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Monstera Deliciosa

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Text: Sara Umbreit, Photos: Damian Tauchert & Sojournal Studio

With a name meaning ‘delicious’ in latin, or as Germans would say; 'Leckere Fensterblatt', we can learn a lot about this plant already! The Monstera Deliciosa grows extensively in the wild with a new world fame in design owed to none other than Berlin.

On the recommendation of Alexander von Humboldt, a garden inspector from Krakow, Jozef Warszewicz, traveled to South America in 1847 and discovered the Monstera at a height of 2000 meters in the Mexican mountainous region of Oaxaca. Before him other explorers had tried to win the jungle plant admirers in England, Copenhagen and Munich - but to no avail. It was at the end of the Biedermeier era when people finally celebrated the introduction of exotic plants into their new, high-ceilinged and bright dwellings. The Monstera, with its majestic cutout leaves, could now fit perfectly into the new ideal vision of a home.

Tips for your own Urban Jungle,read here

On the recommendation of Alexander von Humboldt, a garden inspector from Krakow, Jozef Warszewicz, traveled to South America in 1847 and discovered the Monstera at a height of 2000 meters in the Mexican mountainous region of Oaxaca. Before him other explorers had tried to win the jungle plant admirers in England, Copenhagen and Munich - but to no avail. It was at the end of the Biedermeier era when people finally celebrated the introduction of exotic plants into their new, high-ceilinged and bright dwellings. The Monstera, with its majestic cutout leaves, could now fit perfectly into the new ideal vision of a home.

The Monstera Deliciosa is a plant that enjoys both factors of sun and shade; meaning, a little light is okay but please don’t place me directly in the sun. Shade can be tolerable for quite a while if necessary, as are many types of soil possible for the Monstera to adapt to. A large enough space for it to grow comfortably is ideal and its watering schedule requires no more than once a week.

The Monstera is a plant that fulfills many a purpose, for example in the West Indies where many things for daily life are made from its leaves. It removes nitrate from the water in aquariums and can be used as a healing remedy for joint pain in Mexico.

And why the name ‘Deliciosa’ you may ask? The Monstera bears white flowers between July and October which contain an edible fruit, apparently amazing in taste. In Madeira, tourists can find these treats nicknamed "pineapple bananas" in markets - the plant itself on the other hand is largely hidden on the island. The taste of their fruit is compared to that of a banana and the consistency likened to a pineapple. Other flavors such as strawberry, mango and cinnamon have known to come to mind when sampling this delicious fruit.

At the beginning of the twentieth century the fruit was also used, among other things, as the aromatiser for champagne. Today it is still used as a flavoring agent in the food industry. Whether it was Matisse, a mid-century trendmaker, or the modern clothing industry, the creative field has many times referred to the extraordinary leaves as inspiration and motif for their art, textiles and an aid for room decoration.

Children from the eighties will surely remember cherished plants in their parents' house. Today, however, the Monstera is in demand like never before. As a display it can placed in a pot, or individual leaves used as a decorative element which can hold for three to four weeks if supplied occasionally with water. The Monstera is an adaptable and resistant plant that has had a complete image makeover, going from dusty commercial offices and into trendy inner city apartments. One thing for sure, is once the Monstera enters your home it will devour the spotlight!

Tim Labenda

Text: Sara Umbreit