Stealing Houseplants is Normalized & Relatable - Here's Why You Shouldn't Do It

[@faeriegardener84]

First of all, kudos to you for making this video. It may rustle some feathers, but it's a legitimate conversation that needs to happen within the plant community. As a former Home Depot employee I would like to clear up some misconceptions about how big box stores do houseplants. **Home Depot does not actually own the plants until they are sold!** The plant nurseries own the plants up until the time they are sold, at which time both the nursery and Home Depot make a profit from the sale. Home Depot employees will spend some time (though minimal) tending to the plants, but as they are not officially Home Depot property, it doesn't make sense to pay people to care for them. The nursery that provides my Home Depot with plants is like a parent nursery that works with local nurseries to provide closer plants and cut down on transport time and costs. SO long story short, **when you steal a cutting from Home Depot or other big box stores you are still affecting small businesses.** Also, please just keep in mind that if you take a cutting instead of purchasing, you may have left the mother plant, but you have still prevented income being made off the plant so it's still theft.

[@faeriegardener84]

Also as an aside, sometimes you can still legitimately score free cuttings if you are not afraid to ask!! I got a free ZZ Plant start from a Chinese restaurant by asking if I could have one because I couldn't find any locally. Also, there was a lovely plant (maybe a lucky bamboo variety??) at my doctor's office. I got permission from their plant person to have a cutting and they even provided the scissors. :)

[@Lau3464l]

YES! THIS!!!

[@shonyrky]

Same thing exactly as the Walmart I work at!!

[@fancygirl822]

My son works for a big plant farm where he is a driver/salesman, he is the person who drops these plants at your stores and yes it is stealing because he only makes money on every plant he sells, they are not paid an hourly wage only a salary from a percentage of what they sell all year. He has a wife and 3 small children to support so when you take a cutting instead of purchasing the plant he has lost a sale, alot of the box stores do not tend to the plants at all so there is a tremendous amount of waste as it is that they have to take a loss on inventory right from thier pockets, they do not make bonus at the end of the season if they do not sell a quota the company has set for them to meet. They work very hard at these plant farms he is at work at 4am and sometimes not home until 9pm during the peak season, these trucks have no air conditioning or heaters so they freeze during the winter and in Texas humidity and 100 degrees weather he has even had heat stroke working his route before. He works very hard and alot of hours to try and take care of his family but if no one buys they plants but instead take cuttings it is basically taking money out of his pocket to pay for a free plant.

[@PlantingAshley]

This is important, thank you for sharing

[@jimicook86]

Once I saw cuttings on the floor of Lowe’s and I asked if I could have them and the employee said yes. Like they will probably let you have a cutting as long as you didn’t take it and you found it in the floor.

[@jacquelinetremblay4166]

Had an employee at a home Depot "accidentally" trim off some extra pieces after I asked if I could have some of the broken pieces that were already on the floor 😆

[@lavender1539]

i work at a greenhouse, and if someone finds a fallen succulent leaf idc if they take it, as long as you don’t pick it off and you found it, i see no issue. we just sweep up and toss the fallen leaves half of the time anyways

[@VirtuallyViktoriyan]

“It’s just one node, not the whole plant” ... by this logic I could take one oreo out of the package and so long as I didn’t take the whole package we’d be fine!

[@checkplease7735]

No since if you where to open an Oreo packet the rest of them would have gone off and unsellable while taking a cutting from a pothos or something of the sorts the mother plant is still sellable and in most cases will look the same after the cutting with no harm done :/

[@introtwerp]

@@checkplease7735 exactly

[@karenwilson9218]

It amazes me that some of you are defending stealing from a business. Stealing is stealing. If you “find a leaf” on the floor, ask if you can have it. Personally, I’d be embarrassed to even ask for a leaf from a $20 plant. Buy the plant!

[@Hi-ql3cq]

@Dexy Nash sure, we have our own thoughts about taking cuttings from big box stores, but in the end, it doesn't belong to the store, it belongs to the businesses that originally shipped it to the big box store(s). if taking plant cuttings wasn't illegal, this video and argument wouldn't be brought up. yeah, sure, the plant will grow back, but at the end of the day, you're taking what is supposed to be a profit towards plant businesses being able to have a chance to have houseplants accessible to everyone, and deciding to be selfish by cutting a plant that has a price tag on it.

[@Hi-ql3cq]

@Dexy Nash if the businesses had a problem with these places and how they treat and care for the plants, they'd reach out to them, or stop shipping and making sells from there. and if it's "self righteousness" then try cutting the plants and not shoving them in your pocket, instead, walk out of the store with them clearly visible in your hands, and maybe show some pride to the employees about taking cuttings from plants that are meant to be sold. Clearly, people put them and hide them in pockets and bags for a reason- because it's not something to take pride in.

