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The next leaf is a surprise 🎁
Family: Araceae • Pot diameter: 13cm • Height: 60cm
RHS Recommended: Award of Garden Merit: Monstera deliciosa 'Variegata' has received the important distinction of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), which helps highlight reliable, easy-to-grow plants that perform well in suitable conditions.
Monstera deliciosa 'Variegata' turns one of the most iconic tropical plants into a true living work of art. On its sturdy, glossy leaves, deep green meets cream and pure white in irregular brushstrokes, marbling or large striking sections that never repeat in exactly the same way. As it matures, the heart-shaped foliage develops the characteristic deep splits and natural holes of monstera, combining wild tropical energy with refined graphic impact. Every new leaf opens like a small reveal, with its own balance of colour and empty space. It is a collectible presence with strong personality, architectural power and the rare charm of a plant that remains unique even beside another of the same variety.
At 60cm tall, it is ideally placed on the floor, on a low plant stand or beside a console where its full climbing line can be seen. It needs a very bright position near a large window: an east-facing window is usually excellent, while behind south- or west-facing glass the strong light must be diffused. In Greece, protect the white sections especially from hot midday and afternoon sun, heat reflected by glass and dry air-conditioning draughts. It is not a plant for a dark corner. It can temporarily go outdoors in a protected space only in consistently warm weather, with gradual acclimatisation and full shade from strong summer sun.
Botanical origin: Monstera deliciosa is an accepted species of the family Araceae, published by the Danish botanist Frederik Michael Liebmann in 1849. Its natural distribution extends from the Mexican states of Veracruz, Oaxaca and Chiapas to Guatemala, where it grows as a climbing vine in humid tropical forests.
The identity of 'Variegata': The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and Missouri Botanical Garden recognise 'Variegata' as an accepted cultivar of Monstera deliciosa. It is characterised by irregular cream and white marbling, speckles or solid sectors on green foliage and usually grows more slowly than the fully green form.
What we know about its origin: No specific breeder, nursery, place of discovery or controlled cross has been safely documented for the original 'Variegata'. In the pale zones, chlorophyll production is reduced or absent, while scientific literature records frequent green and white sectoring in this cultivar. For this reason, the ratio of the two colours can change from leaf to leaf and from stem to stem.
Name and distinction: The RHS records 'Variegata' and 'Albo-Variegata' separately, so the product is not arbitrarily renamed “Albo”. It is also not 'Thai Constellation', a different clonal selection with usually finer cream speckling. 'Variegata' received the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 1993.
How it is maintained: To preserve the cultivar traits, propagation is vegetative from a variegated stem section that includes an active node. Seeds do not faithfully reproduce the same selection, while even in clonal material the exact pattern of every new leaf remains naturally unpredictable.
| 🔎 Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| 🌿 Scientific name | Monstera deliciosa 'Variegata' • Family: Araceae • Variegated evergreen cultivar |
| 🪴 Pot/Size | Pot diameter: 13cm • Height: 60cm |
| ☀️ Light | Very bright spot with plenty of indirect light and gentle morning sun only after acclimatisation. Avoid hot midday or western sun, especially behind glass in the Greek summer. |
| 💧 Watering | Moderate and controlled: water deeply when roughly the first 3–4cm of the mix have dried. Do not leave water in the saucer or decorative pot, and do not let the small rootball remain dry for many days in the heat. |
| 🌱 Substrate | Loose, organic-rich and fast-draining, with organic base, pine bark and perlite or pumice. The pot must have open drainage holes. |
| 🌡️ Temperature/Humidity | Ideally around 18–28°C, with protection from prolonged temperatures below 15°C and cold draughts. Prefers medium to high relative humidity, but also needs good air circulation. |
| 🧗 Growth | Climbing, with a thick stem and aerial roots. With support and time, it can reach several metres indoors; the RHS gives approximately 2.5–4m height and 1–1.5m width for the cultivar. |
| 🎨 Variegation | Cream to white speckles, marbling and sectors on a green background. The ratio changes naturally on every new leaf and cannot be programmed or guaranteed. |
| 🧴 Fertilising | From spring to the end of summer, balanced liquid fertiliser at reduced strength roughly every 4–6 weeks, only on already moist substrate. Do not fertilise a plant that is dry, recently repotted or stressed. |
| 🌼 Flowering | Mature plants can form the characteristic aroid inflorescence, with a cream spathe around the spadix. In a pot and indoor space, flowering and fruiting are extremely rare. |
| 🐾 Toxicity | Toxic if chewed by cats or dogs due to insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can cause strong mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. The sap may also irritate skin and eyes. |
Yes, new growth can become much greener or, at the opposite extreme, almost completely white. Strong indirect light supports growth, but it does not create white tissue or guarantee the pattern of the next leaf. If several completely green leaves appear in a row and the corresponding stem has no pale striping, pruning back to an older variegated node may give a new chance, without guarantee. Completely white growth cannot sustain itself for long, because it does not photosynthesise enough.
White tissue has less chlorophyll and is more sensitive to hot sun, very dry air, salt build-up and large moisture fluctuations. Keep the plant in stable conditions, avoid overfertilising and do not leave water in the decorative pot. Already brown tissue will not turn white again; it can be carefully removed only when fully dry, with clean scissors and without cutting healthy green tissue.
There is no specific number of leaves or exact age. Natural holes and deeper splits increase as the stem matures and are supported by very good light, an active root system and steady climbing. A young or recently acclimatised plant may temporarily produce simpler leaves. Support and correct placement help mature form, but they do not guarantee that every next leaf will be more fenestrated.
At its current height, it can stand temporarily without a large pole, but its natural growth is climbing and a stable support helps the stem stay upright and mature. Use a plank, coco coir pole or properly fixed moss support, and tie only the main stem loosely — never the leaf petioles. Guide the aerial roots towards the support or substrate, without cutting them out of habit.
© Original plant description by Greenleaf Garden Center. All rights reserved. | This text is original material. Copying is prohibited (Law 2121/1993).
🔎 Note: Due to the natural diversity of plants, the plant you receive may differ slightly from the one shown in the photo. Shape, size or colour may vary depending on the season, growing conditions and the natural character of each plant.
