Monstera Deliciosa vs Adansonii: One Needs 4 Feet of Space — the Other Fits a Shelf
Monstera deliciosa and Monstera adansonii look similar but behave very differently at home. Compare size, care, fenestration timing, and find out which suits your space.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Monstera deliciosa | Monstera adansonii |
|---|---|---|
| Mature size (indoors) | 6–8 ft tall, 4–6 ft wide | 3–8 ft tall, 1–3 ft wide |
| Light | Bright indirect; tolerates lower light | Bright indirect; scorches in direct sun |
| Watering | Top 1–2 inches dry between waterings | Keep slightly more moist; thin leaves dry faster |
| Difficulty | Beginner-friendly | Beginner-friendly |
| USDA zones (outdoor) | 10–12 (year-round); elsewhere: houseplant only | 10–12 (year-round); elsewhere: houseplant only |
| Fenestration timeline | 10+ leaves; 2–4 years indoors | By leaf 3–4; 12–18 months indoors |
| Typical retail cost | $15–40 for standard; $100–600+ for variegated | $10–25 for standard; $80–400+ for variegated |
Why Both Plants Have Holes — and Why One Gets Them First
The holes in Monstera leaves are not damage. They are a precision adaptation called fenestration, and the biology behind them reshapes how you should think about caring for both plants.
In their native Central and South American rainforests, both species grow as hemi-epiphytes on the forest floor before climbing tree trunks into the canopy. Understory light arrives almost entirely as sunflecks — brief, intense beams that slip through gaps in the canopy above. A solid leaf in this environment is a gamble: it covers a fixed area and either catches a sunfleck or misses it entirely.
In a 2013 paper published in the American Journal of Botany, researcher Christopher D. Muir proposed what is now called the growth-variance hypothesis: leaf fenestration reduces the variance in a plant’s growth rate by spreading the same leaf area across a larger physical footprint. More area covered means a higher probability of intercepting at least some sunflecks on any given day. The plant sacrifices guaranteed efficiency for reduced risk — a strategy that increases geometric mean fitness in unpredictable light [6].
This mechanism also explains one of the most practical differences between the two species: when fenestrations appear. Monstera adansonii produces holes in its leaves from a very young age — often by the third or fourth leaf, within 12 to 18 months of growth. Monstera deliciosa, by contrast, starts with solid juvenile leaves, progresses through marginal splits, and may take 10 or more leaves and two to four years indoors before achieving fully perforated mature foliage. If seeing dramatic fenestrations quickly is a priority, adansonii delivers that far sooner.
The shape of the holes also differs. Adansonii produces neat, oval holes that stay within the leaf blade. Deliciosa adds both interior holes and deep splits that run to the leaf edge, giving mature leaves their distinctive lobed silhouette.
Size and Growth Habit: What Each Plant Looks Like at Home
Monstera deliciosa is a large plant by any houseplant standard. Indoors, it typically reaches 6 to 8 feet tall with an equally generous horizontal spread as leaves push outward on long petioles. The leaves themselves can exceed 18 inches across at maturity, and in outdoor landscapes in zones 10–12, the entire vine can grow to 30 or 70 feet and produce leaves over 3 feet wide according to UF/IFAS Extension [5]. In a typical living room, plan for a plant that eventually dominates a corner.
Monstera adansonii stays noticeably more compact. Indoors it typically reaches 3 to 5 feet as a trained climber, or trails attractively from a hanging basket. Even at full maturity, the leaves rarely exceed 8 to 10 inches — roughly half the size of a mature deliciosa leaf. According to NC State Extension, the plant reaches 3 to 8 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide indoors when given support [2]. This makes adansonii genuinely usable in apartments, smaller rooms, and any spot where the bold architecture of a deliciosa would simply be too much.
