Monstera Albo (Monstera Deliciosa): Plant Care and Growing Guide – House Plants Expert

The highly desired Monstera Albo, is the most common of the Monstera Deliciosa rare and variegated varieties. Its official name is Monstera Deliciosa Albo Borsigiana. Commonly referred to as Monstera Variegata, Variegated Monstera Albo, and Monstera Albo.

While Monstera Deliciosa is native to Central and South American tropics, most Monstera Albos are cultivated in labs through selective plant breeding. This plant is highly sought after for its heart-shaped leaves, fenestrations, gorgeous white-cream coloring, and variegation.

Monstera Deliciosa has been a classic staple in the plant community for many years, and it is no surprise that this plant is one of the most coveted varieties. Monstera Albo gained extreme popularity in early 2020 when one sold for thousands of dollars.

Variegated plants often come with a steep price tag as growing them requires very specific skills, and conditions and variegation are not guaranteed. Every Monstera Albo is different from one another with unique variegation.

As the plant gained popularity more and more people began to cultivate this variety making it more widely available at a much lower price.

Today, you can find a medium size with good variegation Monstera Albo in the $200-300 range with 4″ starters around $80

Elyssa Goins

Other variegated varieties of Monstera Deliciosa include Auera, Thai Constellation, and Mint.

Monstera Albo Care

Contrary to most variegated plants, Monstera Deliciosa Albo is quite easy to care for and a fast grower.

Light

Unlike the all-green original Monstera Deliciosa, Monstera Albo requires much more light. This is due to the variegation- the white areas or leaves do not provide any energy for the plant. Keep light at around 2000 footcandles and your plant will reward you with better variegation and lots of growth.

Water

Water thoroughly when the soil is completely dry. The leaves on this plant will quickly begin to curl from the bottom up when it is thirsty. Avoid waiting to water beyond the first two bottom leaves curling to keep your Monstera Albo healthy and happy.

Humidity

Monstera Albo likes and wants high humidity, 55%+. Keeping humidity high for this plant will help keep the white areas of the foliage white and healthy. A common sign your humidity is too low for this plant is the browning of the white areas in the leaves.

Fertilizer

When it comes to fertilizing a houseplant like this,a Monstera Albo plant needs sixteen key nutrients. Look for a well-balanced fertilizer containing all sixteen and a higher phosphorus level to support healthy and large foliage.

Support

Like the all-green Monstera Deliciosa, Monstera Albo is a climbing, vining plant. It will appreciate the support from a bamboo stake, coco coir, or moss pole to climb.  It is not necessary for Monstera Albo’s aerial roots to grow into a support pole. Giving your Monstera Albo support will encourage larger foliage and more fenestrations.

Soil

As a general rule, variegated Monsteras require fast draining and airy potting mix. Many Monstera Albos are sold in a potting medium consisting of coco husk and perlite. This is a great medium for Monstera Albos, but note there isn’t any soil or nutrients in the medium so fertilizing and feeding is of the utmost importance. If you prefer a soil-based medium, simply amend with chunky and airy ingredients like perlite, pumice, and orchid bark.

Potting and Repotting

Monsteras like to be tight in their pots. There is no need to re-pot until there are more roots than soil. When potting a Monstera Albo, the new pot should only be two inches larger in diameter than its root ball. 

Too big of a pot can cause issues. No growth is a common side effect of a pot that is too large because the plant is focusing energy on filling the pot with roots instead of growing foliage, or root rot because there is too much potting medium and the plant cannot absorb all the moisture it holds causing it to stay wet for too long.

Propagation

Successful propagation of a plant is always so special and satisfying. With a Monstera Albo, many plant enthusiasts choose to propagate to sell cuttings or the newly rooted plant. Whatever your intention is, propagating this plant is very easy. 

You can choose to propagate your plant through stem cutting or air layering. While both methods have a high success rate, air layering offers an extra layer of guarantee as you would be using an existing aerial root to create secondary roots before cutting the plant.

Pruning

There is generally no need to prune a Monstera Albo. However, if you choose to do so bear in mind that Monsteras are vining plants. If you are hoping to prune off the newest leaf, be sure to keep the leaf’s stem as that is where new growth emerges from.