[@plantwithroos]

I'm so happy you made this video, that meme but especially all the comments really shocked me. It made me scared to let plant people in my house without supervision, and question all previous visitors that came to swap plants. Not cool how many people think it's ok to steal cuttings

[@snazzy8606]

at a big box store if there’s anything on the ground that i know could be a potential plant, ill usually take. (i always ask the employees if i can take it.) if i didn’t take them, they would just get swept up and thrown away. at any nursery if i see this, i collect the plants and bring them up to the cashier or a worker and give them to them so THEY can have them. sometimes they appreciate the honesty so much that they give them to me for free (not my intention but it goes to show how often people steal from them. i have/will never intentionally damage a plant in order to get some sort of profit but i believe that if you’re actually saving while obtaining a plant, you are doing nothing wrong. always ask if you can take them though! a few succulent leaves are nottt worth jail time!

[@sahblay1060]

this is the comment i was looking for! picking up cuttings is NOT a bad thing SO LONG AS you ask first. big box stores usually don’t care and say to take it, and nurseries are a “hit or miss” for a lack of better words. at the end of the day, the worst thing they’ll say is “no” if you ask. the worst thing that can happen if you don’t ask is jail time or a fine 🥴

[@snazzy8606]

@@sahblay1060 see i absolutely agree. all the comments with everyone saying that you should never blah blah blah. just ask for it and at least at the big box stores they do not care at allll. thanks for making me not feel crazy lmao

[@0-gsj]

@@sahblay1060 "the worst they can say is no" June 19th 2019, recently being into propagation I go to my local Lowe's. I wanted to get a small Pothos to fill up my propagation station. The thought of duplicating plants seemed so exciting, I would gift a couple to my mother and aunt, who have a nice collection of plants themselves! I make my way to the plant section and while browsing, see a beautiful Monstera stem, node and all. The leaf was a little banged up, but it had great potential. When a worker in vest walked by, I made sure he saw me bend down to pick it up, so he couldn't have thought I cut it or something. "Excuse me!" I hollered as I snapped down, picked up the stem and took a step towards him. He was scraggy looking, not sure if that's a word, but he looked like a young stoner, awkward length hair above his shoulders and a piercing in his eyebrow. "May I take this home?" I asked, in my typical cheerful voice. He stopped in his tracks, it felt like 10 seconds went by before I got any response. I realize now he was waiting for me to say I was joking or something. My heart sank as his face twisted into this mocking expression. "SURE BRAH, YOU WANNA SCRAPE THE GUM OFF MY SHOES AND TAKE THAT HOME, TOO?" he said while laughing, with a voice that seemed like it filled the whole store. I couldn't believe how loud a person could talk without it being a yell. "SHE WANTS WHAT?" another worker turned the aisle and headed to "Geoff" to hear what was so funny (he looked equally as scraggly, but in a different way, 300+ pounds with stubble all over his face it seemed). People pivoted towards us, maybe I'm just insecure but I recall every pair of eyes I could see being on me. "SHE WANTS THE LEAF BRAH" (or something, I was so embarrassed at this point I started to disassociate). "The leaf off the floor" he continued. "You can propagate it..." I said quietly, looking down and gripping the stem in my hands. "woah, she wants to bring it home to masturbate it hahaa", "NO propagate! you put it in water... and then it grows... forget it". I threw the stem back on the floor and left. I remember how hot my face felt, how much my head was throbbing, and just crying from frustration all the way home. The worst they can say is not no.

[@anamedina4141]

I can proudly say I have NEVER stolen a cutting! I’ve never had an urge to do so!

[@nehaelizebathjoseph135]

Me too

[@kara.oz.]

Same!

[@raisinggreen1309]

Same 😳

[@ceramicfrog1]

Nobody said you were....

[@anamedina4141]

@Dexy Nash you’re such a hater, all your comments are nasty. Get off KZbin

[@claudiagaytan2828]

Can I call the cops on my mother in law 😑 I live with her and she takes cuttings from all my plants when I’m not looking!!!

[@zoecisneros5596]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Lau3464l]

I know you’re kind of kidding but you legitimately can, it’s legitimate theft

[@claudiagaytan2828]

@@Lau3464l I was kinda kidding but it is very frustrating to deal with

[@yexeroman7635]

@@claudiagaytan2828 keyword “kinda” 💀😂

[@claudiagaytan2828]

@@yexeroman7635 😂😂

[@michellesalyers2077]

It’s taking something that isn’t yours, that you didn’t pay for, and that you didn’t have permission to take. That’s stealing. I would never think it was OK to go to a friends house and dump some of their beauty product or skincare product into a container and take it without their permission. That’s stealing, even if it’s not taking the whole thing. Thanks for making this video!

