International Aroid Society

Judging from my experience growing Monstera deliciosa in the landscape in south Florida, it is not an obligate epiphyte and is just as much at home crawling across the ground under a tree as climbing up the trunk of that tree. The other species of monstera are all climbers and as such they stretch out with small juvenile leaves and long whippy stems until they come in contact with a surface to climb on. The higher up they go the bigger and more mature the stems and leaves become. As long as the apical bud is going upwards they continue to stay mature.

Also, M. deliciosa has long been a cultivated crop producing fruit in for indigenous peoples to eat. Who knows what traits they selected for when planting this species in their garden. Flavor is one I would look for and a lack of those darn spiny calcium oxalate raphides common in the flesh of other aroids, and I guess it would have been nice not to climb a tree to harvest the fruits and brave the ants and other critters up there at the top. So maybe it’s just possible that the wild type M. deliciosa, if it can be found, are more epiphytic than its domesticated, ground dwelling brothers and sisters and maybe the fruits don’t taste as good.

Denis

Silver Krome Gardens

Homestead Florida

From: aroid-l-bounces@www.gizmoworks.com [mailto:aroid-l-bounces@www.gizmoworks.com] On Behalf Of John
Sent: Saturday, September 04, 2010 5:20 PM
To: 'Discussion of aroids'
Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Why is Monstera deliciosa to be kept in the adult form inpot culture?

Could it have anything to do with it being a high altitude species?

John..

From: aroid-l-bounces@www.gizmoworks.com [mailto:aroid-l-bounces@www.gizmoworks.com] On Behalf Of Ferenc Lengyel
Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2010 7:13 AM
To: Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com
Subject: [Aroid-l] Why is Monstera deliciosa to be kept in the adult form inpot culture?

Dear all,

Does anybody know why M. deliciosa keeps its adult form in "captivity"? All the other Monstera species, Philodendrons and Epipremnums usually stay in the juvenile form in pot culture and need humid tropical conditions and climb on a support to reach the adult form. Even the they can easily revert to the juvenile form if returned to normal house conditions. But not M. deliciosa. Why?

Ferenc