How To Find a Variegated Monstera

But first, some things to consider:

1. You can find them online (ebay & online plant stores), but as you may know, this particular plant goes for a lot of $$. Therefore, it is more of a gamble to order online in my opinion. If you happen to find one in person, it’s much more easy to inspect the specimen and decide if this is the one for you.

2. Don’t just buy the first one that you have the opportunity to purchase! They are all different. First decide which kind you’re looking for, then when you find yourself in a situation to purchase, inspecting the plant for pests and health.

3. Important: I don’t want to get too technical, but it’s best to look at the plant’s stem, make sure it has some white in it. In an ideal specimen you want a stem which is white and green with an even mix.

4. With #3 being said, don’t get a stem that is all white. It needs some green to be able to live and thrive.

5. Be wary of sellers selling single stems with a node or two and no leaf. While you can grow it from stem, if you are a beginner plant enthusiast, I would hold out for a cutting with a leaf or two.

Personally, I have bought 2 mother plants in-store (pure luck), and one online. Here are my tips on How To Find A Variegated Monstera, specifically in-store.

• FOLLOW ALL OF YOUR FAVORITE PLANT STORE INSTAGRAMS! They will often post when they have these plants in store, but they go very very very fast.

• Make friends with plant people, maybe you can find one through the grapevine.

• Book a plane ticket to Portland, Oregon and go plant shopping. Test your luck.

• Many Portland Oregon plant shops have had these come in and out of their shops, they usually have 1 at a time. Here are all of the stores I have seen them at: Gurton’s Plant Shop, Solabee Flowers & Botanicals, Arium Botanicals, Pistils Nursury and Marbott’s Greenhouse & Nursery. I think of Portland Oregon as the Mecca of plant shopping on the West Coast.

• If you’re on the East Coast, the State of Florida is the place for rare and exotic plant shops. Although I am not sure of specifics since I don’t go there often.

I hope this post gave you some ideas. Comment below where you got your variegated monstera and where! I love to hear where everyone got their plants from.

Paige's Top 5 Plant Shops In Portland Oregon

My hometown will always have a huge place in my heart, so I want to honor Portland, Oregon by listing my Top 5 Favorite Plant Shops! I am currently living in the Bay Area where I moved to immediately after I graduated college, but my Dad is still in Portland so I visit quite frequently (and I am very thankful for that). It is very hard for me to return home after my Mom’s passing in January, but this gem of a town is known for its plant shops so it’s always exciting to see my Dad and go plant shopping. It’s almost kind of a coincidence to me since I was never aware of the plant scene until recently.

Please Note: there are certain plant shops in Portland that are extremely popular and present on Instagram/Social Media so I have left them out. They have amazing plants and are amazing in general but I want to help small(er) business as much as I can. I have had the most luck finding cool plants at the smaller, hidden gem type stores!

#trailingthingsthursday 🌿 ------ these trailing #ferns are so lovely. one day i'd love to have a ton of ferns but i will have to wait for when i have a brighter space. these ones were so happy hanging in front of their store window ☺️

3,467 Likes, 30 Comments - 🌿 Paige (@houseplantplantclub) on Instagram: "#trailingthingsthursday 🌿 ------ these trailing #ferns are so lovely. one day i'd love to have a..."

#5: Appetite Shop—instagram: @appetiteshop

This store definitely nails the ‘eclectic’ feel. I love smaller shops with a mix of both plants and gifts, and this is definitely one of them. When you walk in you’ll notice the store front is lined with cacti of all shapes and sizes, arranged in a beautiful manner. This shop is definitely instagram worthy, and if you’re in the market for a large cacti, this is the place to go. I don’t often see very many cacti in Oregon so I was surprised by how many they had for sale. I also won’t forget all the ferns hanging from the ceiling that may brush your head if you’re on the taller side. They also had a nice selection of stylish planters, which I appreciated. This shop is ran by two awesome women which is very inspiring to me. Lastly, they have houseplants! I saw a ton of sansevieria there, and a few hoyas. Definitely check this store our, they’re located on Burnside, and if you’re hungry after, definitely try Fire on the Mountain near to it if you like chicken wings!

