Hey there houseplant lover ! Did you know there ’s more to the ultra - popular genus Monstera than the ubiquitousMonstera deliciosaand adansonii ? have me insert you to Monstera siltepecana , a less common but endearing vining houseplant you ca n’t escape in your collection .
Keep register for everything you involve to know about Monstera siltepecana care and how to grow this primal American tropical indoors !
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About Monstera siltepecana
Natural habitat
This houseplant , which is also know as the silver Monstera , is native to the American continent . It can naturally be found in southern Mexico , as well as Central American land like El Salvador , Honduras , Guatemala , and Belize . It gets its scientific name from the Mexican town of Siltepec in the southern Chiapas region .
In its aboriginal home ground , Monstera siltepecana get as a vining epiphyte , creeping across woods floor when it ’s small and graduating to a climbing ontogenesis pattern as an adult plant life . ( This crawl and climb habit is similar to another tropical houseplant , Syngonium genus Podophyllum . ) It ’s principally found in cloud forests on muckle incline , at elevations up to 8,200 feet .
Did you know?Monstera siltepecana was first “ discovered ” by westerly scientist John Donnell Smith in Guatemala . Since then , it has gone by a few unlike Latin names until horticulturalists finally agreed on its current denomination .
Description
Monstera siltepecana is a vining houseplant appreciate for its nice foliage , which can range from almost strong immature to decidedly silvery with dramatic dreary unripe foliage nervure . If allowed to mount , it can grow very tall and produce big and darker foliation as it matures .
Although the specimen of Monstera siltepecana that you ’ll find in your local plant store usually do n’t have holes in their leaves ( also have sex as fenestration ) , the species actually absolutely has the power to develop them . In fact , it ’s very closely related to the pop fenestrated Monstera adansonii !
It ’s just that the houseplant version of siltepecana is unremarkably juvenile . It may need some time climb up on a moss pole and being exposed to right lighting to develop its distinctive leaf holes .
Like other members of the family Araceae ( the aroids ) , Monstera siltepecana can bloom , although it unremarkably does n’t do so indoors . The flower is very distinctive for the genus , with a green - cream spathe and xanthous spadix . You ’ll detect the same character of ( rather unimpressive ) flowers on other aroid likeAglaonemas , Pothos , andPhilodendrons .
Monstera siltepecana can really fruit , too , although I ca n’t find information about whether the fruit is comestible .
Monstera siltepecana varieties
The silver Monstera is a relatively raw add-on to the houseplant rocking horse , meaning baby’s room have n’t had much clock time to represent around with it yet . The only variety show you ’ll come up across is Monstera siltepecana ‘ El Salvador . ’
Whereas a normal siltepecana ’s leaves do n’t always sport much in the way of silvern colouration , ‘ El Salvador ’ has argent leave of absence with striking dour leaf veins . This makes it a morsel more of an eye - backstop than its steady counterpart , but regrettably , it also comes with a cost tag .
‘ El Salvador ’ cuttings be given to go for $ 50 or even more at the time of writing , compared to around $ 15 for normal Monstera siltepecana .
Where to corrupt Monstera siltepecana plants :
Monstera ‘Peru’ vs. siltepecana
If you ’re trying to receive a Monstera siltepecana , keep in judgment that there are a few houseplants out there that depend misleadingly standardized . One is an as - of - yet scientifically undescribed species that has become popular in the hobby and goes by Monstera ‘ Peru ’ ( or Monstera karstenianum , or even Epipremnum pinnatum ‘ Marble Planet ’ if you ’re in Europe ) .
To enjoin asunder Monstera ‘ Peru ’ vs siltepecana , reckon the following : ‘ Peru ’ has more rounded foliage and the leafage vein are more deeply well-grooved . Siltepecana unremarkably has slightly silvery leaves ( especially the ‘ El Salvador ’ form ) , while its cousins are of a bass emerald green .
There is no variegated version of siltepecana that I know of , unlike ‘ Peru , ’ which does sometimes pop up in a marbleized form .
Other related aroids that are similar to Monstera siltepecana include Epipremnum pinnatum and Monstera standleyana .
Caring for Monstera siltepecana
Light and temperature
When it comes to its lighting needs , Monstera siltepecana is a typical arum . It naturally go on in tropic rainforests where much of the light is shaded out by taller trees , meaning it has evolved to make do with a little less .
Still , indoors you should give it a spot on a bright windowsill , preferably one that receives bright but indirect light . A little direct Dominicus in the morning or tardy afternoon should n’t be an issue , but be sure to acclimatise your plant properly to keep its farewell from cut .
If your silver Monstera ’s leave begin growing further and further apart and the industrial plant is look sparse , it probably needs to be move to a bright position . If the leaves appear faded , you may have exposed it to too much Sunday .
As for temperature , it ’s authoritative to remember that this is definitely a tropical . It care thing at room temperature or in high spirits and does n’t prize the cold . Your plant life is likely to blockade growing if things drop below 60 ° F and may set off to struggle below 50 ° F .