[@Lau3464l]

Exactly!! Like if you wouldn't just take a book off someone's shelves or face cream from someone's container, why would you take a cutting from someone's plant??? Like imagine just stealing a piece of someone's pet...

[@something.about.plants2495]

Gahhhh yes! This!

[@cubescubed5473]

I'd definitely guilty of pocketing fallen leaves to give them a second chance but I'd never pull a live leaf, I can't stand it when I bring a plant home and realised someone's ripped off a bunch of leaves

[@wishingonthemoon1]

Same. If it’s on the floor, free game. But I can’t imagine taking something from a live plant. I have mixed feelings about this situation: I go to a really, *really* corrupt university (obviously didn’t know that when I applied). They’re abusive and just yucky. My friend who just graduated takes plant cuttings from their public plants as a way to stick it to them-on top of being abusive and shady, they also caused him to miss out on scholarship money because the admin were too unorganized and lazy to do the paperwork. He’s a great plant dad and so enthusiastic about plants, and I don’t think he’d do this anywhere else.

[@sunshinesmile94]

In my private surgical clinic, I like to make it a welcoming space and include plenty of greenery... there are patients caught on CCTV taking clippings. I was shocked when it first happened as it would never cross my mind that people would do that. However I notice quite a few people here who are justifying and normalising that behaviour (petty theft). It's interesting...

[@brookea8496]

Thats so wild, I never used to think it was that common either.

[@vincetravis8701]

The least someone can do is ask.

[@urbutholstinks2304]

sounds like something i would do, after asking. most of the plants in my room, i got from neighbours and family friends.

[@autumnmiller7831]

I'm surprised you didn't cover propagating patented plants

[@coagulatedsalts4711]

once took a snake plant cutting from the pot of a mall and felt so guilty i threw it away. i feel obligated to take that dried up leaf just back to its original plant as an apology and leaving 5 bucks as repayment. 😭😭

[@novanettle7497]

Story time that is vagely on topic! Me and a friend once went to a big plant/interior design store in the middle of nowhere Sweden in early March. None of us had a car and we had to take a bus and the wind was absolutely howling cold that day (below freezing and lots of snow). But when we got into the store it was like we entered a tropical paradise. It was nice and warm, they had a pond with turtles indoors and plants of every kind, everywhere! After running around for a while, sparkling with joy like children on Christmas, I found a gigantic hanging succulent. It looked like some sort of epiphyllum but I had never seen anything like it (to this day I'm not sure what kind of plant it is). The hanging planter was huge, and it's vines/leaves was almost as long as myself (6') and the price tag said $80. I knew it was gonna be really difficult to haul such a big boi home by bus, and it would probably not like the cold weather. And $80 was... A bit over my budget. So I went to the staff and explained, politely asked if I could buy a few cuttings instead, offering about $5 or so. They were super helpful and didn't charge me in the end for the cuttings anyway (I did buy other plants too though). The succulent cuttings all survived, and though it took some time for them to start growing properly - this spring they have really taken hold and have grown so much! It's gonna be a big boi too some day!

[@bethsummersett6395]

I’m so glad you made this video! I’m a former plant lifter (as of this video, thank you!) from a big box store by taking a portion of a plant, roots and all, from the pot and sticking it in my purse for my terrariums. Every time I did it my heart would almost explode from the anxiety of being caught and the knowledge that I was actually stealing. As a retired small business owner I absolutely knew what I was doing was totally against my beliefs and the law. I know better than that, I am better than that. Your admission at the beginning of your video made it possible for me to come clean and the rest of it allowed me to see the bigger picture. Slippery slopes and all. I can’t thank you enough for tackling this subject and allowing me to see the bigger picture. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@susancurry5224]

How can it be a thing to steal? Why do we, as a community, need to be told not to take what isn't ours? This just floors me. My illusion that planty people are somehow more civilized than the masses has just taken a huge hit. Thank you, Ashley, for being brave and ethical and taking on this topic. And it's not "just your opinion" that stealing is wrong. That's kind of a universal law, so please quit apologizing for standing up and doing what you can to stop it. Kudos!

[@susancurry5224]

@@smokedbeefandcheese4144 interesting philosophy. I can see your point, but I'm going to have to respectfully disagree.