if it makes you happy, keep it close to your heart ❤️🌿 #happyplants

3,030 Likes, 19 Comments - 🌿 Paige (@houseplantplantclub) on Instagram: "if it makes you happy, keep it close to your heart ❤️🌿 #happyplants"

#4: Portland Nursery—instagram @portlandnursery

If you’re looking for plants on a budget, I would say go shopping at Portland Nursery. They have very reasonable prices and very healthy plants. They often have sales during the holiday too. When you walk side, you’ll notice quite the extensive selection of houseplants AND outdoor plants… and everything else you would want. I think of them as more of a garden center for all of your plant needs—the mega nursery of Portland Oregon. If you are looking for a large selection of larger plants, I would go here too. Luckily they have multiple locations in Portland, so if you don’t find what you want at one, you can just go to another one.

#3: Starflower—instagram: @starflowerpdx

if you're having a tough day just remember that life can be tough but you are tougher 👊🏼🌿 keep #growing @starflowerpdx

3,764 Likes, 18 Comments - 🌿 Paige (@houseplantplantclub) on Instagram: "if you're having a tough day just remember that life can be tough but you are tougher 👊🏼🌿 keep..."

Starflower is a cute shop floral shop that also has a great selection of house plants. Last time I went they had a huge monstera adansonii plant on a totem. The range of house plants they had was great, and I like a good selection of both easy to find and not as easy to find. They have been known to have some unicorn plants come through once in a while *hint hint*. As for the flowers, I saw a good selection of Protea flowers which I am obsessed with (you know this if you follow me on instagram haha). They also have some gift items from local artists and pretty pottery displayed in a very pleasing way. You will love this shop if you go and I guarantee you’ll want to go back!

#2: Hammer + Vine—instagram: @hammerandvine

thank you for having me 🌱 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tomorrow is feature friday! make sure to use our hashtag to get noticed 😁! . . #jungle #junglevibes #trailingthingsthursday #plantshopping #houseplantplantclub #plantyplaces #botanical #plantshop #plantparenthood #botanicalpickmeup #plantstagram #plantaholic #plantsmakepeoplehappy #crazyplantlady #houseplantsofinstagram #plantsarefriends #indoorplants #houseplants #ihavethisthingwithplants #plantenvy #planthoarder #plantphotography #plantlove #greenyourfeed #urbanjungle #philodendron #urbanjunglebloggers #indoorgarden

881 Likes, 5 Comments - 🌿 Paige (@houseplantplantclub) on Instagram: "thank you for having me 🌱 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tomorrow is feature friday! make sure to use..."

This is the plant shop that I ALWAYS make sure I go to when I visit Portland. It is nestled on the hill of Burnside near Zupans Market (a grocery store that has a surprising amount of house plants, I got my string of hearts here). Parking can be tough so be careful—there is a small parking lot beside the shop and I find this shop easy to miss if you’ve never been. Once you get there, you’ll usually see a cute sidewalk chalkboard with a sweet planty message that is sure to delight you. The shop is small but it definitely has rare and unusual plants, if you are lucky you might just find exactly what you’re looking for :). They go fast, so you’ll want to follow them on instagram to see their updates, sometimes they’ll post about them. This is a smaller shop but they focus on plants which I appreciate. There are a few gift items but it’s all about the house plants here. Make sure to check out the cool built-in terrarium they have at the checkout counter—maybe you’ll see the froggies in there! 

And My #1 is….

#1: Gurtons—instagram: @gurtonsplantshop

do you see that #FicusBenghalensis in tree form hiding in the corner? 😍🌿 #plantshop . ---- tomorrow is feature friday! you know the drill 💁🏼‍♀️ #houseplantplantclub

5,201 Likes, 21 Comments - 🌿 Paige (@houseplantplantclub) on Instagram: "do you see that #FicusBenghalensis in tree form hiding in the corner? 😍🌿 #plantshop . ---- tomorrow..."

when u go to the #plantshop and they have all the plants you swore you wouldn't buy (for me it's #alocasia and #calathea ! what about you?) 🌿 @gurtonsplantshop . ------ happy new years! ✨

5,185 Likes, 30 Comments - 🌿 Paige (@houseplantplantclub) on Instagram: "when u go to the #plantshop and they have all the plants you swore you wouldn't buy (for me it's..."

