Monstera Adansonii Monkey Mask - The Stunning Swiss Cheese Vine
Meet the absolutely gorgeous Monstera adansonii, affectionately known as the Monkey Mask or Swiss Cheese Vine! This stunning tropical climber features beautiful heart-shaped leaves covered in distinctive oval holes (called fenestrations) that give it that unmistakable "swiss cheese" appearance. A close relative of the popular Monstera deliciosa but with a more compact, manageable growth habit, the Monkey Mask has become a firm favourite among plant lovers for its quirky charm and versatile nature. Let it climb up a support for impressive foliage or trail gracefully from a shelf or hanging basket!
Why Choose Monstera Adansonii Monkey Mask?
- Instantly Recognisable! Those iconic fenestrated leaves with their distinctive holes make this plant a true conversation starter.
- Versatile Grower! Train it to climb up a moss pole for larger leaves, or let it cascade down from a shelf or hanging basket.
- Fast Growing! Watch your plant transform with new leaves appearing regularly during the growing season.
- Easy to Care For! Tolerant and forgiving, perfect for both beginners and experienced plant parents.
- Easy to Propagate! Share the love with friends by taking simple stem cuttings.
- Compact Alternative! All the Monstera charm in a more manageable size than its larger cousin, Monstera deliciosa.
Light Requirements
Your Monstera Adansonii thrives in bright indirect light, which will encourage healthy growth and those beautiful fenestrated leaves. It can adapt to medium light conditions, making it quite versatile for different spots in your home, but growth may slow and leaves may be smaller with fewer holes in lower light. Avoid direct sunlight, especially during the harsh afternoon hours, as those delicate, thin leaves can scorch and develop brown patches quite easily.
A spot near an east or west-facing window is ideal, or set back from a north-facing window where it receives bright but filtered light. If your Monkey Mask starts producing small leaves with few holes or becomes leggy and stretched, it's telling you it needs more light!
Watering Your Swiss Cheese Vine
The key to a happy Monstera Adansonii is finding the watering sweet spot: consistently moist but never soggy! Allow the top 5cm of soil to dry out between waterings, then water thoroughly. It's important to only water when it suits the environment your plant is living in, as everyone's home is different! These plants would rather be slightly underwatered than overwatered, as sitting in wet soil can quickly lead to root rot.
In warmer months (September through March), you'll likely water weekly or when the soil feels dry. During cooler months (April through August), reduce watering as growth naturally slows and the soil takes longer to dry out. Your Monkey Mask will tell you when it's thirsty: watch for leaves that start to droop or curl slightly.
A helpful tip: Monstera Adansonii can be sensitive to chemicals in tap water, which may cause brown leaf tips. If you notice this, try leaving tap water to sit for 24 hours before using, or use filtered or rainwater.
The Perfect Potting Mix
As a natural climber that grows on tree trunks in the rainforest, your Monkey Mask needs a chunky, well-draining potting mix that mimics its natural growing conditions. Our Ultimate Aroid Mix is perfect, providing excellent drainage and aeration while retaining just enough moisture to keep roots happy. A mix containing orchid bark, perlite, coco coir, and charcoal works beautifully. Good drainage is absolutely essential, so always use a pot with drainage holes!
Humidity and Temperature
Coming from the humid tropical rainforests of Central and South America, your Monstera Adansonii appreciates moderate to high humidity levels around 50% or above. However, it's quite adaptable and will tolerate average household humidity just fine. If you notice brown, crispy leaf tips, your plant may be asking for a bit more moisture in the air.
To boost humidity, group your Monkey Mask with other plants to create a humid microclimate. Bathrooms with good natural light can also provide the humidity these plants love! Avoid placing your plant near heaters, air conditioning vents, or cold drafty windows.
Temperature-wise, aim for a comfortable range between 18-27°C. Your Monstera won't appreciate temperatures below 13°C and definitely shouldn't be exposed to frost. If you're comfortable in your home, your plant probably is too!
To Climb or To Trail?
One of the most wonderful things about Monstera Adansonii is its versatility! You can choose how you want your plant to grow:
Climbing: Give your Monkey Mask something to climb (like one of our Grow Vertical Propsticks) and watch it transform! When climbing, the plant produces larger leaves with more impressive fenestrations. In nature, these plants climb up tree trunks, and providing that vertical support encourages them to produce their most stunning foliage. Our Propstick Sixty or Propstick Pro are perfect for supporting climbing Monsteras.
