Monstera adansonii is a common house plant that can be purchased for as little as $12 at any home & garden store, but a rare specimen recently sold for a whopping 1,799 euros ($2,200).

A garden center in Lovendegem, Belgium recently sold a rare monstera adansonii specimen for a small fortune, in just 30 minutes. The plant in question was only 15 centimeters tall, but featured an extremely rare mutation that caused its perforated leaves to grow yellow or white, instead of the usual green. This type of plant is virtually impossible to grow, so collectors are willing to pay a high premium to get their hands on it. In this particular case, an anonymous plant collector who had been looking for this rare specimen of monstera adansonii for a while, bought it within 30 minutes of it going on sale.

Photo: Claessen Ochideeen 

“It is a very special specimen that cannot be cultivated,” said Arne Schurmans (24), marketing manager at Intratuin Lovendegem. “In very exceptional cases it occurs as a kind of mutation of the common monstera adansonii. Instead of green, the leaves turn white or yellow. We were very surprised that the plant was sold out so quickly. The client was a collector who had wanted one for a while. We would not have given it to an ordinary customer just like that.”

Apart from its steep price, the mutated monstera adansonii also has some particularities in terms of maintenance. It it is extremely sensitive to sunlight and should not be misted, or it will lose its special coloration.

Rare house plants like this monstera adansonii have become extremely popular during the covid-19 pandemic, according to growers and distributors. People spend more time at home, some really want to outdo their neighbors, others just dedicate more attention to their collections, and that really drives up demand of special specimens.

Photo: monsteramania

“We are trying to respond to the plant hype that has been going on since the corona crisis and the demand for special plants. For example, we previously sold plants for 140 euros, which people came from far away. We recently had the Philodendron pink princess too, and it sold out in two hours. It has really become all the rage,” Arne Schurmans said.

Interestingly, regular monstera adansonii plants of similar size as this $2,200 mutant can be purchased for as little as $12 from just about any plant center of or even home & garden stores.