My Plant Wishlist: The Ones I'm Still Hunting

Every plant person has one: the wishlist. The plants you've been researching for months, spotted in someone else's shelfie, or been quoted an absolutely ridiculous price for at a garden center. Here are mine.

Monstera Thai Constellation

The variegated Monstera that everyone wants. Unlike the Monstera albo (which has pure white patches), the Thai Constellation has a creamy, speckled pattern that looks like stars scattered across the leaves. It's also more stable than the albo, meaning it's less likely to revert.

The problem: it's expensive. The prices have come down significantly over the last couple of years as tissue culture made them more available, but they're still not cheap. I keep checking prices online and telling myself to wait until they drop a bit more.

Anthurium clarinervium

This one has been on my list for a long time. It has massive, heart-shaped, velvety dark green leaves with bright white veins. It's striking in a completely different way from the aroids I already have. Anthuriums generally like bright indirect light and high humidity — I have the grow lights and I'm working on the humidity, so I think I'm almost ready for one.

Begonia maculata

The polka dot Begonia. Angel-wing-shaped leaves with white spots on top and deep red-purple undersides. I've held off because I know Begonias have a reputation for being fussy about overwatering, and I wanted to get more comfortable with moisture management before taking one on. At this point, after everything I've learned about soil mixes and watering schedules, I think I'm ready.

Philodendron gloriosum

A slow-growing, ground-creeping Philodendron with enormous, heart-shaped, velvety leaves and white veins. It grows horizontally rather than climbing, which is unusual and makes it look very architectural in a pot. Everything about it is dramatic and I want one.

Ficus lyrata (Fiddle Leaf Fig)

I know, I know — the Fiddle Leaf Fig is the plant equivalent of a millennial cliché at this point. But they're genuinely beautiful and I've never actually owned one. Every time I see a large, established specimen with those glossy, wavy leaves, I want one. Maybe if I ever live somewhere with higher ceilings.

If you've got any of these and want to trade a cutting, you know where to find me.