Rare & unusual houseplants

A plant is "rare" in the houseplant world for a few different reasons: it's slow to propagate, it's a new cultivar that hasn't scaled up yet, it's geographically limited, or it's an older variety that fell out of commercial production and only circulates among collectors. We carry a rotating selection of all four types. Availability changes — some of these are in stock; others come around a few times a year.

What we currently grow and source

Variegated Monstera Albo

Monstera deliciosa var. borsigiana 'Albo Variegata'

The white-and-green variegated monstera that became a collector phenomenon. We propagate ours from mother plants in our Dallas greenhouse — no tissue-culture imports. Each cutting is a single node with an aerial root, shipped in sphagnum moss. Variegation pattern varies; we photograph each cutting individually. Expect 2-4 months from cutting to a fully rooted, growing plant. We release propagations 2-3 times a year through our mailing list.

Anthurium clarinervium

Anthurium clarinervium

Dark-green heart-shaped leaves with bright silver-white veins. The leaf surface has a velvety texture that photographs don't fully capture. Native to Mexican limestone karst, so it wants well-draining soil, moderate humidity, and consistent (not excessive) watering. Slow grower — a mature specimen with 8-10 leaves has several years of growth behind it. We keep these in stock year-round in 4" pots.

Philodendron Pink Princess

Philodendron erubescens 'Pink Princess'

A climbing philodendron with dark leaves splashed with bubblegum-pink variegation. The pink sectors lack chlorophyll, so the plant relies on its green tissue for energy — which means heavily variegated specimens grow slowly and need bright indirect light. We select for balanced variegation (roughly 30-50% pink) rather than maximally pink leaves, because all-pink leaves eventually die back. Available in 4" pots, climbing on a small bamboo stake.

Hoya Carnosa Compacta (Hindu Rope)

Hoya carnosa 'Compacta'

The curled, rope-like version of hoya carnosa. Thick succulent-like leaves twisted into dense spirals on trailing stems. Extremely slow-growing even in good conditions — a long rope is a plant that's been alive for years. Fragrant waxy flowers appear on mature plants, typically in spring. Drought-tolerant; water only when the soil is fully dry. We carry solid green and variegated (cream-edged) forms.

Philodendron Gloriosum

Philodendron gloriosum

A terrestrial (ground-crawling) philodendron with large, heart-shaped, velvety leaves marked by pale-green or white veins. Unlike most philodendrons, it crawls rather than climbs — the stem runs horizontally along the soil surface. It needs a wide, shallow pot rather than a deep one. One of the more dramatic rare philodendrons, and easier to care for than its price might suggest. Moderate humidity, bright indirect light, chunky aroid soil.

Scindapsus Treubii 'Moonlight'

Scindapsus treubii 'Moonlight'

A trailing aroid with thick, silvery-green leaves that have an almost metallic sheen. Often confused with pothos (they're related but different genera). Slower growing and harder to find than common pothos, but not significantly harder to care for. Tolerates lower light than most aroids on this list. We propagate these in-house; available in 4" pots.

How we source rare plants

Most of our rare stock is propagated from mother plants in our Dallas greenhouse. We've been collecting and propagating uncommon aroids, hoyas, and tropical foliage for over a decade. For varieties we don't have mother plants for, we source from a network of trusted growers — mostly small-scale operations in Florida and Hawaii who specialize in collector-grade plants. We never import tissue-culture material from overseas without quarantine and acclimation first.

Shipping rare plants

Rare plants get extra attention in shipping. Every rare plant ships via 2-day air, individually photographed before boxing, packed with wet sphagnum around the root zone, and cushioned with recycled paper. If temperatures at your location are below 40°F or above 95°F, we add a heat/cold pack automatically. Our standard 30-day quality guarantee applies to all rare plants.

For availability updates and early access to new propagations, email [email protected] to join the waitlist. You can also browse our full plant catalog for the common and easy-care range.