In one word: scarcity.

Some are far cheaper, like $10-25 each. Still not cheap, but they grow super slow, and only grow native on the island of Borneou. They are a very small and unique looking plant. It's supply/demand.

 

They are beautiful plants. Some of them appear with a look of nice crypt with the size and growth rate of an anubias. I got my first one today and it looks like it won't be the last.

 

Rarity covers a good part of the equation, but many of these plants are simply uniquely beautiful. On many varieties the leaves are quite glossy and take on an almost iridescent sheen thanks to a speckling of tiny silver dots on the surface of the leaves. That same sheen can create an shimmering overlay on the green leaves in hues of purple, blue, red or even orange.

Many varieties also offer very dark greens, blue-greens and near blacks that are otherwise unavailable in freshwater plants. Just as the bright reds, pinks and golds of high light plants at their prime in c02 tanks bring bright spots of color to a tank, these deeper, dark colors offer a furthering of the color available color spectrum. Adding to that is the habit of new growth to show very different colors. On my kedagang, for example, the leaf sheath starts out a bright red, then opens into a buttery soft yellow-green leaf that darkens to a deep blue-green with a purplish overlay.

Bucephalandra, for the most part, are also commonly rather small plants--many of them very VERY small leaved--making them especially valuable for use in nano tanks where smaller leaved plants help create the illusion of greater depth and space. That they also grow well under a wide range of conditions--low light to high, nonc02 to c02, emmersed and submersed--also makes them of interest to a wider range of buyers.

As with any new plant, as more people buy, propagate and have excess to sell, the availability will increase and prices decrease. As they are a relatively slow growing plant, however, they'll likely always be on the higher end of the price spectrum for plants.

 

are these hard to grow?

 

In general they aren't hard, but they are also not all the same. Mostly they will do well in nearly any tank once they are acclimated to it. Of course the more light, ferts, co2 will increase growth. I haven't see much effect of PH, hardness, or Temp though for the ones I've tested on at least.

However, there are also types which are extremely difficult to keep happy. Skeleton king, for example, is nearly impossible to grow submersed, and there are other types which are equally difficult.

The main issue is that nearly all of them have submersed and emmersed type of growth, and they will lose most of their leaves in the transition. As a result, if you don't know how the plant you're buying was grown, you could end up with a bare rhizome very quickly. Sometimes that rhizome will grow new plants, and sometimes it will melt as well. So when you buy, make sure you find out how it was grown. However, since many of the buce available have been recently imported, it's possible even the person selling to you doesn't know!

So while they are easy, there is definitely some complexity there.

But I agree with the the above posts, they are beautiful plants, and photos don't do them justice, but slow growing. That also gives so much flexibility in your tanks using them. Personally I've been addicted to them for years!

 

I think depend on the condition and tipe. Some of the is not slow growing. I have one long rhizome that i tied down to flat rock and it keep spouting new leaf. But the one i tied down to driftwood dows not grow as fast.
They are not that expensive down here though. The long rhizone cost me $5 while the smaller one cost $1 per rhizome. Anubias is more expensive.

 

my buce




second buce
on driftwood