Virginia homes sometimes hide unexpected treasures, especially in Grandma’s plant collection. These rare houseplants have a charm and value that make them worth noticing.
They tell stories and brighten spaces in ways ordinary plants can’t. Here are 13 rare varieties Virginia gardeners might want to explore.
1. Variegated Monstera Deliciosa
With leaves that look like someone splashed white paint across them, this tropical beauty has become wildly expensive. A single cutting in Virginia can sell for over $200 if the variegation is strong and stable.
Grandma probably started hers decades ago when nobody cared about variegation. Now collectors hunt these plants like treasure, and she’s sitting on a goldmine without knowing it.
2. Philodendron Pink Princess
Bright pink splashes on dark green leaves make this philodendron a showstopper that plant enthusiasts obsess over. Finding one with balanced coloring can cost you anywhere from $100 to $400 depending on size.
Many Virginia grandmas grew these before the internet made them famous. They just thought it was a pretty houseplant, not realizing collectors would eventually pay premium prices for even small cuttings.
3. Hoya Carnosa Compacta
Twisted, rope-like leaves give this hoya its nickname and make it instantly recognizable to plant lovers everywhere. Mature plants with trailing vines can fetch between $50 and $150 in Virginia’s growing plant market.
Your grandmother might have one hanging in her kitchen window, completely unaware it’s become trendy. The waxy flowers smell like chocolate when they bloom, which is why she’s kept it around for years.
4. Anthurium Clarinervium
Heart-shaped leaves with bold white veins look almost too perfect to be real, like nature’s own artwork. Collectors pay $80 to $300 for mature specimens because they’re notoriously slow growers and somewhat difficult to find.
Grandma’s anthurium in Virginia probably came from a friend’s cutting years ago. She’s been watering it faithfully, never imagining that her patience created something valuable enough to sell online.
5. Alocasia Frydek
Velvety leaves with dramatic white veins create an almost hypnotic pattern that’s hard to ignore once you notice it. This alocasia variety sells for $40 to $150, depending on how many leaves it has and overall health.
Virginia’s humid summers actually help these plants thrive, which is why grandma’s specimen looks so lush. She probably doesn’t realize younger plant parents struggle to keep theirs alive in drier climates.
6. Begonia Maculata
Silver polka dots scattered across green leaves make this begonia look like it belongs in a fairy tale garden. Well-established plants command prices between $30 and $100, especially if they’re actively blooming with pink flowers.
Grandmothers in Virginia have been growing these for ages, long before Instagram made them famous. She might have several pots on her porch, casually propagating what others desperately search for online.
7. Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma
Often mistaken for a baby monstera, this fast-growing climber develops split leaves that make it incredibly popular. Prices range from $25 to $80, with longer vines commanding higher amounts from eager buyers.
Your Virginia grandma might have this trailing from a bookshelf, completely unaware it’s called a mini monstera now. She just knows it grows like crazy and looks cheerful in her living room.
8. Scindapsus Pictus Exotica
Silvery splashes on heart-shaped leaves give this plant a shimmery appearance that catches light beautifully throughout the day. Mature hanging baskets sell for $40 to $100, especially when the foliage is full and healthy.
Many grandmas in Virginia have had these hanging in bathrooms for years, enjoying the easy care. They’d be surprised to learn people now trade cuttings online like they’re precious commodities worth serious money.
9. Syngonium Albo Variegatum
Creamy white sections mixed with green create stunning contrast on arrow-shaped leaves that change as they mature. Variegated syngoniums can sell for $50 to $200, depending on how much white appears on each leaf.
Grandma’s syngonium in Virginia might be sprawling across a plant stand, completely undervalued in her eyes. She probably just likes how it fills space and doesn’t require much attention to stay gorgeous.
10. Calathea White Fusion
Leaves striped with white, green, and purple make this calathea one of the most stunning prayer plants available. Healthy specimens fetch $60 to $200 because they’re notoriously finicky and demand high humidity to thrive.
If your Virginia grandma has one thriving, she’s basically a plant wizard without even trying. Most people struggle with these, but she’s probably had hers for years in her naturally humid sunroom.
11. Philodendron Birkin
White pinstripes on deep green leaves create a sophisticated pattern that looks hand-painted by an artist. These philodendrons sell for $30 to $80, with fuller plants commanding higher prices from enthusiastic collectors.
Grandma might have received hers as a gift in Virginia and just kept it alive without fuss. Now it’s worth money, but she probably values it more for the memories than any potential profit.
12. Monstera Adansonii Variegata
Holes in the leaves combined with white variegation make this monstera variety extremely sought after by serious collectors. Single cuttings can sell for $100 to $500, depending on how stable and prominent the variegation appears.
Your grandma in Virginia might have propagated this from a friend decades ago, before variegation became trendy. She’s been enjoying it quietly while the plant world went absolutely wild over these exact specimens.
13. Philodendron Gloriosum
Enormous velvety leaves with bright white veins crawl along the soil rather than climbing, creating a unique growth habit. Established plants sell for $70 to $250 because they grow slowly and require patience to reach impressive sizes.
Many Virginia grandmothers have nurtured these for years, giving them the time and care they need. She probably didn’t realize her slow-growing beauty would become a status symbol in modern plant collecting circles.