Why are Aroids rare?

Why are Aroids rare?

I asked myself that question so many times over the last 2 years! 

It all started when I first saw an Aroid plant on a YouTube channel.  I learned that they were rare and very diverse.  Without questions, I felt in love with the plant. So, I decorated my house with Aroids and started my own YouTube channel.  That’s when reality sunk.  

I realized that I first needed to learn more about my plants. It’s not just that they were hard to find, because believe me when I say that they were being sold everywhere. To me the question now was more like what made them rare in the first place?

So, I set my self out to find out. Figuratively speaking of course as we are still facing the COVID-19 pandemic in its 3rd year. Yup, you heard that right, 3rd year!  So, if you are curious like me, I invite you to continue reading my blogs about this amazing plant family that is taking the world by a tropical storm ! (Hahaha! no pun intended).

In a nutshell, here is what I found out. 

1. There is not a lot of information about aroids. I read that recording information about the reproductive parts of a plant was frown upon in the old days.  In the case of Aroids, very little information was collected back then as well.
   
   
2. Plants from the Araceae family have adapted to terrestrial, aquatic, or epiphytic life. That is why they are so diverse.  I also learned that, I unfortunately over-watered some plants and under-watered others as they don’t require the same care.  If they are terrestrial, you must know if they are crawlers like the Philodendron Gloriosum which must have its stem directly above the soil so it can grow.  If it’s an epiphytic plant that likes to climb, then you must provide a pole for the plant to climb and be happy.
   
   
3. Plants can be expensive!!! But that’s another story for later.
   
   
4. They may not be universally rare, but some can be due to habitat specificity, being found in specific geographical locations, due to slow reproduction rates, due to unique pollination mechanisms, susceptibility to disease or pests, due to conversation efforts, and / or lack of commercial interest.
   
   
5. The prices are insane!

Overall, their diversity may be what made them so rare in the first place.  As a beginner, it would be impossible to know how to take care of each plant.  The scarcity of the plant  due to availability and price would also make it hard to produce more of these plants via propagation. That is until they increase in popularity of course. 

 Do you think Aroids are still rare now that they are the new trend in houseplants? Let me know in the comment section below.