Did you know that Monstera deliciosa fruit is actually an edible, delicious fruit? I've had the pleasure of eating it, and it is absolutely delicious (but only if it is ripe!) Keep reading to learn important details about eating this fruit.
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The botanical name Monstera deliciosa is very descriptive. The genus Monstera comes from the Latin word for monstrous or abnormal and refers to the unusual leaves with fenestrations (holes and slits).
The species name, deliciosa, is in reference to the tasty, edible fruit that the plant produces.
Some common names for Monstera deliciosa are swiss cheese plant, mexican breadfruit plant, and even fruit salad plant because of the delicious flavor of its fruit.
It is also sometimes called ceriman fruit and corn fruit, which makes sense because the unripe green fruit looks very similar to corn on the cob!
But did you know that there may be some unpleasant consequences if you eat the unripe fruit? How do you know if it is ripe and safe to eat? Keep reading to find out the answers to these important questions and more.
Table of Contents
5 MONSTERA DELICIOSA FRUIT FACTS
1. Is Monstera deliciosa toxic to humans?
This tropical fruit is considered a delicacy, but if it is consumed when the fruit is not ripe, the fruit contains calcium oxalate crystals which can irritate your mouth and throat and create a burning sensation.
It is only safe to eat when the fruit is ripe because the calcium oxalate dissipates. Avoid eating unripe green fruits at all costs!
How do you know when the fruit is ripe?
2. When Can You Eat Monstera Fruit?
The fruits will grow about 12 inches long, and it resembles a green ear of corn. In a ripe, mature fruit, the green scales will start to lift and break open to reveal a creamy flesh that you can eat.
Here is a fruit that is not ripe yet and is still on the plant.
Ripening will start at the base of the fruit and then it gradually will ripen towards the tip.
Here is the same fruit shown above, still on the plant, with some of the scales that opened up on their own to expose the edible fruit underneath.
After the green, hexagonal scales start to fall off, you will start to notice a delicious fragrance. Here is a ripened fruit.
The edible part of the fruit of Monstera deliciosa is the creamy, white flesh found right under the greenish scales.
In the photo above, the green scales have started to open up on their own, revealing the edible, creamy flesh underneath.
You can also start to gently peel away the green scales. If they don't come off easily, the fruit underneath is not ripe.
If you have a fruit where the scales have not peeled away and you're wondering how to ripen your Monstera deliciosa fruit, try this. To encourage ripening, one technique is to place the fruit in a brown paper bag, close it, and set it aside somewhere (room temperature) until the scales open up like in the photo below.
3. What Does Monstera Deliciosa Fruit Taste Like?
I had the pleasure of tasting the fruit for the first time, and true to the species name, deliciosa, the fruit was, well...absolutely delicious.
People will describe the flavor in many different ways, but a traditional explanation is that the fruit tastes like a combination of banana and pineapple.
And I agree with this assessment. It has the sweetness of a banana with some light acidic notes similar to a pineapple.
Some people also say that they taste hints of strawberry, or even a passion fruit taste.
The fruit is a good source of potassium and vitamin C (and did I mention it's delicious?)
4. Does Monstera Fruit Indoors?
Although the Monstera deliciosa plant is an absolutely amazing and easy to grow plant indoors, the chances of it flowering and fruiting under average indoor home conditions are slim to none.
The native habitats of these Monstera plants are tropical areas spanning from southern Mexico to Central America. In those climates, and similar climates elsewhere, they will fruit easily when planted in the ground.
These plants thrive in warm climates with high humidity, and in areas where they have enough room to grow. They will use their plentiful, cord-like aerial roots to climb trees and seek out water.
As you saw in a previous photo, the fruit that I tasted was actually grown in Ohio, but the plant was in the ground in a hoop house (basically a greenhouse).
Plants grown indoors in a home in a pot will likely never flower or set fruit. However, that being said, if you look at the many comments from my readers on this post, some of my readers have reported that their Monstera deliciosa plants have set fruit indoors for them! This is an exception rather than a rule, however.
5. How long does it take to harvest a Monstera fruit?
Of course it depends on the growing conditions, but it takes approximately a year after flowering occurs. Just make sure that your fruit has scales that peel away easily like in the photo below (this indicates that it is ripe), otherwise eating it will be a painful experience!
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Great article, thank you for the information!!! All I know is that I have a bush of plants for landscaping and for years we just have our landscapers maintain their look but today I saw two fruits sitting from the ground and I decide to google what these were. Wow, I just something awesome and will try to have them ripened first. I have a pic of them but don’t know how to post the picture here. They are green and a side of small corndog. Can I pick them during this stage ?
Hi Alexa! I would wait until they grow more and start to ripen like I describe in the post 🙂 Give it more time. It will be worth it (just don't eat it when it's not ripe yet! haha).
