As an older lady who owns a "crusty Thanksgiving cactus" I'm just happy I've kept it alive and that it actually flowers. I didn't really get into this new plant craze, mostly because I know my limitations on keeping plants alive. It is fascinating to watch tho. I just hope that when the trends die down the plants are still alive or found a good home.
Thanksgiving cacti are just great. They don't need specialized care, they thrive under a lot of different conditions, they flower, they live long and you can get them for cheap. For me, that checks all the boxes.
I just inherited one from my grandmother and would be thrilled to see it bloom since it almost died after she passed away last year. I would have never bought one myself which makes it more special and less crusty to me
The main thing that stopped me from diving too deeply into rare plants was reminding myself that the plant could perish at any point, whether it be shipping or old age or my undue care. I would be paying a premium for something that could possibly rot or decline in transit, it is a lot of risk. I have also seen so many of my 2020 wishlist plants at now a fraction of their original price back then, so I did pick some up in the end, but at a much more budget friendly price.
Yes a lot of people buy a whipped creme brûlée with caramel sauce spirits sanctity as their first plant and just expect every thing to be peaches and cream.
At 60 and always have been a lover of plants. Just been watching this whole thing unfold and collapse in on its self. Great ! I remember so many philodendrons from the 70's that look just like the rare ones of today.
Plants don't change. It is of course the same plant as it is now as it has been since before humans. Trowing them because they are not popularitet anymore is a huge disrepect of life. Holly fuck this dude annoys me. It is living things.
I'm a reformed Plant Gay who's getting back into buying, and this video was timely because just last night I was telling my girlfriend my own version of why I dropped out of the "community" side of the plant collecting world. Thank you always for your humour but also EXTRA thank you for being above the BS/being into plants independent of impressing other people. It must be remarked that part of plant buying as a community is being able to show off to others, which is a sobering reminder. Extra extra points for pointing out the Victorian plant craze - we aren't so different despite centuries in between. You rock don't ever change xox
oh my goodness....your comment made my day. Lol. And probably completely unintentionally. I started your comment reading "I'm a reformed plant gay" and I'm thinking a wonderfully proud and flamboyant gay man walking around his home surrounded by beautiful rare tropical plants....and within the same sentence you talk about your girlfriend. Lol. Then I'm wondering "is this a plant GUY? Or why would being a plant gay be your decriptor? oh my goodness this comment is a roller coaster." sorry, I found this hilarious. 😂 But on a serious note, you are absolutely right. I was more of an outdoor gardener until this past year and the two communities are SO very different. Outdoor gardeners are all about sharing secrets and sharing the love of the hobby....houseplant collectors on the other hand, seemed much much different. I'm so glad that, at this point, I've found a lot f people who love the plants more than their status because of the plant but it was a rough start. Lol.
I started collecting plants heavily because of the pandemic as well. I bought up any plant that was new to me as soon as I saw it, to collect them all. It was def a cover for my spending problems. Once I figured that out, went through a horrible thrip outbreak, hated my plants, got rid of who I didn't really appreciate, I was able to then come out the other side loving plants again with my whole heart. I am much more thoughtful about growth pattern, color, of course environmental needs, and lastly but most importantly, money when getting new plants. I appreciate that you make content like this, hauls and talking about/planning to get wishlist plants just fuels the addictive part of my brain. Watching creators like you, Fern, and Becca who revisit their plants, dont make haul videos on the daily, set plant goals, talk about the science of plants, and discuss toxic parts of the hobby keep my head in the right game.
I relate very much to this. A little over half of my collection died after a bout of severe depression a few months back. I was over watering like there was no tomorrow and in the process, did not notice those little white, fuzzy MFers making themselves at home. I killed my massive jade pothos, marble queen, heart leaf philo and neon pothos. Yes, I killed the supposed plants that cannot be killed. It didn't help that I took up an interest in the "rare" BS plant craze and was hyper focused on keeping them alive. Anyways, the plague was a good thing as I gave up owning those rare little heffers and learned to stick with the basics.
"If you have the variegated obliqua nodes, you are the Britney Spears of the Spokane rare plant buy/sell/trade group." This entire video is a masterpiece lmfao
Yes, yes. Many of us are trying are best not to succumb to the addiction, but it takes patience to wait for the rare to show up at big box stores where a $75 dollar Pink Princess becomes a $20 one. A lesson learned.
