How to grow monstera deliciosa, the Swiss cheese plant

One of the largest and easiest houseplants you can grow, the Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa) injects a room with character, colour, and architectural form. Yes, it looks as seventies as paisley print, but this lovable old faithful is having a much deserved revival.

One of the plant's defining features is its enormous heart-shaped leaves, which are capable of reaching 90 centimetres in the right conditions. Once mature and in a bright position, they develop slits and fenestrations (holes) that resemble Swiss cheese and stencil the floor and the walls with light when the sun shines through them. The plant's other famed characteristic is its size: capable of bonkers proportions, it can grow into an impressive feature in a large room. As a houseplant, 3 metres is decent, but monstera can live for decades and could grow a lot bigger. In the rainforests of its native Mexico and Guatemala, this beautiful beast can pull itself all the way up 20-metre trees using its aerial roots. As they will receive more sunshine, the leaves further up the tree have more prominent holes and slits, which allow light and rain to fall onto the rest of the plant beneath. In the wild, mature monstera produce white spathe blooms, followed by fruit that is said to be delicious, if you get the timing right. Picked too soon, the ceriman or Mexican breadfruit, as it's known, could burn your mouth, thanks to a high level of calcium oxalate. It takes a year or more to ripen, at which point the cob-shaped 25-centimetre fruit's wonderful scent becomes less intense and it begins to shed its scales. The taste is said to be similar to a mix of pineapple, kiwi, strawberry, and banana, hence one of the plant's common names: fruit salad plant. Just don't pick it too early.

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Monstera deliciosa loves bright or medium indirect light. It will tolerate low light, but its leaves won't grow as big or as holey. Being fond of humidity, monstera does very well in bathrooms and kitchens. It can survive down to 10°C (50°F), but won't grow as well as it will at 18 to 29°C (65 to 85°F).

When the compost feels dry or the pot is light when you lift it, give your Swiss cheese a drink by sitting its pot in water in the sink or bath for half an hour to an hour. Whilst the water is soaking up, wipe dust off the leaves using a damp cloth and aerate the soil by gently plunging a chopstick into it a few times; let the water drain away before putting it back on its tray. The compost can be kept a little moist (but never waterlogged) during summer, but let it dry out completely before watering in winter. Add food to the watering can once a month, during spring and summer.

When your monstera has grown into a hefty beast, watering becomes tricky! The simplest method is to pour water into the pot and allow it to soak in for half an hour to an hour, before siphoning the excess water out of the tray with a tube.

Since this jungle plant enjoy humidity, it is well worth sitting your monstera on a tray of pebbles and water and misting the leaves regularly, if it isn't growing in a humid environment (such as a bathroom).

Once it reaches a decent size, your Swiss cheese will have the oomph to climb. Provide support in the form of a central pole, and help it to climb by gently tucking the aerial roots around the pole and into the compost. In time, once the plant reaches a substantial size, a solid frame may be required; although it might be preferable – for solidity and aesthetics – to have someone build a bespoke wall-attached metal or wooden frame, if you intend your monstera to become a large room feature.

When repotting is necessary, use a mix of potting compost, perlite, orchid bark, and horticultural charcoal. Wait until the plant is fairly dry to do it. Choosing a light pot may seem logical (should you need to move it), but could cause the plant to topple over, in which case a heavier, sturdier pot (sat on a good-sized tray) is better, with watering carried out by siphoning (as detailed above).

There are various types of monstera, including the much sought-after Monstera obliqua, which often sells for eye-watering sums. M. obliqua differs from the Swiss cheese (M. deliciosa) by having extremely holey leaves, rather than leaves with cuts (and a few holes). M. obliqua is expensive because it grows incredibly slowly and its holey leaves are so holey that there is often more hole than leaf itself. This occasionally makes the plant look like something has eaten it, but it still fetches handsome sums in excess of £2,000.

M. adansonii is very similar to M. obliqua, but it's more widely available and far less expensive. It isn't quite as hole-y as its pricier cousin, which, depending on your taste, is arguably a good thing. Its leaves differ from the Swiss cheese plant in being ovate and of moderate size, rather than huge and heart shaped. While the Swiss cheese plant is a climber, it always looks rather shrubby. M. adansonii on the other hand, looks more vine-like and can be vigorous, making it a great indoor trailing or climbing houseplant for large, light filled rooms.

For those that prefer leaf cuts (as opposed to holes), then may we suggest opting for Rhaphidophora tetrasperma, which resembles a miniature Swiss cheese plant. It's a particularly good houseplant for growing around a frame or up to high ceilings.

If you love the bushy shape of the bog-standard Swiss cheese plant, but want to try something new, there is a variegated form (Monstera deliciosa 'Variegata').

Another option is to grow philodendrons. The Swiss cheese was previously classified as a philodendron and is still commonly referred to as the split-leaf philodendron. True philodendrons (such as P. bipinnatifidum and P. hastatum) require similar conditions to monstera and have large, architectural leaves. The grey or glaucous forms (such as 'Silver Sword') are great foliage plants.

Mealybugs can attack monstera in conservatories and can be found on the undersides of the leaves. If you don't want to use insecticide, a severe infestation is often best dealt with by throwing the whole plant away. Alternatively, bring in Cryptolaemus montrouzieri ladybirds to polish off the mealybugs for you.

Never try to re-pot or move a large, heavy monstera on your own as you could injure yourself. The plant is toxic, so avoid buying one if you have a small child, cat, or puppy that eats everything in sight.

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