MONSTERA SP. ‘JUNGLE MINT’
ORIGIN:
Barry Schwartz, released 1980
CULTIVAR DESCRIPTION:
Growth Habit: Hemiepiphytic Leaf Blade: Fenestrations are deep without typical multiple rows of characteristic oval holes like a deliciosa. Striking cream/white to pale yellowish variegation against dark green. The white sectors are quite extensive, covering large portions of the leaf, especially toward the outer edges and between the lobes. This creates a dramatic marble-like mint pattern.
NOTES:
Registered on the IAS aroid cultivar registry. Accepted: Yes; Cultivar Type: Sport; Released Year: 1980; Originator: Barry Schwartz; Namer: Barry Schwartz (the registry record reads 'Batty'). Name origin: Barry’s nickname is “Jungle Barry”, after his love for Tarzan and tropical species!
STORY:
STORY TITLE: Off a truck in Chicago
In the 1970s Barry Schwartz was ordering plants by the truckload for a chain in Chicago. Unloading one of the trucks, Barry found a Monstera with spots of variegation, and as it grew the color became stronger and more distinct. The plant has been shared for decades: anyone who joined the IAS in the late 1980s or early 1990s may well have been given a cutting by Barry, and the registry treats it as a historical cultivar, released in 1980.¹ Its inflorescences are variegated too, and the fruit is described as very sweet, like banana mixed with pineapple. The name comes from Barry's nickname, 'Jungle Barry', earned by a love of Tarzan and tropical plants, together with the minty-blue variegation.¹
REFERENCES:
Barry Schwartz