The most striking difference lies in the leaves. While both species develop fenestrations (holes and splits), their expression is distinct. Monstera deliciosa produces large, heart-shaped leaves that can grow over a foot wide in maturity. Their fenestrations are both internal (holes) and external (splits from the leaf margin inward), creating a deeply lobed and dramatic appearance. In contrast, Monstera adansonii leaves are generally smaller, more elongated, and ovate. Their fenestrations are almost exclusively internal holes, which appear while the leaf is still developing, giving it a delicate, Swiss-cheese-like look. The adansonii leaf also lacks the deep splits, remaining a more contiguous, albeit perforated, structure.
Their growth patterns further distinguish them. Monstera deliciosa is a vigorous hemiepiphytic vine that, in its natural habitat, can climb enormous heights using its robust aerial roots. As a houseplant, it can easily reach over 6 feet tall and wide, developing a thick, tree-like stem with age. It is a heavy plant that requires significant vertical support. Monstera adansonii is also a hemiepiphyte but exhibits a more trailing or climbing habit. Its stems are thinner and more vine-like, making it an ideal candidate for hanging baskets or training up a moss pole. It generally remains much more compact than its deliciosa cousin, with a growth pattern that is less upright and more cascading.
The species name "deliciosa" is a direct reference to its edible fruit, a feature that is a primary differentiator. In optimal conditions, a mature Monstera deliciosa can produce an inflorescence consisting of a cream-colored spathe and spadix. If successfully pollinated, this develops into a compound fruit renowned for its sweet, tropical flavor combining notes of pineapple and banana. Monstera adansonii also flowers, producing a similar but smaller inflorescence structure. However, its fruit is not considered palatable and is not a feature of its cultivation as a houseplant. For both species, fruiting is an extremely rare event outside of their native tropical habitats or specialized greenhouses.
The architecture of the two plants varies significantly. A mature Monstera deliciosa becomes a substantial presence, with a thick, sturdy stem from which large leaves emerge on long, robust petioles. It produces thick, often brown, aerial roots that seek out the soil or a support structure to anchor the plant and absorb nutrients and moisture. Monstera adansonii maintains a more delicate and wiry form. Its stems are thinner and its petioles more slender. The aerial roots it produces are correspondingly finer and more numerous, designed to quickly latch onto tree bark as it climbs through the understory. This difference in root structure reflects their ecological niches, with deliciosa becoming a larger, heavier climber and adansonii being a lighter, faster-growing scrambler.
