Monstera Varieties: Deliciosa, Adansonii, Thai Constellation & Albo Variegata Compared

Monstera is one of the most recognisable plant genera in indoor gardening — but "Monstera" on a plant tag can mean anything from a common, affordable climber to a collector specimen worth hundreds of dollars. The differences in size, leaf shape, variegation, care needs, and price between varieties are dramatic. This guide is part of our Complete Guide to Tropical Houseplants and covers the four varieties you are most likely to encounter: M. deliciosa, M. adansonii, Thai Constellation, and Albo variegata.

Monstera deliciosa — the Classic

Monstera deliciosa is the plant most people picture when they hear "Monstera." Native to Central America, it grows as a hemiepiphyte — beginning life on the forest floor, then climbing trees using aerial roots to reach the canopy.

Leaf Development

Young plants produce juvenile leaves that are small and solid, with no holes or splits. As the plant matures and climbs, leaves develop fenestrations — the characteristic split lobes along the outer edges — and can reach 60–90 cm across indoors, and larger in outdoor tropical conditions. The fenestrations are thought to reduce wind resistance and allow light to reach lower leaves in the wild.

Size and Growth Rate

Indoors, M. deliciosa typically reaches 2–3 m tall with support, growing 30–60 cm per year in optimal conditions. It is one of the fastest-growing large tropical houseplants. Aerial roots emerge from nodes and, if directed into the soil or onto a moss pole, support the plant and absorb water and nutrients.

The Variegata Subform

Standard M. deliciosa is solid deep green. The white-splashed form is M. deliciosa var. borsigiana, which is slightly smaller-leaved than true deliciosa — this distinction is important when buying variegated plants.

Monstera adansonii — the Swiss Cheese Vine

Monstera adansonii is often sold as "Swiss cheese plant" or "five-holes plant." It is native to Central and South America and the Caribbean, where it climbs trees in humid tropical forests.

Leaf Shape and Holes

Unlike deliciosa, adansonii's leaves are elongated (ovate to lanceolate) and covered with oval holes throughout the entire leaf blade, not just along the edges. The leaves are smaller — typically 15–30 cm long — and the plant has a more delicate, vine-like appearance than the bold, architectural deliciosa.

Growth Habit

Adansonii is naturally a faster climber than deliciosa relative to its size, making it excellent for trailing from shelves or training up thin moss poles. It is well-suited to smaller spaces where deliciosa would eventually overwhelm. In hanging baskets, the trailing form creates dramatic curtains of fenestrated leaves.

Two Forms

There are two common forms: the narrow form (the most widely sold, with elongated leaves and many holes) and the wide form (broader leaves, sometimes confused with small deliciosa). Both are true adansonii, just grown under different conditions or representing different ecotypes.

Thai Constellation — the Stable Variegated

Thai Constellation is a cultivar of Monstera deliciosa developed in tissue culture in Thailand in the 1990s. It is not a wild species or a random mutation — it is a commercially produced variety with stable, predictable variegation.

Variegation Pattern

The hallmark of Thai Constellation is a creamy white to pale yellow speckled or marbled pattern on otherwise normal green leaves. The speckling is often described as resembling a star field — hence the name. Unlike Albo variegata, there are no large blocks of pure white; instead, speckling and marbling is evenly distributed.

Why Variegation Is Stable

Thai Constellation's variegation is caused by a mutation affecting chloroplast development, and because it was propagated through tissue culture from a single stable mutant, the mutation is present in every cell of every plant in the cultivar. Cuttings reliably produce variegated offspring. This is fundamentally different from chimeric variegation (see Albo below).

Availability and Price

Because all supply originates from licensed tissue culture labs, production scales slowly. Tissue culture plants are hardened off and grown to saleable size, so there is a significant lead time from lab to shop. Prices have dropped considerably as tissue culture production scaled, but Thai Constellations still command a premium over standard deliciosa.

Albo variegata — the Chimeric Wild Card

Monstera deliciosa 'Albo variegata' (often just called "Albo") is the most sought-after and expensive mainstream Monstera variety. Its dramatic half-white, half-green leaves are the result of a chimeric mutation — and that same instability is what makes growing it challenging.

What Chimeric Means

A chimeric plant contains two genetically distinct cell populations. In Albo, some cells lack the ability to produce chlorophyll (white sectors), while others are normal green. Because these cell populations are inherited independently at the cellular level, variegation patterns cannot be predicted. One leaf may be 50% white; the next may be nearly all green; the next may be entirely white.

The Reversion Problem

Under certain conditions — especially low light — the green cells outcompete the white cells and the plant "reverts," producing increasingly green leaves. Fully reverted sections should be pruned back to the last variegated node to encourage new variegated growth. Fully white leaves and sections are beautiful but non-photosynthetic; they draw energy from the plant without contributing, so heavily variegated plants grow slowly and are weaker.

