For years my girlfriend has been big into house plants as a hobby. While I liked having them around and enjoy them in the house, they weren't really a hobby of mine. Well over the past year or so of lockdown, like many of you, I developed a few new hobbies, one of them being indoor gardening and plants. I think between myself and my girlfriend we have about 114 plants in our living room, yep, we're living in a jungle.
The whole plant craze isn't just us though, I think due to lockdowns, boredom, and of course Instagram and social media rare plants have really picked up in popularity with some very rare ones like Thai Constellations, Variegated Monstera Albos, Florida Ghosts, and others going for as much as $300 for an unrooted single leaf cutting, and up to $15,000 for established plants. This plant of mine that you see pictured above, if you were to buy it on Etsy or from an Instagram seller would likely be anywhere from $350 to maybe $600. I have a great local nursery near me that doesn't price gouge and gets rare plants. They do a waiting list so after about 6 months on the waiting list I got the call earlier this week and mine was ready. Best of all, my Variegated Monstera Albo only cost me $85.
Now unlike the Thai Constellation who's variegation is stable meaning it will always be there, that's not the case with the Variegated Monstera Albo, if I don't take care of it, or it doesn't get enough sun the variegation ie the white you see on the leaves which is what makes it not only unique but valuable could disappear. I would like to eventually get my hands on a Thai Constellation not only because of it's stable variegation but also it looks different its a splotchy yellow on the leaves instead of this white.
Do we have any other plant lovers or gardeners here? If so hit me up if anyone is down to trade cuttings.