Do you probably think that how much does a houseplant cost? $5, $10, or even $100. But what if I told you that there exist some houseplants that are way too expensive than you ever thought. So, in this article here is a list of Six of the most expensive houseplants – And why.
Why these Houseplants are Expensive?
The major factors such as rarity, beauty, breeding, propagation, and all potentially play a role when it comes to pricing expensive plants.
In recent days, the younger generation is getting obsessed with gardening especially indoor gardening as many of them may have space issues. And the desire to own and grow the most expensive plant is rising parallelly.
Here’s a recent example; to meet the demands cutting one of these six most expensive plants is selling for three figures in Australia, Canada, and the united states.
However, our generation is not the first to start the “growing expensive plants” movement. During the 1600s, the plant of tulip was considered the most fascinating and expensive plant. This “tulip mania” cause the tulip price to explode.
The next big trend of expensive flowers became the “orchids”. Extremely rich people or wealthy people love orchids so much. Orchids were like an obsession which was known as “orchidelirum”.
Six Most Expensive Houseplants
Well, this will continue to go on up to countless generations. Some plants will replace the others and appear as an obsession for people. So it’s better if we look at the top six most expensive houseplants of the 21st century.
Mature Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree ($80 to $400)
Being a tropical native, the fiddle leaf fig tree can grow up to 50 feet in tropical rainforests. Ficus Lyrata” or Fiddle leaf fig tree touches a maximum of 10 feet when grown indoors in a large container or pot. This plant looks beautiful when placed in a living room. Many interior decorators are influenced by its distinctive foliage. In the last decade, it was among one of the most demanded and trendy houseplants. The sudden rise in demand pushed the price of fiddle leaf fig trees up.
Moreover, the fiddle leaf fig plant is very sensitive. They do not prefer dry air or drafts. It prefers indirect bright light to grow well. Again being sensitive, too much exposure to the sun could harm the plant. It’s not that it is difficult to grow but it requires a little care. The plant also appreciates humid conditions. Consider placing a humidifier in your home where the plant is kept. The humidifier would increase the humidity levels suitable for this plant.
Variegated Monstera ($700 to $5000)
Variegated Monstera or swiss cheese plant picture above could sell up to $5000. Beloved in most parts of the world, this plant is one of the most popular and expensive plants. It is somehow considered rare due to its slow propagation rate.
The leaves of this plant have splashes of colors in many shades. Also, no two leaves are identical in this plant. The uniqueness of this plant has made it popular on the internet. Almost every social media influencer in the planting and gardening community owns it. The normal varieties can be found in the markets easily within $20-$30.
Hoya Carnosa “Compacta” ($40 to $6500)
In June 2020 Hoya Carnosa became the most expensive plant that was sold on Trade Me. This plant is also known as Hindu Rope. One member of the site has just sold it for $6500. That particular plant had yellow/cream variegation on the inner side of the lead. This plant grows slowly during winters as compared to spring and summers.
However, there are other cheaper varieties of hoya carnosa available in the market that are not expensive. If you have make up your mind to grow one you should buy and care for a cheaper one in the beginning.
Philodendron Minima ($50 to $8,150)
Philodendron Minima is the common name for “Tropical Rhapidophora Tetrasperma”. In August 2020, an extremely rare variegated specimen sold for $8,150 on the largest trading site Trade Me.
What makes this sale even more interesting is that the plant that sold for $8,150 had only 4 leaves. The plant was sold in a six-inch container with a description showcasing ”Very rare” on it. There was stunning yellow variegation on each of four leaves which make It more interesting and expensive. And houseplant lovers seek spots, streaks and blocks. Due to this, the price of other varieties is increasing.
Shenzhen Nongke Orchid (Upto $200.000)
The Shenzhen Nongke Orchid is developed by scientists who work for about 8 years in a laboratory to cultivate this flowering plant of Shenzhen Nongke Orchid. In other words, we can say that this plant is totally mankind’s creation.
It takes a lot of patience to grow an orchid. Plant lovers exercise a similar level of patience while growing orchids in their garden or indoors. This plant is said to have a dazzling scent, but it is so rare that only a handful of people ever get to smell its fragrance.
The specimens of grown orchids were auctioned off for about $200,000.
Old Pine Bonsaii ($50 to $1.3M)
Bonsai trees catch the eye of plant lovers. There is a craze for growing bonsai trees inside homes among rich citizens of eastern countries and several other parts of the world. If you are looking for an indoor specimen, a bonsai tree would be the best choice.
The highest price bonsai was centuries-old white pine that sold for 100,000,000 Yen or $1.3M at the 11th Asia-Pacific Bonsai and Suiseki Convention and Exhibition in Takamatsu, Japan.
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