Honestly sounds like a perfect storm for someone with ADHD. I'm glad my impulse buying with plants never crossed over into 'rare' things but it definitely was there. I could totally see folks like me getting hooked on the novelty of the new, cool rare thing. Especially if there's that added community aspect and rejection sensitivity always being a looming threat. It's a little embarrassing how much my wallet grew after getting diagnosed and treated. The part about asking oneself why we buy things? before my diagnosis I wouldn't have a real answer, now I have an extra little bubble of funds for when the ADHD tax strikes, and I bought something I just really needed at that moment.
I am a millennial with ADHD. I'm so glad I got into houseplants BEFORE 2020. I don't have rare plants, but some of v the plants I already had, like several $10 Hoya I bought from Walmart, became highly sought after. I couldn't believe the prices! Helped me to put things in perspective for sure!
OMG I wish you posted more. Lol. I started watching you when I started collecting. Your opinions and honest approach is always spot on! I've never purchased anything for over $40, no unstable verigation, no plants I don't love, and try to not get sucked in by the hype! You my friend...are a GEM 💎 ✨️
I got into this hobby because it’s essentially free. Cuttings from golden pothos plant someone left behind in an apartment when they moved: free Nursery pot from family members garage: free Enough potting soil for a 4” pot: free Honestly really preferred it when plants were not nearly as popular.
I really preferred aerobic respiration before it became popular, I think I'm going to go back to non-oxygen electron acceptors, even though it's less efficient. It will take me three weeks to climb a flight of stairs but I don't want to be lacking in hydrogen ions.
I got into plants last summer and if I've ever experienced a culture shock in the interwebs, finding out North American prices for plants people here in the Nordics literally trade for free without a second thought was a huge one of those. Like you can ask a price for a rooted plant, but not for a cutting you didn't put any work into. Unfortunately you can start to see the effects of the online plant community taking hold here too, and people do try. Anyway my 30 cm pink princess was 5 euros
I'll admit I dove right in about a year ago thinking I'll get some rare plants and possibly make some money, but my sister who has been into houseplants for over a decade reeled me in with almost exactly what you covered here, but with less syllables.
I am decidedly *not* a millennial (I'm almost 45), but like you, I've loved plants since I was little. I read my mom's houseplant encyclopedia cover to cover when I was 8 or 9. It's been interesting to watch the houseplant craze over the last few years. Very insightful video!
I was so glad you had something important to tell me after I paused the video to move to Ecuador. I was on the edge of my seat wondering how the video would end for the whole flight!
Purchased a mini obliqua peru in autumn for 60eur and each new leaf is a joy to watch unfurl. I'm happy new plants are being hyped as it means they are getting available and affordable at some point as opposed to some not categorised as rare that are difficult to find in Europe. The variegated string of tears was one of those difficult to find and it is every bit as fabulous as I expected it to be.
Greeting Nick from Melbourne Australia. You are so funny!! Yes "rare indoor " plants have indeed become hyperboles. If you are a plant person, the best plants you own are cuttings that you have from someone you love, because they remind you of them.
I turned 40 last year and the first plant I ever fell in love with was a Nertera Granadensis. I only ever knew it as the pin cushion plant. My mother had one when I was about 6 and she kept it on her sewing desk. I loved that little plant. For me it is “rare” but only because I can’t find it. That plant is the reason I started keeping plants in my 20’s. I have yet to find it. I’ve been watching your videos for a while and this is by far my favorite.
Feeling attacked as I was actively fawning over the first blooms of my single leaf prop African violet and also planning to experiment with a mix of my own compost and fine pine bark mulch for my houseplants (it's what I grow my container shrubs in). Thank you for making such thoughtful, funny, insightful and wise videos. My personal choke point (pun maybe intended) is to ask myself not if I want the plant, but if I want to take care of it. Coffee is on me ☕
This video, as all the others, is a masterpiece! Another aspect that I have fallen for is the "gambler mentality", like the feeling that I can make my money back and then some if I buy the plant when it's expensive and rare. It is a very dangerous game 😬 I convince myself that I'll come out even or even make money off of it.
I love LOVE your channel. And you have validated my plant buying method. I buy plants that are colorful, pretty (my opinion) and which I can keep alive with a tiny bit of common sense, and said plants need to be fairly cheap. (So if I do kill them I won't cry.) I did kill my coleus (2 of them) and my celosia (3 of them) that I bought in 2022 in September Walmart sale -- in less than 2 weeks. But I have revamped my idea of plants staying alive by daily drowning them in water -- and I have now bought 2 celosia & 3 coleus, this time from Lowes September sale, and after a month they are still alive. So I've already beat last years record! Thank you for your intelligent humor, and sharing your knowledge, I needed both!
