Made in a lab, this rare plant is making quite the impression
Not many people would be willing pay almost $1,000 for for a rare tropical houseplant, but a nursery in Fredericton is banking that a few passionate collectors will.
One of the newest arrivals at Scott's Nursery is the monstera Thai constellation, famous for its variegated leaves with white or cream speckles. It also comes with a sky-high price tag: $999.99, to be exact.
"I think a lot of people are taken aback by the price of them, though if you were well educated in the rare plant industry, you would understand that the size and the price of them is worth your while," said Sara Cathline, a sales associate at Scott's Nursery Ltd. in Fredericton.
The monstera Thai constellation is a rare and sought after tropical plant, especially with its eye-catching leaves.
The plant was genetically engineered in Thailand by Costa Farms. The plant keeps its variegation and does not revert to the usual green of other monsteras, such as the monstera deliciosa.
WATCH | What would you pay for this plant?
"They're very rare," she said. "Costa Farms is the only company that has the rights to propagate and produce these plants, so it's a very new plant."
The thrill of the chase
Collecting anything as a hobby is often about the thrill of the chase, and plant lovers are no different.
Moncton plant hobbyist Jessica Wilhelm owns a monstera Thai constellation and said that she personally doesn't think paying a higher price for a more mature plant is worth it.
She enjoys starting plants from their very first stages herself, but admits that for someone not wanting to put a lot of time and effort into growing the plant, the expensive specimens at shops might be a good opportunity.
"The plant community [in New Brunswick] is quite big," said Wilhelm. "I think it has died down a little bit since things started getting back to normal from COVID, but it's a very competitive community — extremely."
Wilhelm added she is involved in various local and national online groups.
Wilhelm did not initially start caring for plants as a collector, but after she inherited a few special plants from her grandmother — an African violet and a hoya — that she said had been around her whole life.
She began to research in order to continue to care for them, but after meeting others in the plant community, she was hooked.
"I probably have upwards of 200 [plants] now," Wilhelm said. "I have quite a few rare plants. I have some that have been imported from Indonesia and Thailand and South America. I have a few of what I would consider regular house plants that you would go and get at the nursery."
Wilhelm also has a monstera Thai constellation, and similar to Scott's Nursery, her rarer plants have a room of their own.
"I have one bedroom that I kind of dedicated to my rare plants that have higher humidity," said Wilhelm, who fashioned a "little grow tent" in the space while converting IKEA cabinets into greenhouses.
"A lot of the plants from overseas are used to a higher humidity and need a higher humidity to thrive," she said.
Cathline also emphasized the monstera Thai constellation's need for higher humidity, and explained that any problems that arise in the plant such as pests or fungal spots can be more visible in the light areas of a variegated plant. Those factors, though, shouldn't deter enthusiasts.
"I personally believe it's beginner-friendly," said Cathline, who has a plant at home.
"It's relatively easy to take care of so it I think it could be beginner-friendly as long as they keep the humidity up."
