Can anyone identify this house plant? It has aerial roots. It has been suggested that it is some variety of philodendron. Thank you, E Benoit
It is either a Split-leaf Philodendron (Philodendron selloum) or a Monstera deliciosa. The two get confused all the time, and frankly I don't know the difference either. It is one of the two so I hope that that helps. Michael
i would lean toward the split leaf philodendrom because of that root coming out of the pot,i have some varieties in my yard,but not that one.i took some of mine and planted at the base of my oak trees and let them climb into them,looks quite wonderful.but i am in zone 9-10 here ,so wouldn't work where you are.they make great house plants.
I think this is a Monstera deliciosa. Both M. deliciosa and Philodendron selloum have aerial roots. P. selloum however, usually has leaves where the lobes are either rounded or come to a point like fingers. Also the general outline of the leaf is not heart-shaped with the trapezoidal lobes as yours is. The links are to image searches for both species. Harry
It is a monstera. DON'T ever take it out of the pot, or if you do, repot it. Don't let it loose. It will take over your world if it finds smthing to climb. The selloum has jaggedy feathered edges, larger stems and larger leaves.
I agree that it's a Monstera deliciosa. Chuck is right also, they can become quite large. My mother had one that was well over 6 feet tall (climbing on a trellis) she finally had to give it to someone with taller ceilings than hers!
I have both Philodendron selloum and Monstera deliciosa. Although they look very different, I got the names mixed up before as well because when I was reading up on them, it seems they go by the same common name - Split-leaf philodendron. Do they have other common names that are different from each other?
It looks like Monstera deliciosa, though I thought that in North America Monstera is commonly called "split-leaf philodendron", which shows the traps in common names. And Chuck, did you notice that eabenoit is in Ottawa? I hardly think Monstera will be as uncontrollable there as it is in Florida!
Wildly, one might presume that with a very large pot and a heck of a lot of fertilizer one could have a rampant philo. Seriously, you are right. I did let my geography slip by unnoticed. It is December 15 and our current COLD spell has the temp clear down to 62 degrees, and my heat is ON. And my giant philo is happily growing outside. (The stems are about 1 1/4 inch in diameter and I'm about to whack it back to manageable size, again).
I took a cutting off of a friends and apparently it loves where it is because it is 8 ft tall then is has managed to follow the ceiling lines all the way around the dinning room. I trim back the arial roots because it was defiantely taking over and when they stick to the wall the brown outter layer of the root is very very difficult to scrub off the wall/ceiling...
I just bought one, for the grand sum of $4.59, last thursday. It is tagged a "Split-Leaf Philodendron, Monstera deliciosa.
to end this...... monstera s leaves have holes and lobes with straighter edges... the split leaf has deep lobing leaves without the holes. Despite what everyone says they are not the same plant..... they dont even originate fromt he same area
Canadianplant -- just to clarify, can you tell us the respective botanical names of the plants you say "are not the same plant", and their respective wild origins?
monstera is a vining plants while philidendron selloum is a "tree" monstera is from central america and the evry northern op of soudn america.. Philodendrons are form brasil and around the mind north of s america. just becasue they look the same and they sell them as that name doesnt mean thats swhat there called. Monst of the western world were selling windmill palms as washington robusa. and have ben having trouble with most of the trachy genus untill recetly.
This plant is certainly Monstera deliciosa Liebm.. This is a climbing vine that can grow extremely large in the wild but is easily controlled in horticulture. Just cut it! If it gets bigger than you want cut off what you don't want and give it away. The piece cut off can be easily repotted provided their are air roots present. If there are none, it will eventually grow new ones. In fact, you can cut the cane into 6 inch pieces and begin a large number of new plants. That is one method used by professional growers to reproduce the plant. The plant begins as a single bladed plant and after approximately a year of growth develops the holes common to Monstera species. Growth can be controlled by the amount of water you offer the plant. If you water often it will grow quickly. I have seen the plant grow to a height of over 15 meters (50 feet) with leaves that are easily one meter wide. The plant produces an edible fruit that tastes very much like pineapple. The fruit is the ripened portion of the plant's spadix. Despite the fact you'll find all kinds of sites that tell you it is a "deadly poison", the fruit is not and is commonly eaten by folks all over the Caribbean and Central and South America. The plant can be grown in relatively low light and as such makes a good house plant with the exception of it's inevitable size. It also tolerates fairly bright light but will loose most of its color if exposed to direct sunlight. Also, I hate to pop any "bubbles" but "Philodendron selloum" is not a valid species. The actual species name is Philodendron bipinnatifidum Schott ex Endl. The two plants are substantially different in the adult form. You can check any major botanical website such as the Missouri Botanical Garden's TROPICOS to verify this information. "Philodendron selloum" is simply a common name often used by horticulturalists. The Philodendron is multi-lobed and pinnatified (cut to the midrib) while the Monstera blade simply divides with holes and sometimes leaves that appear vaguely pinnatified at the edge. Here are a couple of links you may find useful: http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Monstera deliciosa large pc.html and http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Philodendron bipinnatifidum pc.html The plant was named Monstera deliciosa because the fruit is truly delicious. We have three fruit now ripending in our rainforest atrium. Steve Lucas
My Dad has the same plant and he thought he would put it in a " decrative pot " without transplanting it. the poor plant stayed in the same pot he bought it in for 12 years. it barely splits because he won't give it adiquit sunlight, and forget about the fruit, it won't even climb. I thought Id share a sad story about a beautiful plant. Do you think I should confinscate it?
Given inadequate water, room to grow, less than ideal light, and no source of food many aroids will remain almost dormant while others will continue to outgrow their domain. Aroids as a group are a strange group of plants that little is still known about scientifically. Dr. Croat exchanges information with a group of us about their growth on a regular basis. I'd venture a guess that if this plant was given a larger pot that will drain well it would begin to grow dramatically. If you give this species a large pot with a very loose soil mixture (potting soil, peat, Perlite, and orchid potting media well mixed) and water it every 3 or 4 days it will take on a new life. Monstera deliciosa will not produce fruit under less than ideal conditions but can still become a beautiful plant. In their natural condition the plant would get zero food but if you give it some dilute fertilizer it will likely amaze you with new growth. It will grow adequately in room light but will do better if you can give it a brighter source of light, just not direct sunlight.
