Swiss cheese plant

For more care advice about Chaz, check out our complete guide to Swiss cheese plant care.

This plant’s latin name, monstera deliciosa, translates as - you’ve probably worked this out - ‘delicious monster’. And isn’t it just. The monster part is likely because of its huge, glossy leaves. The delicious part is because in the wild it bears (apparently) very tasty fruit.

The reason its leaves have all those holes is because it’s used to growing in jungle shade. It’s an epiphyte, which means it grows in crevices in large trees. The gaps in its leaves allow the available light to reach the lowest foliage. The holes in the leaves develop as the plant grows larger. If you order the smallest, youngest plant, it may arrive without the signature notches in all its leaves. They'll appear as it matures.

With its gorgeous foliage it’s a real statement piece, wherever you put it. It’s not hard to take care of and is tolerant of surprisingly low light. It will also love you if you give it a feed with liquid fertiliser once a month in spring and summer. It will help it grow big and strong.

Please note that the 110-120cm Swiss cheese plant comes with a moss pole for support (physical, not emotional). The 90-100cm plant has been trained so that it has especially dense foliage. It may not be as tall as its largest brother, but as you can see, it's extra leafy.

Did you know?

When it grows really large, the Swiss cheese plant grows long, aerial roots. In Peru, these roots are used to make ropes.