[@fbiagentfrank]

I see what you're saying, but they are literally going to sweep it up and throw it in the trash. It isn't the same as stealing something that the store could sell. That would affect their profits. Taking what to them us trash isn't affecting their bottom line. The home depot employees in my neighborhood never clean up so the leaves would just get stepped on eventually anyways. If we're being honest, I take better care of the plants at my nearby HD than any of the employees do lol AND I'm giving leaves a second chance at life.

[@TatesPlants]

Ooo girl we LOVE a well-researched, passionate, educational video about pertinent topics effecting our hobby today yassss

[@numo203]

Imagine getting your beloved plant get damaged by a passerby 😭😭

[@vandayshataylor777]

Omg I’m clutching my pearls. I don’t even take two grapes from the grocery” that’s not right.

[@bsammilee]

I had a rommate that would always pick up my succulent leaves or dirt and take them for herself. And while I 100% would've gave her some she did so without asking. I also worked at Lowes and honestly the biggest issue is people steal whole a** plants and shoving them in their purse. Like soil and all. I have seen people switch healthy plants with clearance ones for the cheaper price and the list goes on and on. It isn't just leaves (which Ik you said there was more just others still only think people take leaves or cuttings). Thank you for this. Honestly if you ask an employee they will let you have leaves saves them time on clean up. Don't steal. I mean just imagine going to jail because you stole a leaf...

[@jillh5739]

I’ve asked if I can take leaves off the floor and the employee laughed and said yes, I was just going to throw them away 😂

[@vudusid8717]

Who's going to go to jail for stealing a leaf really? More like a slap on the wrist

[@Mameha4]

Wow! I'm blown away! It never occurred to me to actually cut off a node or two from plants in a store. Huh. Over here we talk about how you shouldn't taste grapes or cherries before buying, because what if everybody did that? But cutting off parts of plants in secret from friends and family? Wow. Literally never occurred to me!

[@kayla6103]

I dont think it’s accurate to say “stealing a fallen leaf from a succulent at lowes” LEADS to stealing from a nursery…. That’s just an illogical argument

[@jacobmoreno9698]

I mean. If I see it on the floor of the nursery it’s not as bad in my opinion

[@vudusid8717]

I always pick up the baby succulents off the floor at my local nursery's. They only sweep them up for the bin. I don't think the staff even mind. Safes them a job.

[@TaniDraws]

@@vudusid8717 Actually, a lot of nurseries use fallen succulent leaves and such for propagation, especially the smaller ones. Just -ask- if you can take fallen leaves and such.

[@vudusid8717]

@@TaniDraws Ok kazza.

[@novanettle7497]

I don't know, I'd still ask if it was ok. In my experience, just *assuming* that taking something is ok is still a bit rude. It's so easy to just ask, most plant stores are actually really cool if you just ask politely.

[@TaniDraws]

@@novanettle7497 exactly!

[@jameswiggle]

i support stealing cuttings from big box stores but not your neighbors' yards

[@clover8883]

I’ve picked up a little broken leaf of a Chinese money plant on an empty shelf before and I did it because I felt like I was saving that little piece of plant as it would likely be thrown into the trash when the cleaner came around. I’ve NEVER intentionally taken a cutting from a plant, the thought that people would do that on purpose had literally never crossed my mind, that’s terrible!

[@kyleeissomajestic]

for the record, i personally have never stolen a cutting. i get that stealing from friends, family, people’s porches, small nurseries etc is bad, BUT i’m never gonna scold the people i see taking little succulent props that have fallen off onto the shelf that would literally be thrown away otherwise. i think there comes a point where you have to consider what is truly causing material harm and what isn’t. there’s no world where stealing a plant cutting from a billion dollar company is causing material harm to anyone. and it’s really not a slippery slope when morals are involved in your thinking from the very beginning.

[@emilygrant9606]

In my city, there have been a few occasions that made the news where someone stole plants from somebody’s yard. It makes me scared to plant some inherited perennials (from my late mother) in my yard. I also know people who go around cutting blooms from people’s gardens for their own enjoyment. It’s not ok! You don’t know what those plants might mean to someone. I also can’t stand when I see people picking or digging up wildflowers in parks and protected lands. It’s wrong for so many reasons and is so disrespectful towards the nature people claim to love.

