Valuable Houseplants
Many people stuck at home during the pandemic discovered nurturing plants can be a relaxing, rewarding pastime. And it turns out, indoor gardening may be more rewarding than anyone imagined. A new study from Money.co.uk, a price comparison website, delves into the resale value of houseplants, and some of them are worth a lot of money! Learn how to determine the price of a plant.
The study found eight plants in particular had high resale value on sites like Facebook Marketplace, Etsy and Ebay. Depending on the time of year, certain plants are in high demand and sell out as quickly as they’re listed.
Let’s look at the profit you could make from selling the most valuable plant bulbs, cuttings and established plants. Don’t have any of these eight plants growing in your home? What are you waiting for?
Alocasia
Alocasias are among a group of plants known as “elephant ears” or “dragon scale,” beloved for their giant leaves. In the springtime you can find alocasia bulbs for as little as $5 to $6, although we also found single bulbs for as much as $20.
They’re quick growers, and adult plants sell for an average of $35 and up on Etsy. And because you can divide the tubers of a healthy alocasia plant to make alocasia babies, this is a plant that keeps on giving.
Hoya Carnosa Compacta
Also called a Hindu rope plant, hoya carnosa compacta (sometimes just called hoya) is one interesting plant. Its dark green, curly leaves grow in tight, rope-like strands, making it a great hanging plant.
Single cuttings of hoya sell for around $13 on Etsy. Once the plant takes root, you can start propagating cuttings by planting them in well-drained soil. Established hoya carnosa compacta sell for as much as $45 on Facebook Marketplace for a six-inch plant, so keep clipping those cuttings!
Variegated Monstera
Beautiful, unique and hard to find, variegated monstera, commonly called Swiss cheese plant for the holes in its leaves, is an internet sensation. Prices for this green and white, large-leaf plant are absolutely bonkers, with cuttings — cuttings! — priced at $450 and up on Etsy.
If you’re lucky enough to snag a cutting for less, or are ready to invest and are super-confident in your propagating skills, growing this rare plant can turn a part-time passion into a full-time job!
Philodendron
Green, glossy-leafed philodendrons sell for about $24 and higher at The Home Depot. Hardy and resistant to disease, the many varieties of philodendrons grow quickly and prolifically, making them great for investment.
Propagate, propagate, propagate, and these plants will keep on giving. And like philodendron minima, these plants are ready to be fruitful and multiply in about three weeks.
Monstera Dubia
If you get your hands on a monstera dubia plant, don’t let go — it’s one of the most valuable houseplants you can own. Loved for its heart-shaped leaves and the way it clings tightly to the tree, moss pole or trellis it grows on, monstera dubia is hard to find in garden shops. Cuttings can sell for $36 and up on Etsy.
Established plants sell on the same site for an average of $110, often much higher. These trusty plants can grow one to two feet per year and reach a height of up to 10 feet, especially if they’ve got room to climb. This leaves you with a constant supply of profitable cuttings!