
Monstera Standleyana
Welcome to our guide to monstera standleyana care. One of my wish-list plants, the monstera standleyana, is a great non-fussy tropical household plant that will impress anyone who sees it!
Monstera Standleyana Summary
Light needs: | Plenty of indirect sunlight but no direct sunlight. |
Watering needs: | Water when the top inch or 2 cms is dry. |
Fertilizer: | Feed monthly in the spring and summer with a well-diluted balanced plant feed. |
Soil: | A well draining potting mix with plenty of perlite. |
Humidity: | 50%. |
Temperature: | 18°C to 28°C (64-82°F). |
Where to buy: | Try our list of Rare Plant Shops. |
Other names: | Five holes plant, monstera standleyana albo variegata or philodendron cobra. |
Common issues: | Cold damage, overwatering. |
Introduction
Monstera Standleyana is an easy to care for small climbing monstera with thin oblong leaves and small speckled white and light green variegations. Honestly, this is my dream plant!
See also: Monstera Adansonii, How To Propagate Monstera Albo, Monstera Trellis, Monstera Deliciosa Care, Monstera Dubia, Monstera Thai Constellation, Monstera Pinnatipartita Care, Variegated Monstera (Category).
Tip: we recommend Etsy for buying plants. Look for the best rated seller you can, and try to buy as close to your home as possible so the plant does not travel too far.
A note about affiliate links: when you buy a plant, pots, soil, or other goods through links on this article we sometimes earn a commission. It doesn’t cost you anything, but it really helps us out if you do use them. Thanks a lot! An example of this is if you buy a plant on Etsy using this link. Read our privacy policy for more information. Thanks again.
Monstera Standleyana Light Needs
This plant will need plenty of indirect sunlight but no direct sunlight. Bright indirect sunlight will encourage them to grow and bringing out their variegations.
How Often to Water
Check your plant once a week to see if the soil is dry and water it when the top inch or 2 cms is dry. They like to be wet but not waterlogged.

Fertilizer
It will do well if fed monthly in the spring and summer with a well-diluted balanced plant feed.
Soil
Give your plant a well draining potting mix with plenty of perlite so it does not get waterlogged. For more on buying or making your own soil, see our guide here: Monstera Soil.
Monstera Standleyana Runner
Sometimes they can put out a long runner, a long thin stem, with smaller leaves. These are meant to search for trees in the wild, then when they find a tree they grown bigger leaves. So you want to give it a pole or trellis to climb up if yours puts out long thin stems like mine in the picture below.

Tip: give it a moss pole or trellis to climb up, and it should put out larger leaves.
When To Repot
The roots will grow fast, so repot your plant once a year in spring, or when roots grow out of the bottom of the pot.
Monstera Standleyana Humidity
50% or more is ideal humidity. They will thrive in humidity. this is just above the normal household range so mist your plants regularly, even daily in the drier summer months.
How To Propagate Monstera Standleyana
Take a cutting with at least one node and one leaf and root it in water by keeping it warm and in indirect sunlight for a month or so. Once they have developed some roots you can then pot them up into an aroid soil mix and treat them as a juvenile plant. For more on what soil to use see our guide: Monstera Soil.
For much more detail on monstera standleyana propagation with step by step instructions for water propagation as well as leca, soil and sphagnum moss methods, see our guide: Monstera Standleyana Propagation.

Monstera Standleyana USDA Zone
They can be grown outside in zones 9-11.
Temperature
18°C to 28°C (64-82°F) is ideal. So normal household temperatures will be fine. Just don’t let them get too cold in winter or at night, according to garden.org they can survive down to about -1°C (30 °F).
Monstera Standleyana Fenestration
Monstera standleyanas do not fenestrate or split, even as they mature.
Where To Buy
Try Etsy or our list of Rare Plant Shops.
Other Names
Five holes plant, m. standleyana albo variegata, or philodendron cobra. Although sometimes called a philodendron cobra, this is a monstera, not a philodendron.
Monstera Standleyana Albo Variegata
The monstera standleyana is exactly the same as the ‘monstera standleyana albo variegata’ they are the same plant. The normal one is already variegated. See the rest of this guide for more info on care and also links to buy it.
For more on different types of monsteras see our monstera category with all our monstera care guides.
Monstera Standleyana FAQs and Common Problems
Keep the plant away from cold and draughts in the winter as this can kill the plant. Be careful of over watering (especially in the winter when they need less water), as waterlogging causes root rot and leaf dropping and browning.
Plants can sometimes start to lose their variegation, but give it as much indirect sunlight as you can will stop this.
They get brown leaves when they are crispy from underwatering or soft and mushy from overwatering.
Make sure you are not letting it dry out or get too soggy.
They grow fairly quickly. I cut mint back to the soil once to take it all in cuttings, and it bounced back in a month or so. Once established they grow quickly.
They are toxic to cats if eaten, and can cause vomiting and numbness. So seek vets advice immediately if your pet eats any.
They are both the same different names for the same plant, the plant is a type of monstera, it is not a philodendron.
Other Articles You Might Like
Hope you liked this article, you might also like our guides to Monstera Propagation, Monstera Adansonii Variegated, Calathea Lancifolia Care.
Please follow us on Instagram and Pinterest for regular plant updates and occasional plant giveaways.