I lived in Darling Point , Sydney nearly 50 years ago and the Council had planted Monstera Deliciosa along near the bus stop. I noticed the fruit and when they were ripening you could pull each little piece out by pulling on the hexagonal top. The taste was known locally as fruit salad . Quite delicious. Can't imagine it ever ripening in the UK where I live now.
Why don't they produce fruit when grown indoors? Also, another comment asking how to tell if they have an edible variety, i think, deserves a follow up question and answer(hopefully). Are there varieties that produce non edible fruits and, if so, how can you tell them apart? Thanks in advance!
Hi Sarah, the conditions indoors are just not sufficient. They can fruit occasionally indoors, but it's not that common. I'm strictly talking about Monstera deliciosa in this post.
Hi,
Does anyone think I could grow one here in Washington state? I am really looking for the fruit, perhaps inside a house or a greenhouse? Otherwise, does anyone know where we can purchase the fruit?
Thanks!!
S.
Cape Town, South Africa here, and my plants' fruits are just getting to the ripening stage (with about 3 already consumed, either by me or ants if I didn't discover it soon enough). So true to their name, and the plants seem to really love being in my garden: usually somewhat warm, never frosting, with moderate humidity, and in my garden in particular, plenty of shade under neighbours' trees.
I can't tell if I'm imagining it, but I feel like there might be an intoxicant in the fruit? Almost like an alcohol, but I can detect none of the smell or "taste" of the usual ethanol-containing foodstuffs. Just a slight swirly sensation in the head when I eat this yummy fruit. Does anyone else experience this?
I'm 99.9% certain it's a Monstera deliciosa BTW, it matches all descriptions of the plant exactly.
Hi Raffaele, Glad i found your post. We live in Belgium and have a lovely big Monstera deliciosa growing inside the house. To our great surprise this plant had made tree fruits. We did not know it was possible. Really nice to see it growing... Two of the fruits are nearly 13 months old. Thanks to your explanation i know now that we have to wait for it to ripen until the scales start to peel away. Looking forward to finally tasting it 🙂
@Raffaele, Thanks! Today the first fruit has fallen and it is open at the bottom as you explained. It has a delicious sweet smell. Not allowed to taste it for now, have to do a pet scan, empty stomach. But it wil be a big treat for when i come home. Hardly cant wait to taste it, something so special...
Hi Raffaelle our mostera is fruiting and as you said the fruit is delicious. I have a question, several of the fruit are yellow when the flower petals opens while the ones I have eaten are the normal green. Are these yellow ones eatable? The plant is located in a tub facing west in a sheltered semi inclosed landing, winter temp are well below 0c with frost, steam from the bathroom escape out the windows through its leaves. The plant is thriving in this location. We live in Tasmania, Australia. We are located on latitude 40 deg south, the only land mass to the east is the south island of New Zealand, the Southern Pacific Ocean then Argintina, to the west is the souther Indian Ocean then Argintina. To say these plants are hardy is an understatement, cheers from the bottom of the world. Chris, 10/10/22. 17.009hrs
Hi Chris! I'm actually not sure. Have the scales on the fruit started to peel and open up like in the photos in my post? That's usually the main indication that it's ripe.
@Chris Mountney, See my reply to Zara. The yellow ones are babies and not edible. Yep, they're hardy. I'm in the hills East of Perth, Australia, a hot dry climate with less than 600mm of annual rainfall. Winters aren't harsh though. If we have more than one frost we consider it a bad year.
Practically any nursery that sells plants carries Monstera deliciosa plants. And yes! I've seen many growing in the ground in Florida. Especially in the warmer parts of Florida.
Hi there !
I have two huge monstera plants growing in huge pots outside. The pots are in the shade under some huge bushes whose name I can’t remember. The monstera are climbing up the bushes and are going for six feet. They have been giving delicious fruit for about four years.
I live about a ten minute drive from the airport in …… Israel !!!
Great article! We’ve got a huge monstera deliciosa growing in our Delray Beach, Florida back yard from which we’ve just harvested our first fruit after waiting almost a year for it to mature. We got it as a cutting from the nursery where we bought banana plants about 3 years ago. We LOVE it and the fruit is so tasty.
My Monstera is now Flowering and yielding about 7 flowers. I live in Orlando Florida. I planted the Monstera a year ago outside my pool perimeter. I was amazed at how quickly and big it grew.
Hi my plant has I guess started getting maybe fruit its like a corn on the cob all yellow not green and the leaf surrounding it is yellow, is it ripe to eat when it's yellow
@Raffaele, no, wish I could send you a pic, it seemed to open up overnight and yellow core and yellow 1/2 type of leaf covering it, on the 4 other ones next to it they look like they are going to be green cobs
@Zara Chappell, What you're describing is the flower with the immature yellow fruit inside it. The "1/2 type of leaf" is like a flower petal and falls off soon after flowering. It's not edible at that stage. It will soon turn green like your 4 other ones. When ready to pick they will probably be similar in size and shape to a corn cob. I usually pick mine when the fruit starts to droop on its stem.
