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Garden

Think big, think monstera

By YVONNE SWANSON
Published August 26, 2006

Some varieties of the tropical vine can reach 70 feet up into a tree.

These days of hot, steamy summer weather can make you feel as if you're living in a jungle. Plant an exotic tropical in a protected shady space outdoors, and your garden will even look the part.

One of the best tropicals for creating a jungle look is the monstera vine. You can place one on the patio in a container, or if you have the space, unleash this leafy climber to wrap itself around a large tree or a sturdy fence or pergola.

As its name implies, monstera has monstrously large leaves. Some varieties can grow up to 70 feet tall. It prefers to grow up and into trees, and if you use your imagination, you can easily picture Tarzan swinging from one of its thick, tentaclelike aerial roots.

There are 22 species of monstera, but the best known is split-leaf philodendron (Monstera deliciosa), which produces corn-cob-shaped green fruit that tastes like a combination of banana, mango and pineapple. Monstera's leathery, dark-green or variegated leaves can grow to more than 2 feet wide outdoors and can be marked by deep holes or splits, earning it the common name "Swiss cheese plant." But don't let the name fool you: Every part of the monstera plant is poisonous, except for the edible, mature fruit of Monstera deliciosa.

Native to the tropical jungles of Central America, where it grows high into the rain forest canopy, monstera likes warm, moist temperatures, although it's tough enough to handle periods of dry weather. Although it's rated for USDA zones 10 and 11, it is successfully grown in many areas of Tampa Bay (zone 9). If you have a protected area in shade or semishade, plant it in rich, well-drained soil.

"The richer the soil, the better. Remember where these grow naturally, which is a rainforest, where the soil is as rich as possible because of decaying matter falling to the ground," says Ken Jones, a horticulturist with the Pinellas County Extension Service.

Monstera vine will attach itself to the trunk of a tree and then produce aerial roots from its thick stem. As it matures and reaches higher into the tree, these roots grow downward from the stem and eventually root when they reach the ground. Because it's an epiphyte (air plant), the vine won't harm the tree, unless it grows so big and dense that its weight stresses tree limbs or prevents vegetative growth.

"It simply grows up the tree to get away from the competition of other plants on the ground. That's how it evolved over millions and millions of years," Jones said. In most cases, monstera won't venture out onto branching limbs because its air roots grow back down to the ground, he says.

Monstera will begin flowering and producing fruit along its vine once the plant matures, typically when leaves are several feet wide. The creamy white flower spathe, or spike, takes up to a year to mature, then develops into green fruit. (You can currently see monstera fruits in the tropical courtyard at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo.).

If you don't have the outdoor space - or you're afraid to let this beast go wild - you can enjoy monstera as a hardy houseplant. It will need something to climb on and provide support. You can use a sturdy piece of wood or large dowel rod wrapped with sphagnum moss. Position the plant in bright light but not direct sun. Keep the soil moist and mist it on occasion if indoor air is dry. Like most indoor plants, it likes fertilizer every few weeks. Young plants typically have glossy, heart-shaped leaves without holes. Those develop as the plant matures. Indoor-grown monstera won't develop massive leaf size and the Monstera deliciosa variety rarely produces fruit.

If you'd like a taste of the jungle, look for monstera fruit at the local grocery, which occasionally stocks the fruit, or order it from Miami-based Delicious Organics (www. deliciousorganics.com, (305) 655-3344). The fruit will look like a cucumber with hexagon tiles on the skin. Once they fall off, the fruit will be ready to eat. (Don't attempt to eat it before it's ripe because its acids will irritate your mouth and throat.) Remove the skin, then scrape off the kernels with a sharp knife (as you would do with an ear of corn). You can add the kernels to cereal or mash them into a custardlike consistency to flavor drinks and ice cream.

Or simply enjoy monstera as a fresh fruit - just like Tarzan and Jane!

Yvonne Swanson is a freelance writer in St. Petersburg and a master gardener for Pinellas County.

[Last modified August 25, 2006, 08:59:36]