If you have ever seen a variegated Monstera plant, you have probably fallen in love. These plants took the internet by storm a short while ago, and they are still extremely popular in fashion magazines and Pinterest tips on how to make your home incredible. If you’ve seen the price tag, though, you’ll know how off-putting it is!
That might lead you to ask “can you grow variegated Monstera from seeds?” This might seem like a great, low cost way to get a beautiful plant, especially if you are prepared to be patient.
The answer unfortunately is no, you cannot. Variegated Monstera plants cannot be grown from seeds, and anyone who tries to sell you variegated Monstera seeds is attempting to scam you. Do not buy these seeds. The variegation is a recessive gene and is absolutely not guaranteed in the seeds, even those taken from a variegated plant. If you want a variegated Monstera, you have to buy a plant.
Why Can’t You Grow Variegated Monstera Plants From Seed?
You may be disappointed to learn that variegated Monstera plants cannot be grown from seed or at least not reliably. This is especially disheartening if you have seen the seeds advertised online at what seems a reasonable price.
Many people will harvest seeds from their variegated Monstera and try to market them, even though they are aware that there is no guarantee these seeds will produce more variegated plants. A seed from a variegated Monstera does not look any different from a non-variegated Monstera seed.
You can’t grow a variegated Monstera from seed because the variegation is the result of a recessive gene, and there is no guarantee that this recessive gene will show up in the new plants that grow from the seeds.
Variegated Monstera plants are rare, and there is no way to know before a plant begins growing whether or not this gene will show up. As with any recessive gene, it’s a lot more complicated than just the parentage of the plant.
How Can You Get A Variegated Monstera Plant?
The only guaranteed way to get a variegated Monstera plant is to buy one that is already established. This could be a very young plant, or you can choose a larger and older specimen, but there is no other way to be sure that the plant will be variegated.
If you are going to choose a baby for the sake of keeping the price down, be aware that variegated Monstera plants grow very slowly.
They do not produce as much chlorophyll in their leaves as non-variegated varieties, and this lack of chlorophyll is what creates that beautiful, striking patterning. Sadly, it also makes them grow much more slowly because they cannot photosynthesize as effectively as standard Monstera plants can.
If you want a large variegated Monstera plant, the only way to get one is to pay a lot of money for it. Because Monstera plants are slow growers, you are paying for the time and care that the grower has put into the plant, and you are also paying for the hype that these plants enjoy. They are in high demand, and therefore fetch pretty high prices!
Your other option for getting a variegated Monstera plant is to get somebody to take a cutting from a variegated plant for you, or to buy a variegated cutting online. These will have the recessive gene and should grow into a full, healthy Monstera plant if they are cared for properly.
However, be aware that it will take a long time, and you won’t get a full-plant for some years. You will have to take good care of it. Many people aren’t willing to gift cuttings from their Monstera plants because of the high prices that these command.
Variegated Monstera plants are available both online and in many garden centers and nurseries. You do need to be prepared to spend a good amount of money on them (think somewhere around $100 or more for a reasonably sized specimen), but they are not so rare that you can’t buy them – just rare enough to drive up the prices.
Can You Grow Monstera Plants From Seed?
Yes, you can, and you do have a very tiny chance that they will be variegated, but the chance is minuscule. Variegated Monstera plants simply do not occur very often, and you could grow an awful lot of Monsteras before you successfully got a variegated one – hundreds of thousands, or even more.
That’s a pretty low chance. However, if you are happy to just have a Monstera plant of any kind, you are absolutely fine to grow them from seed. It is worth noting, though, that Monstera plants are quite slow growers and will take a long time to shape and form.
They do not look like much when they first start growing, and won’t develop their impressive, holey leaves for quite some time.
What Will Happen If I Germinate Variegated Monstera Seeds?
If you have already bought some variegated Monstera seeds, there are a few different things that you may find occur. Firstly, they may simply not germinate; many of the seeds sold are not viable.
However, if you are fortunate and you do manage to get the seeds to germinate, you will probably find that they are not even Monstera plants. They might sprout into any odd thing, even something like carrots or basil.
Often, people won’t bother to report the issue, or they find that the seller has already disappeared, and they have no recourse. This is very frustrating for legitimate plant sellers, who experience increased distrust from buyers as a result.
It seems that scam sellers for some reason rarely bother to sell actual Monstera seeds, although it isn’t clear why. It might be because they think buyers will notice the seeds look identical to those of the green variety, and therefore won’t buy them.
It might also just be that carrot seeds are cheaper and easier to get hold of, and they know that many buyers will be none the wiser because Monstera seeds are hardly an everyday item that everyone is familiar with.
All in all, even if you can get the “variegated Monstera seeds” to germinate (and that is a big “if”), you will rarely get a Monstera plant of any sort. Save your money and avoid supporting sellers who scam!
Can Any Variegated Monstera Plants Be Grown From Seed?
You are probably already aware that there are several kinds of variegated Monstera plants, and you might be wondering if some kinds can be grown from seed. Unfortunately, the answer is no, they cannot.
Regardless of the kind of Monstera, the variegation is still the result of a recessive gene. The plant has not adapted to grow this way because it’s a disadvantage, so this genetic mutation remains rare and will not be inherent in the seed.
Are Variegated Monstera Plants Rarer Than Ordinary Monstera Plants?
Often, a high price tag is a result of scarcity of product, and you might be wondering if that’s the case with Monstera plants. It is, to a degree. Variegated Monstera plants will grow far less frequently than normal Monstera plants, so they certainly are rarer.
However, they are not “rare” as such, in that there are many specimens across the world, and they aren’t hard to get hold of if you want one. Many online stores, nurseries, and garden centers stock them, and you should be able to buy one fairly easily.
A lot of the price tag is simply due to the popularity that they are currently enjoying. They have taken off as the decor item to have at the moment, and if you are interested in owning a variegated Monstera, it may be worth waiting a year or two to see if the prices drop.
As the interest of the masses moves on, the plants will probably decrease in price.
They probably still will command fairly high prices, however, as Monstera plants, in general, are not cheap. They are big, beautiful, and fairly slow-growing, which means that they cost more in terms of labor hours and storage to produce. All in all, Monstera plants are never going to be very cheap to buy.
What If I Find A Cheap Option Online?
If you find a cheap Monstera or even a cheap variegated Monstera plant, treat it with caution. The lure of a bargain is hard to resist, but it is very likely to be a scam in some way. These plants are not sold cheap, and low prices indicate something is wrong.
You will probably find that you never receive the plant, it is not as advertised, or it is very sickly. Don’t buy a cheap Monstera.
Summary
You can’t grow variegated Monstera plants from seed, and anyone selling them should be treated as suspicious.
Because these plants fetch such high prices, a lot of sellers are offering fake variegated seeds. You should not buy them. If you want a variegated Monstera, you will have to buy a cutting or a plant.