Mexican Breadfruit | Monster Fruit – monstera deliciosa

fruit bearing trees — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:28:56 +0000

The Mexican Breadfruit, Monstera deliciosa, also known as Fruit Salad Plant, Monster Fruit and Cheese Plant is a ornamental and edible fruit bearing creeping vine. The Mexican Breadfruit is indigenous to tropical rain-forests from southern Mexico south to Panama. Although it is adapted to tropical environments, it is particularly easy to grow as a houseplant and could grow outdoors in regions with minimal frost.

The Maxican Breadfruit has a thick stem growing up to 20 meters in height. The plant does best in shade and seedlings will develop towards the darkest area they could find until they find a tree to fasten onto, at which point they begin to grow up towards the light by creeping up the tree.

Monstera deliciosa leaves are large, leathery, shiny, and heart-shaped, 25-90 cm long and 25-75 cm wide, smaller and smooth on young plants but lobed and holed on older plants. The vine flowers around 3 years after it is planted in ideal conditions, and takes 1 year longer for the fruit to mature.

The fruit of the Mexican Breadfruit grows up to 25 cm long and 3-4 cm in diameter, appearing like a green cob of corn lined with hex-angular scales (kernels). Unripe fruit has the kernels firmly attached. When it first flowers, the fruit contains large amounts of oxalic acid (ethanedioic acid) that makes it poisonous. It gets a year for the fruit to mature, at which point it is safe to consume.

The fruit could be ripened by cutting the fruit when the first scales begin to rise up and the fruit begins to exude a acrid smell, then wrapping in a paper bag and setting away until the kernels begin popping off. The kernels are then disregarded to display the edible flesh underneath. The flesh, which is like that of pineapple in texture, is then cut away from the core and eaten. It has a fruity taste similar to jackfruit and pineapple.

Plant propagation is by cuttings chosen from a mature plant or by air layering. Monstera deliciosa grows best at temperatures of 20 °C to 30 °C and needs high humidity. Monstera deliciosa is a member of the Araceae family the genus Monstera.

Mexican Breadfruit, Monstera deliciosa

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Mexican Breadfruit | Monster Fruit – monstera deliciosa