I recently read a piece in De Telegraaf about how a rare and expensive plant has become the new status symbol, and it immediately made me think of my own windowsill. My first rare Monstera started out as an impulse buy, but these days I check every morning to see if a new leaf is on its way.
It's crazy how fast this has happened. A few years ago hardly anyone paid more than twenty euros for a cutting, and now specimens are selling for hundreds or even thousands of euros. For collectors it's a mix of hunting, patience and a little bit of madness — pushing your limits just comes with the territory.
What I love most about it is that it's not a passive hobby. You really learn about humidity, light and root rot, and you need patience when a cutting does nothing for weeks. But when a leaf finally unfurls with that special variegation, it's pure reward.
Secretly, I now regularly check auctions and plant markets too. It's addictive, but it's a green addiction that only makes your home more beautiful.
Source: De Telegraaf
Every September, fungus gnats come back to houseplant soil. Gardening Know How suggests a more charming fix than yellow sticky traps: grow a butterwort, also called a ping after its Latin name, Pinguicula.
Butterworts are small carnivorous plants. Their leaves grow in neat rosettes covered with a sticky dew that gives them a silvery, sparkling look, and gnats are easy prey. Tiny flowers appear on slender stalks in spring or summer. The article says larger plants will even catch mosquitoes.
Not every butterwort is equally good at it. Mexican, or tropical, butterworts have wide, flat leaves that give gnats more landing space, and they are easier to grow than North American types, which need humid conditions and are prone to rot. Mexican butterworts are resilient enough to sit on a windowsill without much fuss.
The article points to two species: Pinguicula cyclosecta, the purple-leaf butterwort, with deep violet flowers and leaves that can take on a lavender tone, and Pinguicula esseriana, with pale green, pink-flushed leaves and paler lilac flowers. Both grow to about 4 inches high and wide.
I like how this turns a nuisance into a reason to add something unusual to a collection. It is a small, tidy plant that earns its place on the shelf.
Source: Gardening Know How
The sixteenth edition of Orticolario has closed at Villa Erba on Lake Como, and for anyone who loves unusual plants the report is worth a read. The show ran from 1 to 4 October 2026, drew more than thirty thousand visitors, and took as its theme "En rêverie", an invitation to let yourself be guided by dreams and imagination.
Among the installations, the one that struck me most was Hypnos in the central pavilion: a double spiral of sixteen botanical landscapes made of sand, soil, roots, wood and unusual plants, with light and sound composed specially for the piece. Outside, in the historic park, Phantasos showcased almost unknown botanical species. The main prize, the Foglia d'oro del Lago di Como, went to the garden "Rosa Velata" by Jesus Sanz-Castro and Daniela Giraudo.
The exhibitor awards are the most interesting part for collectors. Stranger Plants by Daniele Righetti won the Novelty award with Stegolepis hitchcockii, a rare plant from the tepuis of Venezuela. Cactusmania by Manera received the Super Specimen award for a Cyphostemma laza, Meriania brought a collection of Acacia and Vachellia, and Mondocactus was honoured for its work on succulents and nursery traceability.
The "Per un Giardinaggio Evoluto 2026" prize was awarded to Luigi Serafini, the author of the Codex Seraphinianus. Orticolario donates the funds it raises to local social associations, and the next edition is already set for 30 September to 3 October 2027. I have marked the date. It is one of the few events where rare botany truly meets art.
Source: Greenme
I just read detikJatim’s report on Tillandsia, the ornamental plant also known as air plant. This plant from Latin America needs no soil or water to live, and plant lovers like it for its unusual shapes and its supposedly easy care. The article features Opik, a grower in Kota Batu, East Java.
According to Opik, the key to caring for it is proper watering and good air circulation. If you water it every day, growth is not optimal and the leaves tend to point upward. When watering is right, the leaves grow evenly downward and the curl of the leaves looks better. He also suggests placing it outdoors where it gets wind, which helps the roots grow faster, although the old leaves may dry out sooner.
The prices are quite interesting. For beginners, a clump of Lonantha costs about Rp 150 thousand, and stemmed Cotton Candy costs Rp 25 to 30 thousand. For collectors, Xerographica pups sell for Rp 150 to 600 thousand. A large, unflowered Xerographica Long Hair costs Rp 3.5 to 4 million, and very long specimens can reach Rp 8 million. Streptophylla is described as one of the varieties collectors hunt for.
