How Adansonii Differs from Deliciosa in Light Needs
Monstera deliciosa grows as a large floor-level climber in Central American tropical forests, reaching toward strong filtered light as it ascends tree trunks. Monstera adansonii is a smaller, more agile climber native to South and Central America that naturally inhabits denser forest understory. Its leaves are thinner, its growth habit more twining and exploratory, and its tolerance for lower light canopy is genuinely higher than its larger relative.
In practical indoor terms: deliciosa needs 5,000 to 10,000 lux for active growth and proper fenestration. Adansonii can produce acceptable growth and develop holes at 2,000 to 5,000 lux. Its sweet spot for strong performance sits at 3,000 to 8,000 lux. Both plants share the same upper limit: intense direct sun above 20,000 to 30,000 lux causes scorch, particularly on the thin leaves of adansonii.
This difference means adansonii is genuinely suited to windows that would leave deliciosa underperforming. An east window, a north-facing window in a bright room, or a spot a metre back from a south or west window can all produce a healthy, hole-producing adansonii. The same positions would leave a deliciosa struggling.
Why the Holes Only Appear with Adequate Light
The fenestrations in monstera leaves are not decorative. The leading hypothesis is that they allow light to pass through a large leaf to lower leaves on the same plant, maximising photosynthetic efficiency in dappled forest conditions. A plant in low light has less incentive to produce this architecture. It produces smaller, solid leaves that capture every lux available at their surface without sharing.
For adansonii specifically, this plays out clearly: a plant in 1,000 to 1,500 lux (a dim corner, a north room without a direct window view) produces leaves that may be 5 to 8cm across with no holes, no matter how mature the plant is. Move that same plant to 3,000 to 5,000 lux and within two or three leaf cycles you will see small but distinct holes appearing in new growth. At 6,000 to 8,000 lux the holes become larger and more numerous, and the leaves themselves grow larger.
Small, unfenestrated leaves on a mature adansonii are the clearest diagnostic signal available. Before adjusting watering, fertilising, or humidity, move the plant to a brighter window. Light is almost always the cause.
Which Windows Work for Adansonii
East window. Excellent. The gentle morning sun followed by bright indirect light suits adansonii well. Position the plant within 60 to 90cm of the glass. This is the lowest-risk window for year-round placement without seasonal adjustments. Adansonii on an east windowsill will produce consistent fenestrated growth through spring and summer.
North window. Acceptable, with caveats. Adansonii is one of the few genuinely fenestrating aroids that can produce reasonable results at a bright north window. A north window in a room with white or pale walls that bounce light, or in a room that receives sky light without direct sun, can sit at 1,500 to 3,000 lux during the day. Place the plant as close to the glass as possible and accept that growth and fenestration will be slower. In winter this position will need a grow light supplement to maintain any meaningful activity.
West window. Very good. Afternoon sun through a west window is strong enough to drive fast growth and large, well-fenestrated leaves. In summer, keep the plant 40 to 70cm back from the glass to avoid scorch during the hottest afternoon hours. In autumn and winter, move it closer. A west window produces more total light energy per day than an east window in most northern-hemisphere homes.
South window. Use with distance or a sheer curtain. The light available at a south window is more than adansonii needs and can cause scorch if the plant is on or near the sill in summer. Position it 80 to 120cm back, or hang a light sheer curtain to filter the direct sun. Behind a sheer, a south window delivers ideal adansonii light year-round. Without filtering, move the plant back in summer and forward in winter.
Hanging Basket Versus Climbing Setup
Adansonii is sold in both hanging baskets and climbing setups with moss poles or coir totems. The growing format affects how much light the plant can realistically access.
In a hanging basket, the plant trails downward and the leaves hang away from the window. If the basket is placed high (near a ceiling, as hanging baskets often are), the distance from the glass may be greater than it appears. Light intensity drops with the square of distance: a plant 1 metre from the glass receives roughly four times more light than the same plant 2 metres from the glass. A basket that looks decoratively close to a window may actually be receiving significantly less light than a pot on the sill below it. If your hanging adansonii is producing small leaves, check its actual distance from the glass rather than assuming it is close enough.
