Looks like a cultivar of Epipremnium aureum to me... But of course I could be wrong, and it could also be a Philodendron or an Anthurium. Can you post a cloesup of the leaves?
also...this plant is trasnpires like crazy!!! I've never even witnessed transpiration by a plant before other than like grass..or plants outside. Why is this? I recently just transplanted it to a different pot and used a miracle grow type soil for it...its recommended for African Violets...do you think this has anything to do with it? Is this type of soil OK to use for this plant? I mean I live in San Francisco, California...it doesn't get too hot up here and I heard that transpiration is usually caused by too much heat...I literally went to bed last night (the room was dark where the plant stayed) and I woke up this morning and it had water droplets hanging off all the leaves...what is going on here?
This appears to be a juvenile form of Monstera deliciosa. Look at the morphing leaf near the pot which is now developing the divided leaves. It should eventually begin to develop holes in the leaves known as fenestration (windows). There are many plants similar to this so only time will tell what the actual species may be. Even Epipremnum aureum can morph to have pinnate )divided) leaf margins but rarely does so at this young age. The leaves or Monstera delicosa can become very large in a home setting. This is an aroid and no aroid should be planted in a non-draining pot. The soil needs to be very porous and fast draining even though this plant normally lives along streams in the rain forest. These articles may help you to understand how the plant grows as well as morphs: Monstera deliciosa: http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Monstera deliciosa large pc.html Natural variation and ontogeny: http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Natural variation within aroid and plant species.html Use a pot that has drain holes, keep the plant in bright light, and use a soil mixture similar to the one described below, the exact mixture is not critical but don't use off the shelf potting soil alone if you want the plant to prosper. Use about 40% Moisture Control potting soil, 20 to 30% peat moss with the balance orchid bark, humus and granulated charcoal similar to aquarium charcoal or a horticultural charcoal.
is it a monstera deliciosa or a philodendron cause they both look similar to this plant...this plant is at least 3 years old...check out the roots or it and let me know if they look normal...they are like coming out of the soil but the plant looks so healthy so I dont know if that is normal or not
As soon as I saw the thumbnails, I thought it looked like a young Monstera deliciosa. I knew photopro would be able to say. Of course that's what he posted, too! Closer examination of each photo only convinces me that he nailed the ID. I've had one that looked like this. It was a cutting that had been in pretty poor condition and took a few years to recover to the more usual appearance with the holes in the leaves. Eventually, it fruited for me, growing up the side of my chimney in Florida. It's possible it's something else in the aroids, but it sure looks like Monstera to me.
see how the leaf is starting to develop that discolored line on it...does this mean it is making its transition into forming lobes?
I see nothing in your last photo that would indicate this leaf is about to morph into the next phase of growth although others are likely to be about ready. The growing position of the roots (either in or out of the soil) has zero to do with the determination of whether or not this plant is a Philodendron or a Monstera and it is quite natural for the roots to be out of the soil. I have a specimen in my atrium now 12 feet up into a tree that frequently produces fruit and there are roots 8 feet or more hanging down to the soil. If you have ever heard the term liane, that is what it means. Roots and vines hanging downward from any epiphyte or hemiepiphitic plant. There are approximately 1000 species of Philodendron but currently only 35 accepted species of Monstera. All Philodendron and Monstera are native to Central America, South America with a few in the Caribbean. They do grow in the Pacific and Asia but only as imported species. Monstera species are hemiepiphitic which means they normally begin life as a seed in the soil and grow toward the closest tree in order to climb. They find the tree by seeking the shade around the tree through a well documented process known as scototropic growth or scotropism. The genes of the plant are pre-programmed to make it seek darkness so it can eventually climb a tree to reach the brightest light possible in the rain forest. The definition of a hemiepiphyte is actually much more involved but I won't confuse this discussion with the differences since I am virtually certain some of you are already bored to tears.. The only accurate way to determine a species is to count and measure all the characteristics of a plant and compare them to the scientific description. You must count the veins on all the adult leaves, measure the internodes on the stem as well as the distance between them, accurately check the petiole's shape to determine if there are depressions in it known as being canaliculate or sulcate, look closely for striation (lines) check the color of the roots and compare the inflorescence to known specimens. Since this plant has just begun to morph little of this will be apparent. To make it even more complicated all aroids are variable which can through many changes into the mix which few growers know how to compare. If you take the time to read the link I posted earlier you will quickly learn why. There is one very distinct characteristic known to Monstera but not known to Philodendron. There is another characteristic you may be able to observe but it may be less obvious at this juvenile size. Virtually all growers do not understand that both Philodendron and Monstera go through many changes due to age as they grow. Just as you don't look your baby photos now, or when you were 6, 12, 18, 30 or other ages......aroids