Feast your eyes on the urban jungle that is Gurtons! I LOVE GURTONS, but I’m sure you’re wondering, why is it my #1? Let me tell you the story of the first time I went to Gurtons. Now, Gurtons had been on my must-go-to-this-plant-shop-next-time-i’m-in-Portland list for a while. I was visiting for Christmas and Myles and I decided to go to my neighborhood Bakery called ‘Baker and Spice’ (by the way, you must go here and have something, it’s so good). When we get to the plaza parking lot where this bakery is located, I noticed the Gurtons sign.. and I was like, oh dang. There it is!!! I didn’t know where this shop was, and I didn’t know IT WAS SO CLOSE to where I live. I was ecstatic. Whenever I find out that something cool is nearby it’s a big deal, probably because I live in the bay area and everything is so spread out here. It’s my neighborhood plant shop, so I gotta rep this shop hard, and this is a full on plant shop—they have lots of plants (big and small, even some cacti) and they are a good price. It smells really nice in there too. I highly recommend you go here, and it is owned by a very sweet family. 

Paige's Top 5 House Plants of 2018

What. A. Crazy. Year.

Whenever December rolls around I can’t help but think back on the year, does anyone else instinctively do this too? I had some failures, killed a few plants, but more importantly—I overcame many things and learned. Not to mention ‘House Plant Plant Club’ was born, a space to share what I love that I am so grateful for (and showcase many incredible people). Anyway, I often think about many things on my drive to work, and for the past month I’ve been thinking about all the plants I’ve cared for this year—especially my favorite ones. So I want to share with you my top 5 plants of 2018! Shh, don’t tell the others, ok?

Feel free to comment your top 5 plants from this year and include your IG handle! I will pick the best answer and feature it in a feed post.

5. Pilea Peperomioides AKA Chinese Money Plant

The Pilea Peperomioide came in hot this year! If you know, you know. It was one of the IT plants of 2018, and they were quite scarce + quite expensive at one point. Everyone cringed when the bottom leaves would yellow—it’s not the easiest plant but at least it’s not so expensive now. Don’t overwater, don’t pot it too big and give it good bright indirect light! It’ll grow tall and strong if you love it right. To be honest, I’m surprised mine didn’t die. This is a photo of my plant about 3 months after I got it and now it’s pretty tall (almost a year old). This plant makes the cutest babies that are easy to propagate!

It’s such a cute plant, you can’t deny that.

4. Monstera Adansonii

I love trailing plants, and I love the famous Swiss Cheese plant because it’s fenestrations (slits in more mature leaves). The Monstera Adansonii is the best of both—a vining plant (also climbs) that also has the famous holes. I’m having it climb in my home using 3M light clips. I am making sure the roots don’t attach to the wall though, since they can damage it. This plant stole my heart this year, and it is surprisingly easy to take care of (I have heard it’s not always easy).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 🌿 Paige (@houseplantplantclub) on Oct 13, 2018 at 2:55pm PDT

In this video, I show you how I attached my Monstera Adansonii to the wall.

3. Sansevieria Sayuri

I found this beautiful Sansevieria by chance, and it’s one of the harder ones to come by. I’m going to be completely honest—I thought it was Sansevieria Bantel Sensation, which at the time was what I was looking for. Luckily @heyitsjan corrected me, thanks Jan! Anyway, if you do find this Sansevieria you’ll know: it’s a beautiful light color with striking marks. It was love at first sight, plus it was shooting leaves out the bottom! I really fell in love with Sansevieria this year—and I think the whole pant community did as well. #SansevieriaSunday really popped off, and I absolutely love seeing everyone’s Sansevieria gangs. Plus they’re air purifying, and for that I salute you Sansevierias. Pretty and functional plants are the best.

2. Calathea Orbifolia

I had many Calatheas this year but this one was by far my favorite. Let me just say that this and my Calathea Musaica were the only ones that didn’t get spider mites. They were also the easiest to take care of/least sensitive. I love Calatheas because it’s so satisfying to see/watch new leaves unfurl, and the white-ish markings on the Orbifolia are so gorgeous against the light green of the leaves. It makes a beautiful statement in any person’s plant collection and home. They were somewhat hard to come by at the start of the spring but they started showing up more toward the end of summer. I’m sure they will be highly cultivated next year.

