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March 10, 2020 in Indoor plants

The whole scoop on the Monstera Swiss Cheese Vine Plant and why you need this low-light indoor houseplant now!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I'll make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Swiss cheese vine, Monstera adansonii (friedrichstehlii)

Swiss cheese vine, Monstera adansonii (friedrichstehlii)
Plant favoritism. It’s real, folks! 

As a mom of three, you’d think I’d have learned by now that favoritism in wrong. But no, it’s surfaced in my life.

​My Swiss cheese vine, Monstera adansonii (friedrichstehlii) is an exotic beauty. A rare find and the apple of my eye.

​The Swiss cheese plant is in stiff competition with my Chinese money plants whom I also dearly love. Somebody help me.

Cascading in a hanging pot, my Monstera adansonii (friedrichsthelii) is always in view. And it’s there to stay reigning supreme between the kitchen and den.

​As to anyone who comes over and fails to admire said plant….my stern eye is dire. How dare they?

​An amazing plant that puts you in the tropics without leaving home. Or pay the exorbitant price for a  plane ticket.

Here’s why you simply must get a Monstera adansonii (friedrichstehlii) and how to best care for this plant. 

Swiss cheese vine, Monstera adansonii (friedrichstehlii)Picture

Holy moly!

If you find yourself saying “holy moly” when you see this plant in person, it’s no wonder. 

The holes. Aren’t they spectacular? Each mature leaf displays multiple oval holes.

The theory is as follows: the holes resembling Swiss cheese allow sun and water through to the lower leaves in tropical environments and help the leaves stand up to the forceful wind.

I put my first Swiss cheese plant in a hanging planter so it can climb up or trail down. If you want yours to climb, it’s never a bad idea to stake it.  Whatever the plant prefers!

Perhaps the most special feature of the Swiss cheese plant is this: truly, no two plants look the same.

Some plants boast leaves that magnificently mimic Swiss cheese with numerous holes while other plants have leaves with fewer holes.

They even vary in color. Some plants sport darker foliage while others as shown above have lighter stems and leaves.

But all are exotic and alluring in their unique way! 

Fun Monstera fact!

Monstera plants are known for their distinctive leaf patterns. The slits and holes in Monstera leaves are called fenestrations! 
Swiss cheese vine, Monstera adansonii (friedrichstehlii)Picture

Fast Facts….

  • Growing Zone:
  • Mature Height:
  • Mature Width:
  • Classification:
  • Sunlight:

​

  • Habit:
  • Flower color
  • Foliage
  • Soil condition
  • Water requirements

​

  • ​Uses
  • 9-11
  • 30 – 36″
  • 36″
  • tropical
  • ​Bright, indirect light – fluorescent light okay, too!
  • upright
  • does not flower often
  • medium to dark green
  • well draining, cactus or succulent mix
  • likes to go dry

​

  • ​does well indoors in low light conditions
Swiss cheese vine, Monstera adansonii (friedrichstehlii)Picture

Top 5 ways not to kill this plant

1.) Never give the Swiss cheese plant direct sunlight. It easily gets sunburned and you’ll scorch the leaves.

Much better is all day bright, but indirect light. Fluorescent light is fine, too.

2.) Allow the Swiss cheese plant to dry out between waterings. Swiss cheese plants that are overwatered tend to rot and die.

The Swiss cheese plant never wants to sit or stand in any water. So no collection tray underneath. And if you plant in a pot without drainage holes, you’d better be extra careful not to overwater.

My Swiss cheese plants have gone weeks without watering suffering no ill side effects. They don’t even get droopy or wilt. 

When in doubt, don’t water. Poke your finger in the soil, if you feel any moisture, wait a few more days to water.  

3.) Re-pot every other year in nutrient dense soil containing peat or perlite to increase drainage.

​Failure to keep this plants in nutritious soil could be detrimental to these plants.

I highly suggest using a cactus or succulent potting mix. Add your own perlite to the formula for fantastic results. 