The fruit of the monstera deliciosa really tastes unique somewhere in between a custard apple and a sweet pineapple.
Lovely article, and great tips for making the most of this amazing plant that most people didn't even know about.
Hi Raffaelle, I've got a monstera growing outside along the fenceline beside my house (I live in Auckland New Zealand, temps 45 - 75 F) It is 12 feet high with leaves about 2 feet across. It flowers and fruits prolifically and currently has half a dozen fruit approaching ripening and many more smaller fruit and flowers. Did not know that the fruit was edible. It is growing wild and gets hacked back when it starts getting in the way. Are there any pests I should look out for as I would love to taste the fruit.
Hi Ian! There are no pests really to be aware of that I know. The main part is just making sure that the fruit is ripe, as I describe in the article. And just make sure it is Monstera deliciosa :-). It tastes really delicious!
@Raffaele, Hi there! Thanks for sharing this. I found out about this fruit from your instagram page and I am excited to see mine fruiting. However, how the heck do I make sure it is a Monstera Deliciosa? Can it possibly be a non edible Monstera variety??? Obviously the level of emotion correlates to not wanting to end up trying to eat the wrong thing (I am a bit anxious to try it).
Thanks so much 🙂
Great article, thank you for the information!!! All I know is that I have a bush of plants for landscaping and for years we just have our landscapers maintain their look but today I saw two fruits sitting from the ground and I decide to google what these were. Wow, I just something awesome and will try to have them ripened first. I have a pic of them but don’t know how to post the picture here. They are green and a side of small corndog. Can I pick them during this stage ?
Hi Alexa! I would wait until they grow more and start to ripen like I describe in the post 🙂 Give it more time. It will be worth it (just don't eat it when it's not ripe yet! haha).
wow ..i found the Monstera Deliciosa Fruit in my garden ..im so happy ..i always wanted that plant..
Wonderful!
I lived in Darling Point , Sydney nearly 50 years ago and the Council had planted Monstera Deliciosa along near the bus stop. I noticed the fruit and when they were ripening you could pull each little piece out by pulling on the hexagonal top. The taste was known locally as fruit salad . Quite delicious. Can't imagine it ever ripening in the UK where I live now.
That sounds lovely! The taste is absolutely delicious!
Why don't they produce fruit when grown indoors? Also, another comment asking how to tell if they have an edible variety, i think, deserves a follow up question and answer(hopefully). Are there varieties that produce non edible fruits and, if so, how can you tell them apart? Thanks in advance!
Hi Sarah, the conditions indoors are just not sufficient. They can fruit occasionally indoors, but it's not that common. I'm strictly talking about Monstera deliciosa in this post.
Hi,
Does anyone think I could grow one here in Washington state? I am really looking for the fruit, perhaps inside a house or a greenhouse? Otherwise, does anyone know where we can purchase the fruit?
Thanks!!
S.
You'd have the best luck growing it in a greenhouse if you want fruit. Inside of a home, it will be pretty uncommon for it to fruit.
Cape Town, South Africa here, and my plants' fruits are just getting to the ripening stage (with about 3 already consumed, either by me or ants if I didn't discover it soon enough). So true to their name, and the plants seem to really love being in my garden: usually somewhat warm, never frosting, with moderate humidity, and in my garden in particular, plenty of shade under neighbours' trees.
I can't tell if I'm imagining it, but I feel like there might be an intoxicant in the fruit? Almost like an alcohol, but I can detect none of the smell or "taste" of the usual ethanol-containing foodstuffs. Just a slight swirly sensation in the head when I eat this yummy fruit. Does anyone else experience this?
I'm 99.9% certain it's a Monstera deliciosa BTW, it matches all descriptions of the plant exactly.
I'm really not sure...unless maybe the fruit over-ripened and started to ferment possibly.
Hi Raffaele, Glad i found your post. We live in Belgium and have a lovely big Monstera deliciosa growing inside the house. To our great surprise this plant had made tree fruits. We did not know it was possible. Really nice to see it growing... Two of the fruits are nearly 13 months old. Thanks to your explanation i know now that we have to wait for it to ripen until the scales start to peel away. Looking forward to finally tasting it 🙂
That's so amazing Karin! They will rarely bloom indoors, so I'm glad you have the chance to experience it!
@Raffaele, Thanks! Today the first fruit has fallen and it is open at the bottom as you explained. It has a delicious sweet smell. Not allowed to taste it for now, have to do a pet scan, empty stomach. But it wil be a big treat for when i come home. Hardly cant wait to taste it, something so special...