[@pinkrockz123]

Please do not steal cuttings from people's yards! You might not think it's a big deal but it is for the person that spent time and money to grow those plants. I had beautiful rose bushes planted across my fence, they stayed with their blooms for only a few days. People literally cut off the flowers and left them looking all butchered

[@Labyrinthine_Complexities]

O M F G my neighbor mows over all 6 of my plants I grow along the fence. Pisses me off

[@vincetravis8701]

When we had a garden (that was mostly flowers/decorative plants), we had to SERIOUSLY put electric wire around it just to stop people from trying to steal them/cut them up. Our garden looked terrible before the wire was put up due to so many people cutting parts of them off or uprooting them entirely.

[@Lau3464l]

Now that I've watched this, this is an AWESOME video and I'm so impressed with how well-researched, articulate, and coherent you are!!

[@knitwit2871]

I have seen people do this in rare plant shops. Like the anger I’d feel if someone basically took a 100$ cutting off my albo for free just cause they want to. No no. 😂

[@PuttingontheGlitz124]

I literally can’t believe this needs to be a video.... how do people think it’s okay?? I can’t

[@hannahcollins6909]

Imagine being in jail for stealing a plant :/

[@PlantyGal05]

A local nursery used to have rare plants near the help, but a person took a plant that was over $150 and swapped it for a $20 priced plant’s pot. This person was banned and charges pressed and the rest of us honest ppl suffer cuz now the rarer plants over $50 are behind the help desk and far enough away that you have to ask to see each plant for price. And they walk you to the registers so you can pay and not just walk out.

[@taegenmcshane]

So excited to hear about the Potted Elephant. I looked it up and it’s only 10 minutes from me 😍

[@jtovar518]

Comings from a 54 yr old, “Dude you nailed it!” Excellent!! 🙌🏼 love this info!! 😊

[@Lau3464l]

CAN I JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR MAKING A VIDEO ABOUT THIS

[@Lau3464l]

I haven't even watched yet but I saw the title and I'm like OH THANK GOD, also on instagram you post so much amazing stuff about social justice issues so I can confidently say that you 100% are aware of and active about the "more important issues in the world" that you give the disclaimer about!

[@brookea8496]

We stan these longer videos, amiright?

[@sharonpollitt1524]

thanks for the informative video. I have had my garden plants stolen in my front yard in the summer, and now I will no longer be putting plants or flowers in my front yard.

[@Lau3464l]

This is my biggest fear 😭

[@Avocetexotics]

I loved this video! I think this is definitely a great video topic to talk about. I would hate if anyone " borrowed " a clipping from any of my plant babies. I have never stolen clippings from plants but I have taken little succulent leaves at Walmart that have already fallen off and propagate them the rest of the way at home. I NEVER pull them off of the succulent and only take them if they fell on the floor ( because they would have just been swept up anyway ) or on the shelf and are no longer in the pot and if I am already buying a succulent. I never sneek them into my bag and just set the little leaves into the succulent pot I am buying. The check out people never say anything about but I guess it is still considered stilling. I guess next time, I will ask the manager if I can take the ones off the floor.

[@cecethedawg3711]

Same. I never thought taking leaves off the floor as stealing because it was never going to be sold by the big box store. I’m glad this video came out so I dont do this. Don’t want to commit any crimes.

[@Avocetexotics]

@@cecethedawg3711 yeah. Same. In my mind I was " saving " the plants. Oops 😬

[@emmie605]

I honestly feel like that’s okay

[@ThePlantedCarlyflower]

What’s sad is a lot of people do know they’re stealing. But they either don’t care or they rationalize it in their mind. Doesn’t matter if it fell off the plant, it’s just one node, it’s from a big box store, or no one will never know. It’s theft unless you ask for permission. I will never personally participate in this. I can’t control what others do, but I can control my actions.

[@ThePlantedCarlyflower]

@@sierra734 That would be a diagnosed issue. I would tell that person to get counseling for their kleptomania. It’s still stealing and still not justified. So they need to get the help they need to stop.

[@ThePlantedCarlyflower]

@@sierra734 that’s no where near to what I said. I said for them to get help for their issue.

[@laurenvance1426]

Thank you for making this. I have had people come into my yard and trample my plants to get part of the one they wanted. The two year old who got excited to find his mom a “pwetty fow-wer” was adorable and I didn’t mind at all especially after he apologized and helped me plant a new one. 😊 the 50ish year old woman who came not once but twice (and the second time brought a friend) I absolutely did. Had she just asked I would have given her some I had propagating in my backyard. But she didn’t and caused such a ruckus one of my neighbors actually called the cops

[@kai3962]

