Monstera Pinnatipartita (common name is the same) is a vining evergreen plant native to the rainforests of South America. It’s become a popular but rare houseplant because of its distinctive leaves.
Pronounce: Mon-STAIR-uh Pin-ah-TEE-pahr-tee-tah
Like most monstera varieties, this tropical plant is best known for its fenestrated leaves. What makes Monstera Pinnatipartita so exciting to grow is the dramatic leaf transformation you will witness as the plant grows and matures.
Monstera Pinnatipartita plants undergo dramatic changes as they mature. A young Pinnatipartita has green leaves with a slightly bumpy texture.
Mature Monstera Pinniatipartita Plants
As with all Monsteras, the leaf pinnation and fenestrations (or slots) appear as the plant matures and gets bigger, making the mature plant unrecognizable from the young plant. If you put a young plant next to a more mature Monstera Pinnatipartita, you would not know they were the same plant.
At maturity, the leaves develop deep fenestrations from the outside in and become smooth and glossy. The outside-in fenestration pattern makes the Monstera Pinnatipartita unique from other Monstera varieties because instead of producing holes or slots that only extend midway or so into the leaf (like its cousin Monstera Deliciosa), the slots reach nearly to the midrib on the leaf.
Only mature plants produce leaves with this dramatic fenestration. The leaves of young Monstera Pinnatipartita plants are solid with no holes or slots!
This eye-catching plant is simple to care for and perfect for intermediate houseplant parents and monstera lovers.
So, how do you care for Monstera Pinnatipartita?
Monstera Pinnatipartita Care
Monstera Pinnatipartita is a stunning epiphytic plant native to the tropical rainforests of Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about how to care for Monstera Pinnatipartita.
Light: Plenty of indirect light.
Water: Check weekly water if almost all of the soil is dry.
Soil: A well-draining potting mix
Humidity: 50-60%.
Pro Tip: Etsy is a great place to purchase Monstera Pinnatipartita. Check shop reviews! There are some great plant sellers and some not-so-great ones.
Lighting Needs
Monstera Pinnatipartita will grow just about anywhere in your home! These rainforest plants prefer dappled sunlight under the forest canopy in their natural environment. Your Monstera Pinnatipartita will do best with bright, indirect sunlight.
Monstera Pinnatipartita can be placed pretty much wherever you want to place it in your home, thanks to its tolerance for low light. But remember that if your plant gets too little light, it will grow slower, making the leaves darker. Also, the leaves will lose their lovely splits (fenestrations). And since those slits are probably what you love most about this beautiful houseplant, you don’t want to lose them!
Monstera Pinnatipartita must only be placed in direct sunlight for a short time because it will burn its leaves.
If your plant isn’t getting enough light to thrive, you can supplement it with a full-spectrum grow light. (We like these grow bulbs that you can screw into regular light fixtures.) If you decide to go the grow light route, give your monstera plants at least 8 hours of this bright light per day.
Watering Monstera Pinnatipartia
Water your Monstera Pinnatipartita when its soil becomes almost completely dry.
As a general rule, Monsteras must be watered at least once weekly. If your home is on the warmer side and your soil is very well draining, you might need to water your plant twice a week.
Water your Monstera thoroughly until the water leaves the drainage holes or water from the bottom, placing its roots on water.
You can see if you’re over-watering your Monstera because its leaves will turn brown.
We suggest watering when the top few inches of soil feel dry to the touch or when a moisture meter reads 3-4. (We highly recommend using a moisture meter because it can give you a much more accurate idea of what’s going on down into the soil, deep into the pot). If your soil isn’t aerated, your plant’s root ball may be soaked while the soil’s surface is completely dried out!).
Your Monstera’s water needs can change depending on the season, how much light it’s getting, whether it’s actively growing, and its temperature and humidity conditions. It’s essential to check your plant’s soil to ensure it needs water instead of watering on a schedule.
If you see the leaves yellowing, cut back the watering for a couple of weeks. Then resume regular watering.
Humidity Needs
Monstera Pinnatipartita does well in average humidity conditions. Those delicate leaves will dry out quickly in very dry homes! Still, it will appreciate a more humid environment since that’s how it originated in the rainforest.
There are many ways to increase humidity levels, but the most effective are plant humidifiers and grouping plants together.
Your Monstera Pinnatipartita will thrive in humidity levels above 50%, but 60% is ideal if you can manage it.
Watch out for air conditioning or heating vents that can blast dry air on your plant, as these can turn the leaves to a crisp if you place your plant too close to them!