Hi Raffaelle our mostera is fruiting and as you said the fruit is delicious. I have a question, several of the fruit are yellow when the flower petals opens while the ones I have eaten are the normal green. Are these yellow ones eatable? The plant is located in a tub facing west in a sheltered semi inclosed landing, winter temp are well below 0c with frost, steam from the bathroom escape out the windows through its leaves. The plant is thriving in this location. We live in Tasmania, Australia. We are located on latitude 40 deg south, the only land mass to the east is the south island of New Zealand, the Southern Pacific Ocean then Argintina, to the west is the souther Indian Ocean then Argintina. To say these plants are hardy is an understatement, cheers from the bottom of the world. Chris, 10/10/22. 17.009hrs
Hi Chris! I'm actually not sure. Have the scales on the fruit started to peel and open up like in the photos in my post? That's usually the main indication that it's ripe.
@Chris Mountney, See my reply to Zara. The yellow ones are babies and not edible. Yep, they're hardy. I'm in the hills East of Perth, Australia, a hot dry climate with less than 600mm of annual rainfall. Winters aren't harsh though. If we have more than one frost we consider it a bad year.
Where can I get a monster fruit plant and will it grow in florida?
Practically any nursery that sells plants carries Monstera deliciosa plants. And yes! I've seen many growing in the ground in Florida. Especially in the warmer parts of Florida.
Hi there !
I have two huge monstera plants growing in huge pots outside. The pots are in the shade under some huge bushes whose name I can’t remember. The monstera are climbing up the bushes and are going for six feet. They have been giving delicious fruit for about four years.
I live about a ten minute drive from the airport in …… Israel !!!
Sounds like the plants are happy! 🙂
Great article! We’ve got a huge monstera deliciosa growing in our Delray Beach, Florida back yard from which we’ve just harvested our first fruit after waiting almost a year for it to mature. We got it as a cutting from the nursery where we bought banana plants about 3 years ago. We LOVE it and the fruit is so tasty.
I absolutely love the flavor too! And I'm definitely jealous of your climate 🙂
Hi, Ive grown up calling it the fruit salad fruit you get a different flavour with every bite.
I love that!
@HAYDEN, agreed with the changing flavors with every bite, it’s like a Willy Wonka everlasting gobstopper!
My Monstera is now Flowering and yielding about 7 flowers. I live in Orlando Florida. I planted the Monstera a year ago outside my pool perimeter. I was amazed at how quickly and big it grew.
You're certainly in a good climate for growing them outdoors 🙂
Hi my plant has I guess started getting maybe fruit its like a corn on the cob all yellow not green and the leaf surrounding it is yellow, is it ripe to eat when it's yellow
Usually the scales start to peel away when it's ripe like I showed in the post. Are you seeing that at all? Do any of the scales come off easily?
@Raffaele, no, wish I could send you a pic, it seemed to open up overnight and yellow core and yellow 1/2 type of leaf covering it, on the 4 other ones next to it they look like they are going to be green cobs
@Zara Chappell, What you're describing is the flower with the immature yellow fruit inside it. The "1/2 type of leaf" is like a flower petal and falls off soon after flowering. It's not edible at that stage. It will soon turn green like your 4 other ones. When ready to pick they will probably be similar in size and shape to a corn cob. I usually pick mine when the fruit starts to droop on its stem.
The fruit of the monstera deliciosa really tastes unique somewhere in between a custard apple and a sweet pineapple.
Lovely article, and great tips for making the most of this amazing plant that most people didn't even know about.
Glad you enjoyed the post Elly 🙂
Hi Raffaelle, I've got a monstera growing outside along the fenceline beside my house (I live in Auckland New Zealand, temps 45 - 75 F) It is 12 feet high with leaves about 2 feet across. It flowers and fruits prolifically and currently has half a dozen fruit approaching ripening and many more smaller fruit and flowers. Did not know that the fruit was edible. It is growing wild and gets hacked back when it starts getting in the way. Are there any pests I should look out for as I would love to taste the fruit.
Hi Ian! There are no pests really to be aware of that I know. The main part is just making sure that the fruit is ripe, as I describe in the article. And just make sure it is Monstera deliciosa :-). It tastes really delicious!
@Raffaele, Hi there! Thanks for sharing this. I found out about this fruit from your instagram page and I am excited to see mine fruiting. However, how the heck do I make sure it is a Monstera Deliciosa? Can it possibly be a non edible Monstera variety??? Obviously the level of emotion correlates to not wanting to end up trying to eat the wrong thing (I am a bit anxious to try it).
Thanks so much 🙂
If I saw a photo of your plant, I could tell you. The plant is pretty distinctive!