Desert miracle? Tropical plant flowers after nearly 50 years in Palm Springs Library

A Monstera Deliciosa plant at the Palm Springs Public Library has flowered for the first time in nearly 50 years, surprising staff and visitors alike.

The tropical plant, typically found in humid climates like Hawaii, has unexpectedly blossomed in the dry indoor environment of the desert city.

“One of our oldest employees, who’s been here almost since the library opened, thinks the plant has been here since 1975 without flowering,” said reference librarian Madison Maler. “So this was really a complete surprise.”

The Monstera, also known as the fruit salad plant, produces a fruit that tastes like a combination of apples, mangoes, bananas and pineapple when ripe.

This rare event follows a recent setback when the plant was infected with scale disease, forcing librarians to prune it extensively.

“Now that it’s grown back in, it looks healthier than ever,” said Maler, “and I kind of think that’s what it ended up needing because now it’s given us that flower.”

The Monstera has adapted to significant changes over the years. In the early 2000s, the library converted its pond into a self-sustaining ecosystem with koi fish and other plants.

“How it works is the fish and the algae in the pond actually go to feed the Monstera,” Maler explained. “If you go and visit it, you’ll notice it’s not planted in dirt. All of the roots go down into the water and just sit there, and that’s how it grows and gets its nutrients.”

The library houses various other plants, including snake plants, pothos, Christmas cacti and a large philodendron. Plans are underway to start a seed garden by year’s end.

“Earlier in the year, for Earth Day, we had a plant giveaway… It was so popular that all of the plants were gone in less than 30 minutes when we opened in the morning, and I kind of saw that as an opportunity,” Maler said. “A seed library would give people in the valley [who] are really interested in plants the chance to take them home for free and plant their own gardens and give growing their own plants and food to try.”

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More information: To learn more about the Monstera Deliciosa Fruit, including how to attempt to grow and harvest your own, visit this page.

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