Temperature
65–85°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Swiss cheese plant
Monstera deliciosa
Swiss cheese plant wants bright indirect light and water every 7 to 10 days, once top 2 inches dry. Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans. It climbs: without support its leaves stay small.
Light
Bright indirect
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
An east window, or two to three feet back from a south window. Direct afternoon sun scorches the leaves.
Water
Every 7–10 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when top 2 inches dry, not on a schedule.
Humidity
40% and up
Fine in normal household air. Prefers 60%.
Difficulty
Easy
Scores 2 of 5: Wide light tolerance and forgiving of missed watering. Loses points for size and its need to climb.
Habit
Climbing
Needs a moss pole or board. Not decorative — leaves will not mature without one.
Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans — poison severity low
Contains insoluble calcium oxalates. Reported signs include oral irritation, intense burning of mouth and tongue, excessive drooling.
If a pet has chewed a leaf, rinse the mouth with water and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Full detail for cats → Full detail for dogs →
What each authority says 2 sources concur
- ASPCA
- Toxic to cats and dogs · insoluble calcium oxalates
- NC State Extension
- Poison severity: Low · Needle-like calcium oxalate crystals; possibly other unidentified toxins · Intense burning of mouth, tongue, and throat; nausea, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, drooling, and diarrhea may also occur; contact with cell sap may cause skin irritation. Only if eaten in large quantities.
Light
Bright indirect light. An east window, or two to three feet back from a south window. Direct afternoon sun scorches the leaves.
Water
Every 7 to 10 days in a 6-inch pot, when top 2 inches dry.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | top-water until draining |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | top 2 inches dry |
Soil and potting
Equal parts orchid bark, perlite, and coco coir.
Repot roughly every 1.8 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- Yellow leaves this week
- Leaves not splitting monitor
- Brown crispy edges monitor
- Drooping act today
- Root rot act today
Pest and disease guidance for this species consulted at the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, checked 2026-09-11.
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
- Spider mites act today
- Thrips act today
- Mealybugs this week
Propagation
Node cutting in water or sphagnum or perlite. Roots in 14 to 28 days.
A cutting without a node will not root. It may stay green in water for months and never produce a single root, because it has no growth point.
| Preferred method | node cutting |
|---|---|
| Medium | water, sphagnum, perlite |
| Time to root | 14–28 days |
| Node required | Yes |
| Best season | Spring through early summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Monstera deliciosa Checked 2026-09-11.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Monstera deliciosa Checked 2026-09-11.
- Wikidata entity Q161077 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Monstera deliciosa Accepted name; family Araceae. Checked 2026-09-11.
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Monstera deliciosa Pest and disease guidance. Checked 2026-09-11.
- Photograph: Wikimedia Commons contributor, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02