Monstera Subpinnata Care - Plant Care Tips

The key to monstera subpinnata care is high humidity and be careful with watering…

Monstera Subpinnata Care Summary

Light needs:	Bright indirect sunlight.
Watering needs:	Check weekly, water if top 70% of soil is dry.
Fertilizer:	A high nitrogen feed once a month in spring and summer.
Soil:	A well draining soil with 20% perlite.
Humidity:	60-70%.
Temperature:	16-27°C (61-81°F).
Where to buy:	Try one of these Rare Plant Shops.
Common issues:	Overwatering.

Introduction

The monstera subpinnata is an ultra split leaf monstera, with deep fenestrations that, although rare is a relatively easy to care for house plant. We run down all you need to know on how to care and propagate the monstera subpinnata.

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Light Needs

Bright indirect sunlight is best, they’ll be ok a bit further back form the window in medium indirect sunlight too. Don’t let them get an direct sun as it can burn the leaves.

How Often to Water A Monstera Subpinnata

Check your plant weekly, and water if 70% or more of the soil is dry. Use your finger or a chopstick to check the soil and make sure you do not over water it. After about 5 minutes after watering, tip out any excess water that the plant is sat in.

Fertilizer

Use a high nitrogen feed once a month in the spring and summer months.

Soil

A well draining potting mix is essential to avoid root rot, you can add 20% perlite to a standard proprietary houseplant compost mix. For more on buying or making your own soil, see our guide here: Monstera Soil.

You can also grow them in water alone, take a cutting and root it in a jar of water. They can grow there indefinitely as long as the water is kept topped up and clear. They look great as a table centerpiece as they show off the delicate leaves, with a clear base.

When To Repot A Monstera Subpinnata

Repot it in spring at least every 2 years to give it space to grow.

Tip: give the plant a decent stake or trellis as it gets bigger to hold the plant together and encourage mature leaves.

Humidity

60-70% is ideal, which is high for most homes, so mist it a few times a week. If you do one thing to care for your monstera subpinnata, then up the humidity!

Temperature

16-27°C (61-81°F) is the ideal temperature range for a monstera subpinnata, but it will be ok dropping a bit below that at night, but do not let it get below 5°C.

How To Propagate Monstera Subpinnata

They are fairly easy to propagate, take a stem cutting with a leaf and node and leave it for half a day out of the sun for the wound to heal over. They you can put it in a jar of tap water to root it. After a month or so, when it is rooted you can move it to soil, and then a month after that it should be established, keep it humid during this stage but do not over water it.

For more on different types of monsteras see our monstera category with all our monstera care guides.

Monstera Subpinnata USDA Zone

You can grow them outdoors year round in zones 9b-11. Bring them in if you get really cold temperatures.

Is It Toxic To Cats?

It is toxic to dogs and cats if eaten and can cause vomiting and irritation, so seek vets advice.

Monstera Subpinnata Origin

The monstera subpinnata originates from Ecuador.

Monstera Pinnatipartita Vs Subpinnata

They are both heavily fenestrated but the subpinata has less fenestrations but they are bigger and wider, so the leaves have less leaf and more split.

Monstera Spruceana Vs Subpinnata

They look very similar when mature, but when juvenile the spruceana likes to climb or ‘shingle’ up trees like a dubia.

Where To Buy

Try one of these Rare Plant Shops.

Monstera Subpinnata Care FAQs and Common Problems

Overwatering causes a few issues, like yellowing or browning leaves, so make sure the soil is mostly dry before watering again. Also check for houseplant pests at watering time. Monstera subpinnata care is relatively easy as long as you don’t overwater it but give it plenty of humidity.

Is Monstera Subpinnata Rare?

The subpinnata has been relatively rare in the past, but is starting to be produced more and more and it goes for sale for less than $50 in the USA now, although it is harder to come by in Europe still. As they are fairly easy to propagate you will see supply start to go up and prices come down.

Monstera Subpinnata Runner

Your subpinnata do best with something to climb on. This encourages big leaf growth, or they could put out a long ‘runner stem’ (like a monstera dubia does), which will only have small leaves on it, and it will only grow bigger leaves once it finds something to stick to and climb up. So give them a stake or moss pole to grip on to and you’ll get bigger leaves.