Monstera deliciosa

Monstera deliciosa
Specimen at Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Genus: Monstera
Species:
M. deliciosa
Binomial name
Monstera deliciosa
Synonyms
List
    • Monstera borsigiana K.Koch
    • Monstera deliciosa var. borsigiana Engl.
    • Monstera deliciosa var. sierrana G.S.Bunting
    • Philodendron anatomicum Kunth & C.D.Bouché
    • Philodendron pertusum Kunth & C.D.Bouché
    • Tornelia fragrans Gutierrez ex Schott

Monstera deliciosa, the Swiss cheese plant or split-leaf philodendron is a species of flowering plant. The common name "Swiss cheese plant" is also used for the related species from the same genus, Monstera adansonii. The common name "split-leaf philodendron" is also used for the species Philodendron bipinnatifidum.

Monstera deliciosa is native to tropical forests of southern Mexico, south to Panama. It has been introduced to many tropical areas, and has become a mildly invasive species in Hawaii, Seychelles, Ascension Island and the Society Islands. It is very widely grown in temperate zones as a houseplant. Although the plant contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which cause a needlelike sensation when touched, the ripe fruit is edible.