Holes in houseplant leaves almost always mean one of three things: pests chewing the foliage, physical damage from how the plant is being handled, or natural leaf splits on plants like Monstera that fenestrate as they mature. To work out which one you have, look at the shape, the position, and the edge of the hole. New holes appearing every few days mean a live cause. A single old hole that has not changed in weeks is a one-off event you can stop worrying about.
Insect Damage From Chewing Pests
Caterpillars, slugs, snails, earwigs, weevils, and the occasional vine weevil grub will all leave holes. On indoor plants, the most common chewers are caterpillars (often when you have brought a plant in from outside) and the adult vine weevil, which feeds at night and notches the edges of leaves.
How to identify chew damage:
- Holes have ragged or scalloped edges, not smooth ones.
- Damage often starts at the leaf margin and works inward, leaving notched edges.
- Multiple leaves are affected, with new damage appearing each week.
- You may find small black droppings (frass) on the leaves below.
What to do: Inspect at night with a torch, when most chewers feed. Pick off any caterpillars by hand and drop them outside. For vine weevil, the larvae in the soil do as much damage as the adults on the leaves, and biological control (predatory nematodes) is the most effective treatment indoors.
Natural Fenestration on Monstera, Rhaphidophora and Friends
If your plant is a Monstera, a Rhaphidophora, a mature Philodendron or a Swiss cheese vine and the holes are appearing on new leaves only, this is fenestration: a healthy, normal feature of these plants as they mature.
Most fenestrating houseplants do not produce splits or holes on their juvenile leaves. The plant has to be old enough, large enough and well-lit enough before each new leaf comes out with the characteristic holes or splits.
How to identify fenestration:
- Holes appear on the newest leaves only, not the older ones.
- The hole is centred between the midrib and the leaf edge, with smooth, finished edges.
- The leaf otherwise looks healthy: glossy, full size, no signs of pests.
Physical Damage From Handling, Pets, or Children
Plants near doorways, hallways or busy desks pick up an impressive amount of damage from passing humans. A leaf catching on the corner of a frame, a child's elbow, or a curious cat batting at it all leave clean tears that often look like neat holes once the loose tissue dries off.
How to identify physical damage:
- Damage is concentrated on one or two specific leaves, not spread throughout the plant.
- The hole shape mirrors a tear or a crush rather than a chew.
- No new damage if you move the plant out of the traffic zone.
- The plant otherwise looks healthy.
What to do: Move the plant. If it is too large to move, repot it on a wheeled plant trolley so you can shift it out of the way for vacuuming or busy days. Damaged leaves will not heal but the plant will keep producing new ones. There is no need to cut the damaged leaf off unless it bothers you visually.
Sunscald Damage
Plants that get unexpected direct sun, particularly tropicals that have just been moved or have just had their leaves wet, can develop scorched patches that go crispy and eventually drop out, leaving a hole.
How to identify sunscald:
- Bleached or pale-yellow patches that turn brown and crispy over a few days.
- Damage on the side of the leaf facing the window.
- Whole-leaf damage on the most exposed leaves; lower or shaded leaves untouched.
What to do: Move the plant out of direct sun, or filter the light with a sheer curtain. New leaves will come out adapted to the new spot.
If you have inspected, isolated, treated and you are still seeing fresh holes appearing, drop us a message with a photo and we will help you work it out.