Grandma’s Colorado home is full of green treasures, and some houseplants are real gems. These 14 rare plants bring charm and character that can surprise any gardener.
They’re perfect for adding unique beauty to your indoor space. See which ones might inspire your next plant collection.
1. Variegated Monstera
Growing quietly in a sunny corner of Grandma’s Colorado sunroom was this stunning plant with splashes of white and green. Few visitors realized its rarity and value on today’s market.
A single leaf cutting can fetch upwards of $200 depending on the variegation pattern. Grandma got hers as a simple housewarming gift in the 1970s, never knowing it would become a coveted botanical treasure.
2. Pink Princess Philodendron
The stunning pink and dark green leaves caught everyone’s eye when they entered the dining room. This wasn’t just any philodendron hiding in Grandma’s Colorado home.
What makes this plant special is the natural pink variegation that can’t be artificially produced. Collectors regularly pay $100-300 for small specimens, while Grandma’s mature plant could be worth significantly more to the right buyer.
3. Monstera Obliqua
Most people would mistake this for a dying plant with its skeleton-like leaves full of holes. The delicate specimen tucked away in Grandma’s Colorado bathroom thrived in the humid environment.
Often confused with the common Monstera adansonii, true Obliqua specimens are exceptionally rare and can sell for thousands. Grandma received hers from a botanist friend who traveled to Peru in the 1960s.
4. Philodendron Spiritus Sancti
Looking almost prehistoric with its long, narrow leaves, this plant sat unassumingly in Grandma’s Colorado bedroom. Few would recognize it as one of the rarest philodendrons in existence.
Native to a single mountain range in Brazil, these plants are critically endangered in the wild. Authentic specimens can command $10,000 or more from serious collectors who appreciate its scarcity and distinctive growth habit.
5. Variegated Fiddle Leaf Fig
Unlike the common fiddle leaf figs found in home decor stores, this specimen displayed creamy white patches on its violin-shaped leaves. Grandma’s Colorado living room featured this striking plant as a focal point.
The natural genetic mutation creating this variegation occurs rarely in nature. Plant enthusiasts eagerly seek these uncommon beauties, willing to pay premium prices for even small variegated fiddle leaf specimens with good patterning.
6. Alocasia Dragon Scale
Resembling something from a fantasy novel, this plant’s silvery-green leaves with pronounced dark veining caught everyone’s attention. The dramatic specimen thrived in the filtered light of Grandma’s Colorado plant room.
While more available than some plants on this list, mature Dragon Scales remain highly sought after. Grandma’s particularly large specimen with multiple healthy leaves could fetch several hundred dollars from collectors seeking statement plants.
7. Variegated Monstera Adansonii
The distinctive Swiss cheese-like holes combined with splashes of white variegation made this plant truly special. Tucked in a hanging basket in Grandma’s Colorado kitchen, it received perfect filtered light.
Unlike regular Monstera adansonii, the variegated form is exceptionally uncommon. Plant collectors in Colorado and beyond regularly pay $200-500 for small cuttings, making Grandma’s established plant potentially worth thousands.
8. Thai Constellation Monstera
The speckled cream-and-green leaves resembled a starry night sky, hence its celestial name. Grandma’s prized plant sat proudly in her Colorado home’s entryway, greeting visitors with its stunning foliage.
Unlike some variegated plants, Thai Constellation’s pattern is stable because it’s produced through tissue culture. Still, large specimens like Grandma’s remain valuable, with mature plants selling for $400-700 depending on size and condition.
9. Anthurium Warocqueanum
Known as the Queen Anthurium, this plant’s velvety dark leaves stretched nearly three feet long. Grandma’s Colorado greenhouse provided the perfect humid environment for this tropical beauty to thrive.
Native to Colombian cloud forests, these rare anthuriums are challenging to grow in home environments. Their scarcity and dramatic appearance make them highly desirable, with good specimens fetching $300-800 depending on size and condition.
10. Philodendron White Knight
The striking contrast between dark stems and white-variegated leaves made this plant a showstopper. Nestled in Grandma’s Colorado reading nook, it received perfect dappled light through sheer curtains.
Part of the highly collectible “knight series” of philodendrons, the White Knight remains scarce in cultivation. Plant enthusiasts throughout Colorado have been known to pay $150-300 for small specimens, making Grandma’s mature plant quite valuable.
11. Monstera Albo Borsigiana
Large patches of pure white contrasted dramatically with deep green on this stunning plant. Grandma’s Colorado solarium provided ideal conditions for this temperamental beauty that requires perfect light balance.
Unlike the Thai Constellation, this variegation occurs naturally and varies with each new leaf. Cuttings alone can sell for hundreds, making Grandma’s large, established plant potentially worth over $1,000 to eager collectors.
12. Variegated String of Hearts
Delicate pink and cream heart-shaped leaves cascaded from Grandma’s Colorado kitchen window. This dainty trailing plant created a living curtain of color that brightened the space year-round.
While regular String of Hearts are common, the variegated form remains relatively scarce. Grandma’s particularly full specimen with consistent variegation could fetch $75-150, especially since Colorado’s dry climate makes these succulent-like plants challenging to grow.
13. Philodendron Jose Buono
Massive cream-splashed leaves the size of dinner plates made this philodendron impossible to ignore. Grandma’s Colorado sunroom corner seemed designed specifically to showcase this botanical giant.
Large-leafed variegated philodendrons have skyrocketed in popularity among plant collectors. The Jose Buono’s striking cream variegation and impressive leaf size make mature specimens worth $300-600 in today’s market.
14. Hoya Carnosa Compacta Variegata
Commonly called Hindu Rope Plant, this twisted, curly specimen hung in Grandma’s Colorado bathroom for decades. The cream and green variegation made its already unusual rope-like leaves even more distinctive.
While standard Hindu Rope plants are relatively common, the variegated form remains sought after. Colorado plant collectors might pay $75-150 for a well-established plant like Grandma’s, which had developed the characteristic waxy flowers over years of care.