Popular and beautiful the Monstera Deliciosa, more commonly known as the Swiss Cheese Plant is a firm favourite at the Plant Collective.
With silky glossy leaves, this Swiss Cheese plant is a great houseplant. Popular with plant parents the world over, you won’t see a popular interiors blog or Instagram feed that does not feature these gorgeous and versatile house plants.
A striking addition, this plant is suitable for any rooms with its great colour and holes in its leaves (which give it that fun name) gives each plant a different look and personality. As houseplants go this one is quite unfussy and is relatively easy to look after having few diseases, making it much harder to kill! Great for new plant parents and experienced house plant lovers.
Sometimes there is a bit of confusion about which Monstera plant is which! The plant category, or genus, is called Monstera, but several different species of Monstera go by the same common name of “Swiss cheese plant.” Mostly, you’ll find Monstera deliciosa, which has long-lobed leaves and elongated holes (though young leaves may not have these holes). Another similar plant, Monstera epipremnoides, looks almost identical except its leaves change from having holes to long slashes through the outer edges. And Monstera adansonii has heart-shaped leaves with holes. Regardless of which species you buy, they’re all beautiful, easy-care plants with similar needs.
How to Care for Monstera Deliciosa
It Loves Indirect Light – This great house plant prefers indirect sunlight so let it live near a window with a sheer curtain or other softly lit areas of your home. If left in direct sunlight the leaves scorch easily and if it does not have enough light the characteristic ‘holes’ will not appear.
Loves High Humidity but Adaptable – While most of us do not live in humid home (just think of the mould!) we can keep our cheese plants happy by misting them to reflect their love of humidity and help them grow. When it comes to watering practices, water the plant until the water runs out of the holes in the bottom of its pot, then don’t water again until you can feel the top few inches are dry. In the summer you can help its growth by adding liquid fertiliser (although this is not a necessity) and in the winter stop, as the plant will not be actively growing.
No Nibbles from Pets - Like most tropical houseplants, the Swiss Cheese plant contains calcium oxalate which can irritate pets, it is a toxic substance so keep dogs and cats away from these lovely house plants.
As with all houseplants, if you take care of them they will thrive and bring you so much joy. Whether you are considering the green and lush Monstera Deliciosa (The Swiss Cheese Plant) as your first house plant or you are an old hand at getting these gorgeous plants to grow, thrive and survive we know you will love having them in your home.