Monstera gourmet (Deliciosa) - poisonous plant or not

Content:

Biological features
Interesting Gourmet Monster Facts
Monstera as a food product
- Composition and calorie content of monstera fruits
Monstera: poisonous or not
- Is it possible to keep a gourmet monster at home
Features of caring for a gourmet monster

The monstera plant is impressive in size, so it can only be kept in spacious rooms. Liana is popular for growing in offices, foyers and halls. In addition, the leaves of the flower contribute to the ionization of the air. The name is gourmet, or delicious, the variety got due to the fruits that have a sweet pineapple taste.

Biological features

The genus Monstera belongs to the Aroid family. The deposit is the tropical forests of Central and South America.

Monstera Deliciosa is a climbing species, the height of which can reach 4 m. The plant has a main fleshy stem from which aerial roots grow. They are needed not only for nutrition and reproduction, but also as additional support.

Blooming monstera

For your information! Monstera luscious has a bright green color of leaves, their surface is smooth and shiny. Young leaves are heart-shaped, solid, with time holes appear, and then elongated or round cuts.

During the flowering period, cream cobs appear on the monster, covered with a light green fluff. After flowering, sweet and sour berries are formed. The flowering time falls on the spring-summer season, but this happens extremely rarely in residential premises.

Interesting Gourmet Monster Facts

There are many myths about the plant. The most common rumors concern that the monstera is poisonous, brings trouble to the house and takes energy away from the residents. There is no scientific confirmation of this, so you can safely start a vine in your apartment.

Monstera flower - what a plant and a leaf looks like

What is interesting about the monster Deliciosa:

from the Latin alphabet, the name "monstrum" is translated as "monster". It was due to creeping stems, the diameter of which reaches 20 cm and has long aerial roots;
according to another version from Latin, the name is translated as "bizarre", "amazing", which fully corresponds to its appearance;
Princess of Brazil, Isabella Braganza, daughter of Emperor Pedro II, established the tradition of eating monstera fruits for dessert; this was her favorite delicacy;
drops of sticky sap appear on the leaves before the rain, so the flower is a kind of barometer;
esotericists believe that aerial roots take away energy from others, however, they are necessary exclusively to obtain additional moisture from the air, since the plant is native to the tropics;
residents of Southeast Asia are confident that monstera is a source of health and well-being;
in Thailand, it is customary to put a pot of liana near sick people;
in Laos, monstera deliciosa is used as a talisman and placed on the doorstep of the house.

Note! There are also several versions about the origin of the name of the flower, which relate not only to its appearance. One of the legends says that after the discovery of South America, killer plants were found in the jungle that attacked people and animals. It was said that after the battle with the vines, only skeletons hanging from the trunk remained from the body. In fact, travelers confused the murder with aerial roots sprouting into the already deceased body of a man who once died in the jungle.

Liana in the wild

Monstera as a food product

Monstera - breeding at home

In shape, the berry resembles an ear of corn, on top they are covered with dense scales, their length ranges from 20 to 40 cm and up to 9 cm in diameter.The pulp of the fruit is juicy, sweet in taste, reminiscent of a mixture of pineapple and banana, a little jackfruit.

Note! Fully ripe fruits do not burn the mucous membrane, unlike the same pineapple. Juices of an immature fetus cause irritation, you can get a burn of the mucous membrane of the mouth, provoke the development of stomach and duodenal ulcers.

For the use of monstera fruits for food, the plant is bred in Australia and India. If you managed to buy unripe fruits, then they are wrapped in foil and laid out on a windowsill in direct sunlight.

Monstera fruit

Composition and calorie content of monstera fruits

Nutritional value of fruits per 100 g:

73.7 kcal;
77.9 g of water;
16.2 g carbohydrates;
1.8 g protein;
0.2 g fat;
0.57 g dietary fiber;
0.85 g of ash.

The composition of berries has not been studied enough, it is known that they are rich in the following elements:

sugar;
starch;
vitamin C;
oxalic acid;
thiamine;
calcium;
phosphorus;
potassium;
sodium.

As a result, the use of berries has a beneficial effect on the immune system, preventing viral and bacterial diseases, increases the tone of the body, stimulates physical and emotional activity. Eating fruits in food improves intestinal motility, eliminates muscle spasms, and fights dehydration.

Important! Many people are faced with an individual intolerance to the product.

Monstera: poisonous or not

Since the plant came to Europe from the tropics, it is logical to question whether it is possible to put a flower at home, whether the monstera is poisonous or not, especially if there are small children or pets in the room.

Is it possible to keep a gourmet monster at home

Monstera variegated or variegated in the interior

Keeping a plant in the house is not only possible, but also necessary. Monstera leaves do not contain any hazardous substances. You should be careful with microscopic needle-like formations that are in the pulp of the leaves, which can cause a burning sensation if the leaf enters the mouth. This can happen with cats, dogs or parrots who sinn gnawing indoor flowers.

Note! It is believed that a tropical plant absorbs a large amount of oxygen, especially at night, which can cause suffocation in a sleeping person. No such case has been recorded.

As for the toxicity of the plant, there is some truth in this statement. There is poison in the juice of plant flowers, but in order to burn the mucous membranes of the mouth and stomach, you need to bite and chew the flower petal.

In defense of the monstera, it is worth noting that its leaves are good at trapping dust entering the room. At the same time, the plant secretes biologically active substances that purify the air and fight some viruses and bacteria.

Features of caring for a gourmet monster

Monstera gourmet is an unpretentious plant, minimal care is required.

Growing and Care Requirement:

any lighting, except for direct sunlight;
moderate air temperature (not lower than 12 ° C), the hotter, the faster growth occurs;
the composition of the soil for growing: 1 part of sand, peat, sod land, 2 parts of humus, can grow in hydroponics;
frequent spraying, wiping with a sponge, polishing the leaves;

Monstera in the interior

abundant watering, constant maintenance of the soil moist;
transplanting as the plant grows (about 2 times a year);
replacing the top layer of the substrate in adult flowers once a year;
application of complex fertilizers from March to August every two weeks.

Monstera is ideal for growing in a heated winter garden. The plant is not afraid of pests, except for the scale insect.

Thus, all the myths about the flower are nothing more than fictions, so you should not be afraid of planting a monstera. On the contrary, it will only be beneficial.