potted plants
Sarah Biren
Sarah Biren
January 30, 2024 ·  4 min read

Green-Thumbed Man Grows Plants Worth $15,000 Per Leaf, Inspired by Grandmother’s Love

A 30-year-old has transformed his home into a jungle including plant species worth $15000 per leaf. He has turned his spare room into a greenhouse and collected some of the world’s rarest plants. Some of which were initially assumed to have gone extinct. 

A Collection of Plants Worth $15000 per Leaf 

Tony Le-Britton from Gloucestershire, England, clips the leaves of the particularly rare plant — worth thousands of dollars — for collectors. His Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma Variegata is the most valuable plant in his home.  

The non-variegated plant is really common—you can pick it up in most supermarkets and garden centers,” Tony said. “But my version, a genetic mutation—it’s completely random, which makes it rare. It’s the only one in the world [with that leaf pattern]. 

I have already taken three pre-orders at £12,000 each, per leaf. There’s a waiting list. I have had so many people contacting me. It’s like growing money on trees!” In comparison, £12,000 is over $15,000 per leaf in American dollars. And he has already sold several.  

He’s also proud of his Monastera sp Bolivia. It’s a species of plants undocumented in the science community. Talk about rare! 

Monastera sp Bolivia
The two tones of the Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma Variegata. They’re caused by a rare genetic mutation and clippings can be sold for £12,000 (approx $16,300 USD)
Image Credit: Tony Le-Britton | Instagram

“It’s from a botanical collector in Austria. I got it as a very small piece of stem. It’s grown to huge proportions. I put a picture online and a botanist in the field in Bolivia got in touch with me asking for more pictures—he had no record of the plant. 

The only way to find out what it truly is is to find it in the wild. Using the stem and leaf, we can then identify the family it belongs to.” 

Another plant in his home jungle, the exotic Begonia Chloristica, was once thought to be extinct in the wild. Tony got his version of the plant from a European collector. [1] 

By trade, Tony is a beauty photographer, which explains the stunning pictures of his plant collection on Instagram. In addition to selling leaves, his brand, Not Another Jungle, also sells fertilizer to other plant lovers. 

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Passing on the Green Thumb 

His grandparents inspired Tony’s love of plants. When he was little, they would take him out to their garden and show him how to take care of the greenery. He would also watch the BBC show ‘Gardener’s World’ with them. 

His grandmother, Cora, and her collection of plants were well-known in the neighborhood. When he grew up, Tony decided to create a garden she would be proud of.  

After two decades of hard work and care, two of the rooms in Tony’s house are lush with greenery.  

“It just stuck with me,” he explained. “I grew up in the garden. It’s all about the experiences I had when I was younger with my grandparents. People always admired [Cora’s] garden, and she made me a part of that. It’s in my blood I suppose.” 

man holding potted plant
Tony Le-Britton
Image Credit: Tony Le-Britton | Instagram

He has never officially studied plants. Most of Tony’s knowledge came from his two decades of hands-on learning. “You learn to just let plants get on with it. I think some people can over care for their plants.” 

His plant care routines involve pruning, watering, and examining roots for three hours every three weeks. 

The greenhouse is temperature, humidity and light controlled, so I can check everything is well on my phone. It really doesn’t take a lot. I do go in there every day—but that’s because I enjoy it”. [2] 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tony Le-Britton (@notanotherjungle)

Growing Fame

About a year ago, Tony opened the Instagram account to capture his incredible collection. Since then, he and his plants has garnered the attention of 33.5 thousand followers and the attention of several media outlets, including The Guardian, The Times, The Metro, The Daily Mail, The Sun, and the Sunday Times 

It’s incredible for such huge titles to recognize not only my passion for plants but just the importance of plants in general,” he wrote on Instagram after The Times article was posted. “Even though some of these articles have been somewhat sensationalized, I hope it’s at least piqued someone’s interest to give indoor gardening a go or extend their current collection

Plants have played such a significant part in my life and have been a constant theme throughout and hopefully; will continue to be around for the rest if my life.” [3] 

‘Gardener’s World’ was also in touch with the green thumb, which makes Tony’s passion for plants truly “come full circle.” [4] 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tony Le-Britton (@notanotherjungle)

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Sources

  1. Green-fingered man grows the ultimate collection of house plants – including a species worth £12,000 a leaf.” Leicestershire. Nisha Mal. December 13, 2020. 
  2. “A green-fingered man has grown the ultimate collection of house plants.” Yahoo News. December 7, 2020. 
  3. Not Another Jungle.” Instagram. Tony Le-Britton. December 2020. 
  4. “Green-Thumbed Man Grows Plants Worth $15,000 Per Leaf, Inspired by Grandmother’s Love.” Good News Network. December 18, 2020.