Monsteras, often called Monsterios or Fruit Salad Plants are grown in many countries as a decorative ornamental or weed, depending on your perspective and how out of control they are in your garden or in your favourite tree. This is an unusual plant in several different ways - firstly because it is one a small number of plants with holes in its leaves which can be quite huge - up to 90 cm long and 80 cm across. In its natural state, it is primarily an epiphyte living in the branches of tropical forest trees. Many people have no clue that this plant has a marvelously delicious fruit. And it its fruits are delectable treats to brighten your table just as the plant brings beauty to your garden.It grows very easily outdoors across most of the warmer parts of Australia. They are a very common indoor plant, available almost everywhere. If you do plant yours outside, keep an eye on it as when it is free from the confines of the pot, it becomes more vine-like and can climb as high as 10 m into the trees. It is however much more likely to flower and to set fruit outside.It does well in shade and high humidity, with temperatures 20-30 degrees Celsius. You can grow it easily from cuttings from mature plants. Under ideal conditions it should flower in about 3 or 4 years.Flowers are on a long spike resembling a corn cob up to 25 cm long, with hexagonal scales. The fruit slowly ripens, about 12 months after it first flowers. Do not touch the fruit until the scales begin to separate from each other and raise away from the stem. The flesh inside will begin to emit a pungent aroma. When this happens, cut the fruit off the plant and place it in a paper bag. The scales will pop entirely off the fruit, revealing the ripe flesh inside. The sweet, juicy flesh will have a flavour similar to that of cross between banana and pineapple or jackfruit. Two words of caution:
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