If any plant has captured the imagination of plant parents in recent years, it has to be the Monstera – but why? What makes this plant stand out from all the other amazing plants out there? In this article, we’re going to look at thirteen reasons why Monstera plants are so popular.
Monsteras are popular for many reasons, including the fact that they are tropical plants so they seem exotic, they are amazingly distinctive, they have an interesting name, and they are easy to care for. Their impressive size also adds to their popularity; they make any room look great.
Reason One: They Are Exotic
There is no denying that Monsteras are exotic plants. They come from tropical rainforests and have amazing characteristics, such as aerial roots, which are rarely seen on native plants. Lots of people want to own Monsteras because they make their homes feel special and unique.
They are a great way to create a trendy, natural atmosphere and to capture the sense of an “indoor rainforest,” with their huge green leaves and climbing stems.
Many people associate Monsteras with vacations, hot countries, and exotic, exciting environments. These things all play into the popularity of the plant.
Reason Two: They Are Distinctive
Monsteras look different from almost every other plant (except Philodendrons), and that adds to their popularity because everyone will recognize them. This has made it much easier for them to gain internet fame, because it’s clear that you are looking at a Monstera, and if you fall in love with it, you can easily research it.
This has resulted in many Monstera groups and communities appearing, and these have added to the popularity of the plant. Plants that have many lookalikes and a less distinctive appearance are unlikely to capture the imagination of the internet in the same way.
Reason Three: They Have An Interesting Name
It’s not often that the name of a plant is responsible for its popularity, but with Monsteras, it is likely to have had some impact. The name “Monstera” refers to the plant’s huge size, but it also conjures up some great imagery and increases the affection that people feel for their “monster” plants.
It is also easy to spell and easy to remember, which again adds to its popularity because people can easily research it. With plants that have more difficult Latin names or a whole host of common names, the information is more likely to get fragmented and divided up among the people who use different terms.
There are plenty of common names for Monsteras too, but having a simple Latin name that almost everyone uses to refer to the plant has resulted in more organized information and made it easier for people to find out about this plant and connect with other plant enthusiasts.
It’s also true that the name “Swiss Cheese Plant” is a great way to make the plant popular and memorable, if only because it is such an intriguing and unusual name!
Reason Four: They Are Easy To Care For
The longer you have a plant for, the more likely you are to feel attached to it. Monsteras are easy to care for, and this increases the chances of them surviving year after year – which means that their owners have the opportunity to bond with them.
Many people even name their Monsteras because they love them so much and they have had them for so long that they feel like old friends. This may also link in with their size (which we’ll cover next); this makes them feel more like a pet or friend.
The fact that they are easy to care for also makes them a popular choice for people who are new to the plant world. Monsteras are attractive precisely because they are hard to kill, which makes them more appealing for amateur plant enthusiasts.
Their care requirements also make them attractive if you don’t want to spend hours tending to the plant. For many people with busy schedules, committing hours of work to pruning, watering, repotting, and otherwise looking after a plant is not particularly appealing.
Monsteras need little attention besides the occasional dust and a bit of water, and some even seem to thrive on neglect. This makes them very appealing to own because you can enjoy their impressive appearance without needing to commit huge amounts of time to them.
Reason Five: They Reach An Impressive Size
Most people grow plants for the home decor aspect, and a lot of choosing which plant to grow is about calculating the value you will get from the plant in terms of its appearance, vs how long you will have to spend tending to that plant.
Fortunately, there is a lot of value to be got from a Monstera, because these plants can become huge if they are given the right conditions. They will fill a space with dramatic splashes of green, making them highly attractive for decorating a room.
A Monstera is also very much a “focus point” in most cases; its large leaves command attention, and it can be used to make a statement in a way that has made it popular in interior design magazines.
This is added to by its clean appearance, which is in keeping with the current trends of minimalism. It has smooth leaves that are green all over, meaning it doesn’t look “cluttered” or “busy,” despite its size. The split edges make the leaves more interesting, but the plant manages to be unobtrusive, while still commanding attention.
It is plain, impressive, and beautiful, and all of these factors combined have made it immensely popular.
It’s also possible that people are fascinated by the sheer scale this plant can reach and are keen to try the challenge of making their own grow big. Certainly, plant owners talk about feeling pride every time their plant unfurls a new leaf.
Reason Six: They Are Satisfying
This likely ties in with the size element, but a lot of people seem to get enormous satisfaction from growing their Monstera plants and watching them develop. They get a sense of achievement when the plant thrives.
