Types of Monstera
Monstera is a genus of about 50 species in Araceae, native to Central and South America. The famous Swiss Cheese Plant (M. deliciosa) is the parent of nearly every "Monstera" cultivar in cultivation, with rarer species like M. adansonii, M. siltepecana, M. standleyana, and M. obliqua filling out the rest of the genus.
How to tell Monstera varieties apart
Monstera species differ primarily in leaf size, fenestration pattern (holes only vs. splits-to-edge), and whether they vine or self-head. M. deliciosa produces large leaves with splits that extend to the edge; M. adansonii has smaller leaves with rounded internal holes; M. siltepecana has silver juvenile foliage. Variegated cultivars (Albo, Thai Constellation, Burle Marx Flame) are all forms of M. deliciosa.
Which Monstera should you buy?
For beginners with space: Monstera deliciosa (the classic). For smaller spaces: Monstera adansonii. For variegated drama and budget: Mini Monstera (Rhaphidophora tetrasperma — not a true Monstera but looks like one). For high-end variegation: Thai Constellation (stable, expensive) or Albo Borsigiana (unstable, expensive). For silvery juvenile foliage: Monstera siltepecana.
Every Monstera variety in this guide
- Monstera Albo BorsigianaMonstera deliciosa · variety
Large heart-shaped leaves with crisp, irregular white sectoral variegation — entire half-leaves or "moon"-shaped pure white sections are common.
- Thai Constellation MonsteraMonstera deliciosa · cultivar
Heart-shaped fenestrated leaves with cream-yellow speckled variegation distributed across the leaf surface (like a galaxy of stars, hence the name).
- Monstera Adansonii (Swiss Cheese Plant)Monstera adansonii · species
Smaller, narrower heart-shaped leaves than Monstera deliciosa, perforated with rounded oval holes (fenestrations) that do not extend to the leaf edge.
- Mini Monstera (Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma)Rhaphidophora tetrasperma · species
A vining aroid with deeply split leaves that look like miniature Monstera deliciosa fronds.
- Monstera EsqueletoMonstera epipremnoides · species
Very large, paper-thin leaves with dramatic elongated fenestrations that take up most of the leaf surface — giving the "skeletal" appearance the name describes.
- Monstera Peru (Karstenianum)Monstera karstenianum · species
Thick, leathery, deeply textured leaves with a corrugated or "puckered" surface.
- Monstera Siltepecana (Silver Monstera)Monstera siltepecana · species
Juvenile leaves are silver-blue with dark green veining — the form most often sold.
- Monstera StandleyanaMonstera standleyana · species
Long, narrow, lance-shaped leaves (very un-Monstera-like) with no fenestrations.
Botanical reference: Missouri Botanical Garden — Monstera deliciosa
For care that applies to all Monstera varieties — watering, light, repotting, pests — see the Monstera care guide.