Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma Care and Information
*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I do receive a small commission if you purchase a product using my link, with no addition cost to you!*
Often called the ‘mini monstera’, due to it’s small, split and fenestrated leaves, the Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma is a highly sought after plant.
Although this plant used to be fairly hard to find, it’s now popping up online and in local plant nurseries all around.
The R. Tetrasperma is pretty easy to care for, perfect climbing plant that you can add to brighten up your home. (To help your plant climb, get a trellis or pole like this to plant with it.)
Since this plant is becoming more common, there is a decent amount of information you can find on them if you look hard enough.
But, I wanted to create this Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma care and information guide so you have a one stop shop.
We’re going to talk about this plant’s history, give a full care guide, learn how to propagate and replant it, and I’ll show you where you can get one.
Plant Profile: Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma
Common names-
Obviously, the official name for this plant is the Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma.
But, as previously mentioned, there are a few other common names, such as:
- Ginny Philodendron
- R. Tetra
- Mini Monstera
- Mini Split-Leaf
- Piccolo
History-
The Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma originates from Malaysia and Southern Thailand.
It was first discovered by Joseph Dalton Hooker, a British botanist, in 1893.
Along with many other aroids, this plant is in the family Araceae.
That being said, the Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma is NOT a Philodendron, Monstera, or Amydrium.
Pro tip- Learn more about aroids from this book.
Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma Leaves
This vining plant can reach about 12 feet high in perfect outdoor conditions.
Realistically, as a houseplant, it can have 4-5 feet vines.
Typically, the leaves on a healthy R. Tetrasperma are about 3-6 inches long, with 1-4 splits.
But, as the plant climbs, it will mature and begin producing bigger leaves with more fenestrations.
Pro tip- Use a moss pole like this to give your plant support.
How to Care for the Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma
In my experience, this plant is pretty low maintenance. But, as usual, we’ll go through all the details.
Light Requirements:
Although these plants don’t want direct sunlight, they thrive in medium to bright indirect light.
Typically, growers say it will be best in north or east-facing window. (Ironically, mine is in a northwest facing room.)
Unfortunately, our house doesn’t get the best natural light. So, I use grow lights like these to keep my bright-light-lovin’ plants happy.
Pro tip- Increasing the amount of (indirect) light your R. Tetra is getting can help promote new growth and possibly more fenestrations.
Potting Medium:
I actually have a few cuttings in various mediums. These mediums include soil, spaghum moss like this, water, and this perlite mixed with moss. So, I will update this post with their progress.
Rhaphidophora Tetraspermas do best in chunky soil. (Think a chunky aroid mix because… well, it is an aroid.)
To make my own well-draining soil, I have been mixing perlite, regular soil, and orchid mix together.
Watering Needs:
As you can assume from the potting medium, this plant does not want to stay wet.
But, it does want to stay moist. That being said, water when the top of the soil is dry.
Also, keep in ming that your Raphidophora Tetrasperma will drink a lot more in the spring and summer than it will want in the winter.
To avoid overwatering, make sure you regularly check the top 2 inches the soil your plant is in, before watering. If you want to be more accurate, you can use a moisture meter like this.
Temperature:
Keep in mind that this plant is a jungle plant.
Therefore, it will need warmer temps to thrive.
For a healthy plant, try to keep the surrounding temperature between 68-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you are trying to root your cutting, place it (in it’s pot) on a heat mat like this. I keep mine around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Humidity:
Once again- jungle plant. It’s going to want higher humidity than other houseplants.
Try to keep the humidity between 50-60%.
For reference, I keep mine in an area right under a humidifier like this. It may be a little on the higher side, but that area stays at about 65% humidity.
Fertilizer:
During it’s active growing months (spring and summer), you can feed your Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma about once a month.
But, as it gets colder, your plant will naturally slow down on producing growth. During this time, it’s best not to fertilize.
Although I haven’t personally tried this, this fertilizer is said to work really well with plant. (I know that it is a monstera fertilizer, and this is not a monstera, but I can promise you I will be trying it early spring.)
Pruning:
A regular haircut can promote new growth for the Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma.
If you notice that your plant is getting “leggy”, you can prune it back and repot the stems into the original soil to make it more full instead.
Pro tip- Only prune back a maximum of 25% of your plant to reduce the risk of harming it.
How to Propagate a Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma
(Speaking of pruning… aka- the reason I have this plant in so many different mediums. *Laughs nervously.)
This is a super easy plant to propagate. Grab you some pruners like this, your choice or medium, and a pot or vase.
Make a cut below any node then put that stem into your medium. (Remember, your medium is your soil, perlite, moss, etc.)
After that, you just wait. Soon enough, you’ll have a brand new plant!
Extra Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma Tips
- The most common pests to find on these plants is the absolutely dreaded spider mites. To find them, look on the stems, petioles, and behind the leaves for webbing and tiny white spider mites.
These can be hard to see, so make sure you carefully check out your plants every now and then.
- I personally like potting these plants in terracotta pots like this. That way, they will have a better chance of drying out rather than holding water.
- This plant is prone to root burn from fertilizer. Make sure you do not over-fertilize.
- If you live in warmer/ more humid climate, this baby could thrive outside. Then, in the colder months, you can bring it inside to keep at moderate temps. (Just make sure to quarantine it first, to spot and treat any pests.)
Where can I find a Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma?
Overall, this plant is seriously one of my absolute favorites. I remember when it was *extremely* hard to find. Whereas, now, a lot of nurseries regularly get it in.
If you an Amazon shopper, I recommend going ahead and ordering you one right now. You won’t regret it.
- Here is a 4 inch pot.
- Here is a 6 inch pot.
Otherwise, call around to your local nurseries. If they don’t have them currently (keeping in mine that we are heading into the winter months), they may be able to order them on the next shipment.
Final thoughts on the Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma
To me, this plant is a must-have for all plant collectors. It was once rare, but can now me fairly easily found. So, no excuse not to have one.
I haven’t found this plant to be hard to care for, when loved appropriately. Give it some good light, well-draining soil. and something to climb, and it really should thrive.
If you have any other tips or tricks for this plant, drop them in the comments. I’d love to hear them!
Also, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our Youtube channel to keep up with all the plant information we can give you.
Frequently Asked Questions-
Q: Is this plant pet-safe?
No, this plant is not plant-safe. It is a toxic plant. My cat does not bother most of my plants, but I recommend watching your animals closely. If you are able to, hang your Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma higher than the playing level for your pets.
Q: How do you pronounce this plant name?
Fair question. My husband said it sounds just like a Harry Potter spell.
Raf-e-doe-for-a Tetra-sperm-a
Q: Is this a mini monstera plant?
No, it’s not. I mean, yes, it looks like a cute, little, mini monstera plant. But, wrong family. The R. Tetrasperma is an aroid in the Araceae family, not in the Monstera family.
Signing off,
xoxo.
*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I do receive a small commission if you purchase a product using my link, with no addition cost to you!*
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