Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma: A Deep Dive

Are you ready to learn everything you need to know about how to care for a Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma (AKA my favorite houseplant ever)?!

A few years ago, I was shopping at my local nursery and saw a cute little plant labeled “Mini Monstera”. I hadn’t ever heard of it, but I love Monsteras. I bought it on a whim and brought it home. It was tiny – in a 6″ planter, and the perfect nightstand plant. And then it started to grow.

And it grew, and grew, and grew.

Within a couple of months I realized it was definitely not a Monstera. It was needing some serious support to stay upright and it quickly reached a point where it just looked silly sitting on my nightstand. It was just so darn huge!

Don’t believe me? Here’s a little before and after – on the left is what the plant looked like on the day I got it. On the right is the plant one year later. Also, it’s worth noting I trimmed a solid 2+ feet worth of leaves from this guy before I moved it into the living room.

After some research, I finally realized I actually had a Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma, which is not a Monstera at all (despite the beautiful leaf fenestrations!). And, I started learning more about how to take care of it.

It’s by far the most-asked-about plant in my house when I share on Instagram, and for good reason – it’s taller than I am! So today, I figured we’d do a little deep dive on how to care for a Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma so you can feel confident getting one yourself!

How to Care for a Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma

First of all, let’s tackle the elephant in the room – how the heck do you even pronounce Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma?!

It’s pronounced Rah-fid-oh-for-ah Teh-trah-SPERM-uh. It’s often mistaken for a Monstera Deliciosa or a Philodendron (it can commonly be called a Ginny Philodendron). But, it’s not a Monstera or Philodendron at all. It is in the same general family as both plants, called Araceae (often referred to as aroids), but it’s in a category all on its own called Rhaphidophora. It’s a vine, and can grow up to 15 feet tall!

Now that you know what it is and how to say it, let’s get into the details of how to care for a Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma. They’re very easy to take care of and are generally pretty low maintenance, and they’re very rapid growers!

Watering Needs

Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma are low key in terms of watering needs. I water mine once weekly, and that’s all he needs to stay happy. Generally, you should let the top inch of soil dry out. They can handle a bit of both overwatering and underwatering, so don’t stress too much about water with these guys!

I also add some of this plant food to his water every week. It acts as a fertilizer and helps it grow a lot faster and stay happy all the time. It’s a must-have for me for all of my plants!

Light Needs

The Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma likes bright indirect light and does not like direct sunlight! They prefer a shadier area, and can handle lower light conditions than a lot of plants (though, they’ll grow faster and look healthier in a bright spot!).

I have mine across the room from a set of south-facing windows, so it gets indirect light pretty much all day long. That has been a really great spot for it to be. My Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma also thrived when it was on my nightstand sitting right in front of a north-facing window.

Soil Needs

These plants aren’t too picky about their soil. I have mine planted in a regular ol’ cheap bag of soil from the garden center at my local hardware store and it’s doing just fine. But, if you want to pick the best option for your plant, you should go with a chunky, well-draining soil. You can mix 50% indoor potting mix with part perlite, part orchid bark, and peat moss. I’m not that fancy with mine, though, and he’s pretty happy.

Other Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma Care Tips

• They love humidity, so a bathroom would be a great spot for them, or just around a bunch of other plants! You can also add a humidifier to your space if you live in a dry area.
• It might be tempting to let them trail instead of climb, but they can get really leggy and unhealthy if they trail too much. Give them a trellis or a moss pole and help them hold onto it and they’ll be much happier!
• They can grow aerial roots, which helps them grab onto trellises or moss poles – but they probably will also need some support, so be prepared to tie them to your support! Mine has yet to actually grab onto anything in the years I’ve owned it – I use twine to hold it onto the trellis I built.
• I slowly added support to mine as it got larger. I started with just a small moss pole, then built a small 2-foot trellis, and now it’s on an 8′ trellis!

Is Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma Toxic?

Yes! If your kids or pets are the type to try to take a bite out of your houseplants, you’ll want to keep your Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma out of reach.

Propogating Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma

I haven’t had much success trying to propagate my Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma, but I hear it’s really easy. So, I’m sure it was user error!

To propagate it, all you need to do is use some sterile scissors and take a stem cutting that has a leaf node on it. Place it in water until roots start to grow! It can take a few weeks to start sprouting roots, so be patient with it!

Potential Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma Problems

Yellowing Leaves

This probably means it’s getting too much sun. Try moving it to a shadier spot or further away from your window. If you know that it’s not getting too much sun, your issue could also be overwatering! Double-check that you don’t have any standing water in the bottom of the pot, as that can lead to root rot.

Spider Mites

A common houseplant issue, they can be so frustrating! You can know you have spider mites if you start to see webbing on the underside of your leaves or small black thrips (a small bug) on the leaves. If you notice this, be sure to start treating with insecticide immediately, as they can be incredibly damaging to the plant. I”ve had really good luck with this systemic insecticide with other plants that have had issues!

No Fenestrations

If you’re worried because your Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma doesn’t have fenestrations (or splits in the leaves), don’t! It’s totally normal for a younger plant with smaller leaves to not have fenestrations. They don’t develop until the plant starts to mature a bit, so give it some time and you’ll slowly start to see those beautiful fenestrations form!

The bottom line? The Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma is the best houseplant out there, in my personal opinion, and you should definitely buy one! It’s easy to care for, it’s beautiful, and it grows so satisfyingly fast!