Great video! I’ve never seen people taking cuttings but if I do I’m ready to call someone out if I see them or tell an employee. I’ve seen people post about this stuff on FB. I don’t understand the idea, and I can’t understand how people justify it, especially in shops like what happened at the Potted Elephant. These plants are priced to be sold in their current state, so altering the size by taking a cutting or pulling a pup out of the pot most definitely decreases value of the product, especially with rare plants. Another topic I find a little odd in the community is plant flipping. I.e. people buying a plant at a good price and selling it somewhere else for like x3 the price. I think it’s wrong to do but there’s people that seem to think otherwise. People say that a person is free to do what they wish with their money, which I agree, but I think flipping is a little crappy and I don’t want to buy from someone that flips. I’ve heard the same sentiment from others. I’ve also seen it in rules for a few BTS and purge FB groups under the price shaming section that you can’t comment on believing that a plant is flipped. It’s usually very obvious with big box store plants, but I’ve seen a few I STRONGLY believe are being flipped on Etsy from a local shop in my area. The plant was priced at about $30 at the shop and is $148 on Etsy, its in the exact same pot they sell the plants in, its in the exact same soil the shop uses, its in the typical condition of the plants I see in the shop, and the Etsy shop even has the area in its name. Someone looking to buy that wouldn’t have any idea it could very well be flipped unless they went to that shop before, which leads me to ask: should I point out a seller I think is flipping a plant and why I believe so or not? What do you (and I guess anyone else that wants to share) think of that and flipping? Bad or not? Why or why not?

[@yvehirsch-smith1077]

Walmart recently had a line-up that included the Scindapsus treubii and Rhaphidophora hayi and yes, I’ve seen the Rhaphidophora hayi on eBay for $500 (which was originally below $30) but this is just how the free market works. Supply and demand....high demand drives prices up and if you were lucky to snag a Hayi or treubii (and paid for the plant) then it’s your plant and you can do what you want with it. I was obsessed with the Rhaphidophora hayii and literally drove to my Walmart at 8pm because Brickseek gave me wrong info. I ended up buying Rhaphidophora hayi, Rhaphidophora cryptantha, Rhaphidophora korthalsii, Rhaphidophora hongkongensis and Rhaphidophora tetrasperma from different sellers (mostly Etsy) to ease my obsession and ended up getting much better plants anyways. When I saw the $500 hayi post on eBay I was first mad, but then I had to laugh...let them try 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@emmae4164]

Finally people are starting to talk about how troubling these kinds of things are starting to become

[@chandraharper9951]

Thank you for addressing this issue. Stealing cuttings, leaves (even from the ground), or even whole plants is taking something that doesn’t belong to you. It amazes me not only that people do it, but that they are actually proud of it! Stealing is stealing no matter if it’s from a nursery, a big box store, or a friend/family member.

[@hvonsus5725]

Exactly! At least ask about it. If you find a succulent lead on the ground, it’s not hard to ask! Plus, they’d normally let you take it.

[@tomforeman6423]

Last comment, but my fav part of this video is when Ashley says “for those of you....” because there are no loop holes. DONT STEAL CUTTINGS AND PLANTS

[@otdev7803]

Super important topic. I talked to one of the nursery’s in Florida that got robbed and they said someone wanted to buy their giant Jose Bueno, but declined the price they offered. Soon after that someone cut into the greenhouse and stole the bottom half of the plant that had all the pups and then came back again a few days later and stole the top of the plant along with other rare plants. 😡😢

[@lululuna3209]

I have collected plant cuttings which my aunt threw away while pruning.... Is that stealing too🙄

[@loveakira4ever]

When I first got into plants I came across ur videos and in one of them u said that taking leafs that fell on the floor is stealing. I dont think I would have thought about it if you hadnt spoken up and im so grateful that you said something and I caught it in the beginning of my love for plants. I love this video and I hope that new plant lovers educate themselves and stay informed on why "taking a cutting" is bad. Also I would be pretty pissed if someone came into my house and took a cutting without asking me.

[@livpetrovich7090]

Thank you so much for this! I most recently saw someone say, “I take the babies off of the spider plants at school, they would be thrown away anyways!” The thing is that there is no way that you could know if this is true, unless you ask the owner of the plant, in which case you might as well ask if you can just take a cutting! What if the owner is actually giving the baby plants as gifts, or using them in another way? There is no way for you to know, and it really is stealing! It is like taking a spoonful of ice cream from the ice cream containers at the grocery store, and saying that it is ok, because you are leaving most of the ice cream. That just doesn’t sit right with me, and I don’t see how anyone could justify that or joke about it!

