I bought a monstera adansonii cutting from a trader and after some to and froing and some terse emails the parcel finally arrived. The plant has done really well and put on heaps of growth, but alas not a fenestration in any of the many leaves, so I suspect I have a heart leaf philodendron instead.
Is there any way short of those interesting holes in the leaves that identifies the two species so I can be sure (and put a hex on the trader, lol) or should I just get another cutting from someone else?
As you can see the leaves are very similar. But one difference I see is the colour of new growth, in the philodendron new growth is quite bronze, but the other one is very green.
I need an expert!
shanreagh,
Jan 25, 5:42pm
We used to call it Swiss cheese plant. The holes from memory seemed to arrive quite early on when the leaves grew whereas the holes in a Monstera deliciosa came as the leaves got much older. Don't know enough about the difference between deliciosa and philodendron but perhaps the one you have bought is a M. deliciosa. The leaves in the one you bought don't seem to be as definitely heart shaped as the existing philodendron.
Just between you, me and the gatepost there is some black tulip thinking going on with these pot plants. I would be more inclined to go to a plant nursery than buy on-line especially if it was for sale at more than $10-$15.00.
PS I am not an expert but am old enough to have had these back in the day. I still have one Monstera deliciosa that I bought at an auction in the 1970s. It has a bit of a hard life as it is at a beach house and does not get the regular watering and misting it deserves. It keeps company with a ponytail palm from 1999.
oh_hunnihunni,
Jan 25, 6:10pm
My mini monstera is doing fine, split leaves from birth, and it is right next to the adansonii - which I have to add was very reasonably priced, I am not in a position to pay silly prices. But I am intrigued by this one, where are the windows that should appear in the leaves?
Maybe I need to speak sternly to this one, and maybe even threaten consequences!
It works on beans!
lakeview3,
Jan 25, 8:15pm
Looks like a philodendron to me sorry to say.
oh_hunnihunni,
Jan 25, 8:21pm
Having checked out a few current and expired listings for monkey mask, it seems my experience isn't unusual. While I was expecting fenestrations, sometimes they don't happen in newish leaves, so I guess I should just stop being impatient and wait for the plant to do its thing in its own time.
lakeview3,
Jan 25, 8:27pm
I had a monstera years ago and the first few leaves didn’t have many splits but by leaf 3 or 4 there were definitely splits.
oh_hunnihunni,
Jan 25, 8:59pm
There are several varieties of monstera. Monkey mask has windows, rather than splits.
I suspect the split leaves may develop earlier - my mini variety certainly has. With luck the adansonii next to it will get the idea soon.
shanreagh,
Jan 25, 9:00pm
Don't speak too harshly or advise terrible consequences, it is new at your place and might be still sussing you out. you don't want it to turn up its toes and go to plant heaven.
lakeview3,
Jan 25, 9:06pm
see my post 7
oh_hunnihunni,
Jan 26, 7:58am
It does look like a philo, hence my thread. But as I photographed the two I saw a clear difference in the colour of the new growth, and then went back and checked current and expired listings - so now I am pretty sure I have jumped the gun. As shan says, it might be that it is still sussing me out, lol, or rather dealing with being grown as a water culture plant rather than in a dry mix. The leaves may be so well hydrated developing windows may take a while.
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