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Revealed: The most expensive houseplants sold at auction

Photo taken in Kazan, Russia
A monstera was sold for £16,523 at private auction. Photo: Getty (Kseniâ Solov'eva / EyeEm via Getty Images)

Sales of houseplants have skyrocketed over the last year as coronavirus lockdowns set in and stay-at-home orders dragged on for months and people looked to improve their living setups.

New research by Homedit.com has looked into the trend for plant ownership to find out which ones sold for most.

Homedit analysed data from plant online shops, eBay and other auction sites to find out which plants were the hottest commodities. Researchers found that earlier this year a "mint variegated Monstera Deliciosa" sold in the UK for £28,200 ($38,763) on eBay (EBAY).

WATCH: How to Stop Grasshoppers From Eating All of Your Plants

After winning the bid, however, the buyer realised they weren’t happy with the price and refused to pay. The plant was resold a few weeks later for £8,000.

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The research showed that Monsteras were some of the most sought after plants — five of the top 10 spots were occupied by variations of the holy-leafed greenery.

House plants are selling at auction for eye-watering prices. Data: Homedit.com
House plants are selling at auction for eye-watering prices. Data: Homedit.com

Homedit.com also surveyed 3,673 Brits who own at least one houseplant to find out more about their spending habits. The site found 9% of those surveyed said they own over 200 houseplants.

More than 13% of people admitted they spent over £2,500 on plants alone so far, while 48% have spent between £101 and £500 on a single houseplant.

The data also showed that nearly 11% have spent over £1,000 on the upkeep of their plant collection, while more than 31% said they had killed a houseplant they spent over £50 on.

Nearly 22% of Brits surveyed said they had argued with a family member, partner, or roommate about the number of plants they own.

READ MORE: Furniture and men's clothing spur UK retail recovery as Britain's shops reopen

Despite this, nearly all — 98% — of those people said they didn’t get rid of any plants because of the argument.

The survey also found that 88% said they frequently sneak plants into their home and 76% of participants admitted buying houseplants had become an "addiction."

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