PBR Pending

Monstera ‘Aussie Dream’ (PBR Pending) is one of those plants that has been years in the making.

Like many good stories, it started with a late-night pollination, a lot of patience, and a little bit of luck.

‘Aussie Dream’ is a hybrid between Monstera adansonii and Monstera deliciosa var. borsigiana. The aim was to combine the best qualities of both parents into a single plant. While every seedling is different, occasionally one comes along that stands out from all the others.

In this case, there were 23 seedlings.

Those seedlings were grown on and observed over several seasons. Some grew well, some were interesting, and some were quickly ruled out. But one seedling consistently stood above the rest.

It was labelled simply as seedling number 8.

From an early age, number 8 showed all the traits we had hoped for. The leaves were rounder and more symmetrical than other Monsteras, with attractive, evenly spaced fenestrations and a strong, balanced growth habit. As the plant matured, it continued to impress.

Of the 23 seedlings we grew, plant number 8 stood out from the very beginning.

“Of the 23 seedlings we grew, plant number 8 stood out from the very beginning.”

After several years of growing and evaluating the seedlings, number 8 became the plant we selected to move forward with.

Today, that original seedling is known as Monstera ‘Aussie Dream’.

One of the things that sometimes causes confusion is how new hybrids are produced. Every Monstera ‘Aussie Dream’ available today originates from that single original seedling. Once we selected the plant, we began building numbers through cuttings.

Every Monstera ‘Aussie Dream’ in existence today can be traced back to a single original seedling.

This means each plant is a clone of the original selection, ensuring the characteristics that made seedling number 8 special are preserved from generation to generation.

Some people may remember seeing the name “Magic 8 Ball” mentioned in early social media posts. This was the working name we used while evaluating the plant, a reference to the original seedling number. However, the plant was never released for sale under that name.

As international interest in the plant grew, it became clear a new name was needed. A naming competition was held, and the winning name was Monstera ‘Aussie Dream’ — a name we felt reflected both the plant’s Australian origins and the journey that brought it to life.

The development of ‘Aussie Dream’ followed on from our earlier Monstera hybrid, Monstera ‘Uno’. While the two plants are quite different, both reflect our passion for plant breeding and our belief that there is still room for new and exciting plants to be developed through careful selection and patience.

What started as one promising seedling in a Queensland nursery is now heading into homes around the world.

“What started as one promising seedling in a Queensland nursery is now heading into homes around the world.”

One of the things we love most about ‘Aussie Dream’ is that it combines impressive looks with practicality. It has a compact growth habit, shorter internodes than an adansonii, and grows beautifully either up a totem or as a trailing plant. It is also surprisingly easy to grow and should feel familiar to anyone who has successfully grown other Monsteras.

The journey from pollination to release has taken around five years, and like most plant breeding projects, there were plenty of moments where success was far from guaranteed. But every now and then a seedling appears that makes all the waiting worthwhile.

For us, Monstera ‘Aussie Dream’ is that plant.

We are incredibly proud to finally share it with fellow plant lovers and look forward to seeing it growing in homes across Australia and beyond.

Grow as you would any other Monstera – High light; Moderate Water, allow to dry down; Loves growing up a Totem.

Happy Growing
Lisa Paterson