Monstera adansonii · also called Adanson's monstera, five holes plant, Swiss cheese plant (vine), monkey mask
⚠ Toxic to pets
Toxic to cats and/or dogs — keep out of reach.
A fast-growing trailing and climbing aroid whose leaves are riddled with oval holes (fenestrations), giving it its 'Swiss cheese' name. Easier and more compact than its giant cousin Monstera deliciosa, it makes a lush hanging basket or climbs a moss pole indoors.
ℹ️
Educational only. KinStation content is reviewed by licensed veterinarians but cannot replace an in-person exam. Always consult a licensed veterinarian or board-certified specialist for diagnosis, treatment, or any decision affecting your pet's health.
Quick facts
Category
Foliage
Family
Araceae
Native origin
Tropical Central and South America
Care difficulty
Beginner
Light
Bright indirect
Pet toxicity
Toxic to pets
Light
Give bright, indirect light for vigorous, well-fenestrated growth; an east window or a few feet from a brighter window is ideal. It tolerates medium light but makes fewer and smaller holes and grows more slowly. Avoid harsh direct sun, which scorches the thin leaves.
Water
Water when the top inch or two of soil dries, soaking thoroughly and letting it drain; the plant likes evenly moist but not soggy soil. Overwatering and standing water cause yellowing leaves and root rot, while letting it dry out too far browns the foliage. Reduce watering in winter.
Soil & potting
Use a chunky, well-draining aroid-style mix — standard potting mix lightened with bark, perlite, and some coir suits its epiphytic roots. Excellent drainage and aeration prevent rot. A pot with drainage holes is essential, and the plant appreciates a support to climb.
Environment — humidity, temperature, placement
As a tropical aroid it likes warmth and moderate-to-high humidity; higher humidity encourages larger leaves and more fenestration. Keep it above about 60F (16C), away from cold drafts. Provide a moss pole or trellis if you want bigger, more dramatically holed mature leaves rather than smaller trailing ones.
Propagation
Propagate very easily from stem cuttings: take a cutting with at least one node (the bump where a leaf and aerial root emerge) and root it in water or moist mix. Nodes are the key — a cutting with a node roots reliably, while a leaf alone will not. New plants grow quickly in warm, bright, humid conditions.
Toxicity detail
Toxic to cats and dogs — Monstera adansonii (Swiss cheese vine), like other Monstera and most aroids, is listed as toxic by the ASPCA. The plant contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals; chewing or ingesting it can cause intense oral irritation and burning, drooling, pawing at the mouth, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. Keep it out of reach of pets, and if ingestion is suspected contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control toxic plant database (Monstera / cutleaf philodendron group).
Origin & history
Monstera adansonii is native to tropical Central and South America, where it grows as a climbing epiphyte ascending tree trunks toward the light. It is named for the 18th-century French naturalist Michel Adanson. Long overshadowed by the larger Monstera deliciosa, it surged in popularity during the modern houseplant boom for its trailing habit and the lacy, hole-filled leaves that make it instantly recognizable.
Growth stages
How this plant changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Photo coming soon
Seed
Most plants begin as a seed (or spore in ferns) — a dormant package holding the embryo and a food reserve within a protective coat. Given moisture, warmth, and sometimes light, the seed breaks dormancy and germinates.
Photo coming soon
Seedling
The seedling emerges with a root and its first leaves (cotyledons), then true leaves. It is tender and shallow-rooted, dependent on steady moisture and light as it establishes the beginnings of stem and root systems.
Photo coming soon
Vegetative growth
In the vegetative phase the plant focuses on growing roots, stems, and foliage, building the size and structure it needs before flowering. This is the main period of leafing out and, for many houseplants, the stage at which they are grown and propagated.
Mature / Flowering
A mature plant reaches its full habit and, when conditions and age allow, flowers and sets seed (or, for foliage plants, simply attains its full adult size and form). This is the stage shown in most reference photos.
Varieties & cultivars
Natural forms are the wild species; cultivars are selectively-bred colour or variegation forms of the same plant.
Natural forms1
Adansonii (green)
The wild Swiss cheese vine: thin green leaves riddled with enclosed oval holes, trailing or climbing. The classic lacy look.
💡 Bright indirect light and humidity produce more and larger holes.
Cultivars1
Adansonii Variegata
Variegated sport with the same holey leaves splashed in white or cream sectors and half-moons. Rare and unstable.
💡 Bright indirect light feeds the green tissue and limits reverting; white patches scorch in direct sun.
Problems & solutions
Each problem lists a proven fix (horticulture / extension-backed) and, where useful, an anecdotal remedy from the grower community — clearly labeled so you can judge for yourself.
Yellowing leaves
moderate
Symptoms:Leaves turn yellow, sometimes several at once, often starting with the lower or older foliage.
Likely cause:Most commonly overwatering and soggy soil, though it can also stem from underwatering or a nutrient shortage.
✓ Proven fix
Let the top inch or two of mix dry before watering again, ensure the pot drains freely, and use a chunky aroid mix. Remove yellowed leaves and feed lightly in the growing season once watering is corrected.
◇ Anecdotal remedy — grower lore, unverified
Growers often repot a chronically yellowing plant into a chunkier, airier mix and find the problem resolves with the better drainage.
New leaves with few or no holes
mild
Symptoms:Fresh leaves come in solid or only lightly perforated rather than well fenestrated.
Likely cause:Often too little light and a lack of support to climb; young and stressed plants also produce smaller, less-holed leaves.
✓ Proven fix
Give brighter indirect light, provide a moss pole or trellis to climb, and keep humidity up; mature, well-lit climbing growth develops more and larger fenestrations.
◇ Anecdotal remedy — grower lore, unverified
Many keepers report leaves got noticeably holier after adding a moss pole and raising humidity, treating it as the way to 'unlock' the mature look.
Brown, crispy leaf edges
mild
Symptoms:Leaf tips and margins go brown and dry while the rest of the leaf stays green.
Likely cause:Low humidity, underwatering, or excess heat near a vent; the thin leaves crisp in dry air.
✓ Proven fix
Raise humidity, keep the soil evenly moist (not soggy), and move the plant away from heating vents and drafts. Trim damaged edges and the new growth should come in clean.
Anecdotes & grower lore
Community experience and cultural notes — not horticultural guarantees. Conditions vary by home; treat these as colour, not prescriptions.
Plant enthusiasts love debating the why of the holes: the leading idea is that fenestrations let light and rain pass through to lower leaves and help the foliage withstand tropical downpours, and growers enjoy watching new leaves 'unfurl' with their signature perforations. There is also persistent community lore that more humidity and a good climbing pole 'unlock' bigger, holier leaves — partly true — which sends many keepers on a quest to coax their vine into ever more dramatic Swiss-cheese forms.
Reviewed and signed off by: KinStation Editorial — pre-launch draft (pending horticulture review) on 2026-05-28
