Monstera Adansonii Care: Swiss Cheese Vine Guide

Monstera adansonii care is about bright, indirect light, steady moisture, humidity and a decision: let it trail, or train it to climb. Often sold as the Swiss cheese vine, Monstera adansonii has thin, heart-shaped leaves full of oval holes (fenestrations) and grows fast. It's smaller and more vining than its famous relative, Monstera deliciosa, and fits shelves, hanging baskets and moss poles.

Compare care with our Monstera deliciosa care guide; the needs are similar, but adansonii is a little thirstier and more humidity-loving.

Monstera adansonii care at a glance

The NC State Extension profile describes it as a climbing aroid from Central and South America.

Light

Bright, indirect light gives the largest leaves and the most holes: near an east window, or set back from a south or west window. In medium light it survives but grows smaller, plainer leaves on longer stems. Direct midday or afternoon sun scorches the thin leaves. Check your spot with the plant light meter converter.

Watering

Water when the top 2 to 3 cm of soil is dry. Soak, drain and empty the saucer. Adansonii's thin leaves wilt and crisp faster than deliciosa's if it dries out, but its roots rot just as quickly in wet soil.

For yellowing in monsteras specifically, see monstera yellow leaves, and use the plant watering schedule builder for a check routine.

Soil and repotting

Use a chunky, airy aroid mix: roughly equal parts orchid bark, perlite and peat-free compost, with a little charcoal if you like. The soil mix calculator turns that into litres. Repot every one to two years in spring, one size up. See houseplant soil mix and how to repot a houseplant.

Humidity and temperature

Adansonii likes 50 to 60 percent humidity or more; dry air causes brown edges and stuck new leaves. Group plants or use a humidifier, and check with the plant humidity checker. Keep it between 18 and 29°C and away from cold draughts.

Feeding

Feed monthly in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Stop in winter. Use the fertilizer dilution calculator.

Climbing vs trailing

In the wild, it's a climber. Aerial roots that attach to a moist moss pole signal the plant to produce bigger, more mature leaves. Keep the pole slightly damp and tie stems loosely with the aerial roots facing it.

Pruning

Prune in spring and summer to control length and encourage bushiness:

1. Cut just above a node (where a leaf joins the stem).
2. New growth emerges from the node below the cut.
3. Use the cuttings to propagate, and plant them back in the same pot for a fuller look.

Wear gloves; the sap can irritate skin. Clean, sharp scissors make neat cuts that heal quickly.

Propagation

Monstera adansonii roots easily from stem cuttings:

1. Cut a section with at least one node and one leaf. An aerial root on the node speeds things up.
2. Place the node in water, or in moist sphagnum moss or perlite.
3. Keep warm and in bright, indirect light.
4. Roots appear in two to four weeks.
5. Pot up when roots are 5 cm long.

The same method is shown in propagating pothos in water, and more techniques are in how to propagate houseplants.

Making a fuller plant

Young adansonii plants often grow as a few long, sparse vines. To get a fuller pot:

1. Cut long vines into sections, each with a node and a leaf.
2. Root them in water or moss.
3. Plant the rooted cuttings back into the base of the mother plant, around the edge of the pot.
4. Pinch new growth occasionally to encourage branching at nodes.
5. Keep it in bright, indirect light so the new stems grow tight rather than stretching.

Doing this once or twice a year turns a straggly plant into a dense one.

Setting up a moss pole

A moss pole is a stake wrapped in sphagnum moss or coir. To set one up:

1. Insert it at repotting, pushing it to the bottom of the pot so it's stable.
2. Position the plant so the stems with aerial roots face the pole.
3. Tie stems loosely to the pole every 10 to 15 cm with soft ties.
4. Keep the moss damp by watering or misting the pole (not the leaves) every few days.
5. Extend the pole when growth reaches the top, or cut and root the tips.

Aerial roots grow into damp moss within a few weeks, and the leaves that follow are usually larger.

Common problems

More in houseplant pests and plant leaf problems.

Adansonii vs other "Swiss cheese" plants

Many plants sold as "obliqua" are actually adansonii. True obliqua is rare and much more delicate. See our monstera care guide for an overview.

Pet safety

The ASPCA lists Monstera species, including the Swiss cheese plant, as toxic to cats and dogs. They contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth and cause drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. Hang adansonii out of reach, or choose from pet-safe houseplants. Check others with the plant toxicity checker.

Buying tips

Look for a plant with several stems, firm leaves with clean holes, no webbing or bumps under the leaves, and moist (not soggy) soil. Labelled "obliqua" at a low price? It's almost certainly adansonii, which is no bad thing, as it's far easier to grow.

Seasonal care

Bottom line

Monstera adansonii wants bright, indirect light, slightly moist but airy soil, good humidity and something to climb if you want big, holey leaves. Prune it to keep it full, propagate the cuttings, and keep it away from pets.

Sources: NC State Extension Plant Toolbox, Monstera adansonii; ASPCA, Swiss cheese plant.