Many common houseplants, including aglaonemas, monsteras, philodendrons, pothos, and ZZ plants, are aroids, members of the Araceae family. In the wild, these plants are frequently understory plants even though they are typically “low light indoor plants.”
The extra-large corpse flower and the desk-sized peace lily are just two examples of the many sizes that aroids come in. Usually, you may identify them by their bright, prickly flowers. Numerous tiny flowers are grouped together on a “spadix, which is located inside a curving, leaf-like “spathe,” to form each aroid blossom.
Some aroids possess unique abilities, such as the capacity to produce heat on their own or the ability to grow in water. This family has a long history of living in swamps and has evolved to withstand frequent floods, which is one of the reasons they are a low-maintenance houseplant.
In order to avoid absorbing too much water, many of these plants have waxy roots and leaves. Remember that the longer you choose to root your aroid in water, the more difficult it will be for it to adjust to the soil’s conditions.
Since many aroids have similar preferences, they thrive when grouped together and are simple for beginners to grow. Although they can withstand low light, these plants prefer medium light. They could get sunburned from too much direct sunlight. The top one to two inches of the potting mix should dry out between waterings, and they should be watered around once per week.
A necessary houseplant is the peace lily. In addition to having gorgeous green leaves, if given adequate light, it will also blossom with traditional lily blooms. They are the ideal addition to your air-cooling house plant team because they have the capacity to purify and chill the air. Medium to moderate light levels and well-drained soil are ideal for peace lilies. Try Espoma’s Organic Potting Mix for high-quality potting soil and success with indoor plants. Overwatering is the main threat to peace lilies and most other plants. A resilient, understanding plant, the peace lily will let you know when it needs water. It has a recognizable droop when it is thirsty. As soon as it receives the water it needs, it will rise again.
This is one hardy indoor plant! It doesn’t need any natural light; it can make do with only fluorescent lights. If you neglect to water it, don’t panic; it may begin to shed a few of its leaflets to conserve the water and will blossom again after a nice sip.
The foliage on this plant, also referred to as the split leaf philodendron, is remarkable. Being a tropical cultivar, this plant can endure greater humidity and less light. It is one of the most well-liked plants of the year due to its enormous, rich, dark green leaves, which stands out against a white background. Watch it grow by keeping it next to a window that gets indirect light.
This indoor plant, also known as the Chinese evergreen, can be found in a variety of hues, including deep green, silver, and red. It has slow growth and huge, elongated, glossy oval leaves. The brighter the variegation, the more light your aglaonema needs, so keep that in mind when determining where to place it. Therefore, it can survive in low light if you desire dark green foliage. When it’s summer, surround ags with other indoor plants to increase humidity, or place the pot on top of a saucer filled with stones and water. Water when the top two inches of the soil are dry. To provide it with the nutrients it need throughout the growing season, use Espoma’s Indoor! liquid plant food.
Looking for other indoor plants that require less maintenance? Check out the top indoor low light plants recommended by Garden Answer!
A Monstera: Is it a Dicot?
So you walk into your neighborhood Lowe’s garden center and notice a great bushy plant with dark green, heart-shaped leaves on generally erect stalks. There might even be one or two split leaves there. Could it possibly be the renowned Monstera deliciosa that you’ve been coveting? You examine the label, which reads, “split leaf Philodendron.” Why the delay, then? That’s similar, right? Is a Monstera even close to a Philodendron? Now, this is just perplexing!
I frequently witness this, and due to the misleading common name, I have noticed an increase in the number of people mistaking Monstera for Philodendron. I’m here to clear up any confusion and take this as a fantastic chance to clarify plant taxonomy, the science behind plant names.
So let’s start at the top and work our way down till we reach Monstera and Philodendrons. We’ll next study what unites them before examining what makes them different.
First, it’s critical to comprehend the fundamental principles of taxonomy. You begin with a fairly wide category (like the Plant or Animal kingdoms) and progress through ever more specific categories until you reach the level of individual species (Monstera deliciosa, or Homo sapiens).
Let’s begin with the Plantae Kingdom at the top, keeping this in mind. Most plants are multicellular, and a process known as photosynthesis uses light and water to produce food. Since they are eukaryotes, their cells have nuclei and are encased in membranes.
A Clade of Angiosperms, which includes flowering plants, exists within the Plant Kingdom (think Orchids, Roses, Apple trees, daisies, etc). Gymnosperms, on the other hand, are plants without flowers (think Pines, Ginko, and Sago palms). Anyway, because both Monstera and Philodendron produce flowers, they are also categorized as angiosperms.
The Monocots Clade is a smaller subclade of the Angiosperm Clade. If a plant’s seed contains just one tiny embryonic leaf, it is considered a monocot. Dicots are plants that produce seeds with two internal leaf embryos (Magnolias and Peppercorn plants are examples of dicots). Since the seeds of both Monstera and Philodendron have one embryonic leaf, they are both categorized as monocots.
