It’s been two months since we left Panama, but I wanted to write this last post, about plants in Panama. Mostly to help anyone there who wants to get more plants. Hope you’ll find what you’re looking for! Before we dig into this, make sure to follow me on Instagram!

Being a plant lover in Panama City is both a blessing and a curse. Plants grow everywhere. The biggest Epipremnum aureums I’ve ever seen, Monstera adansonii growing on at least half of the tree trunks in the city, every office building has either a vertical garden full of Philodendrons and other hanging/climbing plants, or a tidy garden next to the entrance with Caladiums, Syngoniums and Calatheas. All of these plants thrive here. In fact, most of them are from here, or at least from this region of the world. And Panama is in fact the country with the most types of Monsteras. But actually finding and buying them is a very different situation…

The only Monstera I’ve seen in plant shops around Panama City is the regular green Monstera deliciosa (aka Swiss Cheese plant). To get a variegated Monstera, you’ll have to venture with a car to El Valle de Anton and ask at any of the nurseries in the valley. The car ride is about 2.5 hours outside of rush hour. And remember to bring cash, most nurseries don’t accept card. Once there, you’ll find several types of Alocasia, Calathea, Caladium, Syngonium, Philodendron, Thaumatophyllum, different cacti, palms and much more. Whatever size of plant you’re looking for, you’ll find it here, especially bigger ones. You can get a variegated Alocasia macrorrhiza that stands at 1.2-1.5m high for only $10!

My rather small plant haul the first time I went there specifically for plants:

Monstera deliciosa variegata (Thai constellation) = One huge leaf, $25
Thaumatophyllum ‘xanadu’, quite big = $25
Alocasia macrorrhiza, about 50cm tall = $4
Philodendron verrucosum, 3 medium leaves = $3

Most plants in Panama (at least outside of the city) are pretty cheap. Especially compared to what you’ll get in Europe for the same money. If you’re on a really low budget, you could also get cuttings all over the country for free. Like I mentioned, Monstera adansonii and similar Monsteras grow everywhere, so that one won’t be hard to get. Same with Philodendron hederaceum. You can also find a variety of Tillandsias (air plants) hanging from many trees. If you go out of the city, you’ll find many more tropical plants growing at the side of the road, easy to pick up and take home.

There are of course also a couple of plant shops around Panama City:

El Tigre Verde, San Francisco
I never bought anything here, but I’m sure you could find a couple of plants from time to time. When I went, they had mostly orchids and philodendrons (most of which had mealybugs). But they have a gorgeous plant wall outside of the entrance, worth going to have a look at (and take a picture for Instagram perhaps?!).
Hiedra y Bambu, San Francisco
This place has more variety than most, lots of small cacti and many bigger plants. However most of it is very pricy. However I did find a huge and gorgeous Philodendron gloriosum for only $25!
Vivero, Parque Metropolitano
To be honest, I never actually entered this place. But I did pass it a couple of times and they do have lots and lots of plants, in several sizes. Most are medium to big. For example I saw the beautiful Philodendron squamiferum here, the only place I’ve ever seen it in Panama.
Riba Smith, Multiplaza & Bella Vista
This is one of the supermarket chains in Panama, and the one with the best plant selection. It’s not that cheap, but you can find some nice looking and rare plants from time to time. Alocasia cuprea for example. The one in Multiplaza has a bit more, but the one in Bella vista always has Calatheas, Monsteras and some Philodendrons.