It is a plant that you will never forget once you see it. This is because the Monstera variety of plants are simply stunning.
Monsteras, also called Swiss cheese plants because of the holes in the leaves, are native to tropical forests, mainly in southern Mexico and Panama.
They have been introduced to places like Hawaii and the Seychelles, where they have become little invasive.
These plants grow quite fast, so once you have one, it won’t be long before you have this huge specimen with beautiful leaves in your home or garden.
Are they easy to maintain?
Yes, they are wonderfully easy to maintain. They usually need the right one. light and correctly water.
There may be one or two other factors that make the monstera happier, but if these two, namely light and water, are correct, they will thrive.
What may be a bigger problem for avid monstera collectors is actually getting their hands on one of the rarest specimens. These can not only be hard to find, but can also slow you down a bit.
For more information on monstera care, visit our complete monstera care guide
What makes a Monstera rare?
Rare plants are rare because they are hard to find. There are genetic differences that make each strain unique.
Monsteras can only be propagated by cuttings and never by seeds. For this reason, they are difficult to obtain, since breeding takes a long time and is not always successful.
marble Monsteras, that is, those with larger or more unusual holes, thus arose as a result of a mutation in the plant’s chloroform formation.
This mutation does not occur in all Monstera, making the mutation quite rare and often difficult to obtain.
Monsteras can also be rare due to the slow reproduction rate. Also, there is no guarantee that two leaves will be exactly the same on a rare plant.
Basically, Monsteras are rare because there is more demand and less supply. Waiting lists can be long, as can plants/cuttings duration.
Interesting note here:
- white means white
- Aurea means yellow
- Sport means mint or light green
The 10 rarest varieties of Monstera
1) Monstera Deliciosa Obliqua
This is often considered the rarest of all Monstera varieties and can be confused with Monstera Adansonii due to the holes in the leaves.
The main difference is that the Monstera Obliqua looks like all-hole leaves with a bit of leafiness.
The sheets are paper thin with large round holes and there will be more holes than sheets. The absence of foliage gives the plant a lacy appearance that many collectors admire.
Aside from the delicate leaf formations, this Monstera is very slow growing, which takes time to spread, so there can be a long waiting list for these plants.
You can expect to pay:
A mature plant: $23,000
Party: $5,000 – $8,000
2) Monstera Deliciosa White Variegata
This plant has half white and half green leaves. Once you see one you will always remember it because it is a beautiful plant.
The Albo resembles the Thai Constellation when young and cut, but later develops the typical white Albo variegation.
What makes white rare is that there is no guarantee that every spread will have the same mutation.
You can expect to pay:
A mature plant: $1,500 – $3,500, sometimes more than that
One cut: $200 to $500
3) Monstera Adansonii ‘Variegata’
This plant seems to be in any sci-fi movie. It is very unusual in that it has small oval pointed leaves with many holes.
The size of the holes gives the impression that the caterpillars have made their way through the leaves. The leaves also have white spots.
Although this plant is less expensive than Monstera Obliqua, it can still make a difference in your purchase.
You can expect to pay:
A mature plant: $3,000 – $9,000
A haircut: $300 – $2,500
4) Thai constellation Monstera Deliciosa
It is a very interesting plant because it was the first Monstera developed in the laboratory. The parent plant is Monstera Deliciosa, so both plants need the same type of conditions.
Due to the origin of this plant, it can only be traced back to one place, which is the laboratory in Thailand where it was developed. Now you understand why it’s so rare and nearly impossible to get!
These plants have creamy hues that look like stars in the night sky.
What makes this so rare is that this strain is genetic, which means the leaves will not turn fully green again, even if the light and humidity are not perfect for the plant.
You can expect to pay:
A mature plant: $350 – $1,000 and up
One cut: $150 – $300
5) Monstera Deliciosa f. borsigniana
Under natural conditions, this plant can easily reach dizzying heights of up to 15 meters! It also grows faster than the parent plant, Monstera Deliciosa.
This plant tends to grow like a vine, wrapping itself around trees or mossy poles. This plant is also easily confused with the fruitful Albo Variegata. The Monstera Deliciosa f. The Borsigniana plant does not produce fruit.
You can expect to pay:
A mature plant: $2,000 – $5,000
One cut: $200 – $500
6) Monstera Deliciosa Aurea
As can be seen from its name, this plant grows in shades of color. The name ‘golden’ indicates that there is a color so it can be found in yellow tones.
Additionally, aurea also means gold in Latin, so you can expect the leaves to have bright yellow/gold tones.
The golden hue may be more pronounced on some leaves which may also have cream, yellow and light green spots.
You can expect to pay:
A mature plant: $1,000 or more
One cut: $300 – $600
7) Monstera Deliciosa Acacoyaguensis
The young leaves of this plant are small and oval in shape, with holes on the mature plant slightly larger than those of Monstera Adansonii.
This species is sometimes confused with Adansonii, but a closer look reveals that Acacovaguensis has a longer floral bract and the perforations are different.
You can expect to pay:
A mature plant: $100 – $300
One cut: $20 – $40
8) Monstera pinnatipartita
The leaves of this plant are more like those of the palm tree than the typical Monstera which looks like Swiss cheese. Here the leaves tend to separate down to the midrib, rather than remaining in slits.
This strain produces waxy white flowers along with lots of aerial roots, giving it a lanky, wild look.
One thing about this strain is that when planted indoors it does not tend to grow much compared to when planted in a pot outdoors. Here, he likes to occupy a whole corner of the terrace!
You can expect to pay:
A mature plant: $50 – $250
One cut: $30 – $100
9) Skeleton Monster
Esqueleto is the Spanish word for ‘skeleton’, and here this strain resembles Monstera Adansonii. Both have numerous holes in the oval pointed leaves.
It is the unusual window pattern of the leaves that makes this Monstera so sought after.
You can expect to pay:
A mature plant: $250 or more
One cut: $75 – $100
10) Monstera Standleyana ‘Albo Variegata’
This variety is sometimes confused with Philodendron Cobra because the leaves are small, oval and speckled with white/cream.
It is a climbing variety that will grow happily on a trellis. If you notice that the stems have no leaves, the plant has nothing to climb on.
You can expect to pay:
A mature plant: $40 – $100
One cut: $15 – $30
Where to find your rare Monstera
If you want to buy the real deal when it comes to rare Monsteras, you should always go to a reputable dealer. Don’t be tempted to buy them from a cheap website.
While they may offer you pictures of your desired Monstera, what you want and what you get may be completely different things.
You may need to put your name on a waiting list as some rare Monsteras need to be imported. However, if you are willing to wait, a good dealer will locate your factory for you.
final thoughts
Most avid gardeners simply can’t get enough of the rare Monstera plants to add to their collections.
This is because these plants are so unconventional in their colors and shapes. In fact, they look very “alien” and fascinate many people.
Because Monsteras are slow to multiply and cannot be grown from seed (don’t be fooled into buying a packet of seeds!), demand far exceeds supply and therefore the price is high.
If you’re willing to pay the purchase price, duty, and shipping to bring your rare Monstera home, once established, you’ll find it takes center stage.
Your Monstera will be admired and probably very well photographed.
An advice – Because Monsteras are so expensive and hard to find, you should always keep in mind that they can steal your plant.
Take precautions with him, as you would with anything you care about. The last thing you want after finding your rare Monstera is for it to disappear from your porch!