Rare and fashionable houseplant stolen from botanic gardens in New Zealand

A rare and valuable houseplant has disappeared from the Christchurch Botanic Gardens in New Zealand, amid a boom in the popularity of unique indoor greenery.

A variegated monstera – one of the world’s most prized indoor plants – went missing from the gardens earlier this month. Its distinctive white and green leaves make it potentially valuable on the black market.

Wolfgang Bopp, director of the gardens, told the Christchurch Press that the garden had noticed the uptick in interest in houseplants, and was in the midst of installing security cameras to protect its orchid house when the theft occurred.

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“The thing I find sad is due to the selfishness of one or two individuals we can no longer share this plant with the public. It was there to be enjoyed,” Bopp said, adding the plant had “particularly nice” leaves and had been growing for three years.

“We don’t want to lock everything away, we just ask that people don’t damage or take plants.”

Bopp theorised that the thief was “quite athletic” as they would have had to scale a high glass wall to access the orchid house where the monstera was kept. Bopp said police were investigating.

Christchurch plant lover Bridget Rennie said it would be difficult to sell the plant because its distinctive “leaves are like fingerprints, no two are the same.” She estimated even a cutting of the plant could fetch NZ$3,000.

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The theft comes as the sales of indoor plants boom in New Zealand, especially among millennials, many of whom are unable to nurture babies or pets due to financial and property constraints.

New Zealand police and the Christchurch Botanic Garden were approached for comment.

Last month an indoor plant with just four leaves – a variegated minima – broke the record for the most expensive houseplant ever sold on Trade Me, the country’s largest trading site, beating the previous record-holder by $1,650. The seller had set their reserve at $1. The plant sold for $8,150.