingers, wide lobes, heart-shaped leaves, or vivid pink veins. Even though the monstera isn’t a philodendron, it undoubtedly behaves and looks like one.
This is where things become challenging. The names split-leaf philodendron refer to two actual philodendron species, Philodendron bipinnatifidum and Philodendron selloum. Despite being wholly different species from monstera, these two plants sometimes share the same moniker. It’s no wonder we’re perplexed!
It might be difficult to name plants because they can have completely different names depending on where you are or who is describing them. Even the names of common plants can vary by generation and locale. You should probably start reviewing your Latin names!
Are monstera and philodendron the same thing?
Actually belonging to a distinct plant family, monsteras are cultivated for their fruit in Mexico and Costa Rica. The enormous, tasty fruit that they produce gives the plant its name, Monstera deliciosa. Their leaves become huge, hence the moniker “monster fruit, and can be rather spectacular, with variegation patterns that are practically white.
The same family as pothos includes trailing vines called philodendrons. Actually, philodendron’s translation is “love tree, possibly due to their leaves’ heart-shaped design. Their leaves develop much more like a pothos and never become as large as monstera leaves.
And this is when it becomes complicated. There are two actual split-leaf philodendron species, however they don’t have as as striking of leaves as the monstera deliciosa.
Is a Monstera a Philodendron?
No! A philodendron is more closely linked to the pothos, the most popular houseplant in the world, even though they both belong to the same broader family. The peace lily and monsteras are more linked to one another.
Philodendrons make excellent hanging plants since they are somewhat simpler to grow and trail down from their containers like vines. Variegated types of them are easier to grow, more widely available, and less expensive.
Monsteras don’t grow well as hanging plants and require a little more light than philodendrons, at least if you want the dramatic split-leaf pattern on their leaves. In fact, a monstera that lacks adequate light and loses its divided leaves resembles a philodendron quite a bit.
Monstera vs. Split-Leaf Philodendron: Which Should I Buy?
I’m a huge fan of indoor plants, so both! Each houseplant enthusiast should have both in their collection, along with your fiddle leaf fig and ferns, as they are actually quite different. Put your philodendron in a hanging container next to a pothos in a dimly lit area. It will flourish in practically any situation and slowly enlarge like a vine.
Place your monstera in more light and watch out for over-watering. (Read our comprehensive guide to watering monsteras here.)
Watch out for signs of leaf drop, yellowing, or losing the split-leaf pattern on its leaves. Give your plant additional light if you notice these issues. (Click here to view the Monstera Leaf Care Ultimate Guide.)
No matter which houseplant you decide to buy—a monstera, a philodendron, or both—make sure to give it enough of sunlight, not too much water, and weekly attention.
Monstera is a type of plant, right?
Native to Central America, monstera is a genus of evergreen tropical vines and shrubs. Their common name, Swiss Cheese Plant, originated from their well-known natural leaf-holes. Fenestrations, the name for the Monstera’s leaf holes, are thought to optimize the amount of sunlight that reaches the forest floor by spreading the leaf out wider while using fewer leaf cells to support it.
Is a Monstera a golden pothos?
You must first cease referring to the plant as a pothos if it is not a Monstera. It is an Epipremnum, not a Pothos, which is a GENUS of plants in and of itself. precisely Epipremnum aureum. However, despite how hard we try, this is undoubtedly THE most frequent naming error that has ever occurred, so it doesn’t matter.
Having said that, the fundamental distinction between the two is that while Monsteras have leaves that can be either entire, pinnatifid, or perforated, Epipremnums have leaves that are either entire or pinnatifid. They therefore get the holes, whereas epipremnums do not.
The Monstera stem’s morphology is the second key distinction.
Dorsiventrality is a very distinctive feature of it. In other words, it is flattened from front to rear. Epipremnum stem isn’t, though.
The Monstera’s roots and leaves develop at various angles on its flattened stem. The side of the stem that faces the trunk develops adventitious roots, whereas the other side develops leaves.
