How Much Would You Pay for a Houseplant?

Are you thinking of buying a houseplant? You will be amazed to know there is a show for that too. International Aroid Society Show and Sale organizes this event annually in Miami, Florida. If you have not visited it yet, it is time you think about it. At this event, people come armed with trash bags, totes, collapsible nylon wagons, and empty strollers. They come empty-handed and go loaded with numerous houseplants.

Here, people come with a long list of their favorite blooms, which can be anything unique like patriciae, obliqua, or adansonii. While some individuals arrive in moving trucks, others travel by airplanes to get there. This is because people just do not come to this international flower sale and show just to browse.

Aroids belong to the tropical plant family. These plants have become popular in recent years. They inspire a revival of the carefree ‘70s wild aesthetic. Also, the monstera, whose perforated deliciosa foliage adorn statement wallpaper and phone cases, belong to the aroid family. There are other plant varieties like tetraspermas, anthuriums, and philodendrons. They are not treated as fussy flowers but are known for their lush, dramatic foliage.

People prefer this foliage over other plants. This is because, with plants like orchids, you need to be patient for them to flower. However, this is not the case with foliage. It is instant gratification. A few years back, the Aroid Society appeared to be declining just like its several rarest specimens. However, in the past two-three years, the International Aroid Society’s president claims that the attendance has moved up to 500 visitors to a few thousand in a weekend.

It is quite interesting to watch how excited people at this event. They come with an extra suitcase for carrying home new members to their family. People opt for plants like philodendron luxurians choco, which cost around $110 apiece. This plant looks a bit ugly when young but it turns into a beautiful plant later. Another aroid variety that florists drool over is the exceptionally photogenic variegated monstera. The leaves of this plant are streaked with painterly squelches of white. You can get an individual cutting of this plant for $200 apiece at this event and a potted, large version is available for $650.

However, the mythos and madness that swirls around the monstera obliqua cannot be compared to any other plant. Obliqua is smaller, which usually does not grow more than 6 inches in height. It features lacelike foliage that appears to be negative than organic for any space. A few years ago, a collector used to sell its cutting for $8 per piece at this event. Now, this plant may go for $1000 or more. It does not come up as a surprise to many that once, it was sold for $2,700.

Another indisputable crown jewel is spiritus sancti. This philodendron is usually uttered with a sense of hushed reverence. This plant is nearing total extinction in the wild. These incredible plants still grow in their native Brazil but not in a good number. The slender, long leaves of this plant are tapered at the tip and cloven at the top, such as an overstated cartoon heart. This plant is a bit expensive due to its scarcity, where collectors are ready to pay over $1,400 for a single plant.

So, plant mania is quite complicated. This species is on the brink of extinction from nature completely. Keeping this plant in your apartment is not the correct interpretation of conservation but the best for keeping it alive!

 

Go for a Houseplant Queen to Rule Over Others

Despite being weird, aroids take over the majority of the business at this event. Their oddities comprise of the protruding horn of the bloom’s spadex, the spiteful fish hooks around a cyrtosperma johnstonii, and the snakeskin-like petioles of a specific anthurium. Lastly, there is the whole melodrama of its foliage. Flowers of this plant do not make up a dime for a dozen. However, their beauty lies in their leaves.

It is quite interesting to see that these variegated monstera adansonii houseplants even get auctioned off at $2,700. However, it is significant to take good care of your plants. This is because cold snaps and caterpillars can wreak havoc on these valuable plants. Also, a rare specimen sometimes bears fruits out of nowhere like these variegated monsteras. There is always a fear that squirrels do not get to their corncob-size seeds before they are ready.

Perhaps, the most unpredictable and daunting challenge is definitely climate, which is to survive the worsening hurricane seasons in Florida.

 

The Drawbacks of Plant Parenthood

There are numerous articles that have endeavored to unspool motivations to love plants. Plants are a perfect replacement for kids, a break from urban cityscapes, an icon of climate anxiety, a type of self-care, and a life preserver to which you can cling in undefined times. You will be able to find all of these sentiments echoed at this International Aroid show. People get into a nice headspace upon arriving there. It feels quite constructive when things come up with a new leaf no matter how dorky it may sound.

Also, there is an unavoidable underbelly of consumer bubbles, such as hoarding, hubris, theft, and grifts. There are several shady sellers who sell questionable seeds online, poachers who ripe rare specimens out of habitats without licenses, rabid collectors who swipe cuttings from a botanical garden. Despite all, there is an ongoing popularity of these plants.

Today, Instagram influences the buying decisions of people on plants. So, there is a hoard to buy plants that have become scarcer once again. Florists find it crazy how one can convince others to purchase a living thing as if it is a luxury item.

Also, there is a trend to keep houseplants indoors. Various florists do not keep plants inside their house. It took them a little while to understand the concept of keeping a rare tropical specimen in a decidedly non-tropical apartment. Some find it crazy how devoted young collectors make their apartments hospitable to plant life while kitting out the rooms with foggers and grow lights.

In the long run, an increasing appreciation for plants may inspire more youngsters to want to understand them. There is a need to consider them as living things and not just some decorative objects. Definitely, plants are not puppies but they are still living things.