A climbing setup on a moss pole tends to lift the plant upward and toward the light source more naturally, mimicking how it grows in the wild. The leaves orient toward the window on their own. For maximum fenestration development, a climbing setup near a bright east or west window is generally more effective than a hanging basket in the same room.
Wide Form Versus Narrow Form
Monstera adansonii comes in two common forms: wide form, with broader, rounder leaves and holes that span more of the leaf surface, and narrow form, with elongated leaves and more oval, elongated fenestrations. Both are sold as "monstera adansonii" without distinguishing the form.
Wide-form adansonii tends to be slightly more vigorous and responds more visibly to improved light conditions. In a good window, the leaves grow noticeably large and the holes become prominent. Narrow-form adansonii is generally slower-growing and stays more compact, which can make it look as though it is not responding to improved light even when it is. The same lux ranges apply to both. If you have a narrow-form plant in good light and it is still producing small leaves, give it time. The growth rate is inherently slower, not a sign of a problem.
Signs of Too Much or Too Little Light
Too little light: small leaves with no holes on a mature plant, vines stretching and becoming leggy with long gaps between leaves, pale green colouring across the whole plant, very slow or no new growth during the growing season. New leaves significantly smaller than previous ones also indicate worsening light conditions.
Too much light: brown or pale scorch patches on leaf surfaces (not edges, which is usually a watering or humidity issue). Scorched areas appear where direct sun has hit the thin leaf tissue. The patches are permanent on that leaf but new growth is healthy if the plant is moved to a more suitable position. Leaves that look washed out or bleached overall, rather than warm yellow-green, also indicate too much direct sun.
A phone light-meter app gives a useful quick reading of actual conditions. For adansonii, you are aiming for 2,000 to 8,000 lux during daylight hours. Below 1,500 lux consistently means the plant needs to move closer to a window or to a different room.
FAQ
Why does my monstera adansonii have no holes?
Two causes: the plant is too young, or the light is insufficient. Adansonii begins fenestrating earlier than deliciosa, often by the second year, but only in adequate light. If your plant is mature and producing consistently small, solid leaves, move it closer to a bright window. An east or west window with the plant within 60 to 90cm of the glass is usually enough to trigger fenestration in an otherwise healthy plant.
Can monstera adansonii grow in a north-facing window?
It will survive a north window better than monstera deliciosa, but it will not thrive there. Growth slows significantly, new leaves stay small and solid, and the vines become leggy as the plant stretches toward the light. A north window in winter can drop to 500 to 1,000 lux on overcast days, which is near the survival floor. If a north window is the only option, place the plant as close to the glass as possible and consider adding a grow light during the darker months.
Does a hanging basket give monstera adansonii enough light?
That depends entirely on where the basket is hung. A basket near a bright east or west window will perform well. The problem with high-placed hanging baskets is that light intensity drops sharply with distance from the window, and baskets are often hung near ceilings where they look attractive but receive less light than a pot on a windowsill would. If your hanging adansonii is producing small leaves without holes, the basket position is likely the issue. Move it closer to the window or switch to a climbing setup on a moss pole near the glass.
What is the difference between wide-form and narrow-form adansonii light needs?
Both forms have the same fundamental light requirements. Wide-form adansonii has broader leaves with rounder holes and tends to be slightly more vigorous, so it may respond to improved light more visibly. Narrow-form adansonii has elongated leaves with more oval fenestrations and is often slower-growing overall. Neither form needs more light than the other, but wide-form plants tend to show the benefits of a good window position more dramatically in leaf size and hole development.
Can monstera adansonii handle any direct sun?
Brief gentle direct sun is fine. Morning sun through an east window before 10am, or filtered afternoon light through a sheer curtain on a west or south window, will not harm adansonii and may speed its growth. What damages it is sustained intense direct sun, particularly from a south or west window in summer with no filtering. The leaves scorch quickly because they are thin and have a large surface area relative to their mass. The scorch marks are permanent on affected leaves. Acclimatise the plant gradually when moving it to any brighter position.