Types of Monstera
- Bright indirect
- Top ¼–⅓ of soil dry first
- Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA)
- Family
- Araceae
- Varieties covered
- 8 cultivars and species
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 · cultivarMonstera deliciosa with irregular, creamy white variegation in solid sections as well as streaks and splashes, as MBG describes its variegated form 'Variegata'.
- Thai Constellation MonsteraMonstera deliciosa · cultivarFenestrated Monstera deliciosa leaves with a marbled and speckled pattern of creamy white and green variegation that resembles a constellation, per NC State.
- Monstera Adansonii (Swiss Cheese Plant)Monstera adansonii · speciesHeart-shaped, medium to dark green leaves perforated with oval holes, on a smaller plant than Monstera deliciosa (NC State).
- Mini Monstera (Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma)Rhaphidophora tetrasperma · speciesA vining aroid whose split, partly fenestrated leaves look like a miniature Monstera deliciosa.
- Monstera EsqueletoMonstera epipremnoides · cultivarHuge, glossy, leathery green leaves with fenestrations in a skeleton-like pattern, as NC State describes the cultivar 'Esqueleto'.
- Monstera Peru (Karstenianum)Unresolved (sold as Monstera karstenianum) · trade nameThick, leathery, deeply textured leaves with a corrugated or "puckered" surface and no fenestrations or splits.
- Monstera Siltepecana (Silver Monstera)Monstera siltepecana · speciesJuvenile leaves are small, lance-shaped, and silvery green with dark green veins.
- Monstera StandleyanaMonstera standleyana · speciesLong, narrow, lance-shaped leaves (very un-Monstera-like) with no fenestrations.
Botanical references: Kew Plants of the World Online — Monstera; NC State Extension — Monstera deliciosa
For care that applies to all Monstera varieties — watering, light, repotting, pests — see the Monstera care guide.