Rare Roots Plant Co.

Rare Roots Plant Co. Rare indoor plants and collectible houseplants. Specializing in rare Monstera, Anthurium, Philodendron, Hoya, and other hard-to-find tropical plants.

Based in Washington State.

10/03/2026

Nothing is more painful than watching a PERFECT new velvet Anthurium leaf start unfurling…

…and then TEAR. 😭🌿

If an emerging leaf looks stuck, my first rule is:

DON’T PULL IT OPEN.

Those new leaves are incredibly delicate, and trying to “help” with your fingers can turn a small problem into a permanently damaged leaf.

Instead, I focus on the environment around it.

If conditions are too dry, I’ll temporarily increase localized humidity around the emerging leaf without wrapping wet material directly against the delicate tissue.

Think humid microclimate, not soaking wet leaf.

Then I let the plant do the work.

No pulling.

No peeling the sheath apart.

No plant surgery because I got impatient. 😂

And remember: humidity isn’t the ONLY reason Anthurium leaves can emerge damaged.

Inconsistent watering, root problems, pests, temperature changes, physical damage, and other environmental stresses can contribute too.

The goal isn’t forcing the leaf to unfurl.

It’s creating conditions that allow it to unfurl naturally.

Especially when you’ve been waiting FOREVER for that massive velvet leaf. 👀

SAVE this for your next emergent and FOLLOW for more Anthurium care, velvet Anthuriums, rare plants, and indoor growing tips.

09/30/2026

High humidity gets ALL the attention in indoor greenhouse cabinets.

But airflow matters too. 🌿💨

When you pack tropical plants into an enclosed cabinet, you can create a warm, humid environment with very little air movement.

And if leaves stay wet for extended periods or the growing medium stays excessively wet, you’re creating conditions that can favor certain plant diseases and rot.

That’s why I run small fans inside my indoor greenhouse cabinet.

My goal isn’t blasting the plants with wind.

It’s gentle, consistent air circulation throughout the cabinet so there aren’t stagnant pockets around densely packed foliage.

A few things I pay attention to:

💨 Air movement throughout the cabinet
🌿 Space between leaves
💧 How quickly foliage dries after getting wet
🪴 Substrate moisture
🌡️ Temperature + humidity together
👀 Early signs of leaf spot, pests, or rot

And don’t blindly chase one “perfect” humidity number.

Anthuriums, Alocasias, Philodendrons, seedlings, and established plants can have different needs, and your temperature and airflow matter too.

Humidity + airflow + temperature + moisture all work together.

Your greenhouse cabinet should feel tropical.

Not like a sealed swamp. 😂

SAVE this and check the airflow in your cabinet tonight.

09/29/2026

Your Alocasia corm refuses to root, and you’ve tried everything. 🌱

Before giving up on it, take a look at something ridiculously simple:

Your water.

Tap water isn’t automatically bad for Alocasias, but water quality varies dramatically depending on where you live.

If you’re struggling with sensitive corms, experimenting with filtered, distilled, rainwater, or appropriately treated water can help you eliminate water quality as one variable.

But here’s the bigger mistake I see with Alocasia corm propagation:

DROWNING THEM. 💀

You don’t need the entire corm sitting underwater.

When using a shallow-water propagation method, I like keeping moisture around the bottom portion while leaving plenty of the corm exposed to air.

Then give it:

🌡️ Warmth
💡 Appropriate light
💧 Consistent moisture
🌱 A healthy corm
💨 Oxygen and airflow

And be patient.

Some Alocasia corms activate quickly.

Others sit there looking like a tiny potato for what feels like an eternity. 😂

There isn’t one magic water source that guarantees rooting, but controlling your propagation environment gives that corm a much better opportunity to succeed.

SAVE this for your next Alocasia corm propagation and FOLLOW for more Alocasia care, rare plant propagation, and indoor growing experiments.

09/28/2026

I put an aquarium bubbler in my plant propagation and now I’m obsessed. 🫧🌿

The idea is simple:

Plant roots need oxygen, not just water.

When you’re propagating cuttings in standing water, adding an aquarium air pump + airstone continuously aerates and circulates the water around the developing roots.

And watching those fresh white roots develop around the bubbles is ridiculously satisfying. 👀

Does adding a bubbler guarantee faster rooting?

No.

Rooting speed still depends on the plant, node health, temperature, light, genetics, and overall environment.

But for water propagation, it’s an inexpensive experiment I’ve been loving, especially with valuable rare plant cuttings.

Monstera cuttings.

Philodendrons.

Aroids.

Rare plant propagations that I REALLY don’t want turning into expensive compost. 😂

Sometimes the coolest plant-care upgrades aren’t actually made for plants.

Would you try an aquarium bubbler in your propagation?

SAVE this for your next cutting and FOLLOW for more rare plant propagation, water propagation experiments, and plant care tips.

🎉 WE HAVE A WINNER! 🎉Congratulations to Andrea Mylan, the winner of our Monstera Bulbasaur giveaway! 🌱💚Andrea, send Rare...
09/25/2026

🎉 WE HAVE A WINNER! 🎉

Congratulations to Andrea Mylan, the winner of our Monstera Bulbasaur giveaway! 🌱💚

Andrea, send Rare Roots Plant Co. a message so we can coordinate getting your new plant to you!