The reproductive organs of the plants are where there are additional distinctions. The spadix in epiprenmum is sessile. One intrusive placenta at the base of the unilocular ovary contains 2-4 highly curved, asymmetrical seeds that are 3-7 mm long and 1.6-5 mm broad (in other words, TINY). rugs, smooth, pitted, or testa-hard. present endosperm
While in Monstera: Sessile spadix, bilocular ovary, and base-perforated septum. Each locus has TWO basal ovules. Berries typically have just one seed, which is soft, oblong, and 6-22 mm long and 4-12 mm wide. Soft testa, no endosperm. (This information is from Madison’s scientific description of the two genera.)
With all that nonsense aside, the primary distinction is that while Epipremnum has splits but no holes, Monstera deliciosa’s leaves have both splits and holes.
Monstera blooms are physically distinct from Epipremnum blooms and are significantly larger.
Which plants are categorized as pothos?
The arum family’s (Araceae) hardy indoor foliage plant known as pothos (Epipremnum aureum), also known as golden pothos, money plant, or devil’s ivy, is a native of Southeast Asia. It resembles the common philodendron and is frequently mistaken for it.
An evergreen plant called Pothos has thick, waxy, heart-shaped leaves that are green with yellow splotches on them. It is frequently grown as a hanging plant inside. Pothos has aerial roots that allow it to climb, and other plants growing in the wild or outdoors can grow to incredible heights when supported by big trees. Furthermore, compared to indoor plants, the leaves of outdoor plants grow much larger. Popular variants include “Marble Queen,” which has more white variation than the species, and “Tricolor,” which has hues of green, deep yellow, and creamy white. The plant rarely, if ever, blooms and is easily propagated from cuttings.
Is my plant a philodendron or a pothos?
I’m quite passionate in taxonomy and plant identification, as you may know if you’ve read my blog or looked at my Instagram. One of the most frequent errors I observe novice plant parents making is confusing a heart leaf philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum var. oxycardium in botanical terminology) and a pothos (Epipremnum aureum). [I’ll call them all by their common names because it’s just simpler.] Although they appear to be similar at first glance, closer inspection reveals a vast array of distinctions! It’s also true that the two plants require essentially the same maintenance, however I believe the philodendron requires more bright light to thrive and is less drought tolerant. To give you confidence in your plant identification, I wanted to go over the distinctions and similarities. In a series of “Know Your Plants” postings, expect more!
Let’s start by comparing the philodendron and pothos: Both P. hederaceum var. oxycardium and E. aureum are climbers in the wild and belong to the same genus, Araceae. They will inevitably climb the sides of buildings, telephone poles, trees, and other plants if they can adhere to them with their aerial roots and do so. Despite the fact that many people also provide them with trellises or moss poles to climb, they are both frequently displayed in hanging baskets and as trailing plants within the home. Except for the variegated and neon cultivars, both the philodendron and the pothos have glossy, green leaves that are similar in form to a heart and grow to be nearly the same size indoors (about the size of an adult’s hand). The similarities between these two common houseplants end there, so let’s break down how to identify them all!
Pothos and philodendrons can be distinguished from one another by their leaves’ general shape and texture. The leaves of a pothos (top photo) are waxier, thicker, and have a little rough or raised texture. The design often resembles a gardening spade and there is a midrib that is clearly incised. On the other hand, a philodendron (bottom photo) has smoother, thinner leaves; unlike a pothos, you won’t feel the texture when you run your fingertips across the leaf blade. The philodendron’s leaf form is also more heart-shaped, with a noticeable sinus (the area between the leaf’s two rounded lobes where the petiole joins the leaf) and a more sharply pointed apex (the point of the leaf). In some cases, pothos leaves can also be a little bit more asymmetrical than philodendron leaves.
You may also tell the difference between the two plants by how they grow (aka growth habit). From a current leaf, a pothos leaf stretches and unfurls. In a cataphyll, which is a thin, waxy, opaque sheath, a philodendron leaf stretches on a small portion of vine. In essence, a cataphyll is a tiny, modified leaf that continues to photosynthesize until it turns brown and papery and then naturally detaches from the plant. If you’re having problems differentiating between the leaf types we discussed above, cataphylls are a reliable characteristic to look for in philodendrons. Additionally, I’ve seen that philodendron new leaves first have a pink or reddish tint before eventually darkening to their natural color. Just a lighter hue than the rest of the plant, pothos leaves unfold!
