Different Types of Monstera and How to Tell Them Apart

The Monstera includes dozens of distinct species. The monsteras you are most likely to meet indoors are Monstera deliciosa, Monstera adansonii, and a small group of variegated and silver-leaved varieties, each with leaf shapes, growth habits, and light needs different enough to change how you care for them. This guide covers how to identify the most popular types, what makes their leaves different, how much light each one needs, and how to keep yours thriving indoors.

TL;DR

• Monstera deliciosa is the large, climbing “Swiss cheese plant” with split, perforated leaves; Monstera adansonii is a smaller trailing vine with enclosed oval holes.

• Variegated types (Thai Constellation, Albo) carry cream or white sections and need brighter light to stay healthy and hold their pattern.

• Most monsteras want bright, indirect light and no strong direct sun. When a room falls short, a full-spectrum LED grow light fills the gap (here is how to choose one).

• Mature plants fenestrate (form holes); young plants and plants in low light often do not.

• A statement deliciosa pairs naturally with a pendant light like the Aspect Gen 2, while a smaller adansonii is happy under a Vita bulb in an existing lamp.

What Makes a Monstera a Monstera?

Every Monstera belongs to the arum family (Araceae) and grows as a hemi-epiphyte, meaning it roots in the soil while also sending aerial roots into the air to climb host trees. In the wild, some species reach up to 90 feet tall, using tree trunks for support as they climb toward filtered light. The signature trait is fenestration, the holes and splits in mature leaves that are thought to let light and rain reach the younger leaves below.

If you want that wild, climbing look at home, give your plant a moss pole and steady bright light to encourage upward growth.

What Is the Difference Between Monstera Deliciosa and Monstera Adansonii?

The quickest way to tell these two apart is the holes. Monstera deliciosa develops splits that cut all the way to the leaf edge on large, leathery leaves, while Monstera adansonii keeps smaller, thinner leaves with enclosed oval holes that never reach the margin. The Missouri Botanical Garden describes deliciosa as a climbing evergreen vine whose leaves can reach one to three feet long at maturity.

Deliciosa grows big and upright as a floor plant, while adansonii stays compact and trails, which makes it a natural fit for a shelf or hanging planter. A floor-standing deliciosa reads as a statement plant, so it pairs well with a pendant grow light positioned above it (the Aspect Gen 2 is built for exactly this kind of larger plant in a living space, with optics that aim light down onto the canopy and reduce glare for the people in the room).

Which Variegated Monsteras Should You Know?

Variegated Monsteras carry cream, white, or yellow sections where the leaf produces little or no chlorophyll. The two most sought-after are Thai Constellation, with stable speckled cream variegation, and Monstera Albo, with bolder white sections that can grow unstable or revert to green. Because the pale areas cannot photosynthesize, these plants need more light than their all-green cousins to grow at a healthy pace and keep their pattern.

Give variegated plants your brightest indirect spot, and supplement with a full-spectrum light in the darker months so the remaining green tissue can keep up with the plant's needs.

What About the Silver and Shingling Monsteras?

Beyond the classics, a few smaller-leaved types have devoted followings. Monstera siltepecana shows silvery, blue-green juvenile leaves with darker veins; Monstera ‘Peru’ (Monstera karstenianum) has thick, deeply puckered leaves with no holes; and Monstera dubia “shingles,” pressing flat, silver-marked juvenile leaves tight against a surface as it climbs. Most of these stay small and trailing in their juvenile form.

Because they stay compact, these growers do well under a bar-style fixture mounted above a shelf, where a light like the Grove keeps trailing leaves evenly lit from a short hanging distance.

How Much Light Does a Monstera Actually Need?

Most monsteras are medium-to-bright indirect light plants. The Missouri Botanical Garden recommends bright indoor light with no strong direct sun, which mirrors the dappled light these plants evolved under on the rainforest floor. UF/IFAS Extension explains that light is measured in foot-candles, and that a spot looking “bright” to the human eye is often far dimmer than a plant needs, since our eyes adapt while plants cannot.

A reliable indoor target is a spot near an east or west window, or a few feet back from a south window behind a sheer curtain. If your space falls short (a north-facing room, a winter slump, or a plant set well back from the glass), a full-spectrum LED grow light bridges the gap. For a smaller adansonii, take an existing lamp and screw in a Vita bulb since it can fit into a standard socket with no installation, which is handy for renters who cannot mount fixtures. For a fuller walkthrough, see our plant guide to find the best grow light for your specific plants needs.

Why Doesn't My Monstera Have Holes Yet?

If your Monstera's leaves are solid and heart-shaped, it is most likely still juvenile. Fenestration develops as the plant matures and climbs, and it depends on getting enough sustained light. Young plants put their energy into roots and early growth before committing to the larger, split leaves, so patience and steady light matter as much as age.

A Monstera kept too dim will keep pushing out small, hole-free leaves no matter how old it gets. Give the plant a vertical support to climb and consistent bright light; a moss pole paired with a track or pendant light, such as the Highland Track System run across a row of plants, encourages bigger, fenestrated leaves over time.

Monstera Types at a Glance

Here is a quick side-by-side of the most common Monsteras and what each one wants:

How Do You Keep Any Monstera Thriving Indoors?

Whatever type you have, the same simple routine keeps it healthy:

1. Identify your type. Check the leaf holes and growth habit, since care differs between a trailing adansonii and an upright deliciosa.

2. Pick the right spot. Place it in bright, indirect light near an east or west window, away from strong direct sun that can scorch the leaves.

3. Add light if the room is dim. In a darker room or through winter, position a full-spectrum LED grow light above the plant to keep it growing steadily.

4. Give it something to climb. A moss pole or board encourages mature, fenestrated leaves and a more upright shape.

5. Water when the top inch or two is dry. Use a well-draining mix and let it dry slightly between waterings, reducing water from fall through late winter.

6. Keep it warm and humid. Monsteras prefer warm rooms and appreciate some humidity, reflecting their tropical origins.

7. Wipe and rotate. Dust the large leaves so they can absorb light, and turn the pot occasionally for even growth.

8. Watch the leaves for clues. Small, hole-free new leaves or leggy stems usually mean not enough light.

Conclusion

Once you can read the leaves, telling monsteras apart gets easy: edge-reaching splits mean deliciosa, enclosed ovals mean adansonii, and pale sections mean a variegated type that wants extra light. Whichever one you bring home, the same rule carries it through: bright, indirect light, something to climb, and patience while the fenestrations arrive. If your space cannot supply that light on its own, a full-spectrum grow light keeps any monstera growing through the seasons, whether that is a pendant Aspect Gen 2 over a floor-standing deliciosa or a simple Vita bulb above a trailing adansonii.