Thank you to everyone who entered, shared and supported our growing plant community. More rare plant drops—and more giveaways—are coming soon. 👀

What plant should we give away next? Drop your vote below! 👇

09/25/2026

If your Alocasia grows one new leaf and immediately kills an old one, welcome to the club. 😂🌿

But it doesn’t always have to be that way.

Alocasias have a reputation for being dramatic, but successful Alocasia care usually comes down to getting a few fundamentals consistently right:

💡 LIGHT
Give them plenty of appropriate bright light. Too little light can limit how much growth the plant can support.

💧 WATERING
Don’t keep the roots permanently soaked, but don’t let the plant repeatedly swing between extremely dry and saturated either.

🌱 ROOT HEALTH
An airy substrate, appropriate pot size, and good drainage can make a huge difference.

🍽️ NUTRITION
Alocasias can be active growers under the right conditions, so appropriate nutrition matters when they’re actively growing.

🌡️ ENVIRONMENT
Warmth, humidity, airflow, light, and watering all work together.

And yes, sometimes an Alocasia will still drop an older leaf as it reallocates resources or responds to changing conditions.

The goal isn’t finding one magical Alocasia hack.

It’s creating an environment where the plant can consistently support MORE leaves than it loses.

Once you figure that out, Alocasias become dangerously addictive. 👀

What’s the most dramatic Alocasia you’ve ever owned?

SAVE this and FOLLOW for more Alocasia care, rare plants, houseplant tips, propagation, and indoor growing experiments.

09/23/2026

Your expensive rare plant cutting starts turning black and mushy. Now what? 😭🌿

First, don’t panic.

If the node and enough healthy tissue are still viable, you may still have an opportunity to save it.

My first priority with suspected aroid root rot is removing clearly rotten tissue.

✂️ Use clean, sterilized shears
🌿 Remove soft, mushy, badly discolored tissue
👀 Inspect what’s left carefully
🪴 Move it into fresh propagation medium
💨 Prioritize appropriate moisture, oxygen, warmth, and airflow

You’ll see hydrogen peroxide recommended constantly for root rot online, but I wouldn’t assume soaking healthy roots in straight 3% peroxide is harmless or that bubbling means you’ve completely sterilized the plant.

The bigger lesson is figuring out WHY it rotted in the first place.

Too much moisture?

Not enough oxygen?

Damaged tissue?

Contaminated medium?

Poor environmental conditions?

Because rescuing the cutting doesn’t accomplish much if you put it straight back into the conditions that caused the problem.

And with a $500 cutting, I’m protecting every piece of healthy tissue I’ve got. 😂

SAVE this before your next propagation emergency and FOLLOW for more rare plant propagation, aroid care, and root rot rescue tips.

09/23/2026

Bottom watering your Anthurium isn’t necessarily bad. But relying on it exclusively might not be ideal for every setup. 🌿💧

Anthuriums can develop roots throughout the upper portion of an airy substrate and around the stem, so I want to make sure the entire root zone is being appropriately hydrated.

That’s one reason I like periodically watering thoroughly from the top.

There’s another benefit:

FLUSHING.

If you’re regularly fertilizing your rare Anthuriums, dissolved salts can accumulate in the substrate over time.

A thorough top watering with plenty of drainage can help flush some of that buildup through the pot instead of allowing it to continually accumulate.

My goal isn’t:

❌ Keep the substrate soaking wet
❌ Water on an arbitrary schedule
❌ Never bottom water again

It’s to give the roots a healthy balance of moisture + oxygen + proper drainage, while periodically flushing the substrate when appropriate.

And if your new Anthurium leaves are struggling, tearing, browning, or emerging poorly, don’t assume watering is automatically the cause.

Humidity, root health, pests, nutrition, temperature, genetics, and environmental changes can all play a role.

Rare plant care gets much easier when you stop looking for one magic trick and start understanding the environment you’re creating. 🌱

SAVE this for your next watering day and FOLLOW for more Anthurium care, rare plant tips, and indoor growing experiments.

09/22/2026

You do NOT need an expensive setup to build a rare plant propagation box. 🌱

One of the easiest DIY versions starts with a simple clear storage bin with a lid.

For the rooting medium, you can use something moisture-retentive but airy, depending on what you’re propagating. Think damp sphagnum mixed with perlite, tree fern fiber, or another propagation medium you’re comfortable managing.

The important word is DAMP.

Not soaking wet.

Your prop box already holds a ton of humidity, so constantly saturated substrate can create exactly the conditions you’re trying to avoid.

Then:

🌱 Space your cuttings apart
💧 Keep the medium appropriately moist
🍃 Avoid leaving foliage pressed against wet walls
💨 Monitor condensation and provide air exchange when needed
💡 Give it appropriate bright, indirect light or a suitable grow light

Then comes the hardest part…

STOP MESSING WITH IT EVERY 12 HOURS. 😂

A simple clear tote can create a stable, humid environment for rare plant cuttings, wet sticks, Philodendron propagation, Monstera nodes, and other aroids without spending a fortune on specialized equipment.

No promises of “zero rot” or magically faster roots.

Just a ridiculously simple propagation setup that gives you more control over the environment.

SAVE this before your next propagation project and FOLLOW for more rare plant care, propagation experiments, and DIY plant setups.

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Roberts Drive
Black Diamond, WA
98010

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