Propagation Risk

Unlike Thai Constellation, cuttings from Albo are a gamble. A cutting taken from a green section will produce an all-green plant. Cuttings from white sections often fail because the resulting plant cannot photosynthesize. Only cuttings from variegated nodes with mixed tissue reliably produce variegated offspring — and even then, the pattern will differ from the parent.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Care Differences That Actually Matter

Light

All Monstera varieties prefer bright, indirect light and should never sit in direct midday sun, which scorches leaves. However, the variegated varieties — especially Albo — have a higher light requirement than their green counterparts. Because white cells cannot photosynthesize, the remaining green tissue must work harder. Place Thai Constellation and Albo in your brightest spot that avoids direct sun; north-facing rooms are generally unsuitable.

M. adansonii is slightly more tolerant of lower light than deliciosa, but still produces small, hole-free leaves in inadequate light.

Watering

All four varieties share the same watering principle: water thoroughly when the top 3–5 cm of soil is dry, then allow excess to drain fully. Overwatering is the number one killer of Monstera indoors. Variegated varieties are slightly less forgiving of overwatering because their reduced photosynthetic capacity means slower recovery from root stress.

Adansonii, being smaller with more surface area relative to pot volume, may dry out slightly faster than deliciosa in the same-sized pot.

Humidity and Temperature

All Monstera varieties thrive at 60–80% humidity and temperatures of 18–29°C. They are sensitive to cold drafts and temperatures below 13°C. In dry climates, a humidifier significantly improves leaf size and fenestration development. Adansonii shows humidity stress (brown leaf tips) faster than deliciosa because its leaves have more perforation and therefore more exposed edge tissue.

Support and Climbing

Deliciosa, Thai Constellation, and Albo all produce large aerial roots and climb significantly. A thick moss pole (at least 1.5 m) allows roots to grip and produces dramatically larger, more fenestrated leaves than plants allowed to trail. Adansonii climbs too, but does well on a thinner support or in a hanging basket.

Mist the moss pole regularly to keep it moist — aerial roots will only attach to damp surfaces.

Fertilising

Feed all varieties monthly during the growing season (spring through early autumn) with a balanced liquid fertiliser diluted to half strength. Variegated varieties benefit from a fertiliser slightly lower in nitrogen to avoid encouraging excessive green growth at the expense of variegation.

Propagation by Variety

Green Varieties (deliciosa and adansonii)

Both propagate easily and reliably from stem cuttings. Take a cutting with at least one node (the bump on the stem where leaves and aerial roots emerge) and one or two leaves. Place the cutting in water or moist sphagnum moss, ensuring the node is submerged or in contact with the growing medium. Roots emerge within 2–6 weeks. Pot up when roots are 3–5 cm long.

Air layering is an alternative: wrap a node on the parent plant with damp sphagnum moss secured in plastic wrap, then cut below the roots once they develop. This is useful for large, top-heavy plants you want to reduce in size.

Thai Constellation

Propagation is straightforward using the same node-cutting method. Because variegation is genetic and stable, cuttings reliably produce variegated plants. Choose a cutting with visibly variegated tissue on the petiole or emerging leaf bud for confirmation, though even all-green stem sections will produce variegated growth.

Albo variegata

Propagation requires care. Follow these rules:

• Never take a cutting from an all-green section. The plant will be green permanently.
• Avoid all-white sections. Cuttings with mostly white petioles or stems often fail because the cutting cannot feed itself.
• Target nodes with mixed variegation — a petiole or stem with both green and white tissue is most likely to produce a viable variegated cutting.
• Use sphagnum moss rather than water for rooting; Albo cuttings can be prone to rot in water propagation.
• Keep the cutting warm (above 20°C) and humid during rooting.

Buying Guide and Realistic Prices

Where to Buy

Standard deliciosa and adansonii are widely available at garden centres, supermarkets, and general plant shops. Thai Constellation can be found at specialist indoor plant retailers and online plant shops — supply has improved significantly as tissue culture scaled. Albo is still primarily found through collector communities, plant auctions, and specialist importers.

What to Look For

• Healthy roots: Ask to see roots if possible — white, firm roots are healthy; brown, mushy roots indicate overwatering.
• Pest-free foliage: Check the undersides of leaves for spider mites (fine webbing), mealybugs (white cottony masses), and thrips (silver streaks on leaves).
• Variegation distribution (for Thai and Albo): A plant where variegation appears on multiple leaves is safer than one where only the newest leaf is variegated — the latter may be reverting.
• For Albo — avoid heavily white plants: A plant that is 70%+ white will struggle and may decline. Balanced 30–50% white is the sweet spot.

Realistic Price Ranges

Prices vary by location, size, and source, but as a general guide for the UK and US market in 2026:

• M. deliciosa (15 cm pot): £10–25 / $12–30
• M. adansonii (hanging basket): £12–20 / $15–25
• Thai Constellation (15 cm pot, small): £45–120 / $55–150
• Thai Constellation (mature, 25 cm pot): £150–350 / $180–400
• Albo variegata (cutting with node): £80–250 / $100–300
• Albo variegata (established plant): £300–800+ / $350–1,000+

If a Thai Constellation is priced like a standard deliciosa, it is almost certainly mislabelled. Conversely, a seller asking Albo prices for a Thai Constellation is overcharging. Learn to identify both varieties by their variegation patterns before buying.