Both species are rapid growers. In active growing conditions — warm temperatures, adequate humidity, and bright indirect light — both can push new leaves monthly during the spring and summer growing season. Both also use aerial roots to climb. In the wild, these roots attach to tree bark and absorb moisture. Indoors, they are the main reason a moss pole accelerates growth: the aerial roots can grip and absorb moisture from the damp moss, mimicking the plant’s natural climbing substrate.
Light, Water, and Humidity
Both species prefer bright, indirect light — filtered sun through a curtain, or placement a few feet back from an east- or west-facing window. Direct midday sun scorches leaves on both, particularly adansonii, whose thinner leaf tissue is more vulnerable. Penn State Extension notes that monstera becomes leggy in lower light, producing long internodes and smaller, less fenestrated leaves [3]. For adansonii especially, low light delays fenestration significantly, since the plant’s fenestration trigger is closely tied to light availability.
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Watering works on the same principle for both: water thoroughly until water drains from the pot, then wait until the top 1 to 2 inches of soil have dried before watering again. Penn State Extension recommends this approach for all monstera [3]. Adansonii has thinner leaves than deliciosa and will show stress slightly faster during drought, so it benefits from checking the soil a day earlier. In either case, overwatering — keeping soil consistently wet — is the most common way to kill these plants. Root rot sets in quickly in waterlogged, poorly draining soil.
Humidity is where the two plants diverge most in practice. Monstera deliciosa tolerates the 40–50% relative humidity found in most US homes without serious problems. Monstera adansonii prefers 60% or above; below 40%, it will develop brown leaf edges and crispy tips, and fenestration development slows noticeably. If your home runs dry in winter — a common situation with forced-air heating — a small humidifier near adansonii is not optional decor, it is part of keeping the plant healthy. Penn State Extension recommends humidity above 50% for monstera generally [3]; for adansonii, 60% is a better target. The article on how to increase humidity for houseplants covers the practical options if your home runs dry.
Temperature for both sits between 60–85°F (16–29°C). Neither tolerates frost. Outdoors year-round cultivation is only viable in USDA zones 10–12 — essentially southern Florida, coastal southern California, and Hawaii. For the vast majority of US growers, both plants are permanent houseplants, though both can spend summer outdoors in a shaded spot once night temperatures are reliably above 55°F.
Support, Repotting, and Training
Monstera deliciosa develops into a structural plant that needs staking once it matures. The petioles are long and the leaves heavy; without support, the plant sprawls laterally rather than building upright. A moss pole, coir pole, or totem allows it to climb as it would in nature, and aerial roots that contact the pole will grip and grow into it, strengthening the plant’s posture. The same applies to adansonii when trained upright — though adansonii also works well as a trailing plant in a hanging basket, something deliciosa is too heavy to do gracefully.
Both plants need repotting every one to two years when young and actively growing. The guide to repotting a monstera covers the signs and method in detail. The key principle: move up only one pot size at a time. Oversized pots hold excess moisture around roots that the plant hasn’t yet colonised, which increases root rot risk.
Mislabeling and the Obliqua Problem
If you have bought a plant labeled Monstera obliqua, there is a strong chance you actually have Monstera adansonii. Obliqua is an extremely rare species whose leaves are mostly holes — the fenestrated area can occupy 90% of the leaf blade. True obliqua is almost never commercially available; what sells under that name at most garden centres and online shops is adansonii. The practical implication: if you paid a premium for ‘obliqua,’ confirm identification before assuming it needs any special care regimen.
Genuine adansonii has fenestrated holes occupying roughly 50% of the leaf blade. The holes are oval, arranged in rows parallel to the midrib, and do not extend to the leaf margin. This distinguishes it visually from both obliqua (larger, more numerous holes, near-skeletal appearance) and from juvenile deliciosa (no holes at all on earliest leaves).
Toxicity: Both Are Unsafe for Pets and Children
Both Monstera deliciosa and Monstera adansonii contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals throughout their tissues — leaves, stems, roots, sap, and flowers. According to the ASPCA, ingestion of Monstera deliciosa causes oral irritation, pain and swelling of the mouth, tongue, and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing in dogs, cats, and horses [7]. NC State Extension confirms the same toxicity profile for adansonii [2].