What I like most about the article is its explanation of the life cycle. After flowering, the plant stops growing and puts its energy into making new pups, up to about 15, before its life ends. So the high price makes sense, because it takes a long time to grow one.
Source: detikJatim
A while back I came across a Homes & Gardens piece built on the Garden Media Group's 2026 Garden Trends Report, and the claim stuck with me: houseplants are now treated as collectibles, the same way people collect vintage cameras or designer plush toys.
The report describes it as a kind of "intentional clutter". People, especially Gen Z and Millennials, build a personal museum of plants and chase rare cultivars, new foliage colors and variegation. One line quoted in the article says plant collecting is the new Pokemon, because it taps the same feelings as gaming: achievement, progression and control. Another calls it slow joy, and I think that is the best short description of this hobby I have read.
The author then lists six plants for a starter collection. They include the crested Euphorbia lactea 'Mermaid Tail', the pink-edged Aglaonema 'Khanza Pink', the serrated-leaf Philodendron 'Jungle Boogie', the zebra plant, the cream-and-green Monstera 'Thai Constellation', and the small-leaved string of turtles. The writer also mentions that gifts and cuttings from friends are part of what makes each plant tell a story.
What I like here is the framing: a living collection that lasts for years, rather than a disposable trend. The piece was published in September 2025 ahead of the 2026 report, so it reads as a forecast, and it is a reminder that variegated and unusual plants need patience more than money.
Source: Homes & Gardens
Plants with white leaves or white leaf areas are showing up everywhere right now, and prices for some specimens are correspondingly high. ZDF gardening expert Elmar Mai explains what is behind this and which cheaper alternatives are available.
The problem with white plant parts is that they lack chlorophyll, which plants need for photosynthesis. Variegated plants are therefore often less vital and need more light and care. Purely white plants cannot survive on their own at all and have to be grafted onto a healthy plant of the same species. Most are side shoots with a genetic defect, which makes them very rare.
With Monstera, there are two things to know. According to the article, special forms such as the Thai Monstera come from labs, where cells are propagated through tissue culture. And variegation is often genetically unstable, so the white areas can shrink or disappear altogether. Variegated varieties sold at garden centers, such as the devil's ivy, are cheaper and usually more stable.
For care, 20 to 25 degrees Celsius and high humidity are ideal. Depending on the amount of white, the plants need more light but cannot tolerate direct sun. The substrate should be loose and well aerated, and waterlogging should be avoided. Fittonia and Maranta are named as cheap alternatives. I find the advice useful: before buying an expensive rarity, first think about how stable the pattern is.
Source: ZDFheute
For years the Monstera deliciosa reigned over interior decor, but its size has become a problem in ever smaller homes. Meteored Chile suggests the Philodendron Birkin as a successor: a more compact plant that is easier to look after.
The Birkin is a tropical hybrid of the Philodendron genus, with a tidy habit and glossy dark green leaves striped with white. Each leaf has a different pattern. It grows slowly, so it barely needs pruning, and it does not demand large pots or direct light. It tolerates low light and controlled humidity, which makes it a good fit for offices and apartments.
For care, the article recommends bright indirect light, such as near a window behind a sheer curtain, and avoiding direct sun. Watering should be moderate, only when the top few centimetres of soil are dry, and cut by half in winter. The ideal substrate is a loose mix of peat, perlite and fine bark. The article also mentions other trend plants: Philodendron Pink Princess, White Princess and Brasil, Calathea orbifolia and Alocasia Polly.
I think it is a reasonable change in taste. After years of tropical exuberance, it makes sense to look for plants with interesting leaves that do not take over the whole living room.
Source: Meteored Chile
In the middle of summer, a monstera should be at the height of its growth, with leaves unfurling within days. If yours has been stuck for three or four weeks, with no new bud or spathe, Jardiner Malin explains that the cause is rarely the one you would imagine. The article was published in June 2026 and updated at the end of September.
The first culprit, by far the most common, is a pot that has become too small. Once the roots have colonised the whole space, the plant keeps its energy for maintaining itself rather than producing leaves. The test is simple: turn the pot over, and if roots are poking out of the drainage hole or forming a dense mat, you have your answer. The second factor is light, because three metres from a north-facing window, the brightness drops far more than people think. A monstera tolerates shade but does not thrive in it.
The third is badly calibrated watering. The advice is to wait until the top five centimetres of compost are dry, then water generously until it runs out of the drainage holes. Once a week is often enough in summer.
