Moss poles mimic the function of a host tree, allowing your Monstera to indulge in its natural climbing habit. The best thing to do with aerial roots is to lightly drape them against a moss pole to allow them to climb. These roots play a dual role of anchoring the plant to the rockface, and to absorb water and nutrients from its surroundings. Look at the amount of aerial roots this Monstera has. Copyright © 2022 belyykit, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC). Aerial roots can absorb this nutrient-rich water when they come into contact. When it rains, debris and leaf litter leach nutrients into the rainwater. This helps relieve the plant of water stress during a dry spell.Īerial roots can also absorb water and nutrients in the way typical roots do. They make do with what they have: growing in bits of leaf litter, moss and debris near the forest floor.Īerial roots play a key role in providing the plant with water and nutrition from an alternative source: the atmosphere!Īerial roots are genetically adapted to have the ability to absorb atmospheric humidity. In the wild, Monsteras don’t typically grow in a nice pot of organically rich soil. Secondly, aerial roots absorb moisture and nutrients from the atmosphere around it. Together, the roots hoist the plant upwards towards the light.Īerial roots can be quite substantial, given their need to anchor the plant onto a host tree. These roots quite literally latch on to the base of the host tree, providing structural stability to the climbing plant. As the plant matures, nodes near the base of a leaf petiole elongate, forming aerial roots. They allow this epiphyte (or hemi-epiphyte, to be precise) to climbįirstly, aerial roots play a crucial role in enabling the Monstera to climb. There are 2 critical roles that aerial roots play.

Aerial roots thicken as the grow – giving them strength to support the weight of the plant.ĭeveloped roots turn woody over time, losing their young green coloration.

Over time, young roots protrude from the nodes. They contain genetic material to grow roots, as well as the hormone auxin, which stimulates rooting. Nodes look like little knobs or swellings on the stem. What do aerial roots look like?Īerial roots form from nodes at the base of a leaf petiole. While seedlings can survive in lower light conditions near the forest floor, as the Monstera grows, it needs more light to support the lush foliage it is known for. The purpose of climbing is to reach for more light higher in the rainforest canopy. Copyright © 2022 Noah Stefanik, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC).Ĭlimbing up trees is part of the Monstera’s natural climbing (epiphytic or hemi-epiphytic) habit. When fully mature, Monsteras in the wild can grow up to 66 feet (20 meters) tall. During this time, they develop thick aerial roots to latch on to their hosts. Monsteras develop their first leaves once they find a suitable tree. This helps them locate the base of large host trees! This means they are genetically programmed to seek out the darkest, not brightest, areas to grow. Young Monstera seedlings start life near the forest floor, sending runners to look for host trees to climb.Īccording to the University of Connecticut, Monstera seedlings display negative phototropism. Monstera Deliciosas come from the rainforests of Mexico to Guatemala. To understand what aerial roots are, let’s first take a step back and understand how Monsteras behave in their native habitat.

Can you use aerial roots for propagation?.

They allow this epiphyte (or hemi-epiphyte, to be precise) to climb