I have had regular houseplants ie. Basic B houseplants for a long time. All of a sudden people wanted cuttings and I unfortunately got online. Thankfully I didnt make any crazy purchases, but I thought about it. I ended up with a couple uncommons to see how I would do. Ultimately, my favourite plant is my pearls and jade pothos, which I would be laughed out of the room at. Ultimately, it is showy and looks nice in the room because it has a nice shape to it, unlike the uncommon aroids. They are common/popular for a reason
Rare plants are only rare because #1 they are ugly, #2 they don't grow well or #3 they are hard to care for. People are just paying themselves and paying thousands of dollars.
@@phytosexual some of us don’t care about money though and if it’s a hobby that brings us great joy then we will spend whatever we have on it 😍 and more 🤩 life’s too short to give a **** about money or the price of things and plants give far more back than we pay for them if that’s what brings us joy, although that being said, I wouldn’t ever go for a ‘rare’ plant or a trendy plant (not that I’d know what one is 🤦🏽♀️ as I’m not a trendy person 🤪) but if I love it and it just so happens to fall into one of those categories so be it ~ as the gorgeous and perfectly neat little Japanese lady partly said, surround yourself with that which sparks joy and you’ll always be happy and in love 🥰😍❤️
… but I have seen those ikea cabinets 😱 wtf is that all about 😶 ffs 🤦🏽♀️ most of them look like f’kin monstrosity’s 😭 although I did see a single one that did look great but the plants would have looked even better outside of the confines of their prison
Jenna Marbles' plant tour is what got me into trying plants (besides your videos). It made me think that failure was an acceptable option. I didn't have to raise my arm for the "rare" plant bit but I did horribly over spend over the course of a weekend when I crashed headfirst into the plant hobby. I figured at least half would die (they didn't), and then I got more and more (still thinking that), so we went from nothing to full jungle. Luckily, I actually love this hobby long term, and it's not just an ADHD blip.
So much insight and information! I collect plants for myself, despite being encouraged to sell cuttings. I know the market is dropping faster than plants can grow to sell cuttings. It has to. It can’t stay artificially high with personal budgets suffering from current economic conditions. Love your videos and your sense of humor!
@@michelecooper2165 I love it when I have to make sense of meaningless reply in capital letters... You are being very mysterious. I suppose you suggest I didn't come for the comedy? So, you are also mysterious mind reader🤣🤣🤣
I love plants, rare or not, im actually really thrilled all those ‘rare’ plants are cheap now! It allows me to own an elephant ear with some gorgeous colours and a wonderful spread because theyre a ‘cheap gift’ for the plant lover!!
Another fantastic video. Totally agree. If I like a plant, I like a plant. I don’t care if it’s “rare” or trendy or whatever. The only “rare” plants that are important to me are the tropical fruit trees I’m growing indoors here in the snowy alps 🙃 I bought a PPP cutting for something like 8$ and people are like iT’s OvErHyPeD. And I’m like, but it makes me happy? And it cost me basically nothing? Just because I think it’s cute doesnt mean I’m willing to pay 150$ for it tho 😅 I stand by my African violets 😂 but I also stand by my monstera siltepecana and my Peru. Because they make me happy and don’t break the bank.
Nick, I always love your humour in these videos and your perspective on "rare" plants. My folks always kept some casual indoor plants and were big outdoor gardeners. I'd had a few succulents but really got into houseplants in 2015-2016 when I impulse bought a monstera on an especially crummy day. I am so, SO glad the "rare" plant nuttiness didn't come around until later because with my spending habits at that time, I absolutely would've wound up in this video having bought some $200 plant not realizing I was blowing my grocery budget. Happy to say I've got my finances in much better order with experience and a good ol' ADHD diagnosis a few years ago lol, but even so I was certainly TEMPTED by pretty pictures of absurdly priced houseplants. A few summers back, after being a fairly confident plant owner for a few years, a series of misfortunes (pests and issues caused by attempts to treat for said pests) decimated nearly my whole collection (iirc, four peace lilies, a monstera deliciosa, assorted little plants) at the time. I was absolutely DEVASTATED but also very very glad they weren't more expensive. This experience completely killed any lingering desires I had to spend more than maaaaaybe $30-40 on a single plant, and then only if it was large to begin with. Took me some time to settle in to what I wanted to get when rebuilding my collection, and I am quite happy with my "common" plants that grow huge easily and happily and won't cost me an arm and a leg if I ever need to replace them in the future. As it stands I've got a monstera from cuttings of the same original plant, two snake plants and a norfolk pine I got as gifts, a beautiful satin scindapsus, and multiple giant pothos of different varieties (my golden pothos I've had for less than a year and it grew six-nine feet in that time, so worth it). There's a few formerly-"rarer" plants I'd be interested in some day (philo micans, domino peace lily, neon philo cordatum come to mind) but I'd need more flat space or hanging locations and more grow lights to accommodate any more than I have rn anyways.
