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Houseplant Breaks Record At Auction And Sells For $27,000

Houseplant Breaks Record At Auction And Sells For $27,000

The rare plant has just eight leaves and has gone under the hammer for an incredible amount.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

A Variegated Minima has managed to break the record for the highest amount paid for a plant on an auction website.

The rare green and white plant sold for an impressive NZD$27,100 (AUD$25,104) after a fierce and hectic bidding period.

Late last week, the plant was listed for a measly $9,000, according to 9News.

It was posted on the Trade Me website alongside the description of: "Each leaf has excellent variegation as does the stem and is well rooted in a 14cm pot."

Two days later, the auction was down to two bidders and they went back and forth until the final price was more than triple Friday's amount.

After a whopping 248 bids on the plant, it eventually went under the hammer.

The vining plant is native to tropical forests and this particular one only has eight leaves open, with a ninth ready to unfurl. It was being sold on Trade Me and has now become the site's largest ever sale.

Trade Me spokeswoman Millie Silvester said: "After a heated bidding war in the auction's final minutes, the rare plant had over 102,000 views and more than 1,600 watchlists which just goes to show how much Kiwis adore houseplants."

There's a lot you could do with that sort of money, including a small indoor swimming pool, a trip around the world, visiting Studio Ghibli more than 3,000 times, 4,153 veggie burritos, or a chunk of your student debt.

But instead, this buyer wanted the house plant. Each to their own.

You'd want to have a pretty intimate knowledge on how to look after a plant like that because imagine if it died after a couple of months.

It seems like the coronavirus pandemic is partly to blame for this extraordinary sale as the average price for houseplants has increased dramatically.

9News reports the average indoor plant was just $34 in May 2019, however it's now at $82.

University of Auckland head of marketing Bodo Lang said: "I think this is a big driver because many people's lives have been severely curtailed of variety with consumers being exposed to far fewer places, people and experiences than normal.

"Therefore, there is a greater drive for variety and self-expression and the houseplant is one good outlet for that."

Featured Image Credit: Trade Me

Topics: News