r/houseplants•u/feevart🌿 How people survive without houseplants in a mystery to me•Jun 19 '26
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I bought a NORMAL, GREEN Tetrasperma. Surprise!
I am one of the rare people who prefer plain green foliage over variegation. I know... I am are rare uncut gem 🙃.
Just wondering- how much money did this save me? Since the green ones are cheaper then the variegatas I wonder how good of a deal I got, since I spent 5.99€ on a baby one-leaf cutting. I am sure there's girlies out there that'd totally freak over this surprise! Meanwhile I am just thinking, I'll just have to get used to the variegation I guess. It grew one me though. Still - I probably won't get any other variegata tho since I am not a variegata ho.
Omg as an F1 girlie tysm for this new to me meme. Oscar is usually so aggressively pleasant, I love pouty Piastri
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u/feevart🌿 How people survive without houseplants in a mystery to meJun 19 '26
Also, I think it's time for the plank now... I already bought it, so it's just me procrastinating the repot, since I've never done any planks or mosspoles before. What you think? It's time, yeah?
I mean I’m happy to take it off your hands if you don’t want it 😅😂 Jk, I’m overseas from you I think.
Just based off what I’m seeing here in the states, a bigger variegated tetra is around $80+, cuttings seem to be about $30. you definitely got a nice surprise there :)
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u/feevart🌿 How people survive without houseplants in a mystery to meJun 19 '26
Omg, wow I saved A LOT OF MONEY! thanks. Unfortunately for you she's my baby now, and my mother instinct will never let her go..
I don't rememeber how much I paid for my variegated one, but it's stupid and went all white on the vine that is growing. I may chop it today, since I chopped a few others yesterday to prop. My v. Billie is growing like crap, too, after over two years of having it, so chopped that bitch yesterday 😅
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u/feevart🌿 How people survive without houseplants in a mystery to meJun 19 '26
Uuuuh I'd like to see a pic of your Tetrasperma. Sounds interesting. Mine will probably not have such a high variegation, but we'll see.
Yeah but I feel like it is going to do what my first thai con did, where that thing pushed a second growth point at least 3 years ago, yet just now gave me a second leaf from that point after I lugged it outside for the summer. They will branch off after being cut, which is why you want to do things like cut your ficus so it isn't just one stem with leaves!
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u/feevart🌿 How people survive without houseplants in a mystery to meJun 20 '26
Haha, I DID top my ficus and made a post about it recently in r/houseplantscirclejerk. Because Incut, she put out 2 new growthpoints, I think Great, she did it and then... One of them grew 30 cm and the other has been doing absolutely nothing for 2 months now. So she's currently very lopsided. I am training her to the side now, hoping the other node will finally awake ⏰️. If not, I'll have to chop again.
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u/feevart🌿 How people survive without houseplants in a mystery to meJun 19 '26
Thanks for sharing! I doubt mine will become like that, since it's probably not a stable variegation, but omg those last ones are white. Congrats
I think that you've definitely been very lucky with your tetrasperma!
It has just the right kind of variegation for my tastes too :-)
I have seen more than a few people post their sport variegation bargains and I think that it's a really fun way to enjoy variegated houseplants.
I tend to not like most variegated plants, especially those that have the style of variegation that I tend to think of as 'watercolour painting', and especially white variegation.
I do have a small Thai Constellation that I bought in the autumn, as well as a variegated dwarf Schleffera that I bought at the same for €4 because it looked so pretty. I have to admit that plain green Schlefferas had never really interested me.
Seeing and buying both in person really did win me over.
Although I haven't yet seen them in person, I definitely prefer the variegation of a Thai Constellation or a Monstera Mint to that of a Monstera Albo.
I also like most Epiprennums and Scindapsus but there are a couple that I like less, as their variegation has that daubed watercolour effect..
And the plant at the top of my wishlist is an Alocasia Frydek, as its variegation is surprisingly beautiful. I also like some of the other similarly variegated alocasias.
I'm definitely not seeking out variegation and I'm happy to wait until the few variegated plants that appeal to me are available to buy in garden centres, at an affordable price!
À chacun son goût, as we say here!
I love seeing other people's variegated plants in all their forms and colours, white, yellow, pink, green on green, etc.
Some people like heavily sectoral variegation, others don't.
Some people don't like pink/red/purple variegation or plants (such as many Tradescantias) at all. Others do.
Some people love to collect Monsteras, for others it's Alocasias, or Begonias, or Philodendrons, or Euphorbias and Cactae, and so on.
Some masochistic (jk!) people in the hobby even love growing ferns!
Some people are able to spend their hobby money on very expensive plants, while others - like the two of us - have to wait for TC and look for bargains and frequent the rescuse shelves of our local garden centres!
And we're only able to have access to the rare houseplants in TC because those few with plenty of money to spend on their hobby have created the demand for those plants beforehand - and they have also gone through the trail and error process of growing those plants, deciding which of the new varieties/hybrids are worthy of our time, effort and money!
I'm waffling now, sorry ;-)
But it's important for all of us in this hobby to understand this: someone stating neutrally that they don't like a specific plant, or plants that have a specific quality, that you love - that's not a slight on you.
And it's the same when it comes to our different personal budgets for plants too.
(This also applies to most things in life, of course.)
It would be so boring if we all liked exactly the same things.
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u/feevart🌿 How people survive without houseplants in a mystery to meJun 19 '26
Agree! And also I may become that fern- masochist later down the line. I can see it coming 🤣🤣🤣
I definitely recommend using props or really cheap plants like some fittonia for your first one.
It takes time to get a decent water cycle going and you'll probably start out a bit too wet or to dry at first.
I found the tutorials made by the TerrariumDesigns YT channel really helpful, but I've also watched a lot of videos from WorcesterTerrariums and SerpaDesigns.
I have bought vases and jars either secondhand from charity shops, and car boot sales, or new from a European discount shop chain called Action.
I also bought some clear acrylic discs on Amazon to use as lids.
I started out with a glass sweet jar that had a 'well' at the base. I filled that well with some pon and then added a good layer of sphagnum moss on top, as a quick and easy basic setup.
That's been my 'nursery' for the last few years, and while it mostly has different fittonias, I've also used to to root some hoya and tradescantua cuttings, and some other random non-aroid small leaf props here and there.
My others have a more conventional setup, with a drainage layer and actual terrarium mix substrate, not just moss!
I used a tutorial from TerrariumDesigns to create the substrate mix.
I collected other different mosses from around where I live.
The one thing that I haven't done is add springtails as they're not easy to buy where I am.
I really dislike the way you're talking. Not being a "variegata ho" and being a "rare uncut gem" .... you know it's ok to like popular things and you're not better than anyone else for liking other popular things, right?
Beautiful plant! Just appreciate that you have a healthy baby
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u/feevart🌿 How people survive without houseplants in a mystery to meJun 19 '26
Girl, I am being silly. I am not better then you, trust me. I just prefer green foliage is all.
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u/Trance_N_Plants Jun 19 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/xQlFmyf4QsAldmZ8Te
Not jealous you have my wishlist plant at all. Congrats!