There are some incredibly expensive houseplants on the market these days. Once upon a time, plants for the house were mostly inexpensive. However, with plant collecting becoming way more popular, rare and special types of plants are costing way more bucks than before.
We’ve already given you advice on the best houseplants for the kitchen, and the easiest to care for. But what about the most expensive? In this article, I tell you all about the top 5 most expensive houseplants on the market today. First, though, let’s talk about why some houseplants are so costly.
Why Are Some Houseplants So Expensive?
There are a number of reasons why houseplants can be so expensive. Some are extremely cheap, and you don’t have to spend a lot to get a beautiful plant for your house. However, if you’re a collector or want something a bit more special, it’s time to bring out the big bucks.
The most expensive houseplants are those that are scarce. This means they are usually difficult to cultivate, thus hard to keep alive, and therefore uncommon on the market. Some might also be scarce because they take a long time to grow. Others are very difficult to propagate.
What Are The Most Expensive Houseplants?
Expensive houseplants come in such a range of prices. They can be anything from under $100 to millions of dollars: it just depends on what you think of as expensive. However, the plants picked out here are those that usually come in way above $100.
1. Old Pine Bonsai – The Most Expensive Houseplant
Bonsai trees are gorgeous and extremely hard to care for. They are like little shrunken trees, originating from Japan. Whilst beautiful, they can also be costly. You can pay hundreds for a well-matured bonsai.
The most expensive bonsai ever sold is in a different league, however. A centuries-old Pine bonsai sold for a whopping $1.3 million at the International Bonsai Convention in Japan. A bit expensive to keep in your kitchen, isn’t it?
2. Variegated Monstera
Monsteras come in many different forms, some rarer than others. Variegated Monstera (with holes or cut-outs in their leaves) are the most expensive houseplants of this species. Also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant, they can sell for up to $5000.
Monsteras have become more and more popular in the last couple of years. They are very slow to grow and rare on the market and are therefore expensive. The popularity of the plant online has also increased their expense. Buying a Variegated Monstera is not for the stingy!
3. Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree – An Expensive Houseplant
Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees are notoriously temperamental. They are extremely sensitive to their environment and have to be kept in specific conditions to keep them alive. They come from tropical rainforests, so tropical conditions are optimal for growing them. This is something not often found in the average house.
Mature Fiddle Leaf Figs can cost anything between $80 to $100 depending on where you buy them. Although not as expensive as some plants on this list, it is an expensive purchase for something so difficult to care for.
4. Shenzhen Nongke Orchid
Orchids are also notoriously hard to care for. However, that’s not really why the Shenzhen Nongke Orchid is so expensive. One of these flowers was auctioned for a massive 1.68 million Yuan in China in 2006. That’s over $200,000 today.
This expensive houseplant was man-made by researchers in China for over 8 years. It has an extremely specific scent and aesthetic, making it completely unique in the world.
5. Philodendrons
Finally, philodendrons are a very popular species of houseplant, coming in lots of different varieties. Rare variegated types, which look similar to Monstera, have sold for over $8000. Less rare types cost anything from $20 dollars up. If you want a philodendron, stick with the less rare types: they don’t have to cost you the world to be beautiful!