I’m going to list a few additional characteristics to look for because I’m a really careful and detailed person when it comes to plants (I’m definitely not like that in all aspects of my life!). Compared to philodendron stems, pothos stems are thicker and nearly the same color as the leaves. Frequently, the stems of philodendrons are greenish brown, and the fresh, extended stems at the bottom are orange-brown in color (see photo above). Both philodendrons and pothos have aerial roots that allow them to climb and take in nutrients and moisture from the atmosphere. With just one root emerging from a node, pothos aerial roots are dense nubs. Aerial roots of philodendrons can form groups and can range in size from two to six. They are thin and wiry.
Okay, can you now distinguish between the two? Can you clearly distinguish the differences in these two photographs’ features? When recognizing a plant, it’s preferable to take a broad view of the entire plant before “zooming in” to examine each individual portion and how it fits with the others. Once you learn how, identifying a plant is a breeze!
What other names are associated with Monstera?
However, if a plant is given too many names or if it changes so much as it ages that the common name no longer makes sense, common names can sometimes become highly perplexing.
One such example is monstera. Interior designers and lovers of houseplants all around the country have fallen in love with this lovely plant. However, it is frequently offered for sale under a number of common names, such as monstera, Swiss cheese plant, hurricane plant, split-leaf philodendron, and Mexican breadfruit, which makes identification extremely difficult.
Additionally, Monstera (the plant’s actual name) is appreciated for its artistic, split-leaf design, but younger plants (which you most frequently see for sale) do not grow split foliage until the plants are more mature, so you might not even know the plant when you see it.
To further compound the misunderstanding, there is another plant that is similarly marketed as having split leaves but is actually called Philodendron selloum and has frilly edges rather than true splits. Monstera is not a real philodendron, despite being a distant relative, although Selloum is.
By the way, if you’re seeking for a true Monstera, check plant tags carefully because immature plants of both species resemble one another considerably.
Monstera has a tendency to climb up supports of many kinds and succeeds best when doing so over time. Monstera can reach heights of 60 feet in the wild, but it can be readily clipped inside to any desired height. It enjoys strong illumination and regular, thorough watering if the soil seems dry to the touch.
Why is it referred to as Monstera?
Uncertainty surrounds the name Monstera’s possible Latin monstrum origin, which refers to the plant’s monster-like leaves. The specific epithet, deliciosa, relates to the edible fruit and implies delightful.
The genus Monstera, which originated in tropical America and is closely related to philodendrons, has roughly 22 species. The range of this particular species extends from Mexico to Panama in the south, but it is also commonly cultivated in other tropical regions. It can grow to a height of 20 meters in its natural habitat, where it uses aerial roots to climb trees in search of light. The thick, fibrous stems from which the aerial roots dangle down resemble drapes. By its aerial roots, the big specimen of Monstera deliciosa at Oxford Botanic Garden clings to the wall of one of the glasshouse corridors. The roots are used in Mexico to make baskets and in Peru to make rope.
The major reason why monstera deliciosa is grown is for its one-meter-long, glossy, dark green leaves. Young leaves have unbroken edges, but as the plant grows older, the leaf edges become deeply sliced and develop elliptic holes. There are also lovely variegated cultivars with cream marbling on the leaves that can offer contrast to other tropical foliage while illuminating a dim area in a room or glasshouse.
The flowers and eventual fruit of this plant are another reason to grow it. The Araceae’s characteristically small blooms are tightly clustered at the base of a whitish spadix and encircled by a lovely creamy white spathe. If the circumstances are ideal, these intricate inflorescences will produce scaly fruit that tastes of pineapple and banana. The only component of Monstera deliciosa that is safe to eat is the ripe fruit, it is crucial to remember this. The unripe fruit includes raphides and trichosclereids, which are needle-like structures that will irritate the throat, while the stems and leaves contain a sap that can cause a rash. The fruit’s tough, green scales naturally peel off when it is ripe, exposing the creamy yellow kernels inside.
Because they can withstand poor lighting and low humidity, Monstera deliciosa is a popular choice for indoor plants, but growth ceases at 10 C. The ideal environment is at least 20 C and heavy humidity. In the past, English hot houses were used to raise Monstera deliciosa for its fruit.
1999 Huxley A. Gardening terms from The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary. Dictionary company Groves Inc.
CD Muir, 2013. What caused the Swiss cheese factory’s holes? pp. 273-281 in The American Naturalist 181.