Spent tha weekend catching up with one of my fav green gurls at @brooklynbotanic ... Ms. Monstera Deliciosa so thought I’d serve some plant nerd VO realness and share some interesting thangs about this kween: 1. THA HOLES: This kween is also known for foliage serving Swiss cheese realness. The technical term for plants making holes or clear parts in their leaves is called leaf fenestration, and is actually not unique to monsteras (who knew!?) 🤯 There are a ton of theories out there explaining why monsteras grow holes in their leaves, but the leading theory is that leaves with more holes tend to be bigger, which have more surface area to grab sunlight that peaks through the dense forest canopy. 2. THA VINE: Native to the humid forest of Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Panama, this tropical kween is a fierce climbing vine. In her natural habitat, she can climb an impressive 70’ into large trees, reaching up into the light that trickles through the canopies. Since she has both aerial roots and roots that dig into the soil, she’s considered hemi-epiphytic. 3. THA FRUIT: The Latin name Deliciosa refers to the “delicious”, fruit that is only edible when ripe. Serving a combo of pineapple and banana flavor realness ... the fruit is ripe when the scale on the outside starts to come loose and the inside turns yellow like a banana. ⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’ve found these green gurls to be resilient + adaptable kweens. Bright, indirect sunlight is this kween’s scene and she’s all for those temps in the 65 - 70oF range. She’s a tropical kween, so she loves her some humidity! Invest in a humidifier, place it near this kween and she’s be serving lush lewks. I water these kween’s weekly in warmer months and every 2/3 weeks in colder months, letting that soil dry out in between waterings. These kweens can be fast growers, so well-drained + aerated soil has always worked well for my green gurls. This allows the roots to breathe, grow throughout the soil with ease, and ensures they are not sitting in moist soil for too long. A potting soil base with perlite and fir bark is my go to soil mix recipe for these kweens 🪴