Are you wondering why your "Monstera" isn't growing large leaves with fenestrations (aka the holes along the middle of the plant) ???? Well, it may not be a Monstera.
Some key differences between the Monstera and Philodendron
Philodendron split leaf plants may come labelled as "swiss cheese plant" or Monstera deliciosa. Not very often will you see the plant labelled as a Philodendron. This is partly due to this topic being highly controversial (see bottom of page for info on this)! A quick Google search will tell you that some people in the plant community believe the botanical name for this plant is Monstera Deliciosa, and others think it should be Philodendron bipinnatifidum or Philodendron selloum. I recommend looking at the plants characteristics to determine which plant you have, or are considering buying, rather than relying on the name.
Monstera deliciosa characteristics:
Mature Monstera deliciosa plants will have fenestrations and many splits in their leaves. Fenestrations are the holes along the rib of the plant, as seen in the picture to the left.
The stem of the plant as it turns into leaf (the petiole) flattens and is often rippled along the edges. This can be seen in the image below.
Philodendron split leaf characteristics:
Philodendron split leaf plants, unlike the Monstera deliciosa, will not develop fenestrations along the middle of the plant. They will have less "split leaves" and are often not symmetrical. But be aware undeveloped splits can look like fenestrations. They may have a hole in the middle of the leaf, without fully splitting to the edge of the leaf. This, however, is just a split that did not fully grow. Confusing, right??
These plants also maintain a round stem and petiole, and will not feature ripples along the petiole like the Monstera deliciosa. The leaves are often much smaller compared to a Monstera deliciosa as well.
Examples of the Philodendron split leaf characteristics are seen in the images below.
To make it even more confusing...
Both plants belong to the same plant family called Araceae, which explains why they look so similar. Both plants are also aroids, which means they can flower (extremely rare outside of their natural habitat), and can climb with help of their aerial roots.
While both plants are young and small, they are hard to distinguish. The Monstera deliciosa will look like a Philodendron split leaf because it won't develop fenestrations or many splits until it matures. A young Monstera may also lack the flattened and rippled petioles.
Because it is hard to know which plant it is until it matures I recommend you get a cutting from a friend. You ideally would get a mature leaf cutting, so you can see the large leaves, the fenestrations, and the many symmetrical splits (if you are looking for a Monstera deliciosa that is). You will need to be patient while waiting for new leaves to grow from your cutting though.
If you would like a cutting, and don't know how to get one, let me know! I LOVE Monstera deliciosa plants and have many! I'd be happy to set you up with a cutting from my own plants.
*This topic is highly debated in the plant world. At this time no opinion on naming is wrong, however I use the name Philodendron split leaf myself to distinguish between the two plant types. Calling both plants Monstera deliciosa isn't technically wrong, but they are two different plants when they mature. This blog is to help you determine which plant you have, or are in search of. This blog post will be updated when I am aware of a definite botanical name for the Philodendron split leaf plant.
Images are courtesy of Wix and third & fern.
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