When choosing a new houseplant, Monstera varieties are always a top choice. Their beautiful foliage forces their presence in any room. But the members of this plant genus are somehow similar.
You will feel pretty confused if you plan to get a Monstera Peru or Pinnatipartita.
Deciding on Monstera Peru and Pinnatipartita can be a bit daunting, especially for a new grower. This article will shed light on the differences between them so you can easily recognize them.
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What is Monstera Peru?
As the name suggests, this plant is native to Peru. It is also commonly found in the rainforests of South America. Its formal name is Monstera karstenianum.
Commercially, it is known as Monstera sp. Peru. This plant originates from the monstera genus of the arum family.
Just like many other members of the Araceae family, this plant is not safe for animals or humans. It is also a vine-trailing plant with a tendency to thrive upwards.
It does a pretty good job when supported by a pole to latch and climb. It can also cascade from a hanger. Monstera Peru is a flowering plant, but it barely blooms indoors.
What is Monstera Pinnatipartita?
The scientific name for this plant is Monstera Pinnatipartita Schott. Despite being a true monstera, this plant is often labeled as a philodendron and called a silver queen philodendron. This is misleading and confusing.
Just like the Monstera Peru, this one comes from the Araceae family. The natural home of this plant is the countries of Central America. It is commonly found in South America.
This variety of Monstera is an epiphyte with aerial roots. It uses its roots to climb other plants. As a juvenile plant, its leaves develop small lobs. However, the nature of its leaves changes and becomes widely fenestrated.
In the wild, Monstera Pinnatipartita grows pretty big, but its mature size is nearly 2 meters tall indoors.
Differences between Monstera Peru and Monstera Pinnatipartita
Despite being related plant varieties, Monstera Peru and Monstera Pinnatipartita are different. They are both tropical climbing plants. These plants are not very common as houseplants. However, they keep attracting the attention of various growers and gardeners.
1. Leaf shape
At first glance, the leaves may seem identical, but a focused look can tell you some differences. The leaves of Monstera Peru have a thick and hard texture. This hardness is caused by natural wrinkles or blisters on the leaf’s surface.
The leaves of Monstera Pinnatipartita are thinner and smoother than the leaves of Monstera Peru. Also, the leaves of Monstera Pinnatipartita are strictly oval, while Monstera Peru has oval leaves with a bit of a rounded shape.
2. Leaf color
The first impression both plants give is that their leaves are the same color. This is partially true, as both of them are green. But the levels of green vary from one plant to another.
The leaves of Monstera Peru have a deeper shade of green, while the leaves of Pinnatipartita are much lighter.
3. Fenestrations
This is decisive if you decide on Monstera Peru and Pinnatipartita. As young plants, both of them don’t have any splits. But, a fully-grown version of Monstera Pinnatipartita shows leaf fenestrations.
But your Pinnatipartita needs to be at least 2 years old.
4. Leaf size
If you want to decide on monstera Peru and Pinnatipartita, a closer look at the leaves can be helpful. Both plants have large leaves throughout their life cycles. However, the leaves of Monstera Pinnatipartita are relatively larger.
The leaves of Monstera Peru, on the other hand, are wider. A mature Monstera Peru leaf can reach a length of 11 cm. A grown Monstera Pinnatipartita reaches nearly 6 cm in length.
5. Growing speed
This is another issue where Monstera Peru and Monstera Pinnatipartita go separate ways. Unlike the vast majority of monster plants, Peru is a slow grower.
Its roots take much more time to develop and thrive than those of the Monstera Pinnatipartita.
In an ideal indoor environment, Monstera Pinnatipartita grows 2 feet annually. Monstera Peru produces a single leaf every month. So, imagine how much time the whole plant could take to grow.
6. Stem features
The stems of both plants are green, but the difference is not in their colors. It lies in the nodes. Monstera Pinnatipartita has shorter nodes. The distance between each growth node is small.
On the other hand, Monstera Peru has tall stems, and the distance between each node is long. Another notable difference is the size of the stems. The stems of Monstera Peru are thin, while the Pinnatipartita plant has fat and short ones.
7. Light needs
As tropical plants, both plants love natural, bright sunlight without direct exposure. However, Monstera Peru does an excellent job of growing in poorer light.
The Pinnatipartita plant cannot tolerate the same lower levels. It needs the usual bright light like any other Monstera.
8. Dormancy
Another huge difference in both closely related plants is in winter dormancy. Monstera Pinnatipartita goes dormant during winter. This means it rests and puts its growth progress on hold when it goes below 10 degrees Celsius.
Monstera Peru shares a different resting routine. It won’t tolerate a cold atmosphere, even if it’s indoors.
Monstera Peru vs Monstera Pinnatipartita: are they the same?
Monstera Peru and Monstera Pinnatipartita are not the same plants. They are from the same monstera genus and Arum family. Both are trailing vines that climb or cascade depending on the desired growing style.
They are also poisonous to humans and pets. Aside from these common features, both plants reflect obvious differences.
Monstera Peru leaves are thicker and more rigid than Pinnatipartita leaves. The leaves of Monstera Peru are wrinkled, while the Pinnatipartita has softer leaves.
As both plants grow, Monstera Peru leaves become darker, while Pinnatipartita leaves become split. Also, the Pinnatipartita leaves get more prominent than the Monstera Peru.
As for growth speed, Monstera Peru takes more time than Pinnatipartita. Also, their stems reveal further differences. Monstera Peru has longer and slimmer stems, while the stems of Pinnatipartita are fleshy and short.
During winter, Monstera Pinnatipartita goes dormant, while Peru does not. Monstera Pinnatipartita is pretty tolerable when it comes to lower light. Monstera Peru won’t show the same tolerance.
