Monstera Dubia Care: Light, Plank, Watering and Propagation

Monstera dubia is the “shingle plant”: a climbing aroid whose young leaves grow pressed flat against the trunk or board they climb, overlapping like roof shingles, with silvery-green patterning. Given enough height, light and time, it can switch to a very different mature form with large, split leaves. Extension services have not published care sheets for this species, so this guide combines what Kew’s botanical database says about it with general Monstera and aroid care from NC State, the RHS and Iowa State. Monstera dubia care comes down to bright indirect light, a support it can attach to, a loose mix and steady moisture.

What Is Monstera Dubia?

Kew’s database for Colombian plants, ColPlanTA, lists Monstera dubia (Kunth) Engl. & K.Krause as a climber of the wet tropical biome, native from southern Mexico (Veracruz, Chiapas) through Central America to tropical South America and Trinidad. Like many climbing aroids, it starts at ground level and climbs trees with its aerial roots.

Its young (juvenile) leaves are small, oval, often silver-patterned, and held flat against the support so they overlap in a shingle pattern, which gives the plant its common name. Higher up, climbing plants can produce much larger leaves with splits and holes. Indoors, most plants stay in the shingle stage for years.

Sources: ColPlanTA / Kew; NC State Extension Plant Toolbox (Monstera deliciosa); ASPCA (2025). There is no extension care sheet for M. dubia, so care entries follow its close relative.

Light

NC State recommends bright light without harsh direct sun for Monstera deliciosa, and the same suits M. dubia, which grows on tree trunks in forest light. Indoors, a spot near an east window or a few feet back from a brighter window works well. Too little light gives small, widely spaced leaves and slow climbing; hot direct sun scorches the thin shingle leaves. A grow light helps in dim rooms; see our grow light guide and our Monstera light guide.

Soil Mix

NC State describes monstera as preferring soil high in organic matter with good drainage that stays evenly moist. For a climbing aroid indoors, that means a loose, chunky mix of bark, a good potting mix and perlite, which holds some moisture but lets air reach the roots. Use a pot with drainage holes. See our aroid soil mix guide.

Watering, Humidity and Temperature

NC State’s rule for Monstera deliciosa is to water thoroughly and then let the top quarter to one-third of the mix dry before watering again; the same approach suits M. dubia. Water less in winter when growth slows, and never leave the pot standing in water. If the plant is climbing a moss pole or a plank with moss behind it, keep that moist too, because the aerial roots take up water there.

NC State gives 60 to 85°F and high humidity for monstera. Shingle leaves are thin, so dry, heated air is the usual cause of crisp edges indoors; a humidifier or a group of plants helps. For the science of dry air, see our VPD guide.

Monstera Dubia Plank: How to Mount It

Growers usually show off M. dubia on a wooden plank, because the flat surface lets the leaves press flat in the shingle pattern. The method below is common grower practice rather than an extension recommendation:

1. Choose untreated wood (such as cedar or another rot-resistant board), long enough to give the vine room to climb.
2. Set the plank firmly in the pot, behind the plant, at the time of potting.
3. Lay the stem against the board and fix it loosely with soft plant ties or clips, never tight enough to cut into the stem.
4. Mist the board and the aerial roots so the roots attach. Once they grip, the plant holds on by itself.

Extending the Support

When the vine reaches the top, you can fix a second plank or a longer one behind the first, or train the tip onto a taller moss pole. Leaves often get larger the higher the plant climbs, so extending the support is worthwhile if you want the plant to keep developing.

Plank or Moss Pole?

Both work. A plank shows the flat shingle pattern best. A moss pole kept moist gives the aerial roots a damp surface to root into: the RHS notes that climbing aroids such as philodendrons root into a moss pole if it is kept moist, and Iowa State says climbing types do well on a trellis, moss pole or hanging basket. A flat-backed (D-shaped) moss pole combines both: a flat face for shingling and moss for the roots.

Monstera Dubia Mature Form

In the wild, plants that have climbed high into the trees can switch from small shingle leaves to large leaves with splits and holes. Indoors, this is rare and slow: it needs a tall support, strong indirect light and years of growth. Most houseplants stay in the shingle stage, which is the form most people buy them for.

Monstera Dubia Propagation

Like other climbing aroids, M. dubia is propagated from stem cuttings. Iowa State notes for climbing philodendrons that stem sections with at least two nodes, especially with aerial roots, root more reliably, and the same applies here.

1. Cut a section of stem with one or two nodes and an aerial root, ideally with a leaf.
2. Root it in moist sphagnum moss, perlite or water, in warmth and bright, indirect light.
3. Once roots are a few centimeters long, pot it up against a small plank or pole so it can start climbing.

See our sphagnum moss propagation guide.

Shrinking or Yellow Leaves

General aroid troubleshooting; see our overwatered vs underwatered and spider mite guides.

See our overwatered vs underwatered guide and spider mite treatment guide.

Settling In a New Plant or Cutting

Plants and cuttings shipped from humid nurseries often drop or crisp a leaf or two in a dry home. Pot unrooted cuttings in moist sphagnum or a loose mix, keep them warm and humid (a clear cover helps at first, opened daily for air), and give bright, indirect light. Once new roots and a new leaf appear, gradually reduce the humidity cover so the plant adapts to room air.

Is Monstera Dubia Toxic to Pets?

Yes. The ASPCA’s 2025 article on houseplants that can cause trouble for pets lists Swiss cheese plant (Monstera spp.) among plants containing insoluble calcium oxalate, which causes mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. Keep it away from pets and call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if one chews it. See our cat-safe plants list for alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called the shingle plant?

Because its young leaves press flat against the support in overlapping rows, like roof shingles.

Does monstera dubia need a plank?

It needs something to climb. A plank shows off the shingle pattern; a moist moss pole also works and gives the roots a damp surface to grip.

What does the monstera dubia mature form look like?

Mature, high-climbing plants can produce much larger leaves with splits and holes. Indoors this is rare and takes years and a tall support.

How do you do monstera dubia propagation?

Take a stem cutting with one or two nodes and an aerial root, and root it in moist sphagnum, perlite or water in warm, bright, indirect light.

How often should I water a monstera dubia?

Water thoroughly, then let the top quarter to third of the mix dry before watering again, the rule NC State gives for Monstera deliciosa. Water less in winter.

Is monstera dubia toxic to cats?

Yes. The ASPCA lists Monstera spp. among plants containing insoluble calcium oxalate, which irritates the mouth and causes drooling and vomiting.