Monstera dubia is one of the smaller, lesser known monstera varieties, but it’s very beautiful and makes a great addition to any monstera lover’s houseplant collection.
You can recognize monstera dubia by the small, heart-shaped leaves, speckled with both light and dark green. Since juvenile plants (the kind you’ll likely see indoors) lack the iconic monstera slits and holes, you may not even recognize it as a monstera at first! But the gorgeous light and dark green patterned leaves make this a beautiful plant in its own right, even without the fenestration.
Fun fact: Monstera dubia is sometimes called the “shingle plant” because its leaves lie so flat against the trees it climbs in the wild, creating the appearance of shingles!
A massive transformation
One of the most fascinating things about monstera dubia is that this plant undergoes an incredible transformation when it reaches maturity and is exposed to bright sunlight. In the wild, this occurs when a vine has climbed all the way up a tree and reaches the sunlight above the canopy.
These small, heart-shaped, variegated leaves turn deep green and form massive fenestrations that take up most of the area of the leaf! It doesn’t even look like the same plant anymore.
However, this takes years to occur and is rarely seen in indoor plants, because they are rarely allowed to grow that large and receive enough sunlight for this metamorphosis to happen.
Here’s how to buy and care for your monstera dubia.
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Where to Buy Monstera Dubia
This variety can be tricky to find! You probably won’t see this in big stores like Lowes, Home Depot, Costco, etc., but you could always try calling around to local garden centers to see if they have it or if they could get you one from their suppliers!
Your best bet for nabbing your own monstera dubia is online sellers. As with brick and mortar nurseries, supplies come and go, but Etsy and Ebay are good places to start.
Here are our favorite plant sellers on Etsy:
It’s also not a bad idea to message online plant sellers to see if they will have any monstera dubias in stock soon or, if not, if they could recommend any sellers who might have one.
You can also do a quick Google search for “monstera dubia for sale” or “shingle plant for sale” to see which online sellers have them available. Make sure to read reviews and check seller ratings before purchasing anything! (This goes for sellers on Etsy and Ebay as well.)
Also, be prepared to pay a pretty penny for this plant. They aren’t common in the houseplant world, so supplies are limited and prices can be high.
How to Care for Monstera Dubia
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If you’ve cared for any variety of monstera before such as monstera deliciosa, monstera adansonii, etc., monstera dubia won’t be an issue for you.
Potting/Soil
Choose a pot with drainage holes and pot your monstera dubia in a peaty soil. Try mixing a little peat moss with regular indoor potting mix.
Photo Credit: Member from Monstera Plant Resource Group on Facebook
Climbing
Like all monsteras, monstera dubia likes to climb. You can provide a small moss pole or trellis as you would for other varieties, or stake a flat board in the pot. As it climbs, the monstera dubia will adhere to the surface and lay flat like shingles!
Water
Water when the top 1-2 inches of soil dry out, which should be every 7-10 days.
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Light
Place the plant in bright, but indirect sunlight. The sun’s rays should never touch the leaves, and your plant should never cast a shadow.
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Temperature/Humidity
These tropical plants do best in temperatures between 60 and 85 degrees fahrenheit, which should include most room temperatures. They prefer humidity above 50%, so if you live in a dry area, you may want to consider supplementing with a pebble tray or humidifier.
Fertilizer
Fertilize with Monstera Plant Food, which is designed to be used with each watering so you don’t have to remember a fertilization schedule!
Propagation
To propagate with stem cuttings, make your cut on the stem above the node. Then take your cutting (or the cutting you ordered online) and place in a clean jar of water so that the stem touches the water but the leaf does not. Add a little Propagation Promoter to the water to encourage rooting.
When roots reach 1″ long, pot in the soil and conditions mentioned above!
Monstera dubia isn’t the easiest plant to find, but it’s worth it!
This plant is gorgeous and caring for one can be a lot of fun, especially if you have the desire and conditions to allow it to reach its mature, fenestrated form!
If you have questions and want to chat with other monstera plant owners, be sure to join our active community on Facebook.
