Rare Green Thumbs' Delight: 9 Uncommon Indoor Plants That Elevate Your Plant Parent Status
Uncommon Houseplants Add Exotic Flair to Indoor Gardens
Indoor gardening enthusiasts often seek out unique and rare plants to add a touch of the exotic to their home environments. Here are some hard-to-find houseplants that offer distinctive features, from variegated foliage to unusual leaf shapes and exotic flowers.
The Variegated Alocasia 'Frydek' is a standout with its velvety leaves adorned with striking white veins, providing a lush texture and an exotic look. Another rare find is the Epipremnum aureum ‘Manjula’ Pothos, an indoor vine boasting distinctive marbled leaves that bring a bright and cheerful atmosphere to any space.
For those who appreciate the unusual, the Thai Constellation Monstera is a limited-quantity plant with creamy variegation on thick fenestrated leaves. The Monstera Siltepecana (Silverleaf Monstera) offers a silver-gray foliage with a subtle shimmer, creating a tropical yet uncommon vibe. The Philodendron Hastatum ‘Silver Sword’ features frosty, lance-shaped silver leaves, providing a cool tone contrast among greens.
The Scindapsus treubii 'Moonlight' is a silver-colored aroid with smooth leaves, prized for its rare coloration and easy care. Another noteworthy plant is the Hoya 'Chouke' (Speckled Wax Plant), a unique waxy-leafed vining plant with interesting speckles that make it a striking addition to any collection.
Other hard-to-find tropical houseplants include the Rhaphidophora tetrasperma variegated, a variegated form of the popular "mini monstera" that is difficult to source, and the Colocasia esculenta ‘Pink Sapphire’ and ‘Diamond Icicles’, unique elephant ear plants with colorful, striking foliage.
For those interested in exotic flowering options, consider the Blue Puya (Puya berteroniana) with its large blue flowers, which require dry, rocky soil and full sun, or the Parrot’s Beak (Lotus berthelotii), featuring bright tubular flowers resembling a bird’s beak, best grown indoors in cooler climates as a houseplant. The Middlemist Red Camellia is an extremely rare and exotic plant, requiring acidic, well-drained soil and shade.
These plants are coveted for their rarity, distinctive variegation, unusual leaf shapes, or exotic flowers and can significantly elevate the interest and aesthetic of an indoor garden. Many are available in limited quantities and may require attentive care to thrive indoors.
The author of this article, Liz Baessler, is a Senior Editor, and the piece discusses the allure of hard-to-find houseplants. For more insights into indoor gardening, be sure to check out other articles from our expert team.
Additional Information
- The Rattlesnake Calathea (Goeppertia insignis) grows to 18 inches tall (50 cm) and offers stunning foliage all year long with spotted strappy leaves and royal purple undersides, as well as bright yellow-orange blooms.
- The Mother of Thousands is another hard-to-find houseplant with thick blue-green, scalloped leaves that produce tiny baby plants.
- The Queen of the Night Cactus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) blooms only once a year with large, white, fragrant flowers.
- Indoor coffee bean plants grow to 6 feet tall (2 m) with shiny green foliage but do not produce enough beans for brewing even a single cup of coffee.
- The Ghost Orchid is a white, epiphytic orchid that hangs from tree trunks and releases a sweet scent at night.
- The Variegated Monstera is available for purchase for less than $50.
The Rattlesnake Calathea (Goeppertia insignis) and the Variegated Monstera are additional hard-to-find houseplants that offer striking physical attributes and unique growth patterns, especially with the Calathea's spotted leaves and royal purple undersides, and the Variegated Monstera's distinctive foliage. The Mother of Thousands is another fascinating plant, known for its ability to propagate new plants from tiny ones that grow on its leaf edges.
For those who appreciate the dramatic night-blooming spectacle, consider the Queen of the Night Cactus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum), which blooms once a year with large, white, fragrant flowers, or the Ghost Orchid, an ethereal, white, epiphytic orchid that releases a sweet scent at night. These plants, when combined with the previously mentioned options, can create an incredibly diverse, exquisite home-and-garden lifestyle centered around uncommon and exotic houseplants.
