The plants of the genus Monstera boast a wide variety of common names, including the Swiss Cheese Plant, Mexican Breadfruit, Monster Fruit, Windowleaf, Fruit Salad Tree, and the (technically incorrect) Split Leaf Philodendron.  Native to Central and South America, Monstera are expert climbers, and can scale tree trunks to heights of nearly 70 feet.  The holes in their dark green leaves make them a distinct and popular houseplant, though in the wild these fenestrations serve the more practical purpose of preventing strong winds from catching the leaves and pulling the plant off the upper branches of its host tree.  In the vicinity of the Harmony Hotel, two species of Monstera are often spotted: Monstera adanonsii and Monstera deliciosa.  The latter produces a fruit commonly eaten in Central America that tastes like a mix of pineapple, banana and mango.  Delicious, yes, but it takes a full year for the fruit to ripen.  And don’t be tempted to sample it before it’s ready…the unripe fruit contains oxalic acid, which causes immediate and painful blistering, swelling, and irritation of the throat.  It’s not exactly forbidden fruit, but it is a good reminder that patience is a virtue.

The developing fruit of a Monstera deliciosa