A British couple, Harry Langstaff and Amy Biffa, were astounded when they stumbled upon a rare monstera plant at a local branch of B&Q.
Originally priced at £24, the plant had been marked down to only £12. Little did they know, each leaf of the plant was actually worth £170 (approximately NIS 700), making it a hidden treasure.
Langstaff and Biffa, who are avid plant enthusiasts and run a small business called The Plant Couple, had been actively searching for unique plants to add to their collection. When they spotted the discounted monstera, they felt like they had hit the jackpot. Langstaff shared with The Sun, "When we first saw the plant sitting there, we just looked at each other and couldn't believe what we were seeing."
'I bought B&Q plant for just £12 - but its leaves are worth £170 each' https://t.co/NlMx5Gbkss
— The Scottish Sun (@ScottishSun) February 12, 2022
It appears the reason for the reduced price was a yellow coloration on the plant's leaves, which led the store staff to mistakenly believe it was diseased. However, the yellow hue actually indicated that it was an extremely rare variety of monstera called Aurea marmorata. Typically sold for £2,000 (around 9,000 shekels), the couple's find had extraordinary value.
Langstaff estimates that their plant is currently worth around £600, and they plan to sell each leaf for £170. He further explained that the plant needs multiple colored leaves to reach its highest value of £2,000.
For those interested in growing plants, Langstaff suggests examining the stem of a monstera to determine its rarity. If the stem exhibits streak marks, it signifies variegation, or the presence of different colors, which can increase its worth.
However, it is important to allow the plant to grow further to ensure it is not affected by disease. Lighter-leaved rare species are often less likely to survive as they absorb less light due to their whiter coloration.
Unfortunately, the chances of stumbling upon such a rare treasure in a local store are incredibly slim, according to Langstaff. He described the occurrence as "about one in a million."
A spokesperson for B&Q acknowledged the mistake but clarified that they prioritize selling top quality, more affordable houseplants rather than the rarest varieties.