Swiss cheese plant

Monstera deliciosa

Range: Mexico to Panama

This popular garden plant has two very different identities. As an indoor houseplant it is well behaved and slow growing, with appealing Swiss-cheese leaves. On the other hand, when it is let loose in South Florida or other tropical regions, it can become a monstrous vine with large leaves. It becomes especially vigorous when allowed to climb to the tops of trees, but it also grows well along the ground as a bedding plant. The species name, “deliciosa,” refers to the sweet fruit that only become safe to eat when fully ripe.