This monstera is my pride and joy, and I’d hate for it to die, but recently I’ve noticed this discoloration happening to the underneath part of the stem. It’s seems otherwise like a happy plant. The leaves and petioles are as good as ever, it just finished making a new leaf, and it has never had pests. The dark area isn’t squishy, it’s the same texture as the rest of the stem. You can see from another angle the front of the stem is still green. The plant is rather root bound if that matters. Is the stem just hardening and getting older? Or is there a problem? Pls help
by Adventurous-Fox-8115
25 Comments
That means your plant is so healthy and strong it is starting to develop bark-like protections (a great sign!) that help the plant support it’s own weight as it continues to grow
Edit: source: former plant store owner
It’s just mature and hardening it’s position
It’s corking…this is normal.
i love learning about all the stages of monstera growth: first leaf, first fenestration, first inner little holes, flowering and now growing bark/corking? so cool! and your plant is beautiful 😍
This is like the exact opposite of those posts of a clearly-dead prayer plant with the caption “do you think I can still save it??”
It’s glorious! What a good plant parent you are.
Gorgeous! Looks very robust and healthy
This is like your plant’s Bat Mitvah or 16 birthday — it’s maturing! It’s also telling you that it absolutely loves whatever you’re doing to it! It really is spectacular!! 😍
This is the least sick monstera I’ve seen omg
#Trypophobiatrigger
She trunking! What a feat to have grown her to that kind of maturity!
No sickness here. She looks so good!
https://preview.redd.it/ngk6iq8p1l7f1.jpeg?width=1180&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=861352ea1f4d6630ceba0d2d3a9ba4947231b3dd
Picture 5 is added to my desktop wallpaper collection if you don’t mind! Gorgeous plant and setup! 😍
Love it! Is your window facing west or east? How old is your monstera?
Looks very healthy to me.
https://preview.redd.it/savqgrut4l7f1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=443400de9c9f634fb627d205540e2e8a1ec57f3f
I don’t know guys…the weird black/brown lines in the weird large black/brown part of the stem look very weird to me. OP said it isn’t squishy, but I’d definitely expect it to be if it were mine. The corking/bark is usually straw colored or brown like the aerial roots pictured or the stress callous patches on the front of the petioles, right? This kind of looks fungal to me, but I am genuinely open to learning otherwise.
https://preview.redd.it/poo3n5jq4l7f1.jpeg?width=2924&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=690035625c91dfcb5a7502dc38e28774e3046bef
Thank you everyone for the kind replies! Here is another angle for those interested. I’ll be repotting it in larger one soon, look how small it makes this 20” pot look 🫣
I have no clue but this thing is BEAUTIFUL! Dear Lord it’s huge! Great work caring for it.
It means….You’re a great plant parent!
Idk
Anyone else thinking of trypophobia ?
Wow what a happy ass plant! Great job 👏
Trypophobia alert ! Also great job 😀
Not sure if someone has already said this but you’ll also get a very similar bark like texture in the tops of the stems right by the leaves. This develops because the plant has muscles there to turn the leaves to face the light for max exposure 👏🏽