Related Posts:
Another way to add humidity is to group plants. Grouping plants together helps create a warm and humid environment around the plants that these epiphytes seem to love. You can even grow them along with a few Philodendrons and Pothos varieties.
Soil
The best soil is Monstera Pinnatipartita is light, chunky, and well-aerated with lots of air pockets. The soil needs to be able to retain moisture but should also be well-draining. Add plenty of aerating ingredients to the soil, such as vermiculite or orchid bark.
To grow their big, beautiful leaves, Monstera need lots of nutrients, which is why keeping them in soil rich in organic matter is essential—because of this, adding some rich, nutrient-dense organic material like compost or coco coir to your soil is best.
Pro Tip: To make your own soil for Monstera Pinna, combine standard potting mix with perlite and peat moss or coco fiber.
If you’re not up to mixing your own soil, you can purchase specialized Monstera blends from most nurseries and garden centers. A commercial aroid soil mix that will be ideal for potting your Monstera Pinnatipartita.
Fertilizer
Fertilize your Monstera Pinnatipartita once a week during spring and summer; they will grow fast. Don’t fertilize your Monstera during winter. Allow it a break so it can rest.
Use a 20-20-20 or 20-10-10 fertilizer. Dilute it to half the recommended strength, and apply it to the soil surface shortly after you have watered. Applying fertilizer after watering ensures that the nutrients will be absorbed by the soil evenly.
You can also mix fertilizer granules into the soil once at the start of the growing season.
Pot
When Monstera are in the wild, their aerial roots attach to host plants, which allows them to grow upwards towards the sun.
Give Your Monstera Pinnatiparta a Moss Pole
It’s best to grow Monstera Pinnatipartita as a climber rather than as a trailing vine. It should be planted in a reasonably big container with a moss pole, a piece of wood, or another form of trellis for it to climb with their stems.
Growing your Monstera Pinnatipartita in a pot with a totem pole indoors is ideal. It can also be trained to creep up a wall. A moss pole has the added benefit of being a stable base for your plant that can tend to be top-heavy.
Related Post: Moss Poles For Plants: Why You Need One and Where to Get It
Repotting
A few things to know about repotting your Monstera Pinnatipartita:
- Because of its moderate growth rate, Monstera Pinnatipartita repotting only needs to be done every 2 or 3 years.
- When the foliage starts to look yellow and curly, and roots can be seen growing out of the drainage holes, it’s time to repot Pinnatipartita.
- Don’t increase the pot size too much; only increase the diameter by 2 inches at most.
- Make sure the new pot has suitable drainage holes.
- Use fresh potting soil and water your Monstera Pinnatipartita well once you’ve firmed the soil around the roots.
- It’s a good idea to put a sphagnum moss pole in the pot simultaneously, as Monstera Pinnatipartita loves to grow up the support structure.
About Monstera Pinnatipartita
Size and Growth Rate
Is Monstera Pinnatipartita a fast grower?
The indoor plant has leaves that remain average in size, but instead of growing wide, it grows tall. Still, it is a slow creeper.
It has a moderate growth rate and can grow 1-2 feet per year under good conditions.
How long does it take for Monstera Pinnatipartita to mature?
In the wild, a Monstera Pinnatipartita vine can get as long as 33-66 feet with a span of up to 10 feet or more.
However, the size of Monstera Pinnatipartita grown as a houseplant is much smaller, with an average height of 4-6 feet. It can become quite bushy unless pruned to a narrower shape.
Variegation
Leaves of a young Monstera Pinnatiparitia are variegated with green and light green variegation. As the plant matures, the leaves turn to a darker green with less variegation.
How to Propagate Monstera Pinnatipartita
Like other monstera varieties, Monstera pinnatipartita propagates fairly easily from cuttings.
There’s more than one way to propagate a Monstera Pinnatipartita. This houseplant propagates equally well in water and soil.
Propagate Monstera Pinnatipartita in Soil
- Choose a stem tip from a mature plant. The stem tip you are looking for should have two nodes.
- Cut the tip below the nodes. Use sterilized scissors.
- Remove the bottom leaves from your stem tip.
- Prepare a pot with some sphagnum moss mixed with perlite. Water the potting medium so that it is moist but not wet.
- Place the stem in the pot. One of the nodes should be below the dirt.
- Place your stem and container in a sunny spot but away from direct sunlight.
- Keep the soil moist.
- Your cutting will take about two weeks to establish.
- Move your cutting to regular potting soil after about eight weeks.
Propagate Monstera Pinnatipartita in Water
- Choose a stem tip from a mature plant. The stem tip you are looking for should have two nodes.
