Monstera deliciosa black irritant fibres can be swept off with the application of a little citrus juice. Plants grown indoors in temperate regions occasionally produce flowers and fruit. Although consumed in tropical countries, it takes a long time (up to a year) for fruits to reach maturity. Before it is unconscious because very sour, even toxic in high doses. As a result, Monstera deliciosa has never been grown industrially for its fruit. This plant lives in the humid tropical forests, in the lowlands and middle mountains, in the extreme south of Mexico and also in Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama. The
Monstera deliciosa seeds fall to the ground, then the seedlings crawl (negative phototropism) until they meet a tree on which to attach. The many adjacent roots thus allow the plant to anchor against its new support and reach the canopy light (although it rarely grows in full sun and prefers a light dimmed by the foliage). Wild plants can also be found in North America (Florida), Asia (Malaysia, India), Australia and the western Mediterranean (Portugal, Morocco, Madeira). The plant requires a lot of space and a rich and loose soil (ideally garden soil and compost in equal parts). If it grows in