Some plants—especially climbing plants like monsteras—don’t just grow roots under the surface of the soil. These plants also grow aerial roots, or roots that form above the surface and higher up on the plant. Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about monstera aerial roots so you can keep your monstera happy and healthy!
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Why Monsteras Grow Aerial Roots
Monstera plants are epiphytes, meaning they grow on other plants, like trees, and climb up toward the light. These plants grow aerial roots to help them affix to surfaces so they can climb. Without these aerial roots, monsteras wouldn’t get enough sunlight under the dense rainforest canopy.
As a secondary function, aerial roots can also absorb water from surfaces and even the air around them, which can provide the plant with a little more moisture to supplement what they get from the underground roots. Cool, right?
What Do Monstera Aerial Roots Look Like?
On a well-established monstera, you’ll notice aerial roots growing from the nodes on your plant. Younger roots may look like little more than bumps that grow into little green “branches.” Older aerial roots may be brown and even become woody. These roots can grow quite long!
A healthy monstera can grow a lot of aerial roots over time, and this can make them look messy and also difficult to pot. It might look like your monstera is crawling out of its planter! These roots can also try to climb up your walls or furniture, which can damage paint and finishes, so it’s best to keep those roots under control if your monstera is trying to scale your brand-new entertainment center.
If your monstera’s aerial roots are getting out of control, you have two options: pruning and supporting.
What to Do With Monstera Aerial Roots
Pruning Monstera Aerial Roots
If your plant’s aerial roots are getting a little unruly-looking, you can prune them. Simply use a pair of clean, sharp shears to snip them off close to the base where they grow from the plant. Be careful not to cut into the stem!
Full disclosure: Pruning will stimulate even more aerial roots to grow, so try pruning them in the late summer/early fall after the growing season to minimize regrowth.
Pruning the aerial roots may slow your plant’s growth overall, so this might not be the best choice if your goal is to grow a massive monstera with large, fenestrated leaves. If you’re dying for a giant monstera, you’ll be better off leaving the roots and letting them do what they’re meant to do: climb!
Plant Supports for Your Monstera
Your other option for managing aerial roots is to give your monstera something to climb. Your best choices are a trellis or a moss pole/totem. You can buy these or easily make your own!
When you have your support, carefully insert it into your plant’s soil or near its pot and tie the thickest stems to the support to encourage the aerial roots to grab it on their own. Try choosing a support that’s a bit taller than your monstera so it has room to grow before you have to prune or get a taller support.
The biggest drawback to a support is that it can make repotting tricky, but we’ve got you! Here’s your guide on repotting a monstera with a moss pole with minimal mess and frustration.
Can You Propagate Monstera Aerial Roots?
We’ve heard this question a lot, and no, you can’t grow a new monstera from an aerial root cutting. However, aerial roots are a good indication that that particular section of your monstera might be healthy and a perfect place to take a cutting to propagate!
If you want to take a cutting with aerial roots, make your cut right below the roots, but keep in mind that the aerial roots won’t grow into underground roots. Those are entirely different structures!
If you’re interested in propagating monsteras, read our guides here:
Monstera Propagation: The Ultimate Guide to Propagating Monstera Plants (With Step-by-Step Photos!)
Monstera Propagation Promoter and Rooting Hormone
Monstera Propagation Via Air Layering
How to Propagate a Monstera With Stem Cuttings
Your monstera’s aerial roots are part of what makes these beautiful plants interesting and special, and how you handle them is a matter of personal preference. Whether you like a neat-looking monstera or a plant that’s a little more wild, aerial roots are just another part of monstera care.
Learn more about caring for these amazing plants!
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