I know what you mean about the fragility of plants, I bought some expensive Hoyas only to watch them die from flat mites before I even knew i had them! Never heard of them before!
@nick Alexander you are fantasticly entertaining. You popped up in my recommendations and I love it. I hope you eventually do videos more often than just every couple months. I haven't been in the house plant sphere for long. I have gardened for YEARS outdoors and I have been SHOCKED at how different the two communities are. Lol. I've also been a bit perplexed by the plants that seem to be so popular...many are beautiful but others seem to sell only because everyone wants one. MY favorite indoor plant is the sensitive plant (essentially just a weed that pretends to die dramatically when u touch it) and I love it. Lol.
I love the way you speak! The most expensive plant I bought was 15.00. That was an expensive buy for me. I'm not a fan (at all) of variegated plants. I bought a sting of dolphins, because I thought it was such a cool looking plant, I had it for a little over a year, it died, don't know why. I've been I to plants since the 70's. I've pretty much stuck to the tried and true, golden pothos, spider plants, swedish ivy, etc. I commented a question to you almost 2 summers ago, about my avocado that I grew from a seed. The advice you gave me... "more sun", was exactly what it needed! It's now about 3 ft tall and beautiful! You're a youtuber I would absolutely love to meet and talk to. Thank you Nick, for your knowledge of plants and for always making me smile! You're awesome!
I loved this analysis. I love my plants, and earlier this year I was buying quite a bit. But I had a new home, new room to fill, and I wanted more than just my dogs to care for. Haven't gotten any in the past month though because... Well... I don't need duplicates and the ones I do want at some point are outside of my current budget. So... I'm content with what I have. I'm at 55 plants, a few I don't care that much about but got for super cheap, and my most expensive plant is my Monstera Albo cutting. I have refused to buy it because of the price. But got a cutting for $40 and it really actually gives me a lot of joy. Most of my plants I got because I actually like them. Some are "rare"... But I got them because I liked them. Not because they were rare. Same with the seeds I got for a veggie garden this year. Many are "rare" or other heirloom varieties, not because of the rarity, but because I think they're SO cool, and I want to try the different types of tomatoes and carrots. There is definitely excitement in getting something "exclusive", but if that's the only joy you find in it... That's just so fleeting. These are living beings (like your cat comparison) that require care and attention in order to stay alive and do well and can last decades, so why would you focus on such a fleeting emotion in what you choose to bring into your care?
I’m usually not one to comment on videos, but I feel the need to thank you for your content, humor and commitment to these videos. I haven’t laughed this honestly in a while, whilst also learning so many new things. I have binge watched almost all of your videos already and won’t stop until I’m done. Selfishly asking for more content at this point, I love it! You do you, you’re amazing ♥️
I wont tolerate this African Violet slander.....but at the same time, this slander keeps trailing wasp violets under $20 so keep at it I will also note I have never experienced such kindness than that of the local African Violet Society. Lots of very old ladies that just want to give you some leaves for a few paltry bucks. Very open to sharing the hobby. Better than 90% of the indoor plant community online.
I get a lot of people that reach out to me but most of it is random things off amazon I would never use or cheap grow lights and the latest one Temu, which is not happening. I'm happy to have received the babble sponsorship, im a little busy to learn French right now but it is one of my goals!
Another brilliant video that was worth the wait. I've only been keeping a larger collection for a couple years, but it's been interesting to recognize what I've bought because I really like it (and can keep it alive), and what I've bought under the influence of social media. These days I'm all about EASY to grow.
Not lying I like your plants- but YOU are the reason I tune in. I myself am an old lady so no offence when I say with innocent conviction….. I love you!!!🌿
Thank you! I’ve never paid more then $30 for any plant. The hunt, trade and gift of it all makes a plant all the more special in my heart. Great production and you always keep it fun! Thanks for the fresh video! 😊
Oh happy week! A new video from you AND the new season of the Mandalorian! Great job as always. For me, the plant craze really exposed me to so many more options. In love with Alocasia. I’m a GenXer and my mom was a plant person. I got that love from her, even though I lived a lie thinking Monstera Deliciosa was a Split Leaf Philodendron. 😢 On a serious note- WHERE THAT VARIEGATED OBLIQUA AT?!?!?!?! 🧞♂️🧚🏽🦄
You always make the best video essays on plants! The editing, the right humor, the information, and your vocabulary make you RARE! I can tell that you shot this video for days!