For repotting, the article recommends a pot only four to five centimetres wider, never more, with a free-draining compost lightened by a third of perlite, and to add fertiliser only afterwards, every two to three weeks until the end of August. The detail I value most: small, pale leaves with no splits are a sign of insufficient light. Handy for collectors looking for beautiful fenestrated leaves.
Source: Jardiner Malin
Alocasias have huge arrow-shaped leaves, near-black blades with silvery veins, and surfaces that look like hammered leather. The same variety shows up in cultivation: some species forgive small mistakes, while others react quickly to too much water, cold or low light. Jardineiro.net has put together 12 species, from the simplest to the most demanding.
The genus Alocasia, in the family Araceae, includes around a hundred species from tropical and subtropical Asia and parts of Oceania. The text points out that the trade mixes species, cultivars and hybrids: Alocasia melo, longiloba and sanderiana are species, while Polly is a cultivar linked to a hybrid between longiloba and sanderiana. It also warns that elephant ear is not a synonym for Alocasia, since the name also covers other aroids with large leaves.
The list starts with Alocasia macrorrhizos, a vigorous giant that recovers well but grows too big for a small room. In the middle are species such as wentii, longiloba, sinuata and Jacklyn, and near the end come the more delicate ones, such as Black Velvet and melo, and, in last place, Alocasia nebula, which has a narrow margin for error.
One tip that stayed with me is to reduce the number of variables when a newly arrived plant drops leaves: instead of repotting, feeding and watering more all at once, check the root ball first. I liked the ordering by difficulty, which helps you choose a first alocasia without frustration.
Source: Jardineiro.net
Many people think a south-facing windowsill is the best spot for houseplants. In an article for “Botanichka,” the author Anastasia Vysotskaya explains that the problem is not the window itself but a combination of factors: the radiator under the sill, cold glass close to the leaves, and low autumn sun. I liked her simple check: with the heating on, hold your palm near the leaves, and touch the glass early in the morning.
Four plants are at risk. Spathiphyllum develops pale and then brown spots near the glass, and drooping leaves don’t always mean thirst, so check the soil with a finger first. Calathea (Goeppertia) reacts with dry edges and faded patterns; it needs soft, settled water and a spot a meter to a meter and a half from the sill. Nephrolepis loses its small frond segments, especially in a hanging pot above a radiator. Weeping fig drops its leaves from cold, drafts and hot air.
The general advice is to move plants away from the heat while keeping their light. Usually 30 to 50 centimeters is enough, sometimes a meter. Don’t put pots directly on the radiator; place a cork or wooden board underneath. According to the author, spraying barely helps, but a humidifier works noticeably better.
The article also includes an honest caveat: if there is no radiator, the leaves are healthy, and there is enough light, the plant doesn’t need to be moved. Dry edges and burns won’t recover, so they can be trimmed carefully, and clean new leaves will show that the spot is right. For anyone growing finicky species like calatheas, this is a good reminder before the heating season.
Source: Botanichka
Anyone who follows the world of rare plants has seen absurd prices for leaves splashed with white. I read a guide that brings order to that mess, and I found it useful because it starts with the right question: what variegation actually is. The author recalls that in 2021 a single loose leaf of variegated Monstera deliciosa sold for more than 20,000 reais at an online auction in New Zealand, but that the price of a variegated plant tends to follow the same curve: scarcity, a peak on social media, mass propagation, and then a drop.
The text separates the types. Chimeric variegation, as in Monstera Albo and Pink Princess, is unstable. Mosaic variegation, as in Monstera ‘Thai Constellation’, which came from tissue culture in Thailand, is far more predictable, and for that very reason it became cheaper. There is also reflective variegation in Scindapsus pictus, and chemically induced color such as the old Philodendron Pink Congo, whose leaves turned back to green within a few months.
The list runs from the most accessible to the most demanding: Jibóia N’Joy, variegated zamioculcas, Syngonium Albo Variegatum, Monstera ‘Thai Constellation’, Philodendron ‘Pink Princess’, Calathea ‘White Fusion’, and Monstera adansonii ‘Variegata’. I liked the advice on Pink Princess: don’t buy it for the leaf, buy it for the stem, because pink stripes on the internodes suggest a better chance of keeping the color.
The warning about scams is also valuable: Monstera Albo seeds, painted plants (the test is to rub a damp finger on an inconspicuous area), and cuttings without a single variegated node. The conclusion struck me as mature: a plant is not a financial asset, and the best time to buy is usually after the price has fallen. For beginners, the sensible path is the N’Joy or the syngonium.
Source: Jardineiro.net