morph and change all through their lives. Philodendron species never produce a geniculum while Monstera do. If you check the leaf in the photo I have copied from your photos, check this one since it is highly unlikely either will be apparent on the more juvenile leaves. A geniculum is a knee or elbow-like structure at the very top of the petiole. The petiole is the stalk that supports the leaves and is not a "stem". The stem is the base or central axis of the plant on which you will find the nodes and internodes as well as the roots. Feel the very top of the petiole at the point where it joins the leaf. You may be able to feel an area that feels slightly swollen or rough. The geniculum allows the leaves to rotate to a degree in order to collect more sunlight and are never found on a Philodendron. Now look at the opposite end of the petiole near the stem and see if you can see a petiolar sheath. The petiolar sheath will appear as a pair of "wings" growing on the top of the petiole very near the base. It serves the same purpose as a cataphyll in Philodendron species. The cataphyll forms around any newly developing leaf to protect that fragile leaf as it unfurls. A few Philodendron have petiolar sheaths but not nearly as many as Monstera since all have a sheath. Your plant many be too juvenile to observe either the sheath or the geniculum. There are many other differences in the two genera but at this age it is just too young to see them. As for the age of the plant, I have had juvenile Monstera begin to produce fenestrated leaves at well under two years of age. Such folklore is commonly found on the internet but the internet is absolutely filled with fantasy, especially when it comes to aroids. Whether you or anyone else prefers to call this plant a Philodendron or a Monstera is absolutely immaterial if all you wish to do is grow it. To folks like me that study aroids every day of the year it is highly important and I can guarantee you this plant has a very low chance of being a Philodendron. I would not be so blatant as to try to give you a guaranteed identification because I know of virtually not one qualified botanist that would do so. I correspond regularly with all 9 of the world's top aroid botanists and all have taught me it is fool hardy to give a guarantee of any species unless you can lay your hands on the specimen. Photos are very deceptive. The only way to do that with accuracy is to have the plant in hand, count the veins, examine if they are raised or depressed (and on which side), check the shape of the petiole, examine the roots, measure the petiole, and see it producing an inflorescence. There is a chance this could be an Asian species but I highly doubt it. If you would like to read the scientific description of Monstera delicosa I will gladly forward it too you so you can compare the characteristics yourself once the plant matures, which I would guess will be in about two more years, possibly three. But please allow me to warn you to buy a good botanical dictionary first, you will be learning a ton of brand new scientific terms. By the way, there are two described variations of Monstera deliciosa and one rarely produces leaves much over 12 to 18 inches. However, that one is quite rare in collections and is not available from tissue culture while the normal Monstera deliciosa is sold in almost every garden center in the United States since hundreds of thousands are produce in a tissue culture lab at some lab in the United States, Asia or Europe. It took me 10 years of searching to fine the miniature form. Good luck growing the plant but be prepared to be patient. Oh yes, be very careful of what you read and believe on the internet. It is filled to overflowing with made-up trash about aroids like this. Join the International Aroid Society and I can guarantee you will find the resources to tell fact form myth. The link is below my name. Steve
Hi Steve, Thank you so much for all the wealth of information, you've been a great help with teaching me what plant I have here. I've looked high and low and never would have been able to figure out what it was without someone like you to enlighten me. While I am just a novice "grower" if at all able to be classified as such, I really just love collecting and cultivating as a hobby! Will definitely be back to pick your brain in the near future :) Take care, Shannon
I just read some of my mentor's notes, aroid botanist Dr. Tom Croat at the Missouri Botanical Garden and will quote it directly with a brief translation so you can compare it to your plant. "leaves weakly glossy; petioles sheathed nearly throughout, promptly deciduous, sharply sulcate adaxially, dark green, weakly glossy; geniculum narrowly and sharply sulcate;" The first statement is variable from plant to plant but the upper surface of the leaf blade is normally only somewhat glossy. The petiolar sheath I described earlier runs roughly the length of the petiole but becomes deciduous shortly after the leaf fully opens. Deciduous just means it falls off so look for new leaves to see if you can observe the petiolar sheath. The geniculum I described should also be narrowly but sharply sulcate. Sulcate indicates there will be a groove in the upper surface of the petiole (stalk that supports a leaf). Sulcate can also mean there are a series of tiny parallel grooves inside the sulcus (groove) I will examine my large plant in the morning and see if I can get a good photo. The petiole should also be distinctively green. The scientific description of the plant is lengthy and filled with technical terms of which the majority only apply to an adult plant. The only way to be certain of a species' identification is to carefully examine the plant and compare the features to notes like this. Steve
You were typing at the same time I was adding notes. We are all just growers and at some time everyone of us is a novice. Every time I visit with Dr. Croat he reminds me of how little I know but after I leave I always have a notebook filled with notes to study. We all learn by observation and seeking the facts. I am always glad to try to help. Steve
