Let’s get straight to the point: people keep whispering things like, "The trend is over," "They don’t sell for what they used to," or even, "Isn’t that plant so last decade?"—and honestly, that sums up the current state of Haworthia succulents. It’s true—about five or six years ago, whenever you’d hear in the news (those features that pop up every so often) about "succulent plants selling for over a million yen each," the star of the story was usually Haworthia. Back then, aside from a few common varieties, every Haworthia seemed ridiculously expensive and totally out of reach for most people.
But fast-forward to today, and you can’t help but gasp, "Wait, is it really okay for these to be this cheap?!" But is this truly something to lament? No way—it just means there’s a super fun new world out there, where you can pick up all sorts of adorable and beautiful varieties at accessible prices!
This time, I’d like to introduce some "petite-price Haworthias"—amazing varieties that used to be pricey, but now you can find for just 500 to 2,000 yen. I hope you’ll discover just how diverse and approachable the world of Haworthia has become, and maybe inspire more people to jump into the hobby—and maybe even start falling deeply in love with these plants, too.
For an introduction to Haworthias and their unique biology, check out the first part of our Haworthia special:
When people think of Haworthia, “Obusa” ) continues to reign supreme as one of the top favorites—both in the past and now. This is actually the first plant I recommend to anyone unfamiliar with succulents. But just saying "Obusa" ) doesn’t say it all, since there are tons of cultivars! Here, I’ve selected only the most reliable, can’t-go-wrong picks you’ll absolutely love.
By the way, I've even nominated Obusa as my #1 pick for "Succulents Perfect For Gifting."
When talking about variegated plants, it used to be that outside of a handful of common ones, they were always pricey. But nowadays, you can find "variegated" Haworthias available at budget-friendly prices, too.
Sometimes at your local garden center, you’ll find “jewel plants” or “crystal plants” bins packed with all sorts of Haworthias boasting sparkly "window" leaves. But among them, you might spot some that used to fetch a fortune—and be left wondering, “Wait, really?” Here are some real beauties that definitely deserve your attention—so if you spot one, grab it!
I’m not huge on phrases like, “Back in the day, these were expensive...” (even though I know I’ve used them in this piece!), but here are some cultivars that suit the phrase perfectly. Even these guys, with their slow growth and reputation for never producing babies (so prices supposedly wouldn’t drop), have become much more affordable thanks to advances in propagation. The momentum isn’t stopping!
One big reason Haworthias shot to fame is the abundance and variety of hybrids. When new, they were expensive—but as some became popular and well-known, they too became easier to find and more affordable (or, put another way, only the best survived as the rest were weeded out). You can’t always find the same variant at the same price any time, but there are tons of possibilities out there in similar price ranges. Instead of hunting for a specific one, I suggest exploring your local Haworthia section—discover just how much variety you can enjoy even on a modest budget, and maybe you’ll take home a new favorite! I hope that, for many, this becomes your starting point.
Of course, just because the Haworthia craze has cooled off doesn’t mean every variety can now be bought for cheap. Longstanding luxury types are still expensive, and brand-new headline-grabbers continue to appear. Give it time and even these prices might drop—but you can bet there’ll always be some new premium beauty on the horizon.
The whole point of this column is to show how many diverse, cool, and absolutely adorable Haworthias you can now find, even for just a few bucks—and hopefully give you the nudge you need to jump into this fascinating world.
When market prices drop, some people feel sad to see their plant collection’s "value" decrease—and I totally get that. But lower prices mean more budding collectors get to join in! If we can introduce these newcomers to lots of amazing varieties right from the start, maybe they’ll fall hard for Haworthias, and their journey will get delightfully deep, fast. As a plant encyclopedia editor, nothing makes me happier!
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