1. Begonia Maculata Wightii

I mean, c’mon, it has gorgeous spots and the leaves are in the shape of angel wings. Plus, the backs of the leaves are this beautiful maroon color. This plant is literally drop dead gorgeous. I feel like I don’t really need to explain anything more than these details. Nature is so dang beautiful.

I battled with mold this year with this guy—probably because I bought it with mold on it without noticing. Make sure that you check your plants for pests and mold when shopping/before buying. I learned that the hard way this year.

There ya have it folks!

Make sure to comment your Top 5 House Plants of 2018! I can’t wait to read your picks :)

Love, Paige

FICUS TRIANGULARIS VARIEGATA CARE

The Ficus Triangularis Variegata plant is one of the harder plants to find in the United States—even it’s non-variegated version is not one that I would necessarily call “common”. This post will give readers a brief overview of the experience I have had with taking care of my Ficus Triangularis Variegata plant. I want everyone to be successful in growing this plant, instead of them dying. Again, this is all from experience, not all may agree with my advice but please remember: every space is different for growing plants. My plant went from dropping multiple leaves a day, to producing amazing variegated leaves and even producing fruit, so I want to do what I can to ensure the survival of my cuttings.

Light:

This plant NEEDS light, if you do not give it enough light it will drop it’s leaves or it will not produce any variegation in it’s growth. It will definitely start dropping it’s more variegated leaves if it does not get enough light. I also believe that it needs consistent light—if it’s doing well in one spot, don’t move it. Ficuses are known to dislike being moved. I would not put it in direct sunlight unless you’re somewhere super tropical (andddd I can’t ship international, sorry!). Hint: mine was under a grow light for ~10 hours a day, and so were the rooted cuttings. That way they get consistent light.

Humidity/Temp:

These guys need humidity as much as they need light, especially when they are still young (for example, if you buy a cutting). The plant will produce more leaves and grow faster if you give it consistent humidity. My rooted cuttings developed large roots within 3 weeks inside a humidity dome, I misted them once a week. In all honestly, a young cutting should stay in a dome or cloche until it has at least 6-10 leaves on it (to be safe) and once outside it should be very near a humidifier to keep producing foliage. By putting it in some humidity dome, you are ensuring it gets consistent humidity. They do not tolerate cold or drafts.

Watering:

This one is tricky because my mother plant was really large—your small potted cutting will most likely need more frequent waterings, especially if it’s in terra cotta, but again it depends on how much light it’s getting as well. I do thorough waterings once a month, or untill I can stick my whole index finger down the soil and it’s not wet or damp. If I’m really not sure, I usually wait one week from the time I think it’s time to water. If your plant is super thirsty though it may start dropping leaves.

Fertilizer:

I have been fertilizing my large plant once a month with 50% diluted organic fertilizer and he seems to love this. My trick is to thoroughly water first without fertilizer and then right after, add the fertilizer mixture. Getting the fertilizer right for this plant will help it grow lush and happy. I plan to fertilize once more in October then stop for the winer. As for soil, the cuttings grew in an organic potting mix which i then threw in extra perlite for added drainage, they seemed to like this. Drainage is key!

Bringing Out/Retaining Variegation:

If you give it the right light and consistent humidity, your plant will grow new foliage with variegation. With this plant I noticed that the green leaved stems produced more variegation once I got my humidity routine down. Even if your cutting is part green it will revert back to yellow under appealing conditions.

Buy at your own risk. I am not responsible for any damage to your plant upon arrival. I will do my very best to package these plants, but it is your job to make sure you are at your address to receive it and not have it sit outside. Does not come with soil or the coco coir planter pictured—shipped BARE ROOT. All shipments will be via USPS.

Paige's Favorite House Plant Shops (San Francisco Bay Area)

“Plants are cheaper than therapy.”

House plants are totally rad.

Here are some reasons why you should consider putting house plants in your home:

• a lot of house plants clean the air (sansevieria, aloe, spider plants etc.)

• they are so darn cute

• watching them grow is really fun

• seeing your plant grow will make you feel amazing

People often ask me where I like to go plant shopping. That is a loaded question to me because each shop is different. I do know that I prefer to shop at local businesses instead of big chain stores—I'm all for shopping local. I also go gaga for stores with lots of handmade goods that also have plants (hand thrown ceramics make me drool).

