Page 63 - Tropic Magazine Issue 35

TROPIC • GARDENING

Plant market Dan holding a
Philodendron Dean
TROPICAL PLANTS McDowell

A Cairns plant specialist has
taken to social media to sell his
sun-hardened tropical plants,
often at a bargain price.

Words: Annabel Bowles

If there’s one person who understands
the fickle nature of the plant market,
it’s Dan the Plant Man.
Edmonton-based Dan Smith started In Dan’s online photos, you might
growing and selling plants out of his spot chihuahuas King Kato and
backyard 22 years ago, first by advertising Queen Elizabeth (AKA Lizzie), who
open garden days on signs along the provide a plant size reference.
Bruce Highway. In the past three years,
he’s transitioned to online – primarily Around 50 plants are put up for sale “About half of the plants will go for less
auctioning his plants on Facebook. each week, with bids starting from as than I think they’re worth, and the other
little as $2. Dan told Tropic it’s a great half will go for more. “So, it usually
time to buy this April and May, with balances out for me.
prices of many species never being so low. Bidding also makes it fun for the buyer
Frydek (Alocasia micholitziana) “In about 2019, the plant market really by creating some competition.”
boomed in Australia,” he said. The most expensive plant Dan’s sold is
“The supply skyrocketed, and COVID a variegated Alocasia micholitziana, or
also led to a lot of demand, as people a ‘Frydek’, for about $2,500. When it
were spending more time on their comes to specialised species like these,
homes. Today, the supply and demand he usually lists them on Australia-wide
hasn’t come back down yet, so prices are Facebook groups dedicated to buying
generally really cheap. For example, and selling rare tropical plants. Today,
I was once selling a small root shoot of a Frydek small shoots (also known as
Philodendron dean McDowell for about corms) go for about $135 each. Dan is
$400. Then the supply blew out and the also soon launching a ‘plant doctor’
average price of a full-size plant dropped consulting service, travelling to homes
to about $50.” While a growing interest between Gordonvale and Palm Cove to
in plants has brought prices down help improve people’s indoor and outdoor
across the board, some species have plants, established and new gardens.
instead shot up in value.
“I’m always surprised by how the FACEBOOK: Dan the Plant Man
auctions turn out,” Dan said.

63 • tropicnow.com.au