Why are Monstera Thai Constellation so expensive?

For many plant lovers, owning a Monstera Thai Constellation is an absolute dream. It is well-known for its unique color pattern, with wonderful leaves that offer gorgeous marble-like coloring.These specific Monsteras are highly sought after because of their unique coloring, while the color pattern is difficult to reproduce. The high demand and low supply increases the price and makes the Thai Constellation a fairly expensive plant.

Another factor that increases the price, is the propagation of the plant while maintaining the variegation. When propagating a Thai Constellation, it is impossible to tell exactly how much white speckles the cuttings will contain.

GrowJungle consists of a team of professional and enthusiastic plant lovers. We have been growing rare breeds of plants for a long time and we are happy to share our tips & tricks with you. Moreover, you can find a wonderful selection of carefully selected Monstera Thai Constellations in our web shop.

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The origin of the Monstera Thai Constellation

Regular monsteras are popular plants. They have large and very specific green leaves and are not too hard to take care of, making them a welcome addition to any plant enthusiastsā€™ home. The Monstera Thai Constellation is a variegated version of the regular monstera: it offers gorgeous white speckles and even partially variegated leaves.

The variegation in the Thai Constellation comes from a mutation in the plantā€™s tissue culture. This mutation was originally produced in a lab in Thailand: this is where the name comes from. As the variegation often resembles the night sky with its stars, the Constellation bit has been added to the name as well!

Since the mutation originates from a mutation in the tissue culture, the variegation is stable and will occur in cuttings – as opposed to the unstable variegation in the other variegated version of the Monstera, the Albo.

Keep your Monstera Thai Constellation in shape

Do you own a Monstera Thai Constellation? Youā€™ll definitely want to keep it in the best shape possible! Taking good care of your Thai will keep its leaves nice and creamy-white and will add to its growth – although it grows slowly.

This slow growth and the specific care it requires also make the Thai Constellation an expensive plant. A large Thai Constellation that has beautifully variegated leaves has had years of good care. When you are looking to acquire a larger plant, this adds to the price.

 

When taking care of your Thai Constellation, it is all about finding the right balance. It should not be over-watered and you should definitely not feed it too much fertilizer: overdoing it will harm your precious plant. Because of the lack of chlorophyll – the cause of the plantsā€™ color mutation – you should take great care when placing your Thai in direct sunlight. You should avoid sunlight on the white leaves, as this may cause burn marks.

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The difference between the Monstera Thai Constellation and Monstera Albo

There are basically two types of variegated Monsteras: the Thai Constellation and the Albo. Both varieties offer gorgeous speckled or even brushed white leaves. The Alboā€™s variegation is generally even whiter, where the Thaiā€™s speckles are more creamy or yellow-ish.

The main difference is the nature of their variegation. The Thaiā€™s variegation is created artificially and offers a stable color variegation. When cutting this monstera, the cuttings will also show the variegation – although you cannot tell where and how much variegation there will be. This makes the Thai easier to propagate and slightly less expensive. The Alboā€™s variegation occurs naturally and is unstable. New cuttings are not guaranteed to have variegation and the colors may even disappear over time, when the plant is not properly taken care of.

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