[@elizabethgaddis8713]

Thank you for this!! It seriously irks me when people proudly post about their stolen cuttings. I’ve seen people go as far as saying “they grow in nature, they should be free!” 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

[@danierrett2524]

Thank you! Those memes have been bugging me lately… very informative video! So glad you mentioned taking plants from the wild too! I think it would be amazing if you could find a way to shorten the video to reach more people.. i almost didnt click in it due to the length but the information was so good you held my attention the entire time and it barely felt 10 minutes.. but just wondering if by shortening it you could reach more people and link them to this video? I dunno? Just a thought.. by shortening it people may end up with misunderstandings that are clearly explained here.. well anyways.. amazing video!

[@mustachadon]

Plant Blindness refers to the inability to see or notice the plants in one's own environment. The term was coined twenty years ago by two botanists, Elizabeth Schussler, of the Ruth Patrick Science Educator Center in Aiken, South Carolina, and James Wandersee, of Louisiana State University. It describes being unaware of individual plant diversity in your environment.

[@joycetheobald1717]

I am usually flattered if someone asks for a cutting, but would probably get annoyed if they maimed one without me knowing. I have collected house plant confetti off of a Lowes floor before.

[@carolinefortin5455]

Did you know you can't even take rocks from parks? Ps: Did you ever steal plants from your neighbors as a kid to make a cute bouquet for your mom?... because same...

[@rebelwilderofficial1396]

While I think we all want to give people the benifit of the doubt and hope someone "just didn't know any better", and would hopefully DO better when offered information on the subject, but unfortunately I think the results of the poll shows that people are creatures of opportunity, and though most might know it's unethical - would still act advantageously, if the opportunity comes up to steal plants without the guilt or punishment of being caught. A few months ago, there was an incident within our local houseplant group in Eugene, Oregon - where a knowledgeable but opportunistic person took advantage of the good faith and lack of knowledge in another person. The desk person in the lobby of an apartment complex or hotel, was asked by a woman if she could take "a few" cuttings off a very large, very rare and very expensive plant in that lobby. The desk person, not understanding the value of the plant and not understanding the predatory and opportunistic intent of the woman - kindly agreed to allow her a few cuttings. The desk person stepped away for a moment and upon return, realized the woman had chopped the plant nearly down to stumps. The desk person reported it to the owner of the building, who then informed the employee of the value of the plant and gravity of the incident. I believe it was the owner who shared the story with our local plant group, in an effort to find the woman who butchered the plant. It was an incident that was upsetting to many in the group as it was a clear case of taking advantage of a person's lack of knowledge in the plant community - solely for personal gain. The owner of the plant as naturally heart broken, the desk person felt awful but was just trying to be hospitable, and it was also a plant that many people In town walked past and admired through the window on a daily basis... I know it sounds dumb to some people, but something of value and great appreciation really was robbed from an entire community. Actions have consequences... And there are people who understand that, people who don't, and people who don't care! :( Thank you for sharing this information and for taking the time to articulate it in a way that is so easy to follow and understand. Knowledge is power! 💚🌱

[@BotanicalBrunette]

Uggghhhh these people!! Thanks for making this video!! And a side note: if you find a cutting or a “dying” plant at Lowe’s or Home Depot and you ask an employee, they will often give you a discount or even let you take it for free. 🙄

[@AttainableGreen]

Great topic! It’s crazy how much theft has gone on in the community. One thing that wasn’t mentioned and is another can of worms is dumpster diving. I have heard stories of people going to the back of nurseries/big box stores and take plants from the dumpster. It was either infected/subpar/damaged stock that nurseries can’t or won’t sell. I guess that’s why a lot of places are locking up the dumpsters these days.

[@angiem8434]

Sometimes they throw out healthy plants. I don't dumpster dive cause I would be too embarrassed lol but at Lowes I saw a cart of dried out Pentas..one of my fav summer flowers..I knew if they were watered they bounce back fast..I asked the lady and she said nothing was wrong with them except that they had dried out and no one was buying them off clearance cause the clearance price was not much cheaper than the full price (aka Lowes changed how they clearance plants). She told they were going to dump the whole cart of plants. Big box stores are different than nurseries and people know that.

[@tomforeman6423]

Omg I haven’t even watched this yet but THANK YOU for making this! Its an important topic that no one talks about

[@annaburke2210]

This was my favorite video you’ve made in awhile! I agree that these topics are so interesting. Please make a moral and ethics video about endangered species too.

[@croom1454]

I feel like you handled that post in our local group appropriately.

[@PlantingAshley]

Thanks i thought so too 🥺

[@croom1454]

@@PlantingAshley I see alot of people joking about and making domestic violence comments, posts, and memes in some of the plant groups I'm in. I think that's problematic too.

