The Beauty and Grace of a Ghost and Monster: How to Grow the Monstera Burle Marx Flame

Who is Burle Marx and What is his Monstera?

Have you seen this man? If you have a thing for tropical plants, you might have seen his name pasted like a wanted poster over several botanical species, from the alien-eyed Calathea Burle Marx to the multi-faced Philodendron Burle Marx to the thinly streaking Monstera Burle Marx Flame… 

So who is this Burle Marx?

Roberto Burle Marx was a landscape architect stationed in Brazil, where he got his renown from his artistic design of spaces using different foliage. Over his career, he advocated for the preservation of Amazon rainforests and created beautiful landscapes without fabricating or exaggerating the natural beauty of different plants. Notably, he allegedly preferred to design public spaces because it allowed everyone the dignity of enjoying natural beauty. This philosophy can clearly be seen in many of the plants that were named in his honor. Where some art illustrates or exaggerates nature as a form of art, this plant, with its dramatic veins and fenestrations, gives a regal and artistic look to nature itself, painting a dynamic picture through its growth. 

How to Care for Burle Marx’s Monstera

At first glance, the Monstera Burle Marx Flame might seem like a daunting plant to grow. After all, the initial price of even a juvenile, unfenestrated plant (as of 2025) is nothing to scoff at. And when this plant finally decides to fenestrate (which it can stubbornly refuse to do for months, without optimal conditions), its actual surface area of photosynthesizing leaf is so marginal that it looks like a simple puff of air will tear it to shreds.

In other words, it looks like quite a delicate plant. 
That being said, this plant is still a monstera, and this group of fenestrating plants is notoriously hardy, being kept in all manner of condition without too much complaint. And the Burle Marx Flame doesn’t like to be outplayed. As long as it’s kept inside, or in warm enough conditions, the Burle Marx Flame is extremely adaptable and forgiving, and when you fall into rhythm with this plant, it really is a breeze.

Pot Size

This plant isn’t likely to object to a large pot that’s quite a bit larger than the plant, and anyone with a monstera knows that the plant will grow into it, in time. But “in time” is the catch, and as some people might tell you from experience, a bigger pot isn’t always better for anyone who wants their plant to split out some fenestrations quickly. This is because, left to its own devices, a monstera with lots of light and lots of room will proudly spin up a large solid spaghetti-like foundation for itself before growing up and out of the pot, at which point it would grow bigger and more pronounced leaves. After it’s filled up the space, the monstera will start growing aerial roots and grow itself upward in search of something to climb, and while climbing, it'll grow bigger and bolder leaves in order to maximize the amount of light it can catch higher up in the canopy it was meant to grow in.

Vertical Support

Thus, rather than investing in a large pot, time and money might be better spent on a support to grow the monstera plant upward. Many people would recommend something like a moss pole or tree fern fiber pole because the nutrients and moisture of this kind of support will encourage the plant to shoot its roots and anchor itself in for the extra nutrients it needs to grow. However, even with a stake or pole (no moss required), the vertical support can help the plant grow larger and more mature leaves; anything with the same vertical concept (including plant walls!) can help the plant grow to its full potential much faster.

Soil

Despite being rainforest plants, monsteras don’t need to stay in moist conditions in order to survive—in fact, it’s safer to let the plant dry out between waterings, to prevent root rot. Thus, we would recommend keeping Monstera Burle Marx in a chunky potting mix with well-draining elements like perlite, vermiculite and coco chips. Because monsteras tend to be vigorous growers and therefore hungry feeders, it’s helpful to fertilize both the pot (we usually do this once a month) and the aerial roots in a moss pole (we usually use an antifungal solution to prevent mold. Mold on moss poles can be caused by constant moisture without proper air circulation).

Water

In most normal room humidity cases where the plant is properly potted, the Burle Marx Flame doesn’t mind drying out completely between waterings (though there’s no need to purposely walk that line if you don’t need to), and prefers to have at least the first 2 inches of the soil dry off between waterings. Mainly, it’s important to water the plant thoroughly when it is being watered, with enough for some fluid to leak out into a catch tray under the pot. The same isn’t exactly true for something like a moss pole, which can stay moist, watered anytime the top of the moss pole is slightly crisp to the touch.

