One of the hottest trends over the past few years, which definitely intensified this year as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown, has been the heightened interest in indoor houseplants and home gardens. There is something about being forced to stay indoors that makes the idea of nurturing different types of flora very appealing.
Before I dive into this topic, I will admit that I have fallen headfirst into the plant obsession trend, and though it has made my wallet leaner than I would have liked, I have gotten immense enjoyment out of nurturing the close to 50 indoor plants and 36 outdoor potted plants (this number doesn’t include the soil-filled lot in my side yard which probably holds about 30 succulents) which are now in my home. Never mind that I had SIX indoor plants and about half the number of outdoor potted plants before lockdown began.
Curious about which plants are the hottest right now? Here’s one article which has a pretty interesting list:
Out of the list of 16 trendy indoor plants featured on the above link, I only own 4 of them:
- Money tree
- Raven ZZ
- Split leaf philodendron
- Monstera deliciosa
As for the other plant species listed in the article, there are numerous reasons why I don’t currently own them. Some plants simply don’t appeal to me, such as snake plants (though I used to have several Sansevierias in my home years ago), cacti, zebrinas, ceropegias, and maranta. I am hesitant to get any type of palm because my home environment is simply not humid enough for palms to flourish. As striking as alocasias are, I try to avoid plants which are toxic to cats, and since this entire genus is known for being toxic to pets, I’m steering clear of them. Stephania erecta caudex is just plain WEIRD and I have zero desire for one. Peperomias are a bit temperamental, so I will just stick with the Peperomia species I have (scandens, caperata “Rosso”, obtusifolia).
I actually have a Euphorbia, but it is not inside my house. It sits on my balcony along with several jade plants, dracaena, aloe vera, and assorted other succulents. As for the White knight philodendron and the Hoya imperialis, well, let’s just say that I am not willing to hunt all over the internet to find either plant, only to spend exorbitant sums of cash on plants which really aren’t that special.
Some plants are so ridiculously rare and expensive that I just had to share them here. The first description is of rare Albo Monstera variegated CUTTINGS (not even a live plant!). The Etsy listing is no longer available, because someone actually purchased it.
Rare Albo Monstera variegated gorgeous multi leaf cuttings US seller
$475.00
Only 1 available
Thaumatophyllum (previously Philodendron) stenobolum VERY RARE Hard to FIND
$850.00
Only 1 available
At first I thought the listing for the Thaumatophyllum stenobolum might have been for the gigantic plant the guy is holding in the featured image, but alas, no. It looks like the plant the lucky buyer would get comes in a 6 inch nursery pot. All for $850, with free shipping, thank goodness.
Finally, here is the most expensive plant I found:
Variegated Adansonii Plant Monstera Adansonii Albo Half Moon – Rare + Free Shipping
$5,500.00
I have a Monstera adansonii in an 8 inch pot which is not variegated, which I purchased for $15 at a local nursery. Who in the world would want to pay such a ridiculous amount of money on a plant?
If you are interested in reasonably priced and popular houseplants which are easy to maintain, here are some of my personal recommendations.
Pachira: I have one which I purchased in April, and it has more than doubled in size since then. Feng Shui practitioners state that these plants, also known as money plants, bring good luck and good fortune to their owners.
Pothos: Some varieties now fall under the Epipremnum genus, while others fall under Scindapsus, but if you look for the characteristic thick green, heart-shaped leaves, chances are you will easily find Epipremnum aureum, which is found in just about every nursery and big box store. They are very easy to care for and will survive different light and watering conditions.
ZZ plant: If you want a truly indestructible plant which actually PREFERS to be dry, then get a ZZ plant. Zamioculcas zamiifolia features beautiful, glossy, dark green leaves and thick stems which sprout from a very unique root system. The roots are rhizomes, bulbs which are designed to hold water. I purchased several back in late April, two regular ZZ’s, and two ravens, which have glossy black leaves and are considered relatively rare. The large ZZ plant which I purchased is in an 8-inch nursery pot, and the plant itself stood 11 inches in height when I brought it home. The plant is now 24 inches tall, with tons of new growth! The best thing is, I’ve watered it only ONCE since I bought it. ZZ plants can tolerate low light conditions, and actually seem to prefer slightly lower light versus bright indirect light.
Hoyas: Hoyas are my favorite plant genus now, partially because there are several hundred varieties, partially because they are relatively easy to care for, and partially because some of the species have attractive foliage. Most Hoyas also produce very interesting, fragrant clusters of flowers.
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