Monstera Mint: The Low-Down

There's a lot of [mis]information floating around out there about Monstera Mints, the differences between the various types, TC vs Non-TC, it's a bit all over the place. Of all the plants I sell I probably get asked about these guys the most. So I figured I'd do a quick post where we can go over all the differences, fact vs fiction, about these absolutely beautiful plants that I am totally obsessed with. 

Alright, let's try and break it down by starting with:

#1: Monstera Mint NoID - Just what the heck does NoID mean? 
With any plant, "NoID" just denotes an (as of yet) unnamed or unregistered cultivar. A Monster Mint NoID is an unregistered Monstera sport. There are many other types of NoID Monstera, Mints are only one of them, and several Mint variations are no longer considered NoID (they've been accepted as registered cultivars.) (More on that in a minute.) When you see "Monstera Mint NoID" it's really just a general (and now somewhat inaccurate) term for Monstera Mints on the whole. 

#2: Monstera Jungle Mint vs. Monstera "Full Mint"
(Sometimes also referred to as "Monstera Green Mint" vs. "Monstera White Mint.")
As mentioned above, not all Monstera Mints are NoID Monstera. (While there are several Mint variations floating around) the original NoID does now have a registered cultivar - Monstera Jungle Mint (of Barry Schwartz's lineage.) These are different from the tissue cultured Mint NoIDs and the Monstera "Full Mint."

First, on the left is a Monstera "Jungle Mint" compared to a "Full Mint" on the right. Both of these plants are technically Jungle Mints. The Full Mint is a variation of the Jungle Mint that is fully variegated (hence the name.) It displays none of the sectorial green (non-variegated) segments you get on the standard Jungle Mint. Despite its unique characteristics, the "Full Mint" is not (as of this writing) considered a separate cultivar from the Jungle Mint.

#3: Monstera "Full Mint" vs. Monstera Mint TC (Tissue Culture)
Now on TC Mints, these are technically still NoID Monstera Mints. They have a different appearance, different characteristics and even a different growth pattern than the Jungle Mints or the Full Mints.

Here on the left is TC Monstera Mint and on the right is a Monstera Full Mint. The TCs carry a much lower price tag (as they should do) because they're mass produced. The Full Mints (and the Jungle Mints) are not produced in tissue culture, they're propagated from cuttings and can take a long time to grow out, so they tend to carry a much higher price tag.

In addition to cost, some other differences include the green density in the variegation - TC Mints tend to present with much more green, whereas the "Full Mints" are much lighter in appearance. For reasons that are not entirely clear to me, the TC Mints leaves are also a bit hardier (thicker) and tend to be more rounded (or wider) with shallower fenestrations than the "Full Mints." 

Lastly, (and let me preface this next part by saying, I have no problems with tissue culture as a practice. I think anything that makes plants more available, affordable and reduces poaching is a force of good in this world... BUT.) On the TC Mints, specifically, they are (in my experience) much more prone to reversion over time than their non-TC counterparts. 

#4: Monstera Mint TC vs. Monstera "White Monster"
Now, this last one still confuses me a bit if I'm being honest lol. Actually, let's split this into two parts.

#4A: What is a Monstera "White Monster?"
A Monstera "White Monster" is a Monstera sport cultivated by the famed, and much respected, Japanese grower, Kunzo Nishihata. It is commonly referred to as "Kunzo's White Monster."

The leaves of a White Monster come in very (sometimes fully) white and then slowly fade down to green over time, as compared to a Monstera Mint whose leaves display shades of green, and white, and mint, but remain the color they've come in as even as they age. 

In order for a Monstera White Monster to truly be such, it must be able to trace it's lineage to Kunzo's original Monster. To my knowledge, this plant is not currently, nor has it ever been, in tissue culture.

So that's the background. Now on to...

#4B: Monstera Mint TC vs. Monstera "White Monster"
I'm not entirely sure why, but I'm seeing a lot of Monstera Mint TC plantlets pop up labelled as "Monstera White Monster." They... aren't though. I'm not sure if this the result of general confusion on the part of the plant community, or if it's an attempt on the part of sellers to keep the price of Mints artificially inflated, or...what exactly.

It's possible the terms have just become mixed up to the point where it's widely accepted to refer to TC Mints as "White Monsters" and while I have no earthly idea why that would be, I also have absolutely no evidence that this has been done in malice. I just felt the distinction was important to note, at least for your wallet.

*PHEW* Ok. I think that about wraps it up for now. This was a lot. But hopefully it helped to clarify things a bit as opposed to just confusing you all further. As always, if you have any questions, or some advice of your own to offer, please feel free to comment below. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!