Catering to collectors, Exotic Plants specializes in rare and unusual plants
By Debbie Arrington
Some houseplants are worth more than their weight in gold. And there are plant lovers eager to buy them.
Plant collecting has become a hot hobby, particularly for millennials and Gen Z indoor gardeners who are packing their homes with often-expensive rare plants.
“The most expensive collector plant right now is Philodendron spiritus sancti,” said Exotic Plants store manager Maxon Fackert, who is also a collector. “I actually had one, but I sold it three years ago for $1,200. They now sell for $25,000 – if you can find one.”
Rarity plays a big part in high plant prices, but so does desire. “What makes a plant expensive? It’s all supply and demand,” Fackert said. “(The most expensive plants) tend to be slow growing and hard to find. But there’s always something new out there that people want.”
Exotic Plants, Sacramento’s go-to indoor gardening store, has become a trusted source for these collectors.
“We try to get plants no one else has in the area,” owner Kifumi Keppler said. “What is an ‘Exotic Plant’ if not unusual or rare?”
Starting young
Fackert, 20, is passionate about plant collecting, a hobby he started before kindergarten.
“For my fifth birthday, I asked for a cactus,” he recalled. “It’s now 16 feet tall.”
Starting with cacti and colorful bromeliads, Fackert gradually expanded his collection.
“By age 11 or 12, I really got into carnivorous plants,” he recalled. “For my 14th birthday, I asked for a greenhouse.”
Now, Fackert tends two greenhouses packed with more than 800 rare plants. “It’s become a full-on obsession,” he said with a smile.
As Exotic Plants store manager, Fackert shares his plant expertise while also propagating rarities. His propagation skills as well as connections in the collector community have been invaluable.
“Maxon can grow anything,” said Keppler.
Aroids are especially popular right now, Fackert said. Also known as the arum family, aroids include such familiar houseplants as philodendron, monstera, anthurium, spathiphyllum (peace lily), pothos and Zamioculcas zamiifolia (ZZ plant).
But it’s the aroids with unusual attributes that elevate them to collector status. For example, ‘Red Secret’ Alocasia cuprea shimmers like copper; its waxy leaves look metallic. That pricey Philodendron spiritus sancti features extra long, skinny leaves. With shiny gem-toned foliage, Jewel alocasias are a favorite with collectors. So are variegated anthuriums. One of Fackert’s favorites: Anthurium clarinervium, also known as the Velvet Cardboard Heart Plant.
New hybrids help drive interest and demand, he noted. “Hoyas – it’s impossible to keep up with them, there are so many new varieties. There are 148 different cultivars of Hoya carnosa alone.”
Nicknamed porcelainflower or wax plant, Hoya carnosa is beloved for its sweet-scented flowers as well as its attractive foliage.
Orchids galore
Exotic Plants is known for its orchids, always among the most collectible plants. Besides Phalaenopsis in a rainbow of colors and combinations, the store stocks a huge selection of unusual Dendobriums, slipper orchids, pansy-faced Miltonia and more.
“My favorite orchid is Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis,” said Fackert. “It has 5- to 7-foot long leaves and smells like death.” (A collector’s prize demanding humid greenhouse conditions, this orchid has hairy red and yellow flowers with the scent of rotten meat.)
His other favorites include Heliconia rostrata (hanging lobster claw plant) with “crazy blooms” and Impatiens morsei (Velvet Love impatiens) that has velvety foliage and orchid-like flowers.
Dylan Chand, who joined Exotic Plants’ staff in 2021, is another young collector.
“I became a plant collector by watching YouTube videos,” said Chand, a conservation/ecology major at Arizona State University. “People here have so much knowledge to share.”
For beginning collectors, Fackert recommends succulents; they’re easy to grow and easy to share, a big part of building a collection.
“Hoyas are a perfect transition to houseplants, but they need good light,” he added.
Snake plant (Sansevieria) is nearly indestructible, making it another good candidate for beginning collectors. With its distinctive foliage, monstera (also known as Swiss cheese plant) is a good introduction to the aroid family.
Ready to start a collection? Or add more plants to your indoor garden? Exotic Plants staff is ready to help.
Exotic Plants is located at 1525 Fulton Ave., Sacramento. Phone 916-922-4769 or visit www.exoticplantsltd.com.
