Monstera in water: what the experts say, and what growers try

What the trusted sources say. We checked University of Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa State, Maryland, Vermont, Montana State, UW-Madison, Penn State, UConn and NC State Extension, plus the RHS, the New York Botanical Garden and Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Every one that mentions water uses it for rooting cuttings, then potting them up. University of Illinois Extension goes further and doesn't recommend rooting in water at all, because water roots are often weak and adjust to potting mix less easily. Search results from University of Minnesota Extension say a monstera cutting with a node roots in plain water, and that those roots are weaker than roots grown in a solid medium. If you still need a cutting, our monstera propagation guide shows where to cut.

What growers report. Online, the picture looks different. These are personal stories, so treat them as what people say happened to them:

• The YouTube channel Everything Plants shows a large monstera it says has grown only in water for over two years (October 2025). At 1:54 it lifts the plant out of its glass jug of water, roots and all.
• A German grower on YouTube gives an update on a monstera grown in water culture for about three years (June 2024). At 0:31 you can see its glass container of clay pebbles, where she says a third of the roots always sit in water. That setup is water culture with clay pebbles, which works differently from a plain jar of water; our semi-hydroponics guide explains how, so you can compare the two.
• A reader comment on the Old Farmer's Almanac monstera page (December 2023) describes a monstera that spent at least ten years in water, stayed small, then grew large within a few years of moving to soil.

These videos are from independent creators. Grove has no connection to them or the products they link.

So a monstera can clearly hang on in water for a long time. Whether it thrives there is the open question. UW-Madison Extension says a monstera needs a fertile mix and plenty of root room to make bigger leaves, plus a damp support to climb, and a jar offers none of those. If you'd like to keep it out of soil for good, a pot of clay pebbles is another route; our semi-hydroponics guide explains it.

Montana State University Extension says to skip fertilizer while a cutting roots, since it runs on the carbohydrates stored in its stem. After that, the jar is the plant's only pantry. In hydroponics, the RHS explains, every nutrient the plant needs is dissolved in the water, from nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium down to small trace elements, which is why a fertilizer labeled for hydroponics fits better than a standard soil feed.

Replace the solution rather than topping it up. As roots drink, the RHS says, the solution gets more concentrated and can turn salty enough to damage roots, so it suggests pouring it out and mixing fresh about every two weeks. That matters for monstera in particular, because UConn's Home and Garden Education Center says it burns easily from high salts.

We found no trusted source with a feeding dose for a monstera in water, so stick to the label and lean light. The doses you'll see for potted monsteras are soil doses: NYBG suggests half-strength houseplant fertilizer every two to four weeks in the growing season. Feed only while it's putting out new leaves. And expect some green in the jar: University of Maryland Extension notes that fertilizer in water feeds algae too.

Roots breathe. The RHS says all plant roots need oxygen and that the roots of most plants die in stagnant water, and University of New Hampshire Extension explains that water-grown systems must supply oxygen to the root zone. Fresh water brings oxygen; water left sitting loses it and grows bacteria, which is why University of Maryland Extension ties regular water changes to preventing rot. Search results from University of Minnesota Extension add that bacteria multiply quickly in warm, nutrient-rich water, and the Maryland expert says whether roots stay healthy in water depends partly on the water temperature. So the jar itself is fine; old, warm water is the problem.

Roots that grow in water are built differently. Iowa State calls them coarser, and Illinois calls them weak and slow to adjust to soil. Growers report they also look thicker and more brittle than soil roots.

Signs to watch for:

• Brown or black, soft, mushy roots that pull apart easily. UConn describes rotted monstera roots this way; healthy ones are firm and pale.
• A brown, mushy cut end. The Maryland expert calls this common, a sign the stem is decaying from constant wetness, and notes the roots can look fine meanwhile.
• Cloudy water. Maryland Extension treats it as the cue to change the water.
• A bad smell. Growers report a sour or rotten smell when roots are rotting; we found no trusted source that covers it.
• Yellowing leaves. No trusted source studied monstera in water, so this is growers' experience and what's known for potted plants: NYBG says losing an old leaf now and then is normal, and that many yellow leaves usually mean too much water or too little food. Brooklyn Botanic Garden adds that yellow leaves with green veins point to a nutrient shortage.

What to do: cut away the soft, dark roots and any mushy stem with clean shears, rinse the jar, and start over in fresh, room-temperature water. If roots keep rotting, the Maryland expert's advice is to root the next cutting in soil, or move this one into a pot as soon as it has healthy roots. Our root rot guide and yellow leaves guide go deeper.

The general water propagation guide covers root length and why any cutting can droop after the move. For a monstera:

• Pot: one cutting per pot to start, as the Maryland expert suggests, in a pot just big enough for the roots, with a drainage hole. UConn says monsteras handle a snug pot much better than an oversized one.
• Mix: airy, well-draining and rich in organic matter, as UConn and Penn State Extension recommend. Our monstera soil guide explains what goes in it.
• Depth: the node and roots under the mix, no more than about 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) below the first leaf node, with the growing tip above the surface, since UConn says buried tips rot.
• Support: a small stake or moss pole tied on loosely, because the cutting stays top heavy until roots take hold.
• First weeks: water until it drains, empty the saucer, and keep it in bright, indirect light. Minnesota Extension's monstera advice, as shown in search results, is to keep the mix moist for the first one to two weeks and then let the top dry, and Iowa State says a newly potted cutting should settle in within a few weeks.

Water roots are used to being wet all the time, and Illinois Extension says they adapt to potting mix less easily, so a wilted or dropped leaf in the first weeks is normal.