Hidden among the knick-knacks and heirlooms of Grandma’s North Carolina home might be some genuine botanical treasures.
Those dusty plants sitting in her sunny windows or tucked away on porches across the Tar Heel State could actually be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars in today’s collector market.
Let’s explore twelve rare houseplants commonly found in North Carolina homes that might just be worth more than the china they’re sitting next to.
1. Pink Princess Philodendron
Back in the 1970s, these stunners were common in North Carolina homes before falling out of fashion. Now they’re commanding prices upward of $100 per leaf cutting due to their stunning pink variegation.
My grandmother had one tucked in her sunroom for decades, never knowing its value skyrocketed in recent years. Plant collectors from Charlotte to Asheville are hunting these beauties down.
The more pink on the leaves, the higher the value – some mature specimens with excellent coloration have sold for over $1,000 at specialty auctions.
2. Variegated Monstera Deliciosa
Fetching prices between $200-$5,000 depending on size and variegation pattern, these plants were sometimes passed between neighbors in mountain communities. The striking white patterns on their leaves make them collector’s dreams.
One elderly gardener in Wilmington told me she’s had hers since 1985, completely unaware it could pay for a new roof! The plant’s distinctive split leaves with cream-colored splotches are unmistakable.
During humid Carolina summers, these plants thrive and can grow impressively large, further increasing their market value.
3. Mature Fiddle Leaf Fig
Long before they became Instagram darlings, fiddle leaf figs graced many a Carolina sunporch. Decades-old specimens with thick trunks and multiple branches can fetch $500-$1,000 from collectors seeking established plants.
The oldest one I’ve seen belonged to a 92-year-old woman in Raleigh who’d nurtured it since the 1960s. Her six-foot beauty had survived multiple hurricanes and family relocations.
Unlike newly purchased plants, these vintage specimens have developed character and resilience to the specific climate patterns of the Southeast.
4. Spiral Variegated Hoya Compacta
Often referred to as “grandmother plants” across the Carolinas, these fascinating succulents with their rope-like twisted leaves can command $300+ for a small cutting when they show cream or pink variegation.
During a visit to my great-aunt’s home in Durham, I spotted one hanging in a macramé holder she made in the 1970s. The plant had grown so massive it wrapped around her entire bay window.
Their waxy flowers smell like chocolate when they bloom, making them both valuable and delightful additions to any plant collection.
5. Antique Christmas Cactus
Many North Carolina families have Christmas cacti that have been propagated for generations. Specimens over 50 years old with unusual flower colors like salmon, yellow, or white can sell for $200-$400 to collectors.
My grandmother’s Christmas cactus survived since 1943, flowering faithfully every December with rare peach-colored blooms. She started it from a cutting given to her as a wedding gift during wartime.
The gnarly, woody stems of these heirloom plants tell stories of decades of care and Carolina seasons gone by.
6. Thai Constellation Monstera
Occasionally found in the homes of retired botanists or university professors across North Carolina, these speckled beauties can fetch $200-$700 for a small plant. The cream-colored speckling resembles a starry night sky.
A retired Duke University biology professor in Chapel Hill had three massive specimens he’d acquired during research trips to Thailand in the 1980s. Each plant was worth more than most of his furniture!
Unlike other variegated plants, their unique coloration is stable and won’t revert to solid green, making them particularly valuable to serious collectors.
7. Philodendron Spiritus Sancti
Among the rarest plants in the world, this endangered philodendron occasionally appears in old Carolina homes, brought back by missionaries or military personnel who served in Brazil decades ago. Current market value? A staggering $5,000-$10,000.
A church in Greensboro had one growing in their office for 30 years, completely unaware of its value until a visiting botanist nearly fainted upon seeing it. The narrow, sword-like leaves make it distinctive.
With fewer than 1,000 specimens in cultivation worldwide, finding one is like discovering buried treasure.
8. Ming Aralia (Polyscias fruticosa)
Massive specimens of these feathery-leaved plants were popular in the 1960s across the Piedmont region. Aged plants with thick, gnarled trunks resembling bonsai can now command $300-$800 from collectors seeking that mid-century aesthetic.
The most impressive one I’ve encountered belonged to a retired textile worker in Kannapolis. Her 5-foot-tall specimen had been with her for over 40 years, surviving multiple factory closures and economic shifts.
Their intricate, lacy foliage brings a touch of elegance that newer cultivars simply can’t match.
9. Variegated ZZ Plant
Recently discovered in many older homes throughout the Carolinas, these plants feature striking white or yellow patterns on their normally green, glossy leaves. A single stem cutting can sell for $200-$400 to eager collectors.
While visiting a small town near the Outer Banks, I spotted one in a hardware store that had been there since the 1990s. The owner had no idea of its rarity until plant enthusiasts began offering substantial sums for cuttings.
Their drought tolerance made them perfect for Carolina beach houses where watering was often irregular.
10. Old-Growth Staghorn Fern
Mounted on wooden boards and hanging in screened porches across North Carolina, decades-old staghorn ferns have become collector’s items. Specimens over 20 years old can easily fetch $300-$1,000 depending on size.
My grandfather’s fishing buddy in New Bern had one that completely covered his porch wall – a magnificent specimen started in 1965. The plant had survived multiple hurricanes, including devastating Florence in 2018.
These dramatic plants with their antler-like fronds become family heirlooms, often outliving their original owners.
11. Vintage African Violet Collections
Complete collections of rare African violet cultivars were prized possessions for many Carolina women of a certain generation. Vintage varieties from the 1950s-70s with unusual coloration can now sell for $75-$200 each.
A retired schoolteacher in Winston-Salem maintained a collection of over 200 varieties, many no longer commercially available. Her basement growing room looked like a botanical archive of living history.
Names like ‘Carolina Blue Boy’ and ‘Tar Heel Queen’ reflect the local breeding programs that once flourished throughout the state.
12. Variegated String Of Hearts
Trailing from hanging baskets in many a Carolina sunroom, these delicate vines with heart-shaped leaves featuring pink and cream variegation can be worth $100-$300 for a full plant. Their cascading growth habit makes them particularly charming.
During a church potluck in Boone, an elderly woman mentioned she’d been growing hers since the 1970s, regularly giving cuttings as wedding gifts. Little did she know each cutting could fund a nice dinner out!
The plants thrive in our humid climate, often growing several feet long when properly cared for.