The rise of imported plants: Plantitos and Plantitas in search of the most-coveted plants
The plant craze in the Philippines continues to heat up, as various suppliers are now importing exotic and rare plants that fetch astronomical prices just to accommodate the seemingly insatiable local demand.
Some of these rare exotica, which come from the Netherlands and other parts of Europe, have now found their way into the hands of many well-heeled local collectors.
Plants have long been objects of desire even before the COVID-19 pandemic made them a conduit for solace to plant owners, old and new.
But as many were hemmed in their homes due to the lockdown, many turned to plants as a form of escapist outlet to help lift one's spirit and reconnect with nature.
As the demand for greenery continues to soar, owning and caring for plants have gone beyond being just considered therapeutic for plant parents during the pandemic, as some have upped their plant game by being on the hunt for the most coveted and rare kinds.
In the late 2020, the spread of the “plantdemic” (or the time when people have discovered their love for plants and gardening during the pandemic) has alarmed the authorities as the low supply and high demand for one-of-a-kind plants have resulted into jacked up prices, a wave of plant thefts, and even plant poaching.
By searching social media pages and websites of local plant sellers, one will notice that many of them are currently selling plants from Europe, with some even having a dedicated corner in their site for these plants. These plants, no matter how expensive they are, fly off the shelves quickly and are most of the time sold out.
With a tropical country like the Philippines having an abundance of plants to choose from, why are plant parents now turning to imported plants to add to their growing collection?
Plants seller Reymark Lacanglacang said that customers now want something different after going through the local plants during the pandemic.
“We have to offer new and good quality plants. That’s one of the reasons why these European plants are a hit with our plant lover customers,” Lacanglacang, owner of Seven Heaven plants and landscaping services, told PhilSTAR L!fe.
As a plant collector since 2016, Wild Plants Studio PH owner Heidi Laurel said plants from Europe are easy to take care of. “I’ve never seen plants as lush as the European plants. You could say they are ‘ready for display’ plants because they arrive in their optimal health and some, even in their matured form already. They just need a little TLC to keep them happy.”
Plant Shoppe PH owner Ria David said that rarity is one of the pulls of the imported plants trend, as some much-sought-after plants aren’t available in the market anymore after being mostly acquired by local collectors.
Where in Europe do these plants come from?
Upon checking online plant stores, imported plants being offered come from EU countries including Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Italy. But the most popular among sellers are plants from the Netherlands, known for being one of the leaders in agricultural innovation that is geared towards sustainability.
Numerous plant growers and greenhouses in the Netherlands produce billions of euros worth of flowers and plants each year, which are exported to over 120 countries worldwide.
Its climate-controlled farms are able to produce tropical plants that are popular among collectors, including Monstera Borsigiana Albo, Variegated Billietiae, Philodendron Nangaritense and Anthurium Regale.
What makes these plants from Europe expensive?
Aside from customs duties and taxes, and the law of supply and demand, what makes these plants coming from Europe expensive is related to the time and resources needed to cultivate them.
“The market value is high because it takes a lot of time and resources to grow the plants,” said Laurel, whose store carries plants from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Denmark.
In Laurel’s store, the most sought-after plants are priced from P6,000 for the 20-cm Pilea Peperomoides Mojito, to P85,000 for the popular Monstera Borsigiana Albo.
Meanwhile, Lacanglacang sells plants from the Netherlands that start from P1,500 for a pot of Manjula Pothos, to P95,000 for a three-foot Monstera Borsigiana Albo with 10 to 15 leaves.
For David, who sources her plants from Sweden and the Netherlands, her store offers Monsterra Albo that starts at P30,000 and Variegated Billietiae that starts at P200,000.
Laurel, Lacanglacang and David all believe that plants from Europe are “not that expensive” and “reasonably priced” if one considers the time and effort associated with growing them.
Laurel also said that one of the things that makes these plants’ prices steep are the paperwork needed for them to be exported out of Europe. “These plants have passports and phytosanitary certifications. It’s like each plant has its own identity; they’re really special.”
All plants that are coming from the European Union are required to have plant passports, which contain essential information like the origin of the plants, details of the producer, ISO code of the EU member state, and traceability code.
How do these plants acclimate?
One of the concerns of plant parents when they eye imported plants is how these plants adjust to the weather in the Philippines, given the obvious difference of our country’s weather from Europe.
Since the plants are grown inside climate-controlled farms that mimic the climate of their countries of destination, sellers are concerned about the plants getting stressed. After a long flight, it is said that it usually takes a week for these plants to adjust.
Laurel said different kinds of plants have different needs so it is important that she constantly communicates with her partner farms in Europe for help in mimicking the previous environments that the plants were previously used to.
“The most important thing is we let the plants rest, we do not move them as much as possible. We also study each plant’s needs in terms of light, water, food and humidity.”
Lacanglacang, for his part, said that when the plants arrive in the Philippines, they are immediately removed from the packaging in order to have good air flow, then placed in a cool environment for recovery.
David, who said she has not experienced issues with plants’ acclimatization process, shared with PhilSTAR L!fe, “Plants are tougher than we think. They just need proper TLC.” She keeps the plants in an ICU (intensive care unit) greenhouse to help them with the transit and transplant shock acclimatization.
Plants from Europe continue flying off the shelves and there are no signs of slowing down as more and more enthusiasts hunt for the most rare, much-coveted plants for their collection.
Some of the most sought-after imported rare plants in the market today include:
Monstera Borsigiana Albo
Monstera plants have been a favorite for the tropical jungle feel they give to a space. Among the rare and most sought-after Monsteras is the Monsterea Albo Variegata Borsigiana as the chances of producing its variegated seed is 1 in 100,000.
Sellers sometimes sell it per cutting/node, which could go for more than P10,000. The more leaves it has, the more expensive it gets.
Monstera Obliqua
Monstera Obliqua is considered as a “unicorn plant” because of its rarity. Experts and plant enthusiasts say that Monstera Obliqua is so rare that if one sees it readily available online, there’s a huge possibility that the one being sold is the similar-looking relative Monstera Adansonii.
Monstera Obliqua, which is mainly found in Costa Rica, Peru and along the Amazon and other parts of South America, grows extremely slower. If in its natural habitat, it only pushes between 30 to 70 leaves between 12 and 18 months.
Philodendron Spiritus Sancti
It has been said that the Philodenron Spiritus Sancti is so rare that only a handful of it are left in the wild. Experts believe that there is more of it in cultivation than in the wild. The Spiritus Sancti, which can be found in Brazil, could fetch almost P600,000. Because it is rare, the Spiritus Sancti is sometimes sold auction-style, which could further hike up its price.