PSA: That rare orchid I found turned out to be a trap

Last Tuesday at the Seattle plant swap, this guy handed me a gorgeous blue orchid for free. Said it was a rare hybrid he couldn't keep alive. Got it home and the roots were packed in wet styrofoam, not soil. By Friday the leaves were yellow and slimy, and I found tiny bugs crawling out of the drainage holes. Anybody else get burned by a "rare" plant that was just a dying mess?

3 comments

3 Comments

carr.xena5d ago

Fell for one of those once, except mine was a "rare variegated monstera" that turned out to be just a regular monstera with spray paint on the leaves. I spent a whole week trying to keep it alive before realizing the paint was flaking off onto my fingers. Thought I was so smart getting a deal, but really I just bought a plant that was already halfway to the grave. Now I check roots at the swap before I even smile at the seller. Live and learn, I guess.

cooper.max5d ago

oh come on, you can't blame the spray paint thing on the seller entirely. if a "rare variegated monstera" is going for cheap at a plant swap, that's a huge red flag you chose to ignore because you wanted a deal. variegated monsteras are expensive for a reason, they're hard to find and propagate. you basically walked into a trap with your eyes wide open and now you're acting like you got scammed. maybe check the leaves before you hand over cash, not after you've been painting your fingers for a week. live and learn, but also use common sense next time lol.

carr.xena3d ago

Have you tried giving the seller a fake name and meeting in a well lit coffee shop next time? I always ask for a tissue and gently squeeze the pot to see if water comes out clear or sludgy. If it's sludgy, I walk away right then. Also, I pop any plant I bring home into a clear plastic box with a dry paper towel for three days before it goes near my other plants. Saves me a lot of headaches with mystery bugs.