How to Care for a Monstera: Light, Water, Support and Getting Those Split Leaves

Why grow a monstera?

Few plants make a statement like a monstera. Those big, glossy leaves with their dramatic splits turn any corner into a little jungle, and the plant is surprisingly easy to keep happy once you know what it wants. The National Garden Bureau even named 2025 the Year of the Monstera.

The most common type, Monstera deliciosa, also goes by Swiss cheese plant and split-leaf philodendron. Despite that last name, it isn't a philodendron at all, though both belong to the same plant family. In the rainforests of Central America, it's a climbing vine that scrambles up trees using its aerial roots. Indoors, it can still reach 6 to 8 feet tall, and it'll want something to climb.

This guide covers the basics for first-time owners and the details seasoned growers care about, like getting bigger leaves and more splits.

Monstera care at a glance

Light

Light is the single most important thing for a monstera. It decides how fast your plant grows, how big the leaves get, and whether they ever split.

• Best spot: bright, indirect light near a sunny window, but out of the direct beam of hot sun. A few feet from an east or west window, or near a south window with a sheer curtain, works well.
• Low light: a monstera will survive, but it grows slowly, gets leggy with long gaps between leaves, and new leaves often come in small and solid with no splits.
• Direct sun: gentle morning sun is fine. Strong afternoon sun through glass can scorch the leaves, leaving pale or brown patches.
• Rotate it. Monsteras lean hard toward the window. A quarter turn every week or two keeps it growing evenly.

Grower tip: if your monstera has been with you for a year and still isn't splitting, move it closer to a brighter window before changing anything else. Light fixes more monstera problems than any other change.

Watering

Water thoroughly, then let the top 1 to 2 inches of soil dry out before watering again. Overwatering, which leads to root rot, is the most common way monsteras get into trouble.

1. Check first. Push a finger into the soil. If it's still damp an inch or two down, wait.
2. Soak it. Water slowly until it runs out the drainage hole.
3. Drain it. Empty the saucer or cover pot after 10 to 15 minutes. Standing water rots roots and attracts fungus gnats.

How often? It depends on your light, pot, and season, so go by the soil, not the calendar. Many homes end up watering about once a week in summer and every 2 to 3 weeks in winter.

Read the plant:

• Leaves drooping or curling inward, soil bone dry: it's thirsty.
• Yellowing lower leaves, soil staying wet: too much water.
• Little drops of water on leaf edges in the morning: that's called guttation. It's the plant releasing extra water, and it's a gentle hint to water a bit less.

Soil, support and repotting

Soil

Monstera roots want both moisture and air. Use a well-draining, chunky mix:

• Beginner: good indoor potting mix with extra perlite and orchid bark stirred in.
• Seasoned grower: a dedicated aroid mix of bark, perlite, and coir or peat, with a little horticultural charcoal. Our Chunky Aroid Mix is made for exactly this.
• Always use a pot with drainage holes.

Give it something to climb

In nature, monsteras climb trees. Indoors, a support keeps the plant upright, saves space, and helps it grow bigger, more mature leaves.

• Moss pole or coir pole: the best option. The aerial roots can grab on and grow into it.
• Stake or trellis: works fine for younger plants.
• How to attach it: loosely tie the main stem to the support with soft plant ties or twine, and tuck aerial roots against the pole. Don't tie too tightly; the stem gets thicker as it grows.
• Add the support at repotting time so you don't damage roots later.

When to repot

Repot every 1 to 2 years in spring or early summer, or when roots circle the pot or poke out the bottom. Go up just 2 inches in pot size. A pot that's much bigger stays wet too long.

Humidity, temperature and feeding

Temperature: monsteras like it warm, around 60 to 85°F, and they hate cold drafts. In winter, keep them away from drafty windows, exterior doors, and blasting heat vents.

Humidity: average household humidity is usually fine, but monsteras grow best above about 50%. In dry winter homes, a small humidifier nearby makes a real difference. Grouping plants together helps a little; misting doesn't do much.

Feeding: monsteras are fast growers and appreciate regular meals.

• Spring through summer: a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer about every 2 weeks.
• Fall and winter: cut back to about once a month, or pause if it isn't growing.
• Always water before fertilizing, and follow the label. Brown, crispy leaf edges and a white crust on the soil can mean too much fertilizer; flush the pot with plain water if you see them.

Keep leaves clean: big leaves collect dust, which blocks light. Wipe them with a damp cloth every few weeks.

How to get those famous split leaves

The splits and holes in monstera leaves are called fenestrations. Young monsteras grow small, solid, heart-shaped leaves. The splits only appear as the plant matures, and only when conditions are right.

What it takes:

1. Maturity. Most monsteras start splitting once they're a couple of years old. A small new plant with solid leaves is completely normal.
2. Bright light. This is the big one. A monstera in a dim corner may never split, even when mature.
3. Something to climb. A climbing monstera grows bigger, more mature leaves than one sprawling in its pot.
4. Consistent care. Steady watering, feeding, and warmth keep each new leaf a little bigger than the last.
5. Patience. Each new leaf usually has more splits than the one before. You'll see the change one leaf at a time.

