Monstera Peru Care Guide

If you’ve been around Planet Houseplant for a while, you may be aware that for a good few weeks last spring I was CONSUMED by Monstera peru because NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE.

I’m pretty sure they’re epipremnums, and therefore not Monstera at all. They’re related, but not particularly closely. I think the confusion comes because they look a lot like a Monstera pinnapartita.

They’re unusual, cheap, and look pretty cool. What’s not to like?

Are Monstera Peru hard to care for?

They are until they aren’t. If that makes sense.

Healthy Monstera peru are easy to take care of. They don’t need much attention bar watering them when the soil’s dry.

However, if they start going downhill, they are a NIGHTMARE to revive. I have no idea why this is, but one sniff of pests and they start producing tiny, crappy growth and need treatment for so long.

Obviously, this is only my experience of them, but I see an equal amount of videos claiming they’re both easy and difficult to care for, so I suspect my experience is pretty common.

Oh, and if you don’t get the light just right, they vine like no other plant on earth. Just runners for days.

How much light do Monstera Peru need?

Monstera peru won’t thank you for putting them in a tonne of direct sunlight but other than that, more is better.

As I mentioned before, Monstera peru will vine incessantly if they don’t have enough light. Mine gets direct light in the morning, which is fine because morning light is quite gentle. It’s about three feet from a south-facing window, but on a bookshelf to the right a bit, so it’s kind of around the corner.

please excuse my bedding drying

It gets decent light, but not tonnes. Some of its vines grow properly, with leaves (I mean, I’m not asking for much here), but a couple just vine and vine and vine.

Monstera peru look like they have quite thick leaves, but they do burn quite easily, so if you want to try them under grow lights, be sure to acclimate it first.

Do Monstera Peru need high humidity?

Like other epipremnums, Monstera peru aren’t particularly fussy about having a tonne of humidity. Anything from 40% upwards is great, but higher humidity will result in faster growth, bigger leaves, and fewer brown marks on the leaves.

What temperature do Monstera Peru like?

Technically, they’re like other epipremnums in that they prefer warmer temperatures but will do just fine in lower temps in winter (inside – don’t chuck them outside in the cold).

However, I highly recommend letting your Monstera peru have a warm spot in winter. Whilst the plant itself may not need them, lower temperatures can cause a decrease in the plant’s energy.

When a plant's energy is low they will struggle even more to fight off pests. And you do NOT want to get pests on your Monstera peru if you can help it.

Mine has had thrips and it slows the growth down even further. 

How often should I water Monstera Peru?

I water mine when the soil is dry, or it reads a 2 or 3 on the moisture meter. They’re not particularly prone to root rot so they’re quite forgiving if you overwaterer.

They do have quite thick, succulent leaves, so they don’t need watering too often. I usually water mine very couple of weeks, perhaps every week if it’s been super hot and dried out quickly.

As far as I can tell, they don’t need fancy water. Mine gets tap water and doesn’t seem to have a problem with that.

I add nutrient water every other time I water. This ensures leaf production doesn’t stop completely in favourite of metres of runners.

What type of soil do Monstera Peru like?

i don’t find them fussy in this regard at all, so tailor the soil in such a way that it fits into your routine. Mine is in ABG mix with a bit of leca mixed in.

They’re also pretty happy to live in water or semi-hydroponics, so don’t stress about finding the perfect mix for it. As long as the soil you put it in dries out every couple of weeks or sooner, it’ll be fine.

What type of pot do Monstera Peru like?

Again, not fussed. I kept mine in a nursery pot for ages, but now it’s in a ‘nice’ plastic pot I found on Amazon, complete with drainage holes and a saucer.

If you tend to overwater, you might prefer putting a Monstera peru in something porous like terracotta.

As long as it has drainage holes, it really doesn’t matter.

How fast do Monstera Peru grow?

How long is a piece of string?

It depends on a number of factors – the light it’s getting, if it’s being fertilised, how healthy it is, how warm it is…you also need to accept that some plants grow slowly for no discernable reason. Either genetics or pettiness.

Mine grows quite slowly, but because it has a tonne of active growth points it seems to get bigger quite quickly.

This is super common because it’s the only way to get them to look full.

If you’re worried that yours is growing slowly, you can chop and prop so there are more vines in the pot. It’ll still grow slowly, but it’ll look fuller faster.

The only way to speed up growth is to take really good care of the plant. 

Keep it warm, increase the light and humidity, and fertilise it regularly. 

I fertilise mine every other time I water it when it's growing. If it stops producing leaves in winter I stop fertilising it. 

Do Monstera Peru flower?

It should do. I’ve scoured google and can’t find any pictures of it in bloom, but if it’s a Monster or an Epipremnum, then it should flower.

However Epipremnum aureum (your regular golden pothos) is a shy flowerer, so it’s incredibly difficult to get them to bloom. Perhaps the reason I can’t find any pictures of a Monstera peru flowering is that it’s also a shy flowerer.

Regardless of whether it’s an epipremnum or a Monstera, it’ll probably produce a rather boring spathe and spadix type flower, so don’t invest too much time in convincing it to bloom – it’s unlikely to be exciting.

There are rumours that Monstera peru are created in a lab, in which case there’s a chance that any flowers would be sterile. Though I think maybe I started those rumours.

Are Monstera Peru toxic?

Yes – many aroids have calcium oxalate crystals in their leaves that can cause stomach upsets and numbness in the mouth. Unless your pet/child/whatever ate the whole thing they probably won’t come to any harm, but it’s still best to keep them away from Monstera peru.

Are Monstera peru climbers?

Yes, though they do look pretty when they trail. I’m yet to put mine on a pole, but it’ll be going on a Kratiste pole when I have a spare one.

I would recommend getting them something to climb up, purely because it can somewhat curb the running habit.

How to propagate Monstera peru

Monstera peru are notoriously slow to root. I recommend rooting them in water because I find that it works faster.

I either propagate them in nutrient water and change the water twice a week, or I root them in normal tap water but change the water every day. They still take AGES to root so you have to be patient.

Every stage of Monstera peru takes ages, so I tend to leave them in water until they have a proper root system – i.e. multiple roots, each with forks in the roots. If you plant it up with just a couple of inches of roots you’ll wait forever for new growth.

Final thoughts

I love Monstera peru – I love the colour and unique texture of the leaves, and I really enjoy having one. But if it could stop running vines everywhere (I swear it’s trying to strangle my Florida green) and swooning every time it sees a spider mite, I’d be really grateful.

Caroline Cocker

Caroline is the founder and writer (and plant keeper) of Planet Houseplant

Leave a comment