Big, bold and instantly recognisable, the Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera deliciosa) is the plant that turned a generation of homes into jungles. Its huge, glossy, deep green leaves split and perforate as they mature, those famous fenestrations giving it real sculptural drama wherever it lands.

It is a natural climber and a proper statement piece, happy trained up a moss pole or left to spread across a bright corner. Give it room, warmth and a little support and it rewards you with ever larger, more dramatically cut leaves, one of the most satisfying plants to watch grow.

Care at a glance

Light: Bright, indirect. A metre or two from a bright window is ideal. Avoid harsh direct sun, which can scorch the leaves.

Water: Water when the top few centimetres of compost have dried, letting any excess drain away. Never leave it sitting in soggy compost.

Humidity: Happy in average rooms, lusher and larger-leaved with a little extra humidity.

Temperature: Warm and steady, ideally 18 to 27C. Keep it away from cold draughts and chilly spots below 13C.

Support: Loves a moss pole. Given something to climb, it will grow bigger with more fenestrated leaves.

Feed: A balanced houseplant feed every few weeks through spring and summer.

Note: Toxic if chewed and the sap can irritate skin, so best kept away from curious pets and little ones.

As a living plant, size and leaf shape vary from one to the next, so yours will be one of a kind.