- Cut the tip below the nodes. Use sterilized scissors.
- Remove the bottom leaves from your stem tip.
- Find a jar with a mouth that is at least 3 inches wide. If jar’s mouth is too narrow, the roots might break while pulling the cutting out. The jar should be deep enough that the cutting nodes will sit under the water, but the leaves are out of the water.
- Put your cutting in the jar filled with clean water.
- Place your jar where it will get indirect sunlight.
- Do not disturb your cutting.
- In about two week, new roots will sprout from the nodes submerged in water.
- Once the roots are an inch or two long, you can transfer the cutting to the soil.
- Move your cutting to regular potting mix after eight weeks.
Where to Buy and Monstera Pinnatipartita
You can find Monstera Pinnatipartita for sale online or at a local boutique plant shop.
Shop Online
Your best bet is to buy this indoor plant online. You can find Monstera Pinnatipartita on Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace or with online sellers like Bloomscape and The Sill.
Be sure to read the reviews on any seller you’re considering so you can make an informed purchase!
Indoor Plants Similar to Monstera Pinnatipartita
If you like the look of the Monstera Pinnatipartita, you might also fall in love with the following Monstera plants.
Monstera Pinnatipartita vs. Monstera Peru
The Monstera Pinnatipartita and Monstera Peru are often confused as they can look very similar when juvenile.
Suppose you’re wondering whether your plant is Monstera Pinnatiparta or Monstera Peru. In that case, the main difference is that the Pinnatipartita has larger leaves. Fenestrations appear when it gets older, and the plant gets many splits in its leaves.
Pro Tip: If you have a young Monstera Pinnatipartita plant but are unsure and think it might be a Peru, check the leaves. Both plants are bullate with blistery-looking leaves when they are you. The Monstera Peru is much more defined, and the pimples are deeper. The Pinnatipartita has bullate leaves, but they are flatter and less pronounced.
Related Post: Monstera Peru Care Guide
Monstera Pinnatipartia vs. Monstera Subpinnata
The main difference between Monstera Pinnatipartita and Subpinnata is seen in the leaves. Pinnatipartita leaves have deep, split fenestrations. Subpinnata has pinnate leaves. Pinnate leave look like collections of small, individual, lance-shaped leaflets attached to a central leaf rib.
It’s easiest to tell these plants apart when they’re older. The leaves of a mature Pinnatipartita do not separate into “fingers” or separate leaflets but remain connected at the tips. The leaves are more fenestrated like other monstera varieties rather than pinnated like subpinnata leaves.
Monstera Pinnatipartita vs. Deliciosa
The Monstera Deliciosa is the species most people think of when they think about a Monstera. Also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant, this popular houseplant is known for its glossy, heart-shaped leaves with deep lobes.
The Monstera Pinnatipartita looks nearly the same as the Monstera deliciosa. The distinguishable feature of the Pinnatipartita is the leaves with deep slots that cut through the edge of the leaf to its center rib.
Monstera Pinnatipartita vs. Monstera Borsigiana
Monstera Borsigiana is a variation of Deliciosa. This houseplant might sell under the same name because it’s hard to distinguish between them when they’re young.
Related Post: Monstera Borsigiana Care
Monstera Pinnatipartita vs. Rhaphidophora Decursiva
Rhaphidophora is not a Monstera, despite often being labeled as one. A fully mature Rhaphidophora decursiva has deeply fenestrated leaves that strongly resemble monstera leaves.
Monstera Pinnatipartita vs Siam
The monstera pinnatipartita and the Monstera siam are the same plants, just sold under different names.
Is Monstera Pinnatipartita the same as Split Leaf Philodendron?
Although the genus Monstera and the Philodendron are related, the plants in these genera are NOT the same.
They cannot be cross-pollinated. Monstera typically can have leaf fenestrations, whereas Split-leaf philodendron has splits.
Plant Gear to Make Growing Monstera Pinnatipartita Easier:
- Humidity meter (a cheap way to monitor humidity and temperature levels)
- Humidifier
- Potting mix
- Perlite (to add drainage to soil mixes)
- Moss pole
- Plant Pots (our favorites)
- How Not to Kill Your Houseplant (book)
Final Thoughts On Monstera Pinnatipartita Plant Care
Monstera Pinnatipartita plant care is fairly simple, and this tropical plant will look stunning in your home! If you decide to add one to your collection of tropical plants, you won’t regret it. Under the right conditions you might even be able to grow Monstera Pinnatipartita outdoors!
