5 Intriguing Facts about the Monstera Flower

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Did you know that the Monstera deliciosa plant (AKA “Swiss Cheese Plant”) does indeed flower? Not only that, but it also produces an absolutely delicious fruit which I have tasted myself. Keep reading to find out all about the Monstera flower.

The native range of Monstera deliciosa ranges from Mexico to Guatemala and it grows in wet, tropical conditions. It makes a wonderful houseplant and is very well-adapted to growing indoors.

Now let’s take a look at 5 cool facts about the Monstera flower.

ALL ABOUT THE MONSTERA FLOWER

1. DOES MONSTERA FLOWER?

Yes. All Monsteras including Monstera deliciosa, Monstera adansonii, and others will flower.

The genus Monstera belongs to the Araceae (aroid) plant family and they all have a distinctive, similar looking inflorescence (flowering structure).

As you can see in the photo of the Monstera deliciosa inflorescence above, it is composed of two main structures. The spadix is the cylindrical structure in the middle, and the spathe is the white bract behind it.

It is incorrect to call this a flower, but rather, it is called an inflorescence. The flowers are actually numerous, and tiny, and are found on the spadix. The spadix will grow to be about 4-6 inches long,

All plants in the aroid family have a similar looking inflorescence including Anthuriums, Philodendrons, Pothos, and even the common ZZ Plant and Peace Lily. Aroids make up a large portion of the plants that we know and love to grow indoors!

2. CAN INDOOR MONSTERAS FLOWER?

It’s very uncommon for a Monstera deliciosa to flower indoors. Unless you are growing one in a greenhouse, or outdoors in a climate that is warm year-round, it is unlikely to flower indoors in your home.

In fact, I have never seen one flower indoors. But I have seen them in bloom in my travels to warm climates where they grow outdoors. I’ve even seen one flower in a greenhouse in Ohio.

Although Monstera deliciosa is very well adapted to growing indoors and can easily become a beautiful specimen, the conditions inside the home are not conducive to flowering and it will rarely occur.

I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it is unlikely.

They need pretty exacting conditions to bloom, similar to their native environment. This means warm temperatures, high humidity, plenty of water, and the appropriate light.

The flowers of Monstera deliciosa can be self-pollinating, since they have both male and female flowers, and they will actually produce an edible fruit!

3. MONSTERA FRUIT

Once the flowers are pollinated, the plant will produce a very tasty fruit. Here is what the fruit looks like on the plant.

Beware though, you must not eat an unripe fruit otherwise it may prove to be painful (causing a stinging sensation in your mouth) as a result of calcium oxalate crystals.

The fruits can take longer than a year to mature and ripen.

To learn more about the fruit, be sure not to miss my blog post on Monstera fruit. I had the pleasure of eating a ripe fruit, and it is absolutely delicious!

4. WHAT AGE DOES MONSTERA FLOWER?

In ideal conditions (meaning in its tropical habitat), it can take about 3 years for a plant to flower.

5. WHAT DOES A MONSTERA DELICIOSA FLOWER SMELL LIKE?

Since I’ve never had the pleasure of smelling one myself, I reached out to my buddy Enid from NSE Tropicals, a fantastic grower and seller of unusual aroids.

Enid stated that the inflorescence has a slightly fruity scent, and “when it’s ready to be pollinated, it has a much stronger smell”, but otherwise the scent is only “very slight.”

Enid also mentioned “there is a certain point when it [the inflorescence] just opens when it’s receptive, usually in the evenings where the scent will be really strong trying to attract pollinators.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post on Monstera flowering. Have you ever seen a Monstera in bloom? Comment below. I’d love to hear!