An indoor plant with just four leaves has sold for more than NZ$8,000 (£4,000) in New Zealand, as the public’s passion for horticulture surges during the pandemic.
Houseplants have become especially popular among millennials, experts say, many of whom are unable to nurture babies or pets due to financial and property constraints.
Now a cornerstone of interior and Instagram styling, the trade in houseplants is booming online too, with tens of thousands of Kiwis bidding on plants each week.
In August, 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.