Trailing: Let your Monkey Mask cascade down from a shelf, bookcase, or hanging basket for a gorgeous trailing effect. The vines can grow quite long, creating a beautiful jungle vibe. Note that trailing plants typically produce smaller leaves than climbing plants, but the effect is still absolutely stunning!
Feeding for Lush Growth
Monstera Adansonii are hungry plants that benefit from regular feeding during the growing season! We recommend Growth Technology Foliage Focus diluted at 3-5ml per litre of water. Use at every watering for optimum results during the active growing season (September through March). This complete fertiliser provides all 12 essential minerals for lush, healthy foliage and vigorous growth.
Pair it with Growth Technology Rootzone every 2-4 weeks in conjunction with your regular fertiliser to support a strong, healthy root system. Flush monthly with plain water to remove traces of mineral salts build up. During cooler months (April through August), reduce feeding to every 4-6 weeks or stop altogether as growth naturally slows.
Propagation Made Easy
Monstera Adansonii is wonderfully easy to propagate, making it perfect for sharing with friends! Simply take a stem cutting just below a node (the little bump on the stem where leaves and aerial roots emerge), ensuring you have at least one node on your cutting. Pop the cutting in water or moist sphagnum moss and wait for roots to develop. Once roots are a few centimetres long with secondary roots appearing, your cutting is ready to pot up. Spring and summer are the best times to propagate.
Care Tips for Success
- Clean those leaves! Dust can block light absorption. Gently wipe leaves with a damp cloth every few weeks.
- Provide support for climbing if you want larger, more fenestrated leaves.
- Watch for yellowing leaves, which often indicates overwatering. Check soil moisture and adjust your watering routine.
- Brown leaf tips? Usually caused by low humidity, underwatering, or chemicals in tap water.
- Prune leggy growth in spring to encourage bushier growth (and use those cuttings to propagate!).
Perfect For
- Plant lovers who adore the Monstera look but want something more compact
- Creating a lush, tropical jungle vibe indoors
- Shelves, bookcases, and hanging baskets (trailing)
- Climbing up moss poles and supports for impressive foliage
- Beginners looking for an easy, rewarding plant
- Bathrooms and kitchens with good natural light
- Anyone who loves propagating and sharing plants with friends
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Monstera Adansonii have small leaves with few holes? This usually indicates the plant needs more light or would benefit from climbing support. Move it to a brighter spot and/or provide a moss pole to encourage larger, more fenestrated leaves.
Why are my Monkey Mask's leaves turning yellow? Yellow leaves are most commonly caused by overwatering. Check the soil moisture and ensure you're letting the top portion dry out between waterings. It can also indicate the plant needs more light or nutrients.
Is Monstera Adansonii the same as Monstera obliqua? No! While they look similar, true Monstera obliqua is extremely rare and has leaves that are more hole than leaf. What's commonly sold as obliqua is usually adansonii. The Monkey Mask you see here is the beautiful, easier-to-grow adansonii!
Can I grow my Monstera Adansonii outside? In frost-free, shaded positions, yes! They make excellent patio plants in protected spots. Just avoid direct sun and bring them inside if temperatures drop below 13°C.
Please Keep in Mind
Each plant is unique and may vary slightly from the images shown. The photos are representative examples of the quality and characteristics you can expect, but natural variations in leaf size, fenestration patterns, and vine length make every plant one-of-a-kind. This individuality is part of what makes growing plants so special! For information on how your plant will be shipped, please refer to our shipping and delivery section.
If you are from a quarantine restricted state and would like to purchase this plant we recommend using Paradise Distributors concierge service, make sure to contact them prior to purchasing: info@rareplants.net.au
Shipping & Greenhouse Collection
Let's Talk About How Your Plants Get to You!
Alright, so here's the deal with shipping - we try our best to send all our plants potted and ready to go, but sometimes due to larger orders or when we're moving through some big changes, we'll send some plants semi-bare rooted. If you haven't come across this before, it basically means we carefully remove a bunch of the soil before packing them up. I know that might sound a bit scary if you've never ordered plants online before, but trust me, this is actually a really smart way to do it! The main reason we do this is because it creates so much more room in the box, which means we can fit way more plants in one shipment for you. More plants in one box = more green goodness arriving at your door at once! The plants honestly handle the journey better without all that heavy, wet soil sloshing around too. Just make sure you've got some fresh potting mix ready to go when your green babies arrive, because they'll want to get tucked into their new home pretty quickly!