The Alismatales Order is a subclade of the Monocot Clade of Plants. Alismatales are blooming monocot plants that are frequently found in damp environments and probably have a common evolutionary ancestor. A spathe and a spadix, which are the components of many Alismatales’ flower structures, are known as spathes. You’re aware of what a peace lily blossom looks like, right? If so, you are already familiar with how a spathe and spadix appear! The Alismatales Order contains a family of plants known as Araceae that have these flower structures. In addition to peace lilies, Rhapidophora tetrasperma, Pothos, and many more plants you could have in your collection, Monsteras and Philodendrons also fall within this family.
Here is where things start to become more hazy. Monsteras and philodendrons are both members of the Araceae family. The Americas are the original home of both philodendrons and monsteras. Both Genera (plural of Genus) have species that climb and produce split leaves. Both Monstera and Philodendrons have spathe and spadix blooms (which is why they are in the same family, Araceae). Why then are they not regarded as being the same thing? The answer lies in their genes, with the exception of a few minor physical variations (young Philodendron leaves are covered in a sheath called a cataphyll). Philodendrons and Monsteras cannot cross-pollinate to produce hybrids. You cannot combine the pollen from a Monstera deliciosa flower with a Philodendron brasil flower to produce hybrid seeds that will grow into a new species of plant.
Since it took hundreds of years for genetic research to advance to the point where this was discovered, Monsteras were initially mistakenly thought of as Philodendrons even though they are not the same plant. Therefore, despite the fact that they are very, very similar in many aspects, they are just sufficiently different to not be regarded as the same thing. The moniker remained, which is why labels on Monstera pots may read “Split leaf Philodendron” or “Swiss cheese Philodendron.” A Monstera is a Monstera, a Philodendron is a Philodendron, and a Monstera is NOT a Philodendron. Perhaps now we can see why.
What kinds of plants are aroids?
Aroids include widespread indoor plants like Pothos, Philodendrons, Alocasias, Monsteras, ZZ plants, Aglaonemas, Arrowhead vines, Colocasias, and others. With the exception of Antarctica, they are found on all continents and are all related members of the aroid family, Araceae. Aroids are plants that frequently grow on the forest floor in the wild and are suited to survive in a variety of environments, including dim light. Although we label these plants as “low light plants” in the horticulture sector, no plant actually prefers to be in low light. The majority of aroids favor filtered light. Although they are understory plants and receive shade in their natural habitat, the sun does not fully block it out.
One of the oldest and most fundamental basal families of all monocotyledonous plants, the family Araceae is made up of perennial herbaceous plants that frequently have milky or clear acrid sap. The leaves have calcium oxalate crystals that are irritating to herbivores because they create needle-like fibers that are akin to asbestos, and the stems are lianescent, tuberous, rhizomatous, or reduced. The flowers are produced on a spadix, an inflorescence with a spathe that typically envelops the flower spike’s fleshy center. You’ve probably seen peace lily blossoms, which are a typical illustration of the spadix-type inflorescence.
Some aroids, such as skunk cabbage, have the capacity to produce heat (Symplocarpus foetidus). It is one of the very few plants that can produce heat by utilising starches that have been stored in the roots. One of the first flowers to bloom in the spring in North America, the flower’s spathe generates heat that melts snow. This plant stinks, as implied by its name, but for good reason. To pollinate it, flies that are active from late February to early March are drawn to the scent.
This plant gathers a lot of energy since its leaves emerge before those of any other plant and because snow is very reflective. Additionally, the leaves remain on the plant during the entire growing season, and even if it is later in the season shadowed by trees, the plant has already attained its peak growth and will continue to gather ambient light to boost its starch store for the following year.
Aroids have extraordinary abilities to grow in water in addition to some of them being able to produce their own heat. This family descends from plants that live in lowland swamps. Swamps would frequently flood, which put pressure on plants to adapt such that their roots could resist temporary flooding. All of the aroids that we can see today are descended from the plants that survived these floods, and they all possess the capacity to establish roots in water. Waxy roots and thick waxy leaves are adaptations that prevent the plant from ever absorbing too much water. All aroid plants can take root in liquid. You should be aware that water lacks nutrients when you are propagating. Simply because something can grow in water doesn’t mean you should keep it there indefinitely. The plant won’t develop as well as it would if it were put in soil.
can handle low light but prefers medium light. Limit your exposure to the sun. Ideal sunshine is dappled light. able to endure three hours of direct sunshine.
once per week. Before watering, let the potting mixture dry completely. Dry to the touch soil should be found approximately 1-2 down. During the warmer months, water more regularly, and fertilize during the growing season. The plant will typically droop to indicate that it needs more water. Overwatering or keeping the soil wet for an extended period of time will promote root rot. Skip watering for a week or two if your plants are browning from overwatering.
Generally speaking, it is a fairly laid-back plant. prone to mealybugs and scale. As soon as scale bugs and mealybugs appear, treat them by wiping down the plant often and weekly applications of horticultural (Neem) oil.
If consumed, irritating to people, dogs, and cats. Always keep indoor plants out of tiny children’s and animals’ reach.
Aroid or Swiss Cheese Plant?
