Because of the eye-catching variegation that can appear on its leaves, Monstera ‘Albo’ is a sought-after item in the world of house plants.
This variation in the Monstera ‘Albo’ stems from a spontaneous mutation that changes how much chlorophyll (green) is present in the leaves.
Marbling (mixed patterns of the light and green parts), sectoral (huge areas of light), or a combination of the two are all examples of variation.
What makes Monstera ‘Albo’ so costly? Because Monstera ‘Albo’s colour results from a spontaneous mutation that cannot be safely handed down through seeds, it is pricey. Even cuttings don’t always successfully reproduce the same variegation. This plant also grows slowly, is in high demand, and has a little supply.
In houseplants, striking white or yellow variegation is highly sought. The plant is genuinely under stress as a result of its coloring.
Because there is no chlorophyll in particular areas of the leaves, photosynthesis, which is how plants get their energy, cannot occur.
Therefore, part of what makes this plant difficult to grow and manage is also what makes it so coveted.
Monstera Albo is it rare?
The multicolored Monstera is even more well-liked. leaves that are white-green. There are a few different variegated varieties, the most remarkable of which is the Monstera Delisioca ‘Albo-Variegata’. However, they are both pricey and extremely rare. Beginning in 2020, a botanist spent thousands of dollars on a Swiss cheese plant, which triggered an internet bidding war.
Why Are They So Hard To Find?
The white-variegated Monstera Deliciosa Albo Variegata is not an exception to the rule that plants with white variegation are typically more delicate than their green cousins. They photosynthesize far less as a result of producing less chlorophyll. Growing them takes time and expertise, in addition to being slow. A unique plant like this is going to be hard to obtain, and if you do find it, it will cost you because of the extremely high demand!
The Most Expensive House Plant in the World
After a furious online bidding war amongst botanists for the monstera, a Swiss cheese plant went for almost $5,000. By the time the sale for the Monstera Deliciosa Albo Variegata on the New Zealand website Trade Me ended, there had been 182 bids.
The sale brought in $4,930 for Kiwi botanist Jessica, who buys and sells plants as a hobby, making it the highest amount ever paid for a Monstera on the website. Jessica’s writing
“There’s no need to request pictures of the mother plant because THIS IS IT! I’ve never seen one that is so established and well-rooted before.”
Monsteras are Everywhere
It appears as though you cannot open a fashion magazine or visit a fashionable location without seeing Monsteras and, thus, desiring one. Yes, it’s a lovely plant, and nowadays, everyone enjoys having a lush, exotic indoor plant. It is an amazing, spreading, simple-to-grow, and generally low-maintenance plant called Monstera deliciosa ‘Albo Variegata.
There are many sellers can be located on Facebook as well. For instance, from Peace of Aloha Co.
“One of my personal favorites that I’ve been cultivating for a while and have just finished propagating more than 100 of. I spent $650 on my first plant, and over time, it produced a ton for me. This cultivar yields lovely variegated leaves with white coloring marbling. The artwork on those leaves is never the same.”
Where are the origins of Monstera Albo?
Are you a die-hard admirer of monsteras and eager to expand your collection of plants with the amazing variegated monstera?
If you’re not yet aware with them, Monstera is a genus that includes 22 species and is primarily cultivated for its attractive leaves. The name “Monstera” alludes to its enormous size, which can exceed 30 feet! Not to mention the outrageous costs.
Because of the fenestrations, or holes, in its leaves, it is also sometimes referred to as the Swiss cheese plant. It’s indigenous to the tropical jungles of Southern Mexico and Central America.
Why do variegated plants cost more money?
Essentially, variegated plants require more light than completely green plants and often grow much, much slower since they have less surface area to photosynthesise with and make the sugars they need for development and repair. This is the reason they are currently so expensive and in high demand! A plant develops more slowly and takes longer to propagate the stronger the variegation.
When it develops, plants with strong variegation have a major evolutionary disadvantage over fully green plants because they cannot photosynthesise as effectively. Strong variegation is a rare occurrence in nature. The variegated plants you see online fetching exorbitant prices are all cultivated, which means that human beings have developed them using vegetative propagation to preserve the variegated coloring.
What Monstera has the highest price tag?