Water and humidity
Like most of our favorite houseplant , Monstera siltepecana prefers its stain lightly moist . During the warm and bright summertime month when your flora is actively growing , you’re able to let the first in or two of the planting medium ironical out before tearing again .
Do n’t overdo it ! rootage rot due to overwatering is a meridian effort of death in houseplants . You ’ll probably have to water around twice a calendar week if your home is strong and ironic .
During the tank and morose winter period , most tropic houseplant go into a state of trailer truck - hibernation . They mostly stop producing new foliage and will necessitate less urine as a termination . you could permit the soil dry out about halfway during this time . Just do n’t get it go bone dry ; your Monstera siltepecana ’s bottom leaves will start out yellowing if it pose too thirsty .
As for humidity , this species is n’t overly demanding , but it does n’t appreciate dry strain . Remember that in its natural swarm forest home ground , air moisture stratum are at 90 percentage or more middling much yr - round !
In your home , yourhumidity metershould read at least 50 percent at all times or your tropic houseplants can begin to abide . If the percentage regularly falls below 40 percent , seat in a humidifier can make a bad difference in how well your plant grow .
Soil and planting
Did you bang that the proper soil mixture can make a huge difference of opinion for your houseplants ? arum like Monstera siltepecana are partly epiphytes , by nature climbing taller tree to contact gamy light levels . They ’re not used to their root being stuffed in dense soil mixtures that hold back a lot of water , rather prefer something luminousness and airy .
Soil blend for aroids can be found in some ( on-line ) works stores , but they ’re often pretty pricey . as luck would have it you may also well integrate your own . A few basic ingredients will yield a medium that will turn well for many popular houseplants — not just for your Monstera — includingPhilodendron gloriosum , Anthurium clarinervium , andAlocasia x amazonica ‘ Polly ’ .
you could try the following basic recipe :
Some houseplant partizan also like to add some horticultural charcoal for even better drainage and to preclude impurities in the soil , but this is not a necessity . Just experiment a little !
As for the right plantation owner , it does n’t weigh much as long as it has a drainage hole in the bottom . It should sooner also have space for a moss celestial pole or other case of bread and butter , because these guy rope know to go up ! If you let the leave hang down , they wo n’t turn as bombastic and will probably never develop their typical muddle .
commend product for Monstera siltepecana precaution :
Fertilizing
arum like this one do n’t tend to be heavy feeders , but that does n’t have in mind they do n’t appreciate a little special nutrient boost from prison term to time . During the fighting summertime grow month , you may expend a normal liquified houseplant fertilizer once or twice a month while watering .
Do n’t fertilize your houseplant when they ’re inactive in wintertime or if they are n’t doing well . The supererogatory nutrient wo n’t be taken up and can actually damage the root word .
recommend fertilizers for Monstera siltepecana :
Pruning
Your Monstera siltepecana wo n’t ask much pruning , as you ’ll in all likelihood require it to arise as large and unwarranted as possible . The only maintenance it may require is the episodic remotion of dead leave of absence , since it ’s normal for houseplants to shed the foliage at the bottom of their stem when they feel they have lose their usefulness .
If the vines on your plant do get out of dominance and you ’d like to give it a clipping , have a look at the department below on propagation . It ’s a barren to throw absolutely good trimming off when you could apply them to grow a whole new plant !
Dividing or repotting
With some houseplant , once they outgrow their current planter , you’re able to choose between repot them or divide them by removing some offshoots . This is n’t really the fount for Monstera siltepecana , unless you fall out to have multiple cuttings in the same plantation owner . These plants tend to focus more on develop upwards , not on producing side shoots .
You ’ll love it ’s time to repot your silver Monstera when its roots begin stab out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the planter . The territory drying out more and more cursorily is also a adept reading it ’s time to go up one quite a little size .
Do n’t move your plant to a vast container all of a sudden ; the soil can stay pixilated for too long in a pot that ’s too large . This increases the risk of exposure of stem rot .
Propagating Monstera siltepecana
Multiplying vining houseplant like this one is an absolute breeze . you could well propagate your Monstera siltepecana by simply submit 2 1/2 - in cuttings from the ends of a vine . Include a few leaves and knob ( growing points ) and you ’re well on your means to create brand novel plants .
The cuttings can be root in piss or soil . Water propagation allows you to see the rooting summons in real - time , while dirt extension offers the reward of not having to pot up the rooted cutting afterwards . This can occur in handy , since on occasion , cutting do n’t answer well to the move from pee to terrene life .
Is Monstera siltepecana toxic to cats and dogs?
Although aroids like Monstera siltepecana ordinarily are n’t in a flash toxic , it ’s good to keep them away from your darling . All character of the industrial plant take Ca oxalate crystal , which can cause irritation to the backtalk and throat when ingested .
If your pet takes a bite , any discomfort can usually be resolved by tender plenty of water system , but it ’s evidently still well forfend !
Sources :
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:163959-2
Madison , M. ( 1977 ) . A revision of Monstera ( Araceae ) . donation from the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University , ( 207 ) , 3 - 100 .
