5 rare new plants hitting the market in 2022

The beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 saw the rise in many popular trends (lest we not forget the sourdough craze) including a huge rise in demand for rare tropical plants from Asia. Nearly 2 years down the line, large houseplant nurseries and growers have begun to catch up with the high demand for these plants by collectors and we’re starting to see them slowly entering cultivation to become more widely accessible and affordable.

Here are 5 popular rare houseplants which we will see available to buy from houseplant retailers for the first time this year.

Epipremnum aureum ‘Global Green’

This bright and striking pothos is one of the newest plants that I’ve seen hit the market this year and one that I predict will become very popular and widely stocked around the UK.

Previously, this fast-growing pothos could only be purchased from garden centres and plant stores within North America due to it being patented by Costa Farms, Florida, who were the only ones allowed to propagate and grow this plant legally. This has changed recently though, with my guess being that Costa Farms has extended propagation rights to a grower in the Netherlands to supply Europe with.

This pothos is very easy and fast to grow which I think will make it a huge success with buyers looking for a hassle-free and eye-catching trailing plant. Due to it’s all-green colouration, it can grow in various different lighting conditions compared to some other pothos (although the more light the better) and is very drought tolerant.

Syngonium podophyllum ‘Panda’

Syngonium ‘Panda’ is another exciting variety of syngonium to hit the UK market this year. It has the same sized and shaped leaves as other common syngonium podophyllum varieties such as the white and pink variegated versions. For this variety, the leaves have lighter lime coloured veining and speckled patches of variegation in the same style as Syngonium ‘Confetti’.

While this plant has been in the hands of private collectors for a few years now, it should fairly accessible to buy from retailers by the Spring this year for Syngonium collectors looking for something more unusual to add to their collection.

Anthurium crystallinum

We’re starting to see some rare aroids that become highly sought after from Asia in 2020 becoming widely accessible and affordable this year for the first time, with Anthurium crystallinum being one of the most notable.

This striking aroid has large heart-shaped leaves and light silvery veining which is characteristic of anthuriums and similar to the well-loved Anthurium clarinervium (and might even replace it in popularity). In addition to their beautiful foliage, these plants will happily grow inside without any specialist care which makes them very ideal for a hobbyist looking to delve into more unusual aroids.

Philodendron billietiae

Another highly sought after aroid that has hit cultivation in Europe is one of the most famous rare Philodendrons of them all, the Philodendron billietiae! These large aroids are certainly unique due to their bright orange petioles and distinct long leaves which can grow up to 3 feet in length.

Previously just found in the hands of private philodendron collectors, this plant should become much more affordable and accessible this year which is great news for those who have been eyeing one up for a while! As we’re seeing a higher demand and growth in popularity for large leaved plants such as these, I expect to see more large species  of Philodendron becoming available from growers in Europe this year.

Monstera borsigiana aurea vareigata

Now I'm sure that you’ve heard of the variegated monstera (Monstera deliciosa albo variegata), but did you know that a rarer and more expensive yellow variegated version exists?

While still maintaining a very high price tag, this stunning variegated Monstera has made the first signs of working its way onto the houseplant market this year through cultivation. This means that we may start to see it more widely available to buy for the first time from retailers and may even be able to see one in person if we’re lucky!  Although the white variegated version will undoubtedly retain its place as no.1, this once unicorn of a houseplant may start to become a little more widely found and grown within the UK.