MONSTERA deliciosa - an unusual plant

My Monstera deliciosa, when it was but a baby

now, both the wall and water tank are invisible

and I have to lift  leaves aside to sidle past it

it is taking up two thirds of my shade house!

Ever since I first saw my first Monstera as a teenager, 

I fell in love with it.

No idea why . . .

it was not long that I realised that it was Monstera deliciosa,

with the round holes it it's leaves that drew me, not the non 

fruiting cut leaf plant that was so in vogue 

as an indoor ornamental

it is doing well in my protected shade house 

and brings a touch of the Tropics into my difficult, dry garden

in the driest State in the driest Continent

and has been fruiting now for a number of years

here is a cluster of four emerging flower buds

 and the pristine, virginal flower,

already protecting the fruit in it's heart

 the fruit takes 2 years to ripen and only flowers

after fruiting

in common parlance, it is called the fruit salad plant

as the fruit has flavours composed of pineapple, banana

and a variety of other tropical fruits

on the ripe fruit, the outer, green layer drops off,

revealing the luscious, edible bits inside.

a bit like eating corn on the cob except for the intense

sweetness and tropical flavour . . . yum

it took at least a decade of waiting for it to fruit,

this year I had 14 pieces of fruit and in 2 years time,

if I am still around, there are 17  buds and flowers

promising a glut of deliciousness.

If I stick around until I am 90, I'll be able to open a market stall!

Linking with 

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TODAY'S FLOWERS, I Heart Macro

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