Once a leaf unfurls, its shape is set. Better conditions show up in the next leaves, not the ones already open.

Pruning and propagation

Pruning

• Trim off yellow or damaged leaves at the base of the leaf stem.
• To control size, cut a long stem just above a node (the bump where a leaf and aerial root grow). New growth will come from there.
• Aerial roots can be tucked into the soil or onto a moss pole, or trimmed if they bother you. Trimming a few won't hurt the plant.
• Wear gloves; the sap can irritate skin.

Propagating from a cutting

A monstera cutting must include a node. A leaf alone, without a node, won't grow a new plant.

1. Cut below a node with at least one leaf attached. A cutting with an aerial root already started roots fastest.
2. Place the node in water, moist sphagnum moss, or perlite, in bright, indirect light.
3. Refresh water weekly, or keep moss lightly damp.
4. Roots usually show up in a few weeks. Pot it up once they're a few inches long.

Air layering (no-fail method)

Wrap a node on the parent plant in damp sphagnum moss, cover it with plastic wrap, and wait. Once roots fill the moss, cut below it and pot it up. The cutting keeps getting water and food from the parent while it roots.

Popular monstera varieties

Common problems and how to fix them

For seasoned growers: taking it further

Bigger leaves on a moss pole

• Keep the pole damp. Aerial roots grow into moist sphagnum, which gives the plant more water and nutrients up top and pushes leaf size.
• Extend the pole before the plant outgrows it. Many growers stack a second pole on top or use modular poles. Leaves that grow past the top tend to shrink as the stem flops over.
• Train the growth point upward. Keep the growing tip pressed to the pole, with the newest leaves facing out toward the light.

Caring for variegated monsteras

• 'Albo' and 'Thai Constellation' need brighter light than green monsteras to fuel growth, but white sections scorch easily in direct sun.
• White areas can't make food and brown more easily, so steady humidity and watering matter more.
• If an 'Albo' starts producing solid green leaves (reversion), you can cut back to the last node with good variegation. 'Thai Constellation' is a stable tissue-cultured variety and rarely reverts.
• An all-white leaf looks striking but weakens the plant. Most growers leave it while healthy and accept that it may brown sooner.

Other ideas

• Semi-hydro or LECA: monsteras adapt well to clay pebbles with a water reservoir.
• Multiple growth points: most indoor monsteras grow from a single growing tip. For a fuller pot, plant two or three rooted cuttings together.
• Fruit: mature monsteras grown in tropical conditions can flower and produce edible fruit, but it's very rare indoors. Unripe fruit is irritating, so don't taste-test.

Is monstera safe for pets?

No. Monstera is toxic to cats and dogs, according to the ASPCA. All parts of the plant contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which cause a burning feeling in the mouth if chewed. Signs include drooling, pawing at the mouth, vomiting, and trouble swallowing. It's rarely life-threatening, but it's painful for your pet.

• Keep it where pets can't chew on it, or choose a pet-safe plant like a pilea or peperomia instead.
• Keep it away from small children, and wear gloves when pruning; the sap can irritate skin.
• If your pet chews on it, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply).

Monstera FAQ

Why doesn't my monstera have holes in its leaves? It's probably still young, or it needs more light. Move it to bright, indirect light, give it a pole to climb, and watch the new leaves.

How big will my monstera get? Indoors, usually 6 to 8 feet tall with time and support, with leaves a foot or more across.

Should I cut off the aerial roots? You don't need to. Tuck them into the soil or onto a moss pole, where they help the plant climb and drink. Trimming a few won't hurt it.

Can I grow a new monstera from just a leaf? No. A cutting needs a node, the bump on the stem where the leaf and aerial root grow.

What's the difference between monstera and split-leaf philodendron? Same plant, different nickname. Monstera deliciosa is often sold as split-leaf philodendron, but it isn't a true philodendron.

Is 'Monstera borsigiana' a different plant? Not really. It's an older name many growers still use for a smaller, faster-growing form of Monstera deliciosa. Care is the same.

Shop this plant

Pair it with:

• Chunky Aroid Mix: the airy, fast-draining soil monstera roots need
• A moss pole or plant stake: to help it climb and grow bigger, split leaves
• Plant feet: lift the pot for better drainage and airflow

Sources

For your reference; you don't need to publish this section, though a short "Sources" line at the end of a care guide builds trust.

• Monstera as a Houseplant, Penn State Extension (updated December 2024)
• Monstera deliciosa, NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
• Cutleaf Philodendron (Monstera deliciosa), ASPCA Animal Poison Control
• Swiss-Cheese Plant, Monstera deliciosa, University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension
• Monstera deliciosa, Royal Horticultural Society