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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Neil Shaw

Lidl, Aldi or B&Q could be selling rare plants worth thousands

Plants you pick up in supermarkets or DIY chains for a few pounds could turn out to be worth thousands, according to reports.

Shops like Lidl and Aldi usually have a stand full of plants outside while many people go to B&Q to pick up an inexpensive pot or houseplant. But shoppers are being warned to watch out for unusual varieties which could sell for thousands.

Common varieties of plant can be picked up for £5 or £10 with your weekly shopping - but if they have unusual markings you could go on to sell them online for thousands. These are the plants to watch out for, according to MyLondon

Variegated Monstera Deliciosa

The Monstera Deliciosa is more commonly known as a Swiss Cheese plant because of the holes in its leaves.

And while a regular green plant will set you back a few pounds, a variegated Monstera is very rare.

This version has white markings on their stems and leaves, occasionally putting out a whole white leaf.

Because the signs can be subtle in young plants, shops can sometimes mix them up with the plain variety and sell them for next to nothing

Just a cutting can sell for between £65 and £150 on plant websites, and one seller on Etsy had a stem listed for £4,562.18.

MyLondon also spotted a single five-inch stick being sold on Facebook Marketplace for £1,399.

Variegated Monstera Adansonii

A regular Monstera Adansonii can develop white spots that cause shops to sell them for cheap.

But these spots are easily confused with the beginnings of variegation, which has the same telltale white stripes on the stem as the Deliciosa.

A variegated Adansonii is a rare find and not to be confused with a sick plant.

Listings on Esty start at £200, going up to as much as £1,533.39 for a single leaf.

On Ebay, the most expensive variegated Adansonii for sale is listed at £3,699.

Philodendron White Princess or White Knight

With over 400 species of Philodendron in the world, shops might struggle to differentiate between them.

And just like the Monsteras, there is a Philodendron with white leaves is worth more than a regular plant.

The Philodendron White Princess and White Knight look very similar, with glossy green leaves with white lines that might be mistaken for disease or damage by clueless shops.

We spotted some shops selling them online for £40, while others are stocking them for £120.

On Etsy, these are listed for as much as £4,216.82 for a White Knight and the White Princess is on sale on various sites for roughly £400.

Pink Princess Philodendron

The Pink Princess Philodendron or PPP is very similar to the White Knight and White Princess, but has pink variegation instead of white.

It can take a while for it to show as more than a shadow on a baby plant, hence the potentially low price.

A mature plant can be sold online for around £20 but some sellers are listing them on Etsy for a far heftier £2,228.

Monstera Obliqua

The fragile leaves on the Monstera Obliqua plant can be mistaken for pest damage.

But a genuine Obliqua is amongst the most sought after plants by enthusiasts.

We found a single leaf selling on a garden website for £15 while on Etsy, prices can go as high as £1,590.

On eBay, the most expensive price was £1,250 a small plant was listed at as much as £1,000 on Facebook Marketplace.

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