Are you tired of the same old stuff? When it comes to houseplants, the most common ones are found in most stores and many homes. To add some interest to your plant life, perhaps it’s time to collect some hard-to-find houseplants that look great and are different from the ones your friends all own. Here are nine different types of amazing houseplants that can really up your houseplant game.
Hard to find houseplants
Here are our picks for 9 hard-to-find houseplants, including some you can buy today!
1. Striped Monstera
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Large leaves make a big impact, and few houseplants do it better than the Monstera, also known as the “Swiss cheese plant” because of the attractive cutouts on its leaves. The most exotic of the many Monsteras is the striped variety, with its enormous green and white leaves that have attractive cutouts. They also come in green and cream varieties. While some have sold for around $5,000.00 at auction, many rare striped Monsteras sell for much less.
Trending Tropicals® Monstera Cobra in self-watering planter
Like this one! This gorgeous striped monster plant from Costa Farms is on sale right now for just $46.37.
2. Ghost Orchid
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Ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) is a rare and endangered native flower that has long fascinated gardeners. Ghost orchids are white and epiphytic, hanging from stems on aerial orchid roots. They have no leaves. Their sweet scent is emitted only at night, to attract giant moths that pollinate the plant. These unique characteristics make ghost orchids highly desirable to growers who want to grow unusual species.
(Note that it is illegal to harvest these protected plants from the wild!)
3. Mother of thousands
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Mother of thousands (Daigremontiana) is not your mother’s kalanchoe. This strange and attractive houseplant has thick, scalloped blue-green leaves that – like most succulents – retain and store water. But look closer at the edges of the leaves! You’ll see tiny baby plants in the rosettes, each of which can start another mother plant of thousands. Grown outdoors in a temperate climate, one plant can produce thousands of others. Not every indoor houseplant blooms, but when it does, the pink, drooping flowers will last for months.
4. Almost Black Houseplants
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We’ll admit it right from the start: black bonsai aren’t actually black, but the darkest shade of green. However, the contrast between a “black” bonsai and a regular green bonsai is striking. You can really make a difference by filling a corner shelf with these dark bonsai.
Do you like pothos? Choose the “Black Cardinal” variety, which has nearly black leaves that grow up to 10 inches (25 cm) long.
Or how about a darker variation of the popular ZZ plant? “Raven” (Zamioculcas zamiifolia ‘Dowon’) has purple-black leaves and – like the regular ZZ plant – it thrives in low light.
Trending Tropicals® Raven ZZ Self Watering Planter
This super dark zz tree will highlight your lighter colored plants or will stand out on its own against a light colored wall.
5. Elegant elephant ears
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Elephant ear plants attract attention with their large, veined leaves shaped like – you guessed it – an elephant’s ear. They sometimes produce white spathes, but it’s the leaves that are the most stunning. Some species of elephant ear have leaves up to 3 feet (1 m) long and 2 feet (0.6 m) wide.
6. Snake-tail Calathea
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Calathea rattlesnake (Goeppertia is remarkable) is such a gorgeous plant that it’s worth the effort to find it. Think variegated leaves with royal purple undersides and bright orange-yellow flowers in late spring. As a houseplant, it grows to 18 inches (50 cm) tall and has gorgeous foliage all year round.
Tropicals® Calathea Dottie Self-Watering Planter
This gorgeous pink calathea will add a pop of color to any room in your home.
7. Beauty Blooms at Night
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Night-blooming plants have a different feel, like something mysterious and magical, with special powers. Even if they don’t grant three wishes, their beautiful night-blooming flowers are often accompanied by a pleasant scent, and the two together create an unforgettable and peaceful moment. These plants often evolved to bloom at night to attract nocturnal insects that pollinate them.
One thing to consider: the queen of the night cactus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) is native to the Sonoran Desert of North America. Its flowers are as rare as this houseplant is hard to find – the plant only blooms once a year.
8. Mini Monstera adansonii
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This smaller Monstera (Monstera adansonii) is also known as the Swiss cheese plant and with its more compact size, it is a better choice for small spaces. Don’t think that the holes in each leaf are due to pests – instead, these plants are prized for their naturally “holey” green foliage. The holes become more obvious as the leaves mature. These are cool plants to grow indoors.
Trending Tropicals® Monstera Adansonii in self-watering planter
This little monster plant from Costa Farms can be grown anywhere. Get yours today.
9. Coffee
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Yes, Virginia, coffee grows on trees! The indoor coffee tree is a wonderful and unusual houseplant that grows up to 6 feet (2 m) tall with glossy green foliage. Don’t expect to get enough beans from your plant to brew a cup of coffee, but the coffee tree is certainly a unique houseplant that few of your friends will have.
