Plant Species: Monstera obliqua

Plant Genus: Monstera

Plant Family: Araceae

Native Habitat: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.

Soil Drainage: Well-draining soil is recommended, composed of a substrate mix containing coco coir, perlite, vermiculite, sphagnum moss, and pumice.

Soil pH: Acidic

Fertilizers: Monstera obliqua requires a substantial mineral input in its substrate. We recommend using a bio-type fertilizer (we use the BioBizz brand for the plants we cultivate) from the beginning of March to the end of November.

Air Humidity: Constantly at 85% or higher.

Temperature: 21-26 degrees Celsius (70-79 degrees Fahrenheit)

Light: Indirect light

Plant Height Including Pot:

Size M: 15-20cm (6-8 inches)

Size S: 10-15cm (4-6 inches)

Pot Diameter:

Size M: 7x7cm (2.8x2.8 inches)

Size S: 6x6cm (2.4x2.4 inches)

Until recently, Monstera obliqua was truly one of those rare plants, even in its natural habitat. It's been said that until 1977, it had only been observed in the wild 17 times. Until a couple of years ago, there was a famous hashtag on the internet, #itsneverobliqua, precisely because there were so few references that people often confused it with its sister plant, Monstera adansonii. However, thanks to in vitro culture laboratories, Monstera obliqua has become a relatively accessible plant for plant enthusiasts worldwide.

Remarkable due to its foliage (like most Monstera species), Monstera obliqua Peru seems to be a plant of extremes, as the fenestrations become larger and eventually make up 90% of the leaf as the plant matures. The plant's foliage develops a lace-like pattern due to these fenestrations.

Certainly, the leaves of Monstera obliqua are stunning, but they have specific needs:

• Air humidity should be consistently high, ideally 85% or higher. This is why Monstera obliqua isn't suitable for growth in a living room but thrives in a terrarium or an Ikea cabinet upgraded with grow lights to create a terrarium-like environment.
• Monstera obliqua is capable of producing stolons, leafless stems that naturally grow horizontally on the ground until they find another tree to climb (in the wild, they can reach lengths of up to 20 meters). Hence, the plant requires support; a moss pole is particularly suitable.
• If not kept under appropriate conditions, it can easily attract pests, with common ones being whiteflies, mealybugs, red spider mites, and scale insects. If left untreated, the plant could die.

Attention! To check the substrate's moisture level, the best method is to insert a finger into the pot to a depth of 2 cm (about 0.8 inches). Unlike other Monstera species, Monstera obliqua prefers consistently moist substrate.

Attention 2! When discussing watering, consider the pot's size, the amount of substrate, and its aeration. Avoid pouring a liter of water into a pot with a diameter and height of 12 cm (4.7 inches) as it could drown the plant's roots. It's best to discard excess water from the saucer about half an hour after watering.

The plant should be mounted on a support pole covered in moss. This allows the aerial roots to attach to the support, resulting in a more robust stem and progressively larger leaves.

Good luck with caring for your plant! And don't forget to give us updates about your plant by using the hashtag #greenmirrors and tagging @green.mirrors in your Instagram posts! We promise to share them in our stories.

Tags: Monstera, Monstera adansonii variegated, Araceae, rare plants, unusual plants, decorative foliage plants, trailing plants, air-purifying plants, indoor decorative plants.