Swiss cheese vine, Monstera adansonii (friedrichstehlii)Picture

4.) Carefully consider where the Monstera adansonii will reside in your home. In a perfect world, it would thrive in a conservatory or greenhouse where humidity, temperature and light are all ideal.

My house lacks a conservatory (bummer) but I do have a kitchen with lots of bright, but indirect light.

The kitchen also boasts a fair bit of humidity for this plant. But maybe you have a well- lit bathroom where there’s lots of humidity? Your Swiss cheese plant will likely be happy there.

​5.) Don’t fuss. In my experience, the more you fuss over plants, the more they die. Give them tons of light, and don’t trouble yourself by overwatering. Rots those roots every time!

If you really want to spoil your Monstera adansonii, consider buying it a humidifier. Not only will it keep the air moist near the plant, but the extra humidity in your home will do you a ton of good.

Keep this houseplant in a dwelling 60 degrees Fahrenheit or above if possible. Misting is a big, bonus spin! 

Swiss cheese vine, Monstera adansonii (friedrichstehlii)Picture

Propagation of the Monstera adansonii (friedrichsthalii)

So I’ve experimented a lot  with propagating both in water and in soil. 

Since I’ve had more success rooting in water over soil, that’s my preference.

One stark advantage to rooting in soil, however, is that that new roots don’t need to adjust. They are already acclimated to soil and all the wonderful microbiology within.

Not so with plants rooted in water. They’ll go through an adjustment phrase when you re-plant from the water to the soil.

Even if you are successful with getting lots of roots via water propagation, when you go to re-plant, they may still rot in the new soil. It happens!

The first step to propagating a Monstera adansonii (friedrichsthalii) is to find a node. They are the nubs and ridges on the stem and typically have a few aerial roots protruding out from them.

Although you only “need” one node to root, it’s better to have two or three nodes when attempting propagation. In my experience, one or two of them never grow roots, sometimes rotting altogether.

But when you have 2-3 nodes underwater, usually at least one will sprout some healthy new roots.

Swiss cheese vine, Monstera adansonii (friedrichstehlii)Picture

Cut far away from the node that you want to root.

You do this so that when the mother plant starts regrowing there’s not going to be a dry stick poking out from the old node when the plants starts putting out new growth.

Cut as close to the mother plant as you can to avoid having this useless and unattractive stem protruding out.

Submerge the node/nodes underwater. Hopefully, your cutting has 2-3 leaves on top as well.   

In about a week, two at the most, you should see beautiful roots forming in your clear vase. If not, what do you see?

Has rotting occurred? If so, make a tiny 45 degree cut below the node and stick it back in water. This provides a new surface area to expose to the water to potentially sprout roots. Use fresh water every time. 

One last tip is to change your water every few days. It’s not absolutely essential, but I’ve had more success when I’ve changed the water than not.

If your cuttings are still rotting after a week or two with no roots forming, change the type of water that you are using. 

Try pure, filtered water for your cuttings. Maybe the cuttings don’t like your tap water and that’s why they are rotting instead of producing new roots.  

Swiss cheese vine, Monstera adansonii (friedrichstehlii)Picture

Final epiphany

Prior to owning a Monstera adansonii, I had read all over the internet that this plant was pretty fast growing. 

I’m sorry to say that hasn’t been my experience. I literally do jumping jacks when I notice a new leaf. It’s not that my plant doesn’t look healthy, in fact, it always has looked fantastic.

​It just doesn’t grow particularly quick. That could be because I can’t offer the plant idyllic conditions with high humidity and such.

So you can buy a plant off Etsy in the $10-$12 range but you get what you pay for. A tiny plant that won’t come into its own for many years to come.

It will be five years at least before you have anything close resembling the plants you see in the stock photos on the web. I’m not that patient.

Garden Goods Direct sent me a plant that I won’t have to wait until I retire to enjoy. With thirteen leaves already, it’s big enough to take a cutting from if I choose to.

I won’t by the way. I’m just savoring the plant “as is” in all it’s size and glamour. 

Do you grow Monstera plants?

