Variegated Monstera deliciosa Care Guide (Monstera Variegata)

The variegated Monstera deliciosa (or Monstera Variegata) is noted for its big perforated green leaves with white discolorations. This plant is becoming more and more popular because seriously.. who doesn't want such a beautiful plant in their house? There are actually many variations of the Monstera Variegata. Some have only a little bit of white discoloration, while others have a lot of white discoloration on the leaves. They are not the easiest plants to care for and maintain in good shape because they can be very sensitive to overwatering and direct sun. Nevertheless, this plant will make a fantastic addition to your indoor garden collection.

If you want a unique plant that is also very stylish, this is the plant you want to buy. When taken care of correctly, this plant will shine its white and green colors all over the room that it's in. Here's a full care guide on the variegated Monstera deliciosa, including how often to water the plant, which soil to use, where to plant it, and how to propagate it.

General Care for Variegated Monstera deliciosa (Monstera Variegata)

The variegated Monstera deliciosa is actually just a normal Monstera deliciosa with white patterned colors on its leaves. It becomes variegated by a genetic mutation done by a gardener. The Monstera deliciosa can be pretty hard to take care of if you are a houseplant newbie.

Watering

The Monstera Variegata can be very sensitive to the amount of water that it gets. Beware that some variegated Monstera deliciosa plants need more water than others. The easiest way to find out what your type of Monstera needs is to start off really slow.

Firstly, you want to give your Monstera Variegata only a little bit of water. This plant is sensitive to root rot, so you don't want to give it too much water. You also want to let the soil dry out in between waterings and only water again when the top 2" (5cm) of the soil is dry. As an indication, you can put your finger in the soil every three days and feel if the soil is dry or not.

If the plant gets too little water and dries out completely, the leaves are going to hang and eventually can turn brown.

The Variegated Monstera deliciosa also likes to grow in an environment where the humidity is high (above 60%). To mimic this environment, you can mist your plant once or twice a week with water. You can do this with a mist machine or with a spray bottle filled with water. But make sure the Monstera doesn't remain in water.

Where to Plant

The Variegated Monstera deliciosa is not cold hardy, so if you live in a zone that gets colder than 35°F (1.7°C) it's best to put this plant in a container. If the weather is going down in the winter months, you can bring the plant indoors (if it's not already kept indoors).

It does well in very bright indirect sunlight. Plant in an area that gets a lot of bright light, but try to avoid direct sunlight as the white parts of the leaves will quickly turn brown.

Rotating the Monstera once a month will help with evenly distributed growth on all sides of the plant. Whereas it doesn't like to be moved through the house, as this will cause stress on the plant.

How to Propagate Variegated Monstera deliciosa (Monstera Variegata)

Propagating Variegated Monstera deliciosa can easily be done by stem cuttings. It can also be done by seeds, but this method is doomed to fail.

The Monstera Variegata stem cuttings can be grown in water, soil, sphagnum moss, or perlite. In this care guide, I will only explain the easiest way to propagate it, which is by putting the cutting in water first.

Stem cuttings in water

If the Variegated Monstera deliciosa is big enough, you can use stem cuttings to propagate it. First, you want to pick a healthy stem that has at least one node, while making sure you have at least 1-3 leaves on that part of the plant.

Then take a clean knife or scissors that is free from any pesticides and cut 1" (2,5cm) below the node. Next, you want to take a glass vase that you can see through. Fill the vase with water and put the Monstera cuttings in the vase with the node submerged in the water.

Now put the vase with the cuttings in a spot that gets a lot of bright light (not direct sunlight) and wait till roots start growing. When you use a transparent vase you can monitor the growth of the roots, which is really cool to see.

After a month or two, when the roots are at least 3" (7,5 cm) long, the Monstera is ready to be potted in soil.

For the final step, you want to take the cutting with roots and plant it in soil. Use a well-draining potting soil with perlite and peat moss and use a planter that has drainage holes. When planting the cuttings make sure the roots are fully submerged in the soil.

After you have potted the cuttings you want to water it and put it in a place where it gets lots of bright indirect! Awesome! You have now propagated the variegated Monstera deliciosa, have fun with it!