Really? My plant looks different from the google search I made. I guess time will tell.... Thanks! :D
ah yeah! Looks a lot like your pic #1. I wonder how well those plants grow from being small like mine, to your #1 pic then bigger to your #2 pic. Thanks you!!! ^..^
Does not appear to be an Anthurium, but there is a positive way to find out quickly. Look at the petiole near the very top. The petiole is the botanical name for the "stem". Right where the petiole attaches to the leaf there will be a geniculum if this is an Anthurium. A geniculum is a bump or swollen part of the petiole and it acts like a ''wrist''. It actually allows the leaf blade to rotate and align itself with the light source. Geniculum only occurs only on some aroid genera including Anthurium and Spathiphyllum. As for Monstera deliciosa, possibly but I would guess some sort of Philodendron. I've grown several hundred Monstera deliciosa from tiny seedlings and don't recall one that looked precisely like this. However, if it begins to produce fenestrations in the leaves then it is certainly a Monstera. The holes are scientifically known as fenestrations which is Latin for window. But many Monstera juvenile plants look similar as well. It is very difficult to guess the species of any juvenile aroid. Philodendron and Monstera "morph" as they grow and almost all have the rounded leaf when small. But as they grow they change into many shapes. The petioles on this one look familiar but I just can't put a name to it. Can you give some measurements? Measure the leaf blade of the largest leaf as well as the full length of the petiole. I'll see if I can figure out something. And if you can photograph just the base of the plant that may help as well.
there is no bump, so it cant be a Anthurium. For now I dont know what my plant needs as far as light or for waterings.
That part is fairly easy. Whether Monstera or Philodendron the plant will do well in bright but not direct light. Both genus (with a very few exceptions) reguire well draining soil that is kept slightly damp. The soil should not be soggy. You can duplicate rain forest soil by mixing the soil yourself. A mixture of moisture control potting mix with orchid potting media containing bark, charcoal and gravel, plus Perlite™ and peat will do nicely. I'd suggest approximately 50% soil, 20% orchid media, 20% Peat, and 10% Perlite™. You are trying to duplicate the natural compost soil mix found on the rain forest floor at all times. There is always a layer of leaves falling from the canopy and those collect around the base of many aroids and other rain forest plant species. They are constantly decomposing and as a result create a natural humus which other plants use to hold moisture and produce nature's own fertilizer. In addition, it rains almost every day in the rain forest so the majority of these species love water. They just don't love to have their roots soggy wet. Many are epiphytes and grow attached to the side of a tree where their roots collect water directly from the atmosphere. They will do fine in a loose soil mix but not in one that is constantly muddy. As for light, when a plant is juvenile, as is your current specimen, it will be trying to grow upwards in order to grab more sunlight. In the forest, sun is a scarce commodity unless you are at the very top of the canopy. Plants grow up the sides of trees because that is the only way they can reach the light. As a result they are called epiphytes, or a plant that grows upon another plant. And as they climb they begin to morph and change the shape of their blade. Many that cannot reach brighter light never morph and simply stay small. A good example is Philodendron hederaceum (your plant is not P. hederaceum). That one is also known as Philodendron scandens, Philodendron miduhoi, Philodendron micans, and literally 25 or so other scientific names. But there is only one base species. It is one of the highly variable rain forest species that has many different leaf forms. Think of it as faces. All humans are the same species, but there are many different faces in the world. If allowed to climb about 10 meters Philodendron hederaceum will morph and grow into a leaf blade close to 16 inches long (40cm). On your kitchen counter they rarely grow larger than a few inches. Tropical aroids are all the same way. So the best way to grow them is to give them indirect light that is as bright as possible. If you give them bright light instead of trying to grow them in a dim room they will grow faster and morph more quickly, especially if allowed to climb a totem. Monstera deliciosa can grow without a totem but does much better if it has a strong support. Keep the plant near a window but just not where they will be burned by direct hot sunlight. Keep the soil mix constantly damp, but not soggy. And if this turns out to be Monstera delicosa it will love water! In nature they often grow along the bank of a stream or river. The more water, the faster they grow. Growing aroid species isn't difficult at all, just give them what they want and they will reward you with long lives and wonderful beauty. And many different "faces".
Checj this link for a better explanation: http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Philodendron hederaceum pc.html