The sap also causes contact dermatitis in humans; wear gloves when pruning or repotting either plant. If you have cats or dogs that chew on plants, both species require placement out of reach. The pet-friendly houseplant list offers alternatives if toxicity is a dealbreaker for your household.
One important exception: the fully ripe fruit of Monstera deliciosa is non-toxic and edible, tasting like a cross between banana and pineapple. However, only the fully ripe fruit is safe — unripe fruit contains the same oxalate crystals as the rest of the plant. Adansonii does not produce edible fruit as a houseplant.
Which Should You Grow?
Choose Monstera deliciosa if you have a large, well-lit room and want a statement plant with bold, iconic foliage. It is marginally more tolerant of average indoor humidity, takes lower light reasonably well, and will eventually produce that unmistakable deep-lobed silhouette — though you will wait two to four years for full fenestration indoors. It is also the better choice if you want a plant you can move outdoors for summer without worrying about leaf burn from a few hours of morning sun.
Choose Monstera adansonii if you have limited space, want quicker fenestrations, or plan to grow it as a trailing plant in a hanging basket. It is compact enough for apartments and smaller rooms, and it will show its characteristic holes within its first year under good conditions. The trade-off is a stricter humidity requirement — below 50% and you will see brown edges; aim for 60% or above for best results. If you can maintain that humidity, adansonii is a faster-rewarding, more space-efficient plant.
If you are new to aroids and uncertain which to start with, Monstera deliciosa is the more forgiving of the two. Its tolerance for humidity fluctuations and lower light make it easier to maintain in typical US homes. Both appear on the best beginner-friendly houseplants list — but deliciosa earns its place there more decisively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Monstera deliciosa and adansonii grow together in the same pot?
You can pot them together, but it is not ideal long-term. Deliciosa’s root system expands significantly and will eventually crowd adansonii out. A better approach is placing them in separate pots side by side on the same shelf or plant stand so each gets a container sized to its own root growth.
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→ Find the Right PotWhich grows faster, deliciosa or adansonii?
Both are rated as rapid growers by NC State Extension [1][2]. Under identical conditions, adansonii tends to push new leaves more frequently because its leaves are smaller and require less energy to form. In practical terms, adansonii often looks more active in the short term; deliciosa’s individual leaves take longer to unfurl and expand.
Why is my monstera not developing holes?
Two main reasons: the plant is too young (adansonii needs leaf 3–4; deliciosa needs 10+ leaves and 2–4 years), or light levels are too low. Fenestration is directly linked to the plant’s light-capturing strategy — insufficient light suppresses it. Move the plant to a brighter spot and ensure humidity is above 50% to encourage fenestrated new growth.
Are Monstera deliciosa and adansonii the same plant?
No. They share the same genus (Monstera) and family (Araceae), and they look superficially similar as juveniles, but they are distinct species with different mature sizes, leaf shapes, fenestration patterns, and humidity requirements. Adansonii is also frequently confused with the rare Monstera obliqua — a different species again.
Sources
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox. “Monstera deliciosa (Swiss Cheese Plant).” https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/monstera-deliciosa/
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox. “Monstera adansonii (Adanson’s Monstera).” https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/monstera-adansonii/
- Penn State Extension. “Monstera as a Houseplant.” https://extension.psu.edu/monstera-as-a-houseplant
- University of Missouri Extension IPM. “2025: Year of the Monstera.” https://ipm.missouri.edu/meg/2025/1/monstera-dt/
- University of Florida IFAS Extension. “Monstera Growing in the Florida Home Landscape” (HS311). https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS311
- Muir CD. “How did the Swiss Cheese Plant get its holes? Leaf fenestration in Monstera acuminata (Araceae).” American Journal of Botany, 2013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23348781/
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. “Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants: Ceriman (Monstera deliciosa).” https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/ceriman
