Monstera Adansonii: The Swiss Cheese Vine for People Without a Spare Room
A smaller, vining Swiss cheese plant that trails or climbs, grows fast, and forgives almost everything. Bright indirect light and chunky soil keep it holey and happy.
Love the holey look of a Monstera deliciosa but don’t have space for a plant the size of a sofa? Meet its smaller, vinier cousin, Monstera adansonii, a.k.a. Monkey Mask or Swiss cheese vine. Its leaves are smaller, its holes are more numerous (sometimes more hole than leaf), and it will happily trail from a hanging basket or climb a moss pole. It’s also one of the fastest-growing, most forgiving plants you can buy.
Where to put it (light)
Bright, indirect light. A few feet from an east or south window is perfect. It tolerates medium light, but the leaves get smaller and less holey. Direct sun scorches.
Temperature
65–85°F (18–29°C). Keep it above 55°F (13°C). Cold drafts and chilly windowsills in winter cause leaf yellowing.
Watering
Water when the top 1–2 inches of soil are dry, usually weekly in summer and less in winter. Let excess water drain; soggy soil means root rot. Drooping leaves are a plea for water; yellow leaves are usually a complaint about too much.
Feeding
Monthly in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength. Skip winter.
Soil
A chunky, airy aroid mix: potting soil, orchid bark, perlite, and coco coir. Standard mix plus a generous scoop of perlite also works.
Humidity
Average household humidity is fine; 50–60% makes it grow noticeably faster and produces bigger leaves.
Common pests
Spider mites, thrips, scale, and mealybugs. Check new leaves and stems. Neem oil or insecticidal soap on the first sighting.
Propagation
Difficulty: Very easy. Stem cuttings with a node. Snip below a node, place in water, and roots appear in 1–2 weeks. Pot up when roots are 1–2 inches (3–5 cm) long.
Also worth knowing
Toxicity: toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. Mature size: vines 3–8 ft (1–2.5 m). Repot yearly. Prune leggy vines and stick the cuttings back in the pot to keep it full.
Bonus: it roots in water in about two weeks. Take a cutting with a node, drop it in a jar, and you’ve got another plant to gift or hoard.