Aerial Roots

Aerial roots can be pruned without damaging the plant. In nature, aerial roots are used for support and to “grab” onto trees as they grow upward. In your space, as long as the plant is supported to climb, there is no need for the aerial roots to grow into anything to keep supporting the plant. 

Another option with aerial roots is to coil them on top of the pot on the surface of the soil. You may also choose to bury them back into the soil, just keep in mind, that this will cause the plant to be rootbound sooner than it normally would without the aerial roots also growing in the soil.

Variegation on Monstera Albo

What is variegation?

Variegation on a plant is characterized by discolor and/or color patterns on the foliage or stems. This can look like patches, spots, marbling, or small specks. 

What causes variegation?

Variegation on a plant is a result of natural gene expression or mutation that affects chlorophyll production. Chlorophyll is what makes the plant’s foliage green and how a plant absorbs light.

Is variegation stable?

Stable variegation means the plant won’t lose its variegation or turn all green. Variegation on Monstera Albo is not guaranteed as stable because it is a gene mutation and not a natural adaptation of a plant. Meaning, that a plant needs chlorophyll to absorb sunlight and photosynthesize. The white or cream leaves of a Monstera Albo are not providing any energy for the plant and therefore making the green areas work harder to support the plant. 

Monstera Albos may revert to green in efforts to survive and support themselves. Now, it is very normal for a Monstera Albo to unfurl an all-green leaf every now and then. However, if it is giving you two or more all-green leaves in a row, you may have a plant that is fully reverting to green.

How to keep or encourage more variegation?

Unfortunately, there isn’t a guaranteed method to keep variegation because it is highly dependent on the plant’s genes. However, there are two things you can do to encourage your Monstera Albo to unfurl leaves that are variegated to its full potential: lots of light and high humidity.

Common Issues on Monstera Albo and How To Solve Them

There are common issues that may occur when taking care of this plant.

White variegation is browning

White variegation turning brown or getting crispy is a tell-tell sign that your plant is not getting the humidity it needs. Be sure to keep humidity at least at 55% to prevent this issue.

Monstera Albo is not growing

Check lighting conditions to ensure your plant is getting all the light it needs to grow. As a reminder, the more white the plant has, the more light it needs to support itself.  If you’ve determined light is not the issue, check the roots-to-soil ratio. It is time for an upsize if there are more roots than soil.

Variegation is decreasing or the plant is reverting

If the variegation on your plant is decreasing, try increasing the light. Giving it plenty of light is the only thing you can do to encourage variegation.

If your plant is reverting, two or more all-green leaves in a row, you may opt for chopping the plant at its last variegated leaf. Chopping the plant will trigger new growth and may reset to continue variegation. Note, that variegation is not guaranteed.

Curling leaves

Curling leaves are a classic signal of a thirsty plant. Avoid letting your plant curl beyond the first two bottom leaves.

New leaves are smaller than the previous

 Check to see if the plant is ready for a re-pot and be sure it has support to climb.

No fenestrations

Fenestrations happen as the plant matures. The best way to encourage fenestrations is to give it support to climb. 

Yellowing on top leaves

The occasional yellowing bottom leaf is normal as each leaf does have a lifespan. Yellowing top leaves however signal a problem. For this plant, this issue is often lacking sufficient light. 

Pests

The most common pests you’re likely to find on this plant are spider mites, mealybugs, and scale. All these pests are fairly easy to eradicate with a good insecticidal soap and thorough treatment. The key to keeping pests away is to establish a good new plant routine and foliage cleaning routine for your existing plants. Aim to clean your plant’s foliage once or twice a month and inspect it frequently.

Monstera Albo Conclusion

If you get a chance to own a Monstera Albo, don’t pass it up. They are gorgeous plants and very easygoing as long as you can provide the right light and humidity. Follow these simple guidelines and watch your Monstera Albo grow BIG.

Claudia Steinbach

Hi, I’m Claudia! A self-proclaimed plant lady! In my previous life, I was a sales and marketing executive for an international fashion company. Today, I share houseplant care, tips, and trick to help others thrive with their indoor plants.

Most of my knowledge and advice comes from extensive experience in my personal plant collection of 100+ plants over the last five years. My methodology on plants is based on providing the plant with the right environment to thrive. I love filling my space with plants because of all the life they bring indoors.