How fast does a Monstera grow?
For a houseplant, a Monstera is a vigorous grower, as long as you give it what it wants. But there’s a season when it nearly stops, and that’s normal.
A Monstera grows well: in good conditions it is a vigorous grower. In spring and summer, with plenty of bright, indirect light and something to climb, it keeps putting out new leaves right through the warm season, with no fixed rhythm. In winter it grows very little or stops, and that’s normal.
How much does a Monstera grow in practice?
A Monstera (Monstera deliciosa) grows in spurts, mostly from spring to early autumn. Indoors, with good light, a healthy plant can add several leaves a year and look noticeably bigger from one season to the next. Each new leaf is usually larger than the one before, until the plant reaches adult size.
There’s no exact figure: it depends on light, pot, support and the plant’s age. A young plant grows faster than a big, mature one.
How big does a Monstera get indoors?
In the wild, a Monstera (a climber that also sends down aerial roots) scales trees to about twenty metres. Indoors it never gets near that, but it can take up a lot of room: the ceiling and the pot set the limit. Size depends mostly on where you put it and how you support it, and if it outgrows its space, guides advise pruning it in spring.
What makes a Monstera grow faster?
- Plenty of bright, indirect light. The factor that counts most. In low light it grows slowly and makes small leaves.
- A moss or coir pole. It steadies the stem and, many growers say, climbing leads to bigger, more open leaves.
- A pot with room for the roots. If roots poke from the drainage hole, or the soil dries in a day or two, go up one size in spring.
- Fertiliser in the growing season. A dose of liquid fertiliser for green plants once a month, from spring to early autumn.
- Warmth and humid air. About 18 to 25 °C suits it best, and near 10 °C it stops growing. It likes medium to high humidity too.
- A well-judged watering rhythm. Neither soggy nor dry for weeks.
Light also changes the watering rhythm. One plant, in July:
| Where it lives | In July | In January |
|---|---|---|
| South- or west-facing window | 5 days | 7 days |
| East-facing window | 6 days | 8 days |
| North-facing window | 9 days | 13 days |
| Hallway or corner with no window | 13 days | 18 days |
Why doesn’t a Monstera grow in winter?
With less light and warmth, the plant rests. Between October and February, a quiet Monstera is very probably fine. Water less and skip the feed. If it stays stuck in the warm season, read why a Monstera isn’t growing.
Does faster growth mean more holes?
Holes come with age and light, not only speed. A young plant can grow fast and still carry only whole leaves. The full explanation is in why a Monstera has no holes.
Can I force it to grow faster?
More fertiliser or more water won’t speed anything up; they only harm the roots. Sort out the light, the support and the pot, then give it time. Every habit is covered in how to care for a Monstera.
How can I tell a new leaf is coming?
Look at the top of the stem, where the last leaf joined it. A new leaf begins as a thin, pointed sheath, a pale green spike that slowly lengthens and then opens. Once you’ve spotted one, you can follow each leaf’s arrival, which is one of the nicest parts of owning a Monstera.
Will a bigger pot make it grow faster?
Not by itself. A pot only slightly bigger than the roots works best: roots grow into the space they have, and soil that stays wet too long does more harm than good. Go up a size only when the roots fill the current pot.
Summary: Monstera growth
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is it fast? | Yes, in good conditions |
| When does it grow? | From spring to early autumn |
| And in winter? | Little or nothing: it’s normal |
| What helps most? | Bright, indirect light, and a pole |
| Does more fertiliser help? | No: a normal dose, only in the growing season |
Quick questions
How many new leaves does a Monstera make in a year? It varies with light and age. In good conditions, several leaves a year, mostly in spring and summer.
Can I cut the top to make it branch? Yes. Cutting above a node tends to encourage new shoots, and the cutting can become a new plant.
How tall does it get indoors? It depends on space, pot and support: in the wild it reaches about twenty metres, but at home the ceiling is usually the limit, and you can prune it in spring.
Does a Monstera grow all year round? No. It slows or stops in winter and picks up again in spring.
The right rhythm helps it grow
A Monstera that grows is a plant with the right balance of light and water for where it lives. The Verdejar app works that balance out for your home. To see the numbers for each spot at home, the Monstera plant page has them.
Sources: Royal Horticultural Society · Missouri Botanical Garden · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension · Penn State Extension · University of Minnesota Extension · University of Illinois Extension · Oregon State University Extension. The days between waterings come from the Verdejar watering engine.