Light

The monstera is known for being adaptable with its light conditions. For example, though this plant is commonly known as a “bright indirect light” kind of beast, some people successfully grow them in a back corner of a room away from windows or grow lights, while others keep it right by a south-facing window (of the Northern hemisphere). The important thing is to ease your plant into whatever conditions they’ll be staying long-term, slowly moving it closer or further away from any light source, and to always watch your plant for any signs of shock.

Humidity

While this is a tropical plant that’s used to humid environment, it’s quite possible to grow this plant in regular room environments; we grow our Monstera Burle Marx Flame at about 50-60% humidity to encourage the plant to grow, though it’s quite possible to grow them in conditions down to regular house humidities of about 20%.

Common pests

Though monsteras are quite hardy against several house pests, they can still be affected by thrips, mealybugs, spider mites, and scales in the case of a bad house infestation. Thus, it’s important to do regular checkups on an established plants, with a special focus on the stems and newer leaves (looking out for blemishes, spots, and tiny webbing). In the face of an infestation, we recommend an immediate quarantine and a daily spray of insecticidal soap for about two weeks, being sure to check the stem to see if it grows mushy.

In summary

Monstera burle marx flame is quite a natural beauty that’s fairly easy to grow in the right temperatures, putting a candle to the philosophy toted by the man for which the plant was named. Thus, to put it in someone else’s words—in order to grow the Monstera Burle Marx Flame, you need the following:

Ten percent luck 
Twenty percent skill 
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will 
Five percent pleasure 
Fifty percent [rain] 
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name
-Fort Minor, 2010

How to Propagate a Monstera Burle Marx Flame

Good things come to those who wait.

At least, that’s what we tell ourselves when it comes to the Monstera.
These plants propagate so easily that it’s actually quite tempting to chop the plant before each node has developed its own substantial roots, because monsteras tend to grow their roots quite quickly and any node cutting can become its own plant with great success. However, if you develop the root in the node before chopping the plant, this allows the plant to focus on new growth several months faster. This is because monsteras focus a lot on balance, and if the plant prefers a solid foundation before it grows.

While the plant will develop its aerial roots over time, much to the chagrin of people who just want to make a basal house plant out of their monstera, you can quickly get the monstera to root above the part you want to propagate, simply by surrounding it in sphagnum moss (in a bag or wrapping) or giving it a pole to climb (which would also give bigger leaves).

Buying the Monstera Burle Marx Flame

For unique foliage and its price tag, the Burle Marx Flame is often known as a specialty collector’s plant, purchased as a bold statement piece for plant and interior design enthusiasts. But for me, I love monsteras because of their huge leaves and dramatic fenestrations. 

When I was younger, I learned the monsteras likely fenestrated and split their leaves in order to grow upward without blocking the light out for the leaves below, sharing the sun with its older foliage as it climbs up and sprawls for all the light it might need. Thus, the plant is not only balancing the amount of space it carries in each leaf, but it’s dancing around its resources in order to create a more well-rounded whole. 
Thus, I think it’s quite fitting that this plant is named after a man who was known for bringing out the natural beauty of the plant, and sharing it with his community. This is a plant that represents the beauty in the balance it takes just to exist and to grow, either by yourself or within a community. Whether you want to remind yourself of the core principals that make up personal, balanced growth, or you want to remind someone else of the finely balanced beauty they’ve grown over the years of their growth, I think the Monstera Burle Marx Flame always steps up to the occasion, either as the start of a promise or in its fully formed glory. 

If the Monstera Burle Marx Flame speaks to you the way it does to so many who admire its bold shape and striking leaves, there is no reason to wait. Whether you are starting your collection or adding to a growing canopy, the Monstera Burle Marx Flame brings a balance of beauty and character that holds its own in any space. Let it grow with you