Native to Mexico, Central America, and South America, Swiss cheese plants got their name from the fenestrations—or holes—that form as the plants get older in their deep green leaves. Aroids, a class of tropical plants that includes Swiss cheese plants, grow tiny blooms inside of a bract that resembles a leaf and is known as a spathe. In the warm, humid climate of their native locations, Swiss cheese plants can grow incredibly tall as vining plants, clinging to trees and other support structures with aerial roots (roots that grow freely out of the soil).
The term “Swiss cheese plant” is frequently used to refer to a variety of plants, although Monstera deliciosa is the most prevalent kind. Although it is uncommon for plants to bloom or develop fruit when planted as indoor plants, Monstera deliciosa receives its name from the tasty fruit that the plant produces. Monstera epipremnoides leaves feature long slashes in the edges, and Monstera adansonii plants are smaller and have more delicately cut holes.
Do Monsteras generally fenestrate?
My neighborhood grocery store is where I got my first Monstera deliciosa. Although it was a small plant, I didn’t mind because I was so happy to have found it. I brought it home and couldn’t wait for the day when it would grow enormous leaves with all of their distinctive splits and slits. I waited and waited, but the plant still had little leaves with no fenestration. I then began to question if Monsteras divided in all cases. What may I do to aid in fenestrating it? I dug around till I found the solution.
If your Monstera’s leaves aren’t splitting, it usually comes down to two things: how old the plant is and how much sunlight it receives. Unripe Monsteras won’t fenestrate until they are roughly three years old. Monsteras may also be unable to produce fenestrations if there is insufficient sunlight.
If you don’t know much about Monsteras, you probably have never heard of fenestration. I’ll go over all there is to know about fenestrations in this essay. I’ll discuss their proposed use, when to look for them to emerge, and how to induce fenestration in your Monstera leaves.
Monstera: an epiphyte or not?
The monstera deliciosa offers a completely unique indoor plant experience. It is a traveller, never content to remain in one place or take on a single form. It never stops going in strange directions in pursuit of what a monstera needs to be content. Better views? More assistance? simple interest? It’s difficult to say, but it all begins with the plant’s native habitat in the Central American rainforests, and it is that plant’s attractiveness that results from its wandering restlessness. Naturally, there is also that lovely leaf.
Tropical Origins
It used to be true that monsteras and philodendrons belonged to the same genus, but that is no longer the case. Monstera deliciosa is an epiphytic, vining plant in the family Araceae. So, if you come across the common name “swiss cheese philodendron,” don’t be perplexed. Of fact, whether or not we can eat anything has nothing to do with its popular name. In actuality, the unripe fruit, stems, and leaves contain poisonous oxalic acid, which when swallowed may cause terrible throat and tongue irritation. The word “deliciosa” in the species name, on the other hand, refers to the mature fruit’s exceptional flavor, which is present only when it is fully ripe and not before. However, monsteras hardly ever bloom or bear fruit inside.
That Famous Leaf
The colloquial moniker “swiss cheese” actually refers to the distinctive lobes and holes that mature monstera leaves develop. These “splits” and “windows” are known as fenestrations in the botanical world. They are absent in young monsteras, but as the plant becomes older, fresh leaves start to display the pattern.
A Natural-Born Wanderer
The monstera develops its wandering behavior as a seedling on the understory of a rich tropical forest. Young monsteras will naturally move into the darkest shaded areas until they come across the upright trunk of a giant tree, at which point they will start to climb that tree utilizing their powerful aerial roots. The mature plant now begins to rise higher into the forest canopy in search of sunlight rather than darkness. Monstera continues to have this innate urge to explore its surroundings in our houses, looking for something to hang on to and the ideal quantity of light. As a result, monsteras grow into quite arbitrary but intriguing shapes.
Ways to Train It
Owning a monster becomes somewhat of an adventure because of this adventurous behavior. Some plant parents adapt by using plant pegs to support heavier branches. Some people choose to educate their stray plant to travel in a more orderly fashion around a moss pole or a metal obelisk. By wrapping long-strand sphagnum moss around a wooden pole and fastening it with fishing line, you can create a moss pole. Another method entails winding chicken wire into a tube, stuffing it with sphagnum moss, then using a plant stake to secure it to the pot. Before the monstera plant clings to the pole with its own aerial roots, carefully bind the monstera branches to it. It is better to place a metal obelisk into the pot when the plant is still fairly little if you intend to use it as a support. It can be difficult to add an obelisk to a long plant, but it is doable with a little gentle grappling and patience. If an errant branch just flat-out won’t listen to your instructions, you can also trim your monstera.
Easy Light + Water
Monstera enjoys direct light that is bright, like many indoor plants. You must fully water your monstera before letting the potting mix dry to about halfway before you water it again. Make careful to moisten the moss as well if your monstera is climbing a moss pole so the roots will be encouraged to use it. Monstera is versatile but enjoys hotter temperatures and higher humidity than you’d find in a regular home. It might not develop as much in less-than-ideal circumstances, but depending on your point of view, this might not be such a bad thing.
Try One for Your Collection
Once one of these massive beauties finds its way into your heart, we believe you will share our love for monsters. As always, drop by the Greenhouse to speak with a member of our staff if you need plant ties, sphagnum moss, or guidance. Always happy to assist, we are.