Factors That Cause Monstera Variegata Plants Are Expensive

Illustration of the expensive monstera variegata (Unsplash/Yusuf Evli)

JAKARTA – Monstera plants have beautiful leaves. Moreover, it will be expensive if there are factors that support it. So, what makes monstera so valuable?

The first factor that causes this monstera plant is its type. One type with varigata can be valued up to tens of millions because of the motive. Variegata motifs are divided into two types, namely natural variegata and tissue culture.

Natural varieties, it is quite rare. This is what can make monstera plants expensive. Monstera variegata type alba, for example, will take a long time to sprout new leaves, let alone shoot tillers. Because, if natural variegata, gene mutations occur due to lack of oxygen.

The effect, growth will slow down, need care to sprout leaves, and tillers. You could say the natural monstera variegata plant is a rare plant because it is difficult to breed.

The second factor, launching Bloomsprouts, Friday, July 30, Gabriella Anastasia, an independent gardener explained that it was the marble motif on the monstera variegata that made it expensive.

The marble motif does look natural because the pattern is abstract. Variegata color leaves green, and is not dominant. Marble spots form an uneven gradation on the entire leaf surface. Meanwhile, sectoral variation is usually evenly distributed over the entire surface.

White, light green, or yellowish patches will depend on the type of leaf and the plant species. Variegation occurs due to lack of leaf chlorophyll. This, as explained above, stresses the plant because the leaves do not have the surface needed for photosynthesis.

Expensive types of monstera only need to be propagated by cuttings. It is enough to put the saplings in another pot, and beautiful leaves with marble motifs will grow which are different from one another and without genetic modification.

There are two types of monstera, one is expensive and the other is still reasonable or hundreds of thousands to one million. Both at first glance are very similar, known as Monstera Albo Borsigiana and Monstera Thai Constellation.

Monstera Albo Borsigiana undergoes a natural mutation. It can be seen at each point of variation coloring the leaf green.

The cells mutate spontaneously and they do not produce chlorophyll. Because these cells reproduce in the stem, the leaves of the next new shoot are also variegated.

This natural mutation only occurs in white blood cells. So that the Monstera Albo seeds will not produce new, diverse offspring. Uniquely, the new Monstera Albo can only be propagated by cuttings from the mother plant.

Unlike the Montera Thai Constellation, its origin is different. Variegations were made in a laboratory in Thailand from tissue culture. In this subspecies, mutations cause variegation to appear in the whole plant or in individual cells.

Illustration of monstera albo borsigiana (Unsplash/Severin Candrian)

About the high price on the Monstera Albo, it is included in the third factor. In general, Monstera Albo is sold in the form of tiller cuttings. The sapling cuttings are the most reasonable in price even though they are more expensive than Monstera Thai.

Why? Adult albos take a very long time to grow and age. Even if an old Albo were sold, it would be very expensive.

For the variegation period, the two monstera variants are also different. Monstera Albo, variegata motifs cannot be predicted except by adjusting the planting media and care. Sometimes, when the planting medium contains many elements that reduce chlorophyll mutations, the leaves can sprout perfectly green.

If it's Monstera Thai, you don't have to worry about losing the variety because it has been modified in the laboratory.

So, which type of monstera plant do you choose?