77 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarJoanna says

    January 30, 2021 at 1:48 pm

    It is a beautiful plant, but I do not have any Monstera plants. I used to have one a long time ago and it got large and leggy if I remember correctly. It was not this variety or I would have taken better care of it. Yours is a beauty!

    Reply
  2. AvatarKirsten says

    January 30, 2021 at 2:15 pm

    I have never seen these before. Very interesting. It would take a bit of time for my brain not to freak out about the holes in the leaves. I would automatically start looking for bugs.

    Reply
  3. AvatarAudrey says

    January 30, 2021 at 2:36 pm

    Interesting plant

    Reply
  4. AvatarHeidi says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:00 pm

    I really want one of these plants. I love all the holes.

    Reply
  5. AvatarThanay Binford says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:16 pm

    thrse are awesome, just got me one

    Reply
  6. AvatarFrancine says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:17 pm

    friedrichstehlii Is my favorite! Your pictures do it justice!!

    Reply
  7. AvatarDavid Travis says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:17 pm

    Very helpdul.

    Reply
  8. AvatarJill H says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:17 pm

    Not crazy about this particular plant.

    Reply
  9. AvatarJanis C says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:18 pm

    I’ve never seen anything like this. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  10. AvatarRonnell Storie says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:23 pm

    It is different looking. I don’t do houseplants.

    Reply
  11. AvatarAlisha Mccracken says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:24 pm

    I have never had one of these. Very interesting.

    Reply
  12. AvatarRena Walter says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:35 pm

    This is quite unique!

    Reply
  13. AvatarWendy McBride says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:35 pm

    Pretty cool looking plant. My house is small and with toddlers….so I don’t have any houseplants here. Maybe a hanging one might work well.

    Reply
  14. AvatarMichelle Proper says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:37 pm

    Love the name! So fitting! LOL

    Reply
  15. Avatarkim salmi says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:37 pm

    That plant is so unusual I absolutely love it ! I have never had plants of this variety before but I’m considering adding some as I’m just starting a new collection in my new apartment .Thanks for sharing : )

    Reply
  16. AvatarLisa Cress says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:39 pm

    I have never seen this plant! It looks a lot like my plants after my cat has taken bites out of them!

    Reply
  17. AvatarChad Boyd says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:39 pm

    Very unique looking plant, I know the wife would really love this!

    Reply
  18. Avatardennis case says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:42 pm

    love the look

    Reply
  19. AvatarChris Civitello says

    January 30, 2021 at 4:04 pm

    What a different looking plant!

    Reply
  20. AvatarJamie L Grimes says

    January 30, 2021 at 4:08 pm

    I do not have these but am looking to expand my plant collection

    Reply
  21. AvatarTina L Hairston says

    January 30, 2021 at 4:18 pm

    Love learning about new plants, especially low maintenance ones.

    Reply
  22. AvatarTami Lewis says

    January 30, 2021 at 4:20 pm

    I’ve never seen this before, thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  23. AvatarCheryll Powning says

    January 30, 2021 at 4:27 pm

    Really pretty plant with it’s delicate leaves. I’d love to grow one.

    Reply
  24. AvatarDiane Warstler says

    January 30, 2021 at 5:50 pm

    I love the plant, the look, and how well it thrives.

    Reply
  25. AvatarNancy Thompson says

    January 30, 2021 at 6:00 pm

    Unique plant

    Reply
  26. AvatarBarbara Calder says

    January 30, 2021 at 6:03 pm

    Thanks for the growing information!

    Reply
  27. Avatarellen beck says

    January 30, 2021 at 6:08 pm

    I wish I could find plants like you do! I do not know anyone who has them

    Reply
  28. AvatarKen Ohl says

    January 30, 2021 at 6:50 pm

    boy these look terrific making me hungry for sure

    Reply
  29. AvatarLiz Kilcher says

    January 30, 2021 at 7:11 pm

    i like this plant!!! thank you

    Reply
  30. AvatarJennifer George says

    January 30, 2021 at 10:45 pm

    Neat looking plant

    Reply
  31. AvatarErika L. says

    January 30, 2021 at 10:47 pm

    Such a fun and unique plant!

