Monstera Adansonii vs Monstera Deliciosa: Full Comparison

Monstera adansonii vs Monstera deliciosa is a comparison that comes up constantly for new plant buyers, and for good reason — both are popular, widely available, and sold simply as “Monstera” at many stores. They share a genus and a family and they both produce fenestrated (hole-bearing) leaves, but in practice these are quite different plants with different care requirements, different space demands, and a different role in your home. Choosing the right one starts with understanding those differences clearly.

The Shared Identity: What Makes a Monstera

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Whichever Monstera better fits your space, climbing growth generally benefits from a sturdy indoor moss pole.

Both plants belong to the genus Monstera within the family Araceae. The word “fenestrated” — from the Latin for window — describes the holes and splits that both plants produce in their leaves. This fenestration is not damage; it’s an evolved adaptation that allows large leaves to withstand wind and heavy rain by letting air and water pass through rather than catching them like a sail. Both species produce these holes as they mature, though the shape, position, and timing of fenestration differs significantly.

Leaf Differences: Holes vs. Splits

This is the most visually obvious distinction between the two species.

Monstera adansonii produces holes — oval or oblong fenestrations distributed throughout the interior of the leaf blade, well away from the leaf edges. Young plants produce smaller leaves with fewer holes. Mature leaves in good conditions can be covered in holes across their entire surface, giving the plant its common name, “Swiss Cheese Vine.” Leaves typically max out around 8–12 inches long on home-grown specimens.

Monstera deliciosa produces a different type of fenestration: deep splits from the leaf margin that, on mature leaves, are accompanied by holes in the interior. Young Deliciosa leaves are often completely entire (no holes or splits at all) — the iconic split-leaf Monstera look doesn’t emerge until the plant reaches a certain maturity, typically after a year or two of growth from a small nursery plant. Mature leaves on a well-grown indoor Deliciosa regularly exceed 24 inches, and specimens in very favorable conditions can produce leaves over 3 feet across.

Full Comparison Table

Size and Space: The Most Practical Difference

For most indoor growers, the size difference is the deciding factor.

Monstera adansonii is a vining plant. Given a moss pole, it climbs and produces progressively larger leaves as it gains height — but the individual leaf size stays manageable. You can grow a beautiful, mature adansonii in an apartment with 8-foot ceilings and a modest footprint. It works in hanging baskets, on shelves, trained up a trellis in a corner.

Monstera deliciosa is an architectural plant. Its leaves spread wide from a central stem, and a mature specimen indoors occupies significant floor space. The wide-spreading leaves need room to unfurl fully without being blocked by walls or other plants. In a studio apartment or small living room, Deliciosa quickly becomes the dominant feature of the space — by design, if that’s what you want, but a problem if you didn’t plan for it.

If you’re working with limited space, adansonii is the clear answer. If you have a large room and want a dramatic focal point, Deliciosa earns its reputation as one of the great statement houseplants.

Humidity: Where Adansonii Is More Demanding

Both Monsteras appreciate humidity, but adansonii is more sensitive to inadequate moisture in the air. In consistently low humidity (below 50%), adansonii tends to produce smaller leaves with fewer holes — the fenestration is a mature response to good growing conditions, and the plant partially regresses when stressed. Browning leaf edges are also more common in dry conditions.

Monstera deliciosa is more tolerant of average home humidity in the 40–55% range. It will still perform better with higher humidity, but it doesn’t show the sensitivity that adansonii does when conditions aren’t ideal.

If your home runs dry — especially in winter with central heating — adansonii benefits from a humidifier or placement near a humidity tray. Deliciosa is the more forgiving choice for dry climates.

Care Fundamentals: What They Share

Despite their differences, the core care requirements are similar:

Light: Both prefer bright, indirect light — meaning near a window but not in direct sun, which scorches the leaves. An east- or west-facing window is ideal. Both will grow in moderate light but produce smaller, less fenestrated leaves.

Watering: Water when the top 2 inches of soil dry out. Neither species tolerates consistently wet soil — root rot is the most common cause of Monstera decline. Use a well-draining potting mix with perlite.

Support: Both climb naturally using aerial roots. Providing a moss pole or coco coir pole dramatically improves leaf size and fenestration. Monstera adansonii can also be left to trail, but the leaves stay smaller without a climbing structure.

Fertilizing: Feed monthly during the growing season (spring through summer) with a balanced liquid fertilizer. Both are moderate feeders.

Propagation: Both propagate easily from stem cuttings with at least one node and one aerial root. Water propagation or direct soil propagation both work.

Which Is Right for Your Space?

Choose Monstera adansonii if:

• You have limited floor space or a smaller room
• You want a vining plant for a shelf, trellis, or hanging basket
• Your home runs humid or you’re willing to increase humidity
• You want the iconic hole-leaf Monstera look in a manageable size

Choose Monstera deliciosa if:

• You have a large room or floor space for a statement plant
• You want a bold, architectural plant that becomes a room’s focal point
• Your home runs on the drier side
• You want the classic, recognizable split-leaf Monstera silhouette

Both are excellent choices. They’re not competing against each other — they fill different roles. Many plant collectors own both.

A Note on Rhaphidophora tetrasperma

If you’re considering either of these Monsteras but want something smaller and faster-growing with a similar aesthetic, look at Rhaphidophora tetrasperma — the “Mini Monstera.” It’s not actually a Monstera (different genus) but produces split leaves with a similar silhouette to Deliciosa, grows aggressively fast, and stays at a much more manageable leaf size. Read our full comparison: Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma vs Monstera: Not the Same Plant.

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