Monstera adansonii
Monstera adansonii, also called Adanson's monstera, Swiss cheese plant, five holes plant, or Monkey mask plant, is a tropical vine in the Araceae family. It grows across much of South and Central America and is common in tropical forests with hot, humid air. It is a hemiepiphyte, meaning it can climb on other plants or grow on the ground.
Leaves are heart-shaped, thick and waxy, with large oval holes that give it the distinctive “Swiss cheese” look.
As a houseplant, it reaches about 3–5 feet tall; in the wild or outdoors, it can climb up to about 13 feet.
Care is easy: provide bright, indirect light and well-draining soil. Some variegated cultivars exist, such as 'Archipelago'.
There are four recognized subspecies: adansonii, blanchetii, klotzschiana, and laniata.
Distribution includes the West Indies and many Caribbean islands (Antigua, Grenada, Saba, St. Kitts, Guadeloupe, Marie Galante, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Tobago, Trinidad), plus parts of Central and South America. It’s commonly found near river valleys at lower elevations.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 04:48 (CET).