Variegated Monstera plants can fetch hundreds of dollars, with cuttings alone frequently fetching $100 or more. The Adansonii Variegata, which sold for $38,000, was the most expensive variegate Monstera ever sold.
Another extremely rare Monstera Adansoni sold for $700 on the well-known auction site Trade Me, and a Monstera Aurea sold for $3,726.
According to Dan Bruce, “Variegated plants have grown in popularity over the last few years, in part because houseplant collectors are always looking for something different, and in part because they are quite uncommon and attractive.”
Variegated monstera prices have skyrocketed in part as a result of rising demand for the slow-growing plant, which has put pressure on supply. Because the leaves lack chlorophyll, it requires more light and develops more slowly.
What should the price of a Monstera Albo be?
Albo Borsigiana and Thai Constellation are the two most prevalent varieties of variegated Monstera. While they could appear similar at first glance. Their care, development, accessibility, and cost will all be impacted by some obvious distinctions.
It will be easier for you to choose which one to have in your house if you are aware of the distinctions between Albo and Thai.
Mutationnatural vs. tissue culture
It is a naturally occurring mutation in Monstera Albo Borsigiana that first leads to variegation. There once was a normal, green M. Borsigiana whose cells began to spontaneously mutate in a way that caused those cells to stop producing chlorophyll. In the Monstera’s stem, these mutant cells proliferate and are transferred to the subsequent leaf.
The only cells with this spontaneous mutation are white cells. Monstera Albo seeds won’t develop into variegated progeny. Only a cutting from a mother plant can produce a new variegated Monstera Albo.
The genesis of the Monstera Thai Constellation is distinct. It was produced via tissue culture in a lab in Thailand. In this subspecies, every cell of the plant carries the mutation that results in the variegation.
The forms soldcuttings vs. plant.
Almost typically, Monstera Albo Borsigiana is marketed as a clipping from a mother plant. Because Albos take so long to mature, it is uncommon to see one for sale; instead, nurseries prefer to sell cuttings because they are more profitable. If you do locate an adult Albo for sale, it will probably cost a lot of money.
Normally, immature plants of Monstera Thai Constellation are offered for sale. Due to its production in the lab, it can be grown and sold in this manner. Small plants grown from tissue cultures are then sold after being potted up in soil. Due to their immaturity, these baby plants will initially have smaller leaves and may not have any fenestrations.
The variegation pattern & stability
Beautiful variegation can be seen on Monstera Albo Borsigiana. Its leaves exhibit white marbling and spots of green color. There will be variations between every leaf.
This pattern of variegation is unstable as a result of its natural mutation. Albo Monsteras can switch back to producing either green leaves or completely white, chlorophyll-free leaves. These stunning, all-white leaves are quite stressful for the plant and will be the first to wither.
The mutant cells found in the stem and leaf node are what cause the albo’s leaves to be variegated. Even within the same plant, this might vary significantly. The color of each leaf will depend on the color of the leaf before it. You can anticipate how much white and green will be on the subsequent leaf by observing the growth and variegation of your Albo.
To sustainably balance beauty and photosynthesis, too much white or too much green in new growth on your Monstera Albo will need to be cut back.
The Albo’s variegation pattern is not seen on Monstera Thai Constellation. The surface of all Thai leaves is covered with tiny creamy spots that look like constellations. The light areas are more of a creamy color than a blinding white. Compared to Albo, Thai Monsteras have fewer and smaller sectoral variations (those big, white patches).
Additionally, Thai Monsteras have substantially more consistent variegation. All of the cells in the plant have the mutation because they were created in a lab. You don’t need to be concerned about your Thai Monstera going back to having only green leaves.
The variation is unpredictable even if it is stable. There is neither an advance nor a regression of white or green leaves from one leaf to the next.
Inter-nodal spacing
The distance between nodes along the stem is referred to as inter-nodal spacing. Thai and Monstera Albo are significantly dissimilar in this regard.
The leaf node on Monstera Albo Borsigiana can grow up to 34 inches long (10 cm). This indicates that the leaves are farther apart.
Due to its more vine-like appearance and growth, Monstera Albo may not appear as lush and verdant as it once did. Using anything like a moss pole will be necessary for this type to climb.
