Cactus and Succulent Sabotage

by | May 11, 2015 | 10 comments

Every time I see succulents like these, I cringe. They are an abomination in the houseplant world.

All the painted succulents

Stop painting them

Why do we need to paint living, photosynthesizing things?!

Kosmik Kactus

And, Kosmic Kactus?! Really?! Hey, plant company- these are succulents- NOT cactus! 

FYI

Attractive bicolor effect….? Waterproof, non-toxic paint. Non-toxic to whom?! Not the plant….

Peeling Paint

And, obviously it isn’t flake proof….

All the colors

Stop gluing flowers on

At the same store, I found plenty of burnt plants to pair with the painted plants. What do I mean by burnt plants? These next pictures are of hot glued plants. Most people have been fooled by these “blooming” cactus but later figured out they were glued on flowers.

Notice the hot glue and even the ubiquitous hot glue string hanging off the flower below.

Hot glue strings

To add insult to injury, after the glue torture, the watering of the plants makes the dyed flower’s color run and it stains the plant. How lovely.

Leave them natural

I think plants are best in their natural state. They don’t need paint or hot glued flowers to be beautiful. The use of these artificial accoutrements are unnecessary and only lead to unhappy houseplant owners. The paint flakes off, the flower falls off, the hot glue ruins the plant when ripped off. Now we are left with an ugly, scarred plant that will most likely be thrown away. Maybe the plant owner will be discouraged from trying another houseplant. I want people to have a good experience with their plants and hopefully make the choice to try another plant because they have had so much success with the first one. Selling a plant that most likely won’t have a positive outcome for the customer seems like an irresponsible and really not the best choice for the company. Just my opinion. What is your opinion? Do you think these plants are okay and do you see houseplants as throw-away plants anyway when they are past their prime? Let me know in the comments.

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10 Comments

  1. dellob

    I’m right there with you about Painted Succulents…I saw a person the other day with quite a few of them at the store. They looked so happy about there purchase..It made me sad that they didn’t know that there succulents were suffocating…Oh well life goes on…

    Reply
  2. Kurt

    I certainly wouldn’t buy one and I would really discourage anything looking at them not to buy them either. Their horrible looking things.

    Reply
    • Lorie Kuchta

      Well I feel stupid! As an ignorant shopper of house plants, I nitially, I thought oh, how kool! At first I thought exotic plant from tropical place then when reading the label, clearly stating they were painted. I read on to the nontoxic part and thought, oh, ok, it doesn’t hurt the plant or environment I am an expert in skincare so I can tell you all the ways the beauty industry lies to the public about their “uneffective” cheap products! Why didn’t I use common sense? It is through the pores(leaves) that photosynthesis occurs? How could I just buy into the nontoxic gimmick? I feel like such a fool! NO pants are a living being and provide life to this eart! As a Reiki Master I’m applauded at myself for contributing to the profits of such an injustice and dishonor to the living things On this earth that provide oxygen and life to this planet! But there must be others as fooled as me, so could you tell me how to keep this life giving plant alive?

      Reply
  3. Mindy

    Now that I have been victimized, I bought two, how can I get these to survive. The sign that says these are painted was not posted, and there is nothing to say they are on the label. I should have known better. ? I paid way more than I should have for these!

    Reply
    • thehouseplantguru.com

      I’m sorry Mindy. They will usually grow out if they have enough light and have the right care. They new growth will just be green. Good luck and thank you for your comments.

      Reply
  4. Rebecca

    There absolutely gross .. Poor Plants…

    Reply
  5. Misty

    I also was suckered (I did think maybe some die had been added to cause a color change). These were a reward for my young grandson in his potty training victory and he is excited about the vibrant colors. I have them outside on the patio table where he can water them and see them. Is there any special care I should take with him, the plants especially once they start to peel? 🙁

    Reply
    • Misty

      I do know the difference between dye and die. Oops on the above.

      Reply
    • thehouseplantguru.com

      I think once they start to peel just let it do it naturally and hopefully the green will come through and start growing. I’m not sure as I have never had one…. let me know how it goes. Good luck!

      Reply
  6. Ally Hawkins

    I’ve bought these and they’re very healthy. I know that they’re painted, but most of my color has grown out. If I buy one, I always look for the healthiest one! They color these to make them catch people’s eyes, and to incourage people to start taking care of succulents. While I agree that the paint could be toxic, my plants have not been affected.

    Reply

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