[@davidrocque1587]

I retired from the department of agriculture & part of my job was inspecting nurseries & greenhouses. So I would be inspecting & plant shopping at the same time! A pretty good deal...lol

[@kimkautz]

There’s a whole community on reddit for prop lifting and they post photos of all the plants they prop lift and it’s so gross. I hate that that community is allowed to exist because they’re literally bragging about stealing. I’m glad I’ve never done it I would feel so guilty. Thank you for speaking out about this.

[@Lau3464l]

I hate that community... I thought for the longest time that proplifting was like uplifting the plant or uplifting your life by propagating and then when I realized it was a pun on “shoplifting” I had to leave.

[@kimkautz]

@@Lau3464l I get second hand embarrassment when I think of the fact that there's over 146k members of that community.

[@Lau3464l]

@@kimkautz awful. People will stop at nothing to justify their selfishness

[@AliciaCarsson]

I think a lot of members also proplift from their own plants. So it's not just people grabbing from plants they don't own by their own accord. Also propagations that have been given to them. Not everyone there is like that, hopefully we can make the term proplifting a more positive thing by making it less about stealing and more about giving/receiving *sharing* plants.

[@Lau3464l]

@@AliciaCarsson but is that not just propagating rather than proplifting? I could be totally wrong but i thought the word "proplift" is a pun on "shoplift"

[@Labyrinthine_Complexities]

We had some idiots driving around stealing businesses large decorative potted plants. It was a two person crew.

[@plantocity4474]

I always ask my big box stores if I can take cuttings of the clearance plants and they always let me! I make sure to ask because I don’t want to get into trouble or anything haha but I never do that from like nurseries just because I don’t know it’s different, I only ask to take cuttings from Home Depot’s/ Lowe’s clearance section but nurseries take time with their plants and don’t have a clearance section where the plants are dying 🤷🏼‍♀️ (I pay for the cuttings, it’s just cheaper than buying the whole plant especially if it’s on clearance, but sometimes they let me take them for free) Me and my plant neighbors also always trade plant cuttings but we are always honest and ask o don’t understand why people have to be secretive and commit crimes when they can literally just ask and get a better outcome than doing time in jail.

[@mustachadon]

Oh my gosh, blind means lack of awareness. Its not only ever used to describe people who are visually blind.

[@_mike_the_spike]

It’s ableist. Just learn a better word. It’s not hard.

[@mustachadon]

@@_mike_the_spike its not ableist.

[@mustachadon]

Stop moving the goal post. This is the one and only time ive heard about this and i spend plenty of time with actual blind folk. There is absolutely zero reference to someone thats visually blind in the term plant blind. I posted the definition and some of the history behind it.

[@_mike_the_spike]

@@mustachadon blind people are not a monolith. Just because you know a blind person who is either ok with it, or who hasn’t said anything to you about it, doesn’t mean that it isn’t ableist. I’m sure you could spend 30 seconds on google and find plenty of members of the blind community who disagree with you. And even if a blind person if ok with it, their relationship with that kind of language is their business. And it doesn’t mean that that kind of language isn’t harmful to other members of their community when people who aren’t in the community use it.

[@_mike_the_spike]

@@mustachadon and no, we shouldn’t stop moving the goal post. Because that’s how progress happens.

[@user-gd3oi2ue6k]

Someone stole a huge top cutting from a philodendron glad hands that was growing in an academic library in my town. It had been growing in the library for years. It totally ruined the overall look of the plant. It sickens me that people would do this and not see it as stealing.

[@teresaaramini546]

Important topic. Thanks for all your research. Hopefully education will help people realize how inappropriate stealing plants or cuttings is.

[@tomforeman6423]

I see people talking about taking cuttings all the time on Tiktok and it’s sooooo annoying

[@StrangeDisposition]

May I be picky about something? What was described as “plant blindness” should actually be called plant abuse/mistreatment/vandalism. I thought “plant blindness” was when people don’t notice plants at all and never interact in a positive or negative way. However, I think “plant blind” people benefit from the calming effects of plants but do not recognize the source.

[@mustachadon]

Correct

[@glamt5780]

The worst part of people stealing, is that it makes it harder on us who want to purchase honestly. No matter where I shop now for plants, there are people hovering to watch. We are all now being looked at when we shop as if we are all thieves, and that is not fair.

[@amberapreston3280]

This was so interesting and truly enjoyed this video. Very eye opening and appreciate you for taking your time putting this together.

[@Alex.Rivers]

Really annoyed at the saying about taking cutting from the floor @ big box stores leading to nursery theft. It reminded me of cannabis prohibition speeches which as a medical patient can assure you is the case with many