Monstera Varieties: The Complete Guide

The five monstera varieties most commonly grown indoors are monstera deliciosa, monstera adansonii, monstera thai constellation, monstera albo (also called monstera deliciosa albo variegata), and monstera peru. Each has a distinct leaf structure, growth rate, and light requirement. Deliciosa is the most widely grown and the largest. Adansonii grows fastest. Thai constellation and albo are variegated and significantly more expensive than non-variegated varieties. Peru is the most architecturally distinctive, with a heavily textured leaf surface and no fenestration. All five are aroids — members of the Araceae family — and all prefer bright indirect light and well-draining soil.

Monstera obliqua is technically the rarest monstera variety — it has leaves that are more hole than leaf, sometimes up to 90% fenestration, and is almost never available commercially. Among varieties that people actually own, monstera albo is the hardest to find and the most expensive. The albo's variegation is unstable, meaning it cannot be reliably tissue-cultured, so supply remains limited by the pace of propagation from cuttings. A well-variegated albo cutting with two or three nodes can sell for several hundred dollars even now that prices have softened from the peak. Thai constellation is more widely available because it can be tissue-cultured reliably.

Thai constellation and monstera albo are both variegated forms of monstera deliciosa, but their variegation is different in origin and behavior. Thai constellation has creamy white speckled variegation — the pattern looks like a constellation map. The variegation is stable because the plant originated from tissue culture. Albo has bright white sectoral variegation — larger sections of pure white on each leaf — but the variegation is unstable and can revert to all-green or all-white. All-white sections cannot photosynthesize, which makes highly variegated albo specimens slower growers and more delicate. Thai constellation is the more predictable plant. Albo is the more dramatic one.

Monstera pot size depends on the variety and the current root mass. Deliciosa typically moves from a 6-inch starter pot through 8-inch, 10-inch, and eventually 12-inch or larger as the plant matures. Adansonii and peru are smaller-rooted and work well in 4 to 6-inch pots for longer before needing to size up. Thai constellation and albo grow slowly enough that they rarely need aggressive upsizing — move up only when roots are visibly circling the bottom of the pot. All monstera need drainage holes — non-negotiable. We make the Virago ceramic pot for larger monstera and the Minute for smaller varieties. Both have drainage. Both have been in production at our Toronto studio since 1999.

Ceramic pots are good for monstera when they have drainage holes, which all of ours do. The weight of a ceramic pot is actually an advantage for large monstera — a deliciosa that has grown to four feet will tip a lightweight plastic pot in a mild breeze. Ceramic stays put. The thermal mass of ceramic also buffers temperature swings at the root zone, which monstera appreciates. We make glazed ceramic pots, which hold moisture slightly longer and are a better match for monstera's preference to dry out between waterings rather than sitting in wet soil. More on ceramic pots and plants here.

Monstera adansonii is the fastest-growing common variety — in good conditions it produces new leaves every two to three weeks and climbs aggressively. Monstera deliciosa is a close second in terms of leaf production but each leaf is larger and takes more resources to produce. Monstera peru grows at a moderate pace but accelerates significantly once root-bound and given something to climb. Monstera thai constellation is slow — the tissue culture origin and the metabolic cost of maintaining variegation both limit growth rate. Monstera albo is the slowest of the five. All varieties grow faster in spring and summer and slow or stop in winter.

You can keep different monstera varieties together and they have the same general care requirements. The practical issue is that they grow at different rates and to very different sizes. A deliciosa and an adansonii on the same shelf will quickly become a deliciosa that has taken the shelf and an adansonii that has taken the wall behind the shelf. Thai constellation and albo are slow enough that they tend to hold their position. Peru is architectural enough to sit next to other plants without making immediate territorial claims. The more honest answer is that keeping multiple monstera varieties is not a decision so much as a gradual series of rearrangements.

Monstera communicate primarily through leaves — yellowing means overwatering or low light, brown tips mean low humidity or inconsistent watering, drooping means it needs water now. The absence of complaints is not indifference. It is a form of confidence. A monstera that is not asking for anything is a monstera that has evaluated its situation and concluded that things are largely acceptable. This is high praise. It will let you know when something changes.