Monstera obliqua, the plant with perforated leaves

Some gardeners like colorful foliage. Others love perforated leaf blades. If you, too, can't get enough of a leaf with more empty space than chlorophyll, then Monstera obliqua should make your day. But you'll have to be patient to find one. This plant, native to the forests of Panama and Bolivia, is still rare in our homes.

Monstera obliqua is a hemiepiphytic perennial with a climbing habit. It can grow up to two meters high.

It clings to its support (a tree or a stake) thanks to its aerial roots. These often grow at the foot of the plant, to capture water evaporating from the soil.

The dark green leaf blades measure up to 20 centimetres long and eight centimetres wide. Narrow and lanceolate, they have a wedge-shaped base. As with monstera adansonii, the leaves at the top of the plant are perforated to filter light. But Monstera obliqua's foliage is less leathery and more fenestrated than that of its cousin. Some leaf blades are almost entirely perforated. Only the margins and veins remain!

In the wild, Monstera obliqua flowers. A light-green spathe hatches. It contains the floral spike, a yellow spadix.

Like other plants in the Araceae family, Monstera obliqua is toxic. It contains calcium oxalate, a substance that causes skin irritation if touched, and digestive and respiratory problems if ingested. Keep your specimen out of the reach of children and pets. And remember to wear gloves when pruning or repotting.