Now, let's chat about what actually fits in our boxes. We can safely fit about 4-6 plants in one box, or if you're stocking up on supplies, one box can hold 3 bags of medium plus 1L of Growth Technology. We really don't recommend adding heavy items with your plants though - it just puts extra stress on your precious plants during transit and limits how many we can fit. If your order ends up being heavier than our standard box can handle, we'll reach out to you about additional postage fees. We're always transparent about costs, no sneaky surprises!
When Does Everything Ship Out?
Here's how our timeline works - we process and ship orders the week after you place them. So if you order on a Tuesday, your plants will get packed and sent out sometime the following week. We ship Monday through Friday (because let's be real, we all need weekends to recharge!), and we're aiming to get your order out within 4-6 business days of processing. Sometimes things take a tiny bit longer because we're a small but mighty team, and we take absolute care in making sure every single plant is packed perfectly. Like, we're talking individual attention for each plant here. We don't rush this stuff!
Once your order ships, you'll get an email with your tracking number. If you haven't received that tracking email, it just means we're still working on your order - it hasn't left us yet. Please be patient with us! We promise we're working as fast as we can while still making sure everything is done right. We pack orders in chronological order to keep things fair for everyone, so no one's getting special treatment or jumping the queue. First come, first served, that's how we roll!
The Journey to Your Doorstep
All our orders ship with Australia Post, and here's something cool - they operate 24/7! That means even if your order gets sent out on a Friday afternoon, it's still making its way to you over the weekend. The postal system doesn't sleep, and honestly, that's pretty amazing for getting plants to you quickly. You can generally expect your plants to arrive within 2-7 days after we ship them, depending on where you are in Australia. Metro areas tend to be quicker, regional spots might take the full week, but either way, your tracking number will keep you in the loop the whole time.
And here's the thing that always blows people's minds - our plants are absolute troopers. We've tested this extensively, and they can genuinely survive in their boxes for up to three weeks if needed. Obviously we don't want them sitting around that long, but life happens, mail gets delayed sometimes, and we want you to know that your plants are prepped and ready to handle whatever the postal system throws at them. While we do our best to avoid delays, occasional unforeseen circumstances may slightly impact delivery times, but rest assured, your plants are packed with extra care and are tougher than you think!
Quarantine States (WA, NT, TAS)
We currently only ship directly to non-quarantine states. Unfortunately, biosecurity restrictions make it pretty complicated to send plants to Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Tasmania. But don't worry, we've got a solution for you! If you're from a quarantine restricted state and would like to purchase plants from us, we recommend using Paradise Distributors' concierge service. They're absolute legends and can handle all the biosecurity paperwork and requirements for you. Make sure to contact them prior to purchasing so they can give you all the details and help you out: info@rareplants.net.au
Come Visit the Greenhouse! (Rockdale)
If you're local or just love the idea of picking up your order in person, we've got you covered! Greenhouse collection from our Rockdale location is available the same week you make your purchase. Our opening hours are always changing, so make sure to check booking availability on our 'Visit the Greenhouse' page before purchasing. After you've paid for your order, just head over and book a time slot that works for you. You'll get to pick up your plants AND have a wander through the greenhouse while you're here, which honestly is such a vibe. Just please wear a mask if you're feeling unwell - it's a small space and we want to keep everyone safe and healthy!
Catch Us at Markets!
We do regular markets around Sydney and would love to meet you in person! If you'd prefer to skip shipping altogether and grab your order at one of our market stalls, just email us at info@growinggroundsaustralia.com and we can arrange collection at an upcoming market. It's a great way to chat plants face-to-face, see what else we've got on the day, and save on postage!
Questions? We're Here for You!
If you've got any questions about shipping, tracking, or literally anything else, please don't hesitate to contact us at info@growinggroundsaustralia.com. We love chatting with you guys and we're always happy to help troubleshoot, answer questions, or just talk plants!
Much love from the GG's Team 🌱