I needed this video in 2019/2020 when i got into plants but at the same time. I am glad i got into them and spent rediculous amounts of money on plants because it resulted in me having a better relationship with some of my family as they knew how to care for tropical plants whereas i still cannot take care of myself.
I've been into plants since I was a kid. The science is what interested me. Seeing plants with unique adaptations for survival. Carnivorous plants are one of my favourite "group" of plants to collect because of that. But on top of that, I like to see plants exist in a space. I've never been too fond of simply having a plant in a decorative pot on my windowsill, but rather putting them into a naturalistic terrarium, or making a specialized micro-climate for them to thrive in. When plants started to explode and all the biggest names, hashtags, and trends were just various aroids that have a 0.05% difference in the whiteness of veining on the underside of the leaf I just... I got turned away from it. I didn't lose my interest of plants, but I definitely felt a hostility from people by just mentioning that I liked X plant instead of Y. The dismissal of my interest, but then them injecting their new vine like it's not dying from a lack of chlorophyll was something else.
Imagine posting this video in the BST pages... I got sucked into the vortex as well, but thankfully am now walking away with my finacial ruin and 4-hour watering day everyweek lol To be honest, I still love plants, but right now I just care for the ones I truly enjoy and let others die.... Awesome video as always
The first video I saw of you today was one that was filmed on September 10th and today is September 10th, my birthday. I didn't hear from a single human soul today but I'm pretty sure the algorithm decided to gift me you for my birthday. Lol... I was like ***that guy is really pretty**** for the first few seconds and then your humor started and I have been watching your videos all day.
Your face is kind of like Jeremy Sisto back in the 90's. I wouldn't have thought about it but someone brought up the movie Hideaway just like yesterday. Don't do anything crazy now that I said that. ;P
One aspect of ‘rare’ houseplants I’d love to also see covered is this idea of rarity as a category covering plants that aren’t mass-grown. I recently bought an anthurium hybrid seedling that was £20. There were loads available and the cost, while arguably a lot for a seedling, is not into the hundreds or thousands. It’s still conceived within a ‘rare’ houseplant space, but is perhaps more aptly described as small-scale growing even though arguably hard to come by on a global scale!
The eff, kid?! Your videos are so good in kinda miffed you don't upload every day. Seriously though, you've got the nak. You're the only plant person on RU-vid that seems to know hoyas can take full sun.
Man I've been kicked out of plant groups because I said it was dumb AF to pay $100 plus for a PPP leaf with hardly any pink and look! A year later I just bought a gorgeous PPP from a local nursery for $10 on clearance. Craziness. My plant hoard is defiantly stressful.
Well you have one Right leaning fan at least. I like your snarky sense of humor and you're pretty down to Earth. You've given me some great advice too. I've been subscribed for quite a while. You're one of those channels that I click as soon as I see the thumbnail, because I know that I am about to enjoy myself. Thank you for what you do.
I enjoyed watching this video, mostly because you’re not shouting at super fast speed while singing, not talking, about nothing much at all ~ I appreciate your calmness and monotonous and soothing voice and even though you could be talking about anything, I enjoyed what you were talking about as well, although it’s nothing new as people have always been living under the guise that they’re not people but subjects of someone else’s ideas and as such spend their time trying to live up to someone’s else’s idea of who they are 😮 shocking but not shocking as it’s always been a thing for many people, yet they’re just another plant in the soil trying to make their way towards to light 🌟
“… new sentence.” - Leaning heavily into your inner Virginia Woolf. 😊 Oh my gosh, how capacious becomes the time and space between YOUR videos - wherein reactivated plant acquisition “self-soothing” and late-night alchemical manifestations of $80 batches of aroid soil do so little to reinstate my sanity. Oh, how we’ve missed you Nick!! Thanks for another superbly entertaining and informative video (stroke, stroke: yes, like upon a cat, or gloriously long hair, or P. serpens petioles)!! As you suggest… plant frenzy and #friends-y has become an amplifier of deeper psychological and social issues. My hundreds of plants attest to a waxing and waning that has little to do with the moon but sounds a lot like lunacy. All the best to you, Nick. To us all.
The only video I think I've ever seen where you can watch the sun come up! Love your videos Nick. I missed the whole rare plant thing of 2020 and 2021and I'm pretty sad about it. Been growing plants since the 70's (way before the term "collector") but I must say that in the last year I have given myself authority to buy some previously monikered "rare" plants and feel like I'm getting a bargain. So maybe it's not so bad to have missed all the hoopla.
Yeah, don't worry, you didn't miss anything much! Except the trend of people calling regular old mature pothos "very rare GIANT HAWAIIAN!!!" and selling it for $70 a cutting
