9 Hard-To-Find Houseplants That Will Make You The Coolest Plant Parent On The Block

Are you tired of the same old same? When it comes to houseplants, the uber-popular ones are found in most stores and many homes. To make your botanical life more interesting, it may be time to collect some hard-to-find houseplants, cool looking plants that are different from the ones your friends all own. Here are nine different cool indoor plants that could really up your houseplant game.

Hard-to-Find Houseplants

Here are our top 9 picks for hard-to-find houseplants, including a few you can buy today!

1. Variegated Monstera

Big leaves make a big impact, and few houseplants work this better than Monstera, also called the “Swiss cheese plant” because of the appealing cuts in the leaves. The most exotic of the many species of Monstera is the variegated species, with enormous green and white leaves with attractive splits. They also come in green and cream varieties. Although some sell for some $5,000.00 at auction, many of the rare variegated Monstera are available for much less money.

2. Spooky Ghost Orchid

The ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) is a rare and endangered native flower that has long fascinated gardeners. Ghost orchids are white and epiphytic, hanging from tree trunks on aerial orchid roots. They have no foliage. Their sweet scent is only released at night, to attract giant sphinx moths that pollinate the plants. These unique features make ghost orchids highly coveted among growers looking to cultivate unusual species.

(Note that it's illegal to remove these protected plants from the wild!)

3. Mother of Thousands

The mother of thousands (Kalanchoe daigremontiana) is not your mother’s kalanchoe. This unusual and fascinating houseplant has thick blue-green, scalloped leaves that – like most succulents – hold and store water. But look closer at those leaf edges! You’ll find tiny baby plants in rosettes, each of which can start another mother of thousands plant. Planted outside in a mild climate, one plant can create thousands more. Not every indoor houseplant will bloom, but if they do, the pink, dangling flowers last for months.

4. Nearly Black Houseplants

We’ll admit it upfront: black houseplants are actually not black but the darkest of green colors. Still, the contrast between “black” houseplants and regular green houseplants is spectacular. You can make a real splash by filling a corner shelf with these dark beauties.

Are philodendrons your favorites? Go for “Black Cardinal”, with near-black leaves as long as 10 inches (25 cm).

Or how about a dark variation of the popular ZZ plant? “Raven” (Zamioculcas zamiifolia ‘Dowon’) offers purple-black leaves and – like the regular ZZ – it thrives in low-light conditions.

5. Elegant Elephant Ears

Elephant ear plants turn heads with their huge, veined leaves, shaped – you guessed it – just like elephant ears. They sometimes produce white spathe flowers, but it’s the leaves that are most amazing. Some species of elephant ears have leaves up to 3 feet (1 m) long and 2 feet (.6 m) wide.

6. Rattlesnake Calathea

The rattlesnake Calathea (Goeppertia insignis) is such a gorgeous plant that it is worth the effort to find it Think spotted strappy leaves with royal purple undersides and bright yellow-orange blooms in late spring. As a houseplant, it grows to 18 inches tall (50 cm) and offers stunning foliage all year long.

7. Night Blooming Beauties

Plants that open their blooms at night feel otherworldly, like something secretive and magical, with special powers. Even if they don’t grant three wishes, their beautiful night-blooming flowers are often accompanied by a lovely fragrance, and the two together create an unforgettable and serene moment. These plant species have usually evolved to open at night to attract the night-flying insects that pollinate them.

One to consider: the queen of the night cactus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) that hails from North America’s Sonoran Desert. Its bloom is as rare as this houseplant is hard to find – the plant blooms only once a year.

8. Mini Monstera adansonii

This smaller Monstera plant (Monstera adansonii) is also called the Swiss cheese plant and given its more compact size, it is a better choice for small spaces. Don’t think the holes in each leaf come from pests or diseases – rather, these plants are prized for their natural “holey” green foliage The holes become more evident as the leaves mature. These are cool plants to grow indoors.

9. Coffee

Yes, Virginia, coffee grows on plants! Indoor coffee bean plants make cool and unusual houseplants, growing to 6 feet tall (2 m) with shiny green foliage. Do not expect to get enough beans from your plant to brew even one cup of coffee, but the coffee plant is definitely a unique ornamental that few of your friends are likely to have.