    Reply
  32. AvatarDebbie P says

    January 30, 2021 at 11:09 pm

    I have never seen this plant before. It looks very cool. And I would like to f=grow some of these this coming summer!

    Reply
  33. AvatarShirley Lee says

    January 30, 2021 at 11:09 pm

    I live in a trailer park, so the “soil” is dubious. I make a hobby of seeing what will or will not grow here. Nasturtiums are happiest, but I’ll plant anything I can get. Well, not toxic stuff, but you know

    Reply
    • AvatarBeth Koogle says

      January 31, 2021 at 8:43 am

      Very nice plant!

      Reply
  34. AvatarElisse says

    January 31, 2021 at 8:33 am

    I love all the holes, but sometimes they do remind me of plants that have been attacked by bugs. LOL

    Reply
  35. AvatarPeggy Nunn says

    January 31, 2021 at 12:43 pm

    This would be good for my office. There is not a lot of light in there.

    Reply
  36. AvatarLisa says

    January 31, 2021 at 1:47 pm

    I’ve never seen the Swiss cheese plant before. Looks like you took a paper cutter and cut out shapes on each leaf. Mother nature is truly amazing.

    Reply
  37. AvatarDeeAnn S says

    January 31, 2021 at 3:54 pm

    This is a unique plant! I could certainly use a few new low light indoor plants. Thanks.

    Reply
  38. Avatarcandy says

    January 31, 2021 at 4:14 pm

    looks like a peace lily with holes

    Reply
  39. AvatarDebbie Welchert says

    January 31, 2021 at 5:39 pm

    What an interesting plant. I would love to have one but I would kill it. I don’t have much luck with growing plants in the house.

    Reply
  40. AvatarDeb Craig says

    January 31, 2021 at 7:11 pm

    Very Nice Plant!!!

    Reply
  41. AvatarPam Muldowney says

    January 31, 2021 at 9:42 pm

    I don’t have any monstera plants. I have to admit that when I first saw this, I thought this was a bad after picture of what not to do to your plants. Very interesting.

    Reply
  42. Avatarhumera tabassum says

    January 31, 2021 at 9:46 pm

    nice plant for indoor setup

    Reply
  43. AvatarTony Platz says

    January 31, 2021 at 9:50 pm

    I have never seen this plant before nut it has a pretty and unique look .

    Reply
  44. AvatarJenni Phillips says

    January 31, 2021 at 9:51 pm

    These are quite interesting looking with the holes!

    Reply
  45. AvatarVanessa Grayer says

    January 31, 2021 at 9:55 pm

    I love planting flowers and gardening.

    Reply
  46. AvatarRon Weinberg says

    January 31, 2021 at 11:32 pm

    I would love to photograph these beautiful Plants & flowers.

    Reply
  47. AvatarTrish F says

    February 1, 2021 at 5:16 am

    I’m interested in low light plants as I live in a log cabin & have a living room that doesn’t get much light. I will have to seek this one out. Thanks!

    Reply
  48. AvatarTrey Stone says

    February 1, 2021 at 5:19 am

    Great stuff!!

    Reply
  49. AvatarJacqueline Graves says

    February 1, 2021 at 5:21 pm

    I have one of these that my friend “pawned” off on my. ha You cannot kill this plant! 🙂

    Reply
  50. Avatardanielle h says

    February 1, 2021 at 8:27 pm

    great info

    Reply
  51. AvatarRonda says

    February 2, 2021 at 2:30 am

    These are so cool

    Reply
  52. AvatarLeela says

    February 2, 2021 at 8:51 am

    It is such a pretty plant.

    Reply
  53. AvatarDarla Peduzzi says

    February 2, 2021 at 7:46 pm

    I’ve never seen these plants before, but I love the unique leaves.

    Reply
  54. AvatarBrandy Crabtree says

    February 3, 2021 at 4:54 am

    I love these plants! It’s on my list as a next purchase!