This is true of many houseplants, but it seems to be magnified when it comes to growing Monsteras. It may be because they get so big, or because many people treat them a little like pets. Whatever the reason, growing Monsteras seems to increase the feel-good factor that is associated with keeping any houseplant alive.
Reason Seven: They Have Been Well-Marketed
Monsteras have also enjoyed some good marketing from home decor magazines in recent years, perhaps because they are in keeping with the current minimalism trends. They are often featured in shots of beautiful rooms, and this has boosted the awareness of this plant, encouraging more and more people to want one.
This has been true for a long time; although Monsteras are currently enjoying a renewed boom of popularity, they have been around for many years. Some people think fondly of these plants because they associate them with childhood.
Reason Eight: You Can Propagate Them
Another possible explanation for the plant’s popularity is that they are easy to propagate, and this means a lot of people own more than one and that they sometimes gift them to friends and family. Again, this increases the overall presence that the plant enjoys, and means that more people have a chance to fall in love with them.
Plants that are challenging to propagate may sometimes enjoy more desirability because they are rarer, but the fact that Monsteras are fairly easy to acquire means that almost everyone knows and loves them.
Reason Nine: The Variegated Options Are Breathtaking
You are likely to have come across a variegated Monstera at some time or another; these plants are much-loved and very sought after. They are also rare, as they are either created in a lab or as the result of an unusual genetic mutation.
The craze for these Monsteras and the rush to get them when they become available, has resulted in a general heightening of awareness for all Monsteras. You can’t fall in love with the variegated kind without also becoming aware of the standard one.
Again, fashion magazines have helped to raise the profile for the variegated options, and in doing so, they have raised all Monsteras. With variegated Monsteras going viral, this plant is almost inevitably going to enjoy more popularity.
Reason Ten: It Changes As It Ages
Most plants do not change a lot once they have established their adult leaves. Although they do generally have a flowering season and they may die back once a year, they will generally stay around the same in terms of size and appearance same year after year.
This is not true of the Monstera. At around two or three years old, it will develop the leaf fenestrations that make the plant famous, and as it ages, its leaves will continue to get bigger, with larger and larger fenestrations.
This feeds into the satisfaction that growers get from the plant because they can see it developing and aging thanks to their care. Most people give their Monsteras a moss pole or a trellis to climb and enjoy watching as it gains height year after year. This is far more satisfying than a small pot plant that never changes.
Reason Eleven: They Are An Aroid
This may not be a factor for everyone, but a lot of people are fascinated by aroid plants. The idea that plants can absorb water and nutrients from the air without being buried in soil is intriguing, and a lot of people are keen to see this for themselves.
Of course, the Monstera will also have subterranean roots that are buried in the soil, so it isn’t exclusively an aroid, but its unusual property does increase its appeal for many plant enthusiasts that are used to standard subterranean plants.
Reason Twelve: Monsteras Are Thought To Purify The Air
Many people grow plants in their homes to increase the quality of the air that they breathe. Although this hasn’t been proven as a thing (because you would require a much higher plant density than most people can achieve with their houseplants), this has added to the Monstera’s popularity.
Its big leaves seem the ideal way to clean the air, removing pollutants and other particles. It is likely that Monsteras only make a small amount of difference, but this still encourages people to grow them.
Large plants will have more ability to purify the air than small ones, so a Monstera is a particularly attractive choice if this is your goal.
Reason Thirteen: It Isn’t Too Fussy About Light
A lot of plants are hard to grow indoors because they require more sunlight than they can get, and this makes them frustrating. A Monstera, however, will tolerate a wide range of light levels, so many more people are able to grow this plant.
Monsteras do need a reasonable amount of light, but they are more likely to grow in low light levels than many other big plants. They do not like direct sun falling on their leaves, so you can’t grow one right beside a window, but they will cope in a fairly dark room.
If the light levels are too low, the Monstera may become leggy, lose the splits in its leaves, and slow its growth down, but on the whole, it is flexible about how much light it needs, so many people can grow these plants.
Conclusion
As you can see, multiple things make Monsteras popular, and most of these feed into each other. The more popular the plant is, the more people will hear about it and decide that they want one, and the more popular it will become. This is a self-perpetuating cycle that has been building the plant’s popularity for years.
There are plenty of other reasons that people love Monsteras, ranging from nostalgia to wanting to grow edible fruits, but these are the main reasons for this plant’s popularity.