It is also incredibly simple to take cuttings thanks to this longer leaf node. With pruning shears, there is plenty of room to reach inside.
One inch or less is the minimum internodal spacing for Monstera Thai Constellation (23 cm). As a result, the Thai Monstera seems extremely dense, bushy, and luxuriant. However, since there isn’t much place for the scissors, cuttings are more difficult to make as a result.
Leaf size
A slightly smaller subspecies of M. Deliciosa is known as Monstera Borsigiana. The width of its leaves is less than a foot (30 cm).
However, Thai Constellation has considerably larger, more typical Monstera-like leaves.
Rarity
Thai Constellation is substantially more common than Monstera Albo Borsigiana. It can only be created through cuttings, as opposed to Thai, which is cultivated in a lab for commercial production. Albo also grows more slowly than Thai, which extends the period between cuttings.
Thai Monsteras are still difficult to find. They are only made in one lab, and they can only make a certain number at once.
Pricing
Monstera Albo Borsigiana is typically more expensive than Thai Constellation due to their scarcity and high demand.
In some locations, a cutting of Monstera Albo can be purchased for $100 USD; some dealers charge more depending on the cutting’s size. A young plant will cost around $800 USD, while a mature plant would cost over $1,000 USD to purchase.
A young Monstera Thai Constellation will cost between $150 to $700 USD at the time of this publication, which is less than a Monstera Albo of the same size. Additionally, mature Thai constellations can fetch over $1,000 USD. Although less frequent, cuttings of this kind are not unheard of.
That is a lot of data to keep in mind! For an easy and quick comparison, see the following graph:
What is the growth rate of Monstera Albo?
The Monstera Albo is one of the species that grows the fastest among the variegated variations. In ideal circumstances, an Albo plant that is strong, developed, and established can grow one to two feet per year and produce new leaves every few months.
Although Albo don’t grow nearly as quickly as ordinary Deliciosa, they are nevertheless pleasing to watch as new leaves unfold and can enlarge significantly in just a year. Of course, this assumes that all of their requirements for light, water, nutrients, and humidity are met.
How often do Monstera Albo grow new leaves?
An Albo generates one leaf per growth node monthly on average (in a prime growing environment). Your plant will sprout more leaves as it gets bigger since it will have more growth points.
This could take longer if all of its demands aren’t being addressed, such as if your Albo could definitely use a little more light or fertilizer. However, it’s not an exact science how quickly your Monstera will produce new leaves, so don’t be alarmed if it seems like things aren’t progressing as quickly as you had hoped.
Similar to that, I implore you not to spend your entire waking day gazing carefully at your brand-new Monstera Albo’s node for growth.
Thai Constellation
A kind of Monstera with variegated leaves known as Thai Constellation was created genetically in laboratories using tissue culture. The variegation on this plant is referred to as steady.
The plant is filled with the altered cells. It will grow in this way, so you won’t need to prune the stems to maintain the variegation.
The all-over variation looks like stars in the night sky (which is why the name is so fitting).
Even though the variegation is thought to be stable, it is essentially unpredictable, thus you never know what kind and how much variegation will be present when new leaves grow.
Albo
Albo variegation is a genetic mutation that happens spontaneously and is unstable because of this.
This means that in order to maintain the desired white tone, you must remove any non-variegated new growth.
The only way to recreate the Albo’s variegation, which is a result of a natural genetic mutation, is to clip stems at nodes where there are a lot of the altered cells.
This also indicates that if the Albo is not properly cared for or given ideal growing conditions, it may become completely green again.
As a result, it’s a good idea to check the precise cutting you’ll be getting if you’re purchasing an Albo (online or in person).
While some leaves have larger chunks or areas of the white variegation, others may have more whisps of color. The remaining leaves will grow in according to whatever is present on the cuttings.
Never use too much of one color—always keep a great balance of green and white throughout.
If you don’t remove the new green leaves, it will eventually go back to its original state since there is too much green.
If there is too much white, the plant will keep producing white leaves. This plant will eventually be unable to sustain itself on the sun’s energy due to the lack of chlorophyll and will gradually wither away.
Do you currently have a thing for uncommon variegated plants? The Pink Princess Philodendron has been spotted, right?