    Reply
  55. AvatarDIANE ERAL says

    February 3, 2021 at 7:20 am

    This plant is quite interesting. I don’t really care for it.

    Reply
  56. AvatarJohn Dickson says

    February 3, 2021 at 1:51 pm

    Love this.

    Reply
  57. AvatarMichelle Heughan says

    February 3, 2021 at 3:36 pm

    I am more of an outdoor gardener, even with the leaf hole symmetry, my brain still jumps to PESTS on the plant!😂

    Reply
  58. Avatarcylina williams says

    February 3, 2021 at 4:47 pm

    This looks very different! I will search for this for myself!

    Reply
  59. AvatarClarice Skanes says

    February 3, 2021 at 5:15 pm

    Swiss Cheese is a good name for this Monstera Vine plant.

    Reply
  60. Avatarkathy m says

    February 3, 2021 at 11:46 pm

    These are so unique! Love the leaf look – seeing the dirt underneath! will have to see if I have a good place to put one! thanks for the care information – it is appreciated!

    Reply
  61. AvatarShirley Symon says

    February 4, 2021 at 3:01 am

    Well okay.. if I saw this plant I would think my cat got hungry.

    Reply
  62. AvatarLindaW says

    February 4, 2021 at 4:27 am

    What lovely, dramatic fenestrations they have. (And hey, I learned a cool new word! Bonus!)

    Reply
  63. AvatarAbigail Schuette says

    February 4, 2021 at 9:04 am

    Absolutely fabulous id love too! Wonderful article!

    Reply
  64. AvatarMichael Villani says

    February 4, 2021 at 1:26 pm

    Cheers!

    Reply
  65. AvatarBrittany Gilley says

    February 4, 2021 at 7:14 pm

    this is my favorite indoor plant

    Reply
  66. AvatarCrystal Abel says

    February 4, 2021 at 11:01 pm

    I’ve always wanted a Monstera Swiss Cheese Vine Plant!

    Reply
  67. AvatarPatricia A Webb says

    February 5, 2021 at 2:24 am

    Never heard of these plants before, but plan to search one out and see what I can do with one. Very interesting to say the least.

    Reply
  68. AvatarMaryann D. says

    February 7, 2021 at 12:48 pm

    This low-light indoor houseplant would be lovely to have in my living room. Definitely a unique plant to take care of.

    Reply
  69. AvatarTeri A. says

    February 9, 2021 at 2:24 am

    I don’t have one and had never seen or heard of it before.

    Reply
  70. AvatarSunnymay says

    February 10, 2021 at 9:49 pm

    The Monstera plant is one that is on trend and I see it in many rooms in pictures on the internet. Thanks for all the tips about letting it dry between waterings and what the holes in the leaves are for. I didn’t know that it needs indirect light, humidity, repot every 2 years and how to make cuttings for propagation.

    Reply
  71. AvatarMelinda Barlow says

    February 11, 2021 at 12:29 am

    This plant looks like my kitties have attacked it already! Interesting plant.

    Reply
  72. AvatarMichael Coovert says

    February 11, 2021 at 8:40 pm

    What an interesting plant. At first glance, it can look like there is something wrong with them.

    Reply
  73. AvatarCamille B says

    February 12, 2021 at 6:30 am

    My toddler loves this plant!

    Reply
  74. AvatarMargaret Hadam says

    February 14, 2021 at 1:28 pm

    Wow! I’ve never seen or heard of this before. I would have assumed bugs got into the plant. Very interesting and slightly disturbing. The kids would probably want to put their fingers in the holes.

    Reply
  75. AvatarLaurie Emerson says

    February 15, 2021 at 3:52 am

    I have never seen this plant before. I love the holes in the leaves. So unique.

    Reply
  76. AvatarJudy Rittenhouse says

    February 15, 2021 at 9:08 pm

    I would like to grow a Monstera plant. …very unique.

    Reply

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about laura sproull

about laura sproull

Hi! I'm Laura and hail from Western New York. I consider myself a lifelong learner who loves gardening with a 360 degree view. Thanks for stopping by!

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