So here is a list of my top 5 favorite plant stores in the San Francisco Bay Area:

5. Flowerland (Albany, CA)

I definitely found out about Flowerland on Instagram. It was Pride week and everyone in the bay was repping rainbow, love it by the way. I saw a picture of their shop front where they had outdoor chairs in a line on top of their building, each chair being a color in the rainbow. I was like, this is cool. So I went and checked it out. Well well well, I was pleasantly surprised by how awesome this plant shop is. It is very large, probably the largest one in the list, with a lot of outdoor plants as well. Outside there is an airstream that serves coffee—so cute! The inside area where the registers are is where all the house plants are and many plant related gifts. They had some awesome pots within different price ranges which I really loved, but what I was really impressed by was their plant related book collection! They had a few books I’ve had my eye on for a while which was nice to finally be able to get ahold of. This is definitely a “pretty” shop so make sure to bring your camera/charge your phone!

4. Plant and Pottery Outlet (Sunol)

This was the first nursery in California I ever went to. They have a greenhouse dedicated to just house plants, it’s absolutely magical. They are family owned and often have sales during holiday weekends. Whenever I go here it reminds me of when I didn’t know much about houseplants, and also how much I’ve grown in this hobby. When you’re in their greenhouse, I guarantee you too will become a plant enthusiast (if you aren’t already!). If you’re looking for a large plant, I would definitely check this place out. I also think their prices are very reasonable for the quality of plants they sell. This is where I bought my Monstera Deliciosa, and boy was I excited! Oh, and of course they have amazing pots/planters! Lots of large ones for outside too at reasonable prices. They have a whole lot dedicate to discounted pots if you cross their little bridge to the other side of the nursery (hence the name). Aren’t these pots awesome?

3. The Dry Garden (Berkeley)

Oh The Dry Garden is amazing. To be honest I wanted to rate this as my #1 but to be fair there are more drought tolerant plants (cacti and succulents) than house plants. However, if you’re looking for hard to find drought tolerant plants, this is the place to be. They have some really unusual cacti and succulents. I was lucky enough to score some sansevieria sayuri here—which in the moment I thought was sansevieria bantel sensation, whoops. I also saw some other unusual sansevieria when I went, at decent prices. This place is also independently owned, I think it is ran by two guys who are both very nice.

Funny story, the first time I went here I totally missed the hot house (pictured) which is the most epic part of the shop besides the checkout area where they have all their super rare plants. It’s definitely a Kodak moment. So when you go, don’t forget to check out their hot house! It’s in the back of the nursery, so go all the way back and swing a left!

2. Roots (San Francisco)

Ah, Roots. When Jamie and I went to Roots in SF—we both were freaking out. It’s literally an indoor jungle, it’s absolutely incredible. Their small space is covered head to toe in beautiful house plants, small and large. You feel like you’re in a jungle—your body being enveloped in beautiful greenery. But what makes this store so amazing is the shop owner, Michelle. She is awesome and full of life, I loved meeting her. She is the true definition of a plant person: very generous, kind and knowledgable. The shop contained a lot of unusual plants, it’s one of those places you need to look hard or you might miss something magical. I saw lots of different kinds of sansevieria which is always a treat. Here is my favorite picture I snapped while there, look at the size of that Bird of Paradise! You can even see a new leaf emerging. This is just a small part of the shop, you’ll have to go see the rest of it yourself :), can’t ruin the whole experience right?

AND MY #1 PICK IS……..

1. Encinal Nursey (Alameda)

I love Encinal Nursery so much, it’s definitely a plant shop you must visit. It’s very much a family owned shop, and I was lucky enough to meet the shop owner’s daughter who I think owns the actual shop. This is where I got my unicorn plant—the ficus triangularis variagata, which is one of the reasons why this is my favorite nursery in all of the Bay Area (so far). I don’t think she has any more of this plant though since I bought the mother plant and I think she sold the rest of what she propagated. This nursery contains an amazing hot house full of everything planty, it has a very good variety of everything which is another reason why I chose this shop as my #1 pick. I saw some very unusual cacti when I last went. The first time I went here I stayed for over an hour, crazy plant lady much? It’s quite the experience to walk down the hot house, I give it 5 stars!