If you are a plant lover, adding Monstera as a houseplant or keeping it outdoors as an ornamental plant is a great way to infuse your home with a soothing ambiance and a pop of adventure. These are tropical beauties that date back to the 1970s when large-leaf plants ruled over the hearts of plant enthusiasts. No matter where you place them, they are bound to bring energy and life to space. Monstera is an easily recognizable plant due to unique holes in the foliage. If you want to have the best types of Monstera in your garden, read the article to know about the different varieties of Monstera.
Types of Monstera to Create Green Sanctuaries
With the fast pace of urbanization, it's important to stay connected with nature and have plants at home for a sense of well-being and to reduce the stress of everyday routine. Monstera plants are a one-stop solution for all. Let's have a look at some breathtaking varieties of Monstera plants.
1. Monstera Deliciosa
This is a showstopper of the Monstera family that transforms your home into a tropical haven, making it one of the most loved plants to add a simple aesthetic. Sometimes, it is known as a Swiss Cheese Plant. The large foliage with natural holes makes it look exotic, and it is easily available and easy to grow. Deliciosa might give creamy flowers and edible juicy fruit that attract pollinators to the garden. It grows up to 10-15 feet tall, the plant zone is 10-12, and the growing condition is full to partial sun.
| Some Care Tips: Keep the plants under partial shade, mist them regularly, give them support with a pole or a board, water them only when you notice that one inch of soil has dried, and feed them once a month during summer and spring. Please keep your pets away because it's toxic for them. |
2. Monstera Borsigiana
This is a subspecies of Monstera deliciosa variety with slightly smaller leaves. It grows fast and has irregular colored foliage. These are low-maintenance plants, making it perfect for garden enthusiasts who can spare minimum time for plants. This variety will add a lush green ambiance without overwhelming the space. It grows up to 6 feet indoors, the plant zone is 10-12, and it thrives in bright indirect sunlight.
| Some Care Tips: Place it near the window to have filtered light, give a dose of liquid fertilizers once a month, and prune it to keep it in shape. |
3. Monstera Deliciosa Tauerii
Another type of Monstera plant is Deliciosa Tauerii, which is preferred for its compact size and slow growth. It is a perfect addition for limited indoor space if you love the classic Monstera look.
4. Monstera Adansonii or Swiss Cheese Vine
It is known as the Swiss cheese plant or money mask plant and is the most popular variety after Monstera deliciosa. It is a fast-growing variety with a climbing habit and stunning foliage fenestrations when mature. The most captivating feature is the large hole in the oval leaves. The plant zone is 10-12, grows up to 8 feet indoors, and does well in partial sun.
| Some Care Tips: It requires frequent watering because it prefers moist soil and humidity. |
5. Monstera Siltepecana
Monstera Siltepecana, also known as silver Monstera, will surprise you with its elongated leaves with a metallic shine. It is more easily available than any other variety of Monstera. The young foliage is silvery gray with green veins, and the mature ones are glossy green with climbing habits. These are bushy plants with cascading effects due to the different sizes of leaves. The plant zone is 11-12, grows up to 6 feet indoors, and has robust growth under partial shade.
| Some Care Tips: Place it in a well-drained potting mix, mist it at regular intervals to maintain a high level of humidity, water when the top five cm of soil looks dry, and fertilize once a month during summer and spring. |
6. Monstera Pinnatipartita
It's a stunning choice if you can cater to its varying needs. The leaves are large and bumpy, glossy, feather-shaped, with deep splits and long stems, making them strikingly admirable. This exotic variety is not easily available, so consider yourself lucky if you own one. The plant zone is 11-12, it grows up to 6 feet when grown indoors, and it thrives in partial sun.
| Some Care Tips: Water them when the soil gets completely dry, group them with other plants to get morning mist, and fertilize in the growing period during spring and summer. Keep pets and kids away because it is toxic for them. |
7. Monstera Dubia
It is a unique Monstera type, also known as a shingle plant, which is hard to find. The leaves are tiny heart-shaped with light green spots you will fall in love with. It has a vining habit, so the foliage trails up against anything the stems are kept against. The best variety of Dubia is produced in the bright, indirect sun. You will find this variety only with specialist suppliers at a high price. The plant zone is 9-11, grows up to 3 feet tall, and grows well in bright partial sun.
| Some Care Tips: It grows well in well-drained, moist soil and needs a support structure like a board to climb. |
8. Monstera Peru
This is a gorgeous variety of Monstera family, which has dark green and textured leaves. It is a rare climbing species that requires minimal upkeep, occupies less space, grows within no time, leaves don't develop fenestrations, foliage has deep ridges and leaves are shiny with a leathery surface with pointed ends. The plant zone is 10b-12b, can grow up to 6-8 feet tall, and requires partial shade.
| Some Care Tips: Water them when the top one or two inches of soil is dry. Keep pets and humans away, as Monstera Peru is toxic to them. |
9. Monstera Obliqua
This is a rare variety of Monstera, which has thin leaves with large holes and grows slowly. The holes occupy almost 90 percent of the total leaf surface. You would love to have it if you are an ardent plant lover. It is expensive and can be bought from the best specialists, but passion is all about sparing money for your prized possession. The plant zone is 9-11, grows up to 6-8 feet tall outdoors, and needs partial sun to grow well.
| Some Care Tips: It is a sensitive variety that requires a high amount of humidity and regular care. |
10. Monstera Standleyana
Monstera Standleyana, also known as 5-hole plants and philodendron cobra, stand out from other plants due to the variation in the individual foliage color. It has long variegated leaves with yellow, cream, or white stripes, which don't always develop fenestrations when grown indoors. The light green specks on the leaves may look like holes from a certain angle, but they are not holes in reality. Sometimes, the underside of the leaf is entirely white or light green, while the top leaf surface has deep green. The plant zone is 9-11, grows up to 5 feet tall indoors, and needs bright indirect sunlight to grow properly.
| Some Care Tips: Mist them regularly to maintain humidity, water them when the top soil looks dry, repot once in a year because roots grow fast, fertilize in summer and spring during the growing period, and keep the plant away from pets and humans as it is toxic for them. |
11. Monstera Lechleriana
This is one of the fastest growing Monstera species with a big glossy foliage with many holes that resemble Monstera Adansonii. The holes develop in the middle of the leaf. If you plan to add it to the plant list, ensure it gets support, and there's sufficient space for its expansion. The plant zone is 10-12, grows up to 6 feet when grown indoors, and requires partial shade for healthy growth.
| Some Care Tips: Water them at regular intervals to keep the soil moist, feed them with liquid fertilizer fortnightly during the growing period and keep them away from furry friends and kids because it's toxic for them. |
12. Monstera Thai Constellation
It is a sought after variety that can brighten up any indoor space with its creamy white and yellow pattern on the leaves with holes. The variegated leaves give it a unique look that many enthusiasts would love to own. It has a high price despite the fact that it is widely available. The plant zone is 10-12, can grow up to 8 feet indoors and requires bright indirect sunlight to grow.
| Some Care Tips: These varieties require more sunlight because they have not mastered the art of photosynthesis, but ensure leaves are not directly exposed to sunlight to avoid scorching of leaves. |
13. Monstera Albo Variegata
This is another stunning, compact, variegated species of Monstera with irregular foliage color similar to Thai Constellation. Some of the mature specimens have pure white leaves. It can add elegance to any plant collection. Many plant enthusiasts long for this variety, which makes it expensive. The plant zone is 10-12, and it can grow up to 6 feet indoors and better in partial sun.
| Some Care Tips: Albo Variegata require more sunlight because they are not efficient in photosynthesis, but don't expose leaves directly to sunlight to avoid scorching of leaves. |
14. Monstera Aurea Variegata
This variety will enliven the space with its eye-catching yellow variegation, which seamlessly brings joy to the indoor space, filling it with positivity and freshness. It is also known as the Lemon and Lime-Colored Swiss Cheese Plant.
| Some Care Tips: Monstera Aurea require more sunlight than other varieties of its counterparts because they are not efficient in photosynthesis, but don't expose leaves directly to sunlight to avoid scorching leaves. |
15. Monstera Esqueleto
This variety has a large leaf with massive holes that look like a leaf's skeleton as if all the meat is gone from the leaf. Plant lovers enjoy the sight of super glossy leaves. The best feature is its low maintenance. The plant zone is 12, can grow up to 7-14 feet tall and grows strong in partial sunlight.
| Some Care Tips: Water them once the top two to three inches soil dries, keep them in a warm area and provide them a moss pole for robust growth. |
16. Monstera Acuminata
If you live in an apartment with limited space, this rare species will be a pride to own. You can hang it in a basket or plant it in a small vase. It looks similar to Monstera Adansonii, but Acuminata has more compact and tall foliage. The plant zone is 10-12, it can grow 7 feet when grown outdoors, and it thrives in partial shade.
| Some Care Tips: Water them once a week, mist the plant on leaves twice a week, keep the pot in a pebble tray with water underneath to ensure water evaporates and humidity is maintained, and provide balanced fertilizer during the growing season. |
17. Mini Monstera
This is not the actual Monstera plant, but the look, care, and name will make you believe that it is part of the Monstera genus. This could be an easy and low-maintenance substitute. Mini Monstera is native to Africa and Asia, the plant zone is 9-12, can grow up to 6-8 feet tall when grown indoors, and requires partial shade to grow.
| Some Care Tips: Water them regularly, keep them moist because they don't tolerate dryness and provide them support with a pole as they tend to climb upward. |
Conclusion
Monstera plants have lovely, eye-catching leaves when they mature, and that makes them the most loved and preferred plant for plant enthusiasts. You can keep some indoors to elevate the visual appeal of the space.
