Monstera plants are extremely popular, but there are many different kinds. Today, we are going to explore Monstera Adansonii varieties so that you know which plants belong to this group!
Monstera adansonii can vary in appearance, and people usually differentiate them on such basis, which include:
- Monstera Adansonii Variegata
- Monstera Adansonii Round Form
- Monstera Adansonii Narrow Form
Scientifically speaking, however, there are already 4 well-established subspecies of Adansonii:
- Klotzschiana
- Blanchetii
- Laniata
- Adansonii
In this article you can learn about the different looking-forms of adansonii, different subspecies, and also about Monsteras that look like the Adansonii but are not!
Monstera Adansonii Different Looks
Adansonii, the kind that most people imagine when they think of “cheese plant” or “Monstera”, is the variety with large, hole-filled leaves that scrambles up tree trunks and fans its huge leaves toward the sunlight.
The leaves are slightly oval, with pointed tips. In healthy Monstera plants, they will be glossy. Some Monstera plants have wider, rounder leaves, while others have narrow ones, but they are the same species of plant, however, they may be different subspecies.
The Adansonii’s all look similar, and it is very difficult to get them labeled correctly. The available information is scarce and even among experts there is no consensus at times. Still, I try to bring you the best information possible about the varieties of this plant.
Other things can also affect how the Monstera adansonii looks. For example, if your plant gets a lot of sunlight, it will produce bigger leaves with more holes in them. These are known as fenestrations, and it is thought that their purpose is to allow sunlight to the lower leaves of the plant.
Monstera Adansonii Round Form
As the name suggests this is a more rounded-looking form of adansonii, leaves are more heart-shaped.
Monstera Adansonii Narrow Form
In contrast to the previous one, in this form, the leaf is longer and narrower, with the tip pointing to one side, and may have fewer fenestrations.
Monstera Adansonii Variegata
You have probably seen these amazing plants in magazines, on Instagram, and all over the internet. They are very beautiful, extremely popular, and also pretty rare. They have big, variegated leaves with thick white stripes or blotches on their green foliage, and they are not a different species or subspecies!
The rarity stems from the fact that these white areas are caused by a genetic mutation, so the numbers of these plants cannot be increased by cultivating seeds. The only way to get one of these plants, besides the extremely uncommon flukes whereby a seedling carries the mutation, is to propagate one of the adult plants by taking a cutting.
Because these are so unusual, they tend to be expensive to buy, even when you purchase small cuttings. They grow very slowly because the mutation reduces their ability to photosynthesize efficiently, and therefore it takes longer for them to produce food for themselves.
Of all the different kinds of Monstera Adansonii, these are among the least common, and you are unlikely to get hold of one without spending large amounts of money.
Monstera Adansonii Subspecies
Monstera Adansonii Klotzschiana
As a Monstera that it is, klotzschiana loves to climb trees in humid secondary forests, which means, they like to be in well-developed regenerated forests that have been manipulated by natural or human causes in the past. It is rare to find one of these in primary forests.
Their leaves tend to be ovate-elliptic to oblong-elliptic and are quite big, more than twice as long as wide. While juvenile leaves are usually whole, adult ones can have 1 to 8 perforations per side.
They don’t like direct sunlight or dry winds and may be found close to waterfalls and streams. If cultivated in the best conditions they can grow pretty well and create the beautiful perforated leaves usual of Monstera plants.
Monstera Adansonii Blanchetii
Blanchetii is a plant of which there is not much information on the internet, but it is in fact a subspecies of Monstera Adansonii and was described by Simon Mayo and Ivanilza Andrade in a paper published in 2014 – A morphometric and taxonomic study of Monstera (Araceae) in Bahia, Brazil.
Also a tree climber, Blanchtii may be found in secondary forests in northeast and southeast Brazil.
Leaves from an adult plant are very big, usually ovate, with large holes in them and highly asymmetrical. One side of the leaf may be much smaller than the other and can sometimes only have 3 or 4 holes, while the bigger side may be full of holes, so big that the leaf can split.
The stem is usually dark green with white spots and leaves scars.
Monstera Adansonii Laniata
Monstera Adansonii Laniata also known as Adansonii Friedrichsthalii, naturally occurs from Central America to Amazonia.
Blanchetii and Laniata are often lumped together or confused, which is perfectly normal given the difficulty in finding the differences between them! But they are now officially recognized as having enough differences to be considered distinct subspecies.
They both have big ovate leaves and a preference for open environments. But Laniata has more coriaceous leaves and more irregular and numerous perforations. Also, the internal surface of the spathe is of a cream color.
Monstera Adansonii Adansonii
The Adansonii subspecies Adansonii is native to the region from Antilles to Tobago.
With ovate to elliptic, falcate leaves, they can grow fast and get very big when grown in their native environment. Their leaves don’t split, the margins are entire and have 1 to 5 holes on each side that can be 2-3,5 cm wide and 5-8 cm long.
The spathe is usually pale yellow and the flowering spadix also of cream to pale yellow.
Monsteras That Look Like Adansonii But Are Not
There are several Monstera species that can be thought of as Adansonii but are actually different species. Some of these include:
- Monstera Acuminata
- Monstera Epipremnoides
- Monstera Punctulata
- Monstera Obliqua
Monstera Acuminata
A tall, sprawling, scrambling plant, the Acuminata is a dark-leafed variety. It has the classic leaf fenestrations, and it loves to climb, so make sure you provide it with plenty of support.
Naturally found in Guatemala and Mexico, this Monstera has unusually smooth leaves. Most Monstera plants have somewhat textured leaves, but these are smooth and extremely satisfying to stroke.
Also, the leaves tend to be narrower and thinner than those of other Monstera plants. The holes are large and there are more of them, but it is still a fast-growing plant. It likes high levels of humidity but does not enjoy being over-watered.
Otherwise, they do not look vastly different from the Adansonii’s, so you may not always be able to tell the difference straight away. If you stroke the leaves of the two plants, you will know immediately which is which.
Monstera Epipremnoides
These plants look very much like the normal Monstera adansonii, and the leaves and stems are very similar. Even side by side, it can be pretty hard to tell the two plants apart.
There are a few hints, however. One is that the epipremnoides has larger leaf holes than the adansonii. The epipremnoides also usually has lighter colored leaves, and they tend to be bigger and rounder.
Monstera Punctulata
This is an extremely unusual version of the Monstera plant, which has very significant and dramatic fenestrations and splits in its enormous leaves. It can come in many different shades of green, and its leaves are long, soft, and flowing.
The plant can grow to almost fifty feet tall, so if you are going to grow it in your home, you will need a good bit of space for it! The leaves alone can get to be huge. They are soft, flexible, and have a very gently aesthetic.
Monstera Obliqua
Monstera Obliqua is extremely rare and is often mislabeled. If you are in doubt whether the plant you have at home is an Adansonii or Obliqua, it really is likely to be a Monstera Adansonii.
The appearance of Monstera Obliqua can vary greatly from one another. In some regions you may find mature specimens in which 80% of their leaves are perforations while elsewhere the leaves may be entire.
Conclusion
There are many kinds of Monstera varieties, and often, they can be a little tricky to tell apart. The key things to look at include leaf color, leaf shape, and the appearance of the holes. Some varieties have narrower leaves, while others are wider and rounder. The texture can also vary between plants.