Why Monstera Adansonii?

Monstera adansonii is a charming plant with a lot of personalities. The heart-shaped leaves appear to have been used by Matisse to form his cutouts – it’s simple to understand where one of its frequent names, the Swiss cheese plant, derives from.

Cuttings and established plants sell for $1000 to $4000. 

The typical plant – Chlorophytum comosum – with its green and white ribbon-like leaves was named for the spider-like “spiderette” clumps that grow and dangle from the mother plant.

Known as a hardy, non-fussy, adaptable plant that will survive in most lighting conditions, it is an excellent choice for beginner houseplant parents.

Retailing for around $12, it is a far cry from the menagerie of rare and big-budget plants that Mr. Henry now tends daily.

He has plants in every home room, including the shower, bedroom, and a dedicated plant room.

Mr. Henry said rare plants from around the world could sell for anything from $1000 to $4000.

Different High Priced Monsteras

The diversity of shape, color, texture, and size of the different plant species and subspecies means collections can be endless, and the hunt for “wishplant” plants is all part of the collector’s experience.”I love plants,” Mr. Henry said.

“I love being surrounded by them. I love looking at their leaves unfurl; I love seeing them grow from a seed or a small cutting into a full plant. Every leaf pattern is just unique.”

Mr. Henry’s home is sometimes like a rotating guest house for plants.
He sometimes said it could feel like a jungle, and then he would decide to have a plant cull.

“I just think, ‘I’m sick of those now,’ and I will get rid of 50 plants and switch onto something else,” he said.

Sometimes I will want a plant for months, and I will get it and then think, ‘I don’t know why I wanted that, and get rid of it straight away.

For instance, I’ve had three different Philodendron Verrucosum, and right now, I have zero.”

Mr. Henry said this type of philodendron was rare in general but very rare in Tasmania, where there may only be 20 plants. He said they could sell for around $1000.

But this pricing is not on the prevalent but hard-to-get-your-hands-on variegated monstera varieties, which is where the plant’s green leaves are dotted with color, either white, cream, light green, or yellow.

Varieties include the naturally occurring Variegated Monstera Deliciousa, the Variegated Monstera Albo Borsigiana, the Monstera Deliciosa Thai Constellation, or the Variegated Monstera Adansonii.

“The variegated monstera adansonii, they average around $2500 for a single-leaf node cutting,” he said.

“Another plant that everyone wants, which is the most popular currently, is the Variegated Monstera Albo Borsignia.

A single-node cutting of this variety can range from $600 to $1000.

“This demand drives the price up.

“These are the plants that aren’t generally available at wholesale nurseries. They generally attract a higher price in Tasmania and Australia if you can’t get it at Bunnings or a nursery.”

A “half-moon” cutting of this species, where a leaf may be perfectly split in half with green and then variegation, is selling for $1179, while an established plant is priced at $4000.

Mr. Henry does own some of these specimens but says his favorite species to grow at the moment are Anthuriums.

“These are at the rarer and harder end of growing because they have a lot of specific requirements. I love them,” he said.

“Their foliage is so exciting and beautiful.

“My favorite anthurium is the Clarinervium. It has this heart-shaped leaf with incredible veining.

Criminal Activities In Rare Plants World

It was an unassuming little plant when Gaudaur planted it in July 2018. In a few months, preprogrammed cell death would create holes or “fenestrations” in the leaves, revealing the true beauty.

The holes would enlarge and eventually split the outer edge of the leaves. He thinks the monstera was directed because you had to know where to look and what it would become to find it.

Perhaps someone overheard him telling an enthusiastic visitor about it. Perhaps the visitor’s enthusiasm concealed sinister intentions.

It wasn’t the first time a plant went missing. Allan Gardens emphasizes that the downtown greenhouse is not a “free-for-all.” However, some visitors bring scissors.

Gaudaur once awoke from his slumber to find a woman hacking at a hibiscus branch with kitchen shears.

She thought it was right because the garden was open to the public, but he clarified that the public could not tour the hibiscus plant inside her residence.

When another staff member entered the succulent house, he discovered a man attempting to break off a chunk of a blue cactus.

They had yet another variegated monstera a few years ago in their center palm house. It was a decent size until the unauthorized cutting started.

When no one was looking, pieces began to disappear one by one. It vanished into oblivion.

“We’ve tried a few times to replace it,” says Curtis Evoy, the city’s supervisor of conservatories and horticultural display. “The plant just kind of vanishes.”