The cost of a houseplant will range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over a million dollars. Yes, a million. However, why are those houseplants so costly? Rarity, beauty, breeding, and proliferation are all factors that play a part.
In recent decades gardening activity with the younger generations has become increasingly fashionable, and a “plant boom” is taking place later. So, naturally, there is also a rise to own uncommon and beautiful is sold at a three-figure rate.
The millennial generation is not the first to spark such a trend. Tulips were the plant of choice in the early 1600s. As a result, tulip prices skyrocketed during “Tulip Mania,” with some selling for as much as 5,700 guilders. Following this theme, orchids are the next century’s crop. The wealthy Victorians became so obsessed with orchids that the word “orchidelirum” was coined.
As we take a closer look at the 21st century’s boom, here are ten of the most costly houseplants, each costing the equivalent of 10 year’s salary.
10.
Half Moon Philodendron Pink Princess
Cost : Up to $1299
All of the plants fortunate enough to get this mutation was Philodendron-pink princess plants. After their profile grew to crazy heights in various plant blogs in 2019, and their prize tags did so. It was called by the Horticulture Week “The Must-Have Rose” in 2019. Since then, the market for it has never expired. You can buy a Pink Princess half-moon plant at $1,299 right now.
9.
Saffron Crocus
Cost : $1500
The price of a pound of Saffron Crocus is $1,500. The plant is ornamental, but it can also be used as a seasoning for food processing and gourmet cooking. As a result, the Saffron Crocus became known as the most valuable spice in the world. However, since it is always sold per pound, getting the flower in your kitchen will never be the same after investing a lot of money. Obtaining a herb, on the other hand, would not result in the production of spices. To develop the chilli flavor, at least 80,000 Saffron Crocus will need to be ground. Crocus Sativus, also known as Autumn Crocus, is another name for Saffron Crocus. It is a member of the Iridaceae family. Its species is distinguished by the presence of filaments within the flower that can contain spices.
8.
Monstera Obliqua
Cost : $3,000
This is an ultra-rare variety of Monstera. This rarest and most demanding plant is expensive, and only passionate plant lovers can attempt to get it. This variety is native to Central and South America and well-known for the “holes within leaves”. If you want to buy this plant, buy it directly from a private grower or collector and pay a lot because it is expensive and costs you between $3000 to $4000.
7.
Tulip Bulb
Cost : $5700
The Tulip Bulb made headlines during the 17th century due to its gold price of $5,700. If the amount is costly now, it will pay for itself a hundred times over in the future. The plant was imported from Holland. The Tulip Bulb, with its mixture of red, pink, and yellow colors, was celebrated as the most stunning and expensive plant in the world at the time. Apart from its attractive look, people like the plant because it lasts longer than other flowers in the region. Tulip Bulb is a genus that blooms mainly in the spring. It has the properties of herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes, which suggests that it forms bulbs. From ancient times to the present, the Tulip Bulb has evolved in cultivation and growing methods.
6.
Gold of Kinabalu Orchid
Cost : $6,000
At $6000, it is challenging to find this exceptional flora and can only be found in the Kinabalu National Park in Malaysia. However, this flora is genuinely worth its price, with rare green petals that contain a red dot.
5.
Hoya Carnosa ‘Compacta’
Cost : $6500
A Hoya carnosa compacta ‘Hindu Rope,’ another plant with distinctive variegation, became the most costly houseplant ever sold on Trade Me in June 2020. It was sold for $6500 by a customer of the site. The inside of the leaf on this known plant had a cream/yellow variegation.
4.
Kadupul Flower
Cost : Treasured
The Kadupul flower, which grows in Sri Lanka, is one of a kind, with unrivalled elegance that no living man can ever match. The Kadupul flower is the most costly flower on the planet due to its scarcity. The Kadupul flower blooms only once a year and usually opens its beautiful petals at night. People worldwide fly thousands of miles only to see the Kadupul Flower’s glorious beauty. It is not possible to buy it with any sum of money or gold. Those that want to cut or smuggle a stem would be severely reprimanded. Sri Lankans are fiercely protective of the Kadupul tree. They would like visitors to enjoy it solely through their eyes as part of their spiritual riches. The flower is extravagant and valuable because it does not yet have a price.
3.
Old Pine Bonsai Tree
Cost : $1.3 million
The most valuable plant of its kind is a century-old bonsai pine tree. Sought for an auction price of 1.3 million dollars at the International Bonsai Convention in Takamatsu, Japan, the tree is declared to be more than 800 years old, and its size remembers it. A bonsai tree is a shrub or ornamental plant that grows without expanding into a whole-sized trunk inside a small container jar. They are artificially enamelled and mature while retaining a small amount. The cultivation of bonsai is part of Japan and many Asian cultures. Bonsai trees are delicately designed over decades to reflect a share or virtues of the similarity of human nature as living art due to its aesthetic appearance. In the price label, the care and commitment to create a bonsai is reflected. Young bonsai are not as expensive as the old ones because values go up with age higher.
2.
Shenzhen Nongke Orchid
Cost : $2 million
The Shenzhen Nongke Orchid is an orchid created for $200,000 by an individual. The cultivation of this particular type of orchid took Chinese farmers 8 years. Although it takes so long, plant-lovers say it’s worth waiting. A Shenzhen Nongke Orchid, which speaks of persistence and waiting, takes four or five years before its blooms are revealed. But when they do, people are amazed at their unusual and extraordinary appearance. Its overall charm, including form, scent, and colors, is the best characteristic that anyone seeks in flower. The Shenzhen orchid does not only satisfy eye cravings, but it can also satisfy a starving stomach because it is made edible for humans. The orchid has a delicate taste that you wouldn’t predict from its species. Although many buyers and plant lovers were eager to purchase a Shenzhen orchid, only one man took home the world’s most expensive orchid. Since the flowers are in high demand in the high-class market, Shenzhen Nongke Orchid breeders continue to develop cultivation methods. Innovating possible ways to speed up manufacturing is a part of the initiative.
1.
Juliet Rose
Cost : $15.8 million
Make way for Juliet Rose, who boasts a breath-taking beauty worth $15.8 million, making it the most costly flower. Roses are typically breath-taking, but Juliet Rose takes the cake among them. The pink pigment is flawless in terms of form, thickness, pattern, and gentle touch. Juliet Rose made its public debut at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2006, after 15 years of cultivation and breeding to produce a flower that would blow the world away. The Juliet Rose defies asymmetrical arrangement since its petals, and general presentation are of exceptional quality. It has enthralling buds in various shades of pink. A majestic and absolute opening of delicate dark hues forms toward the middle of the rose as it blooms. David Austin is the genius behind Juliet Rose, which cost $5 million. The efforts have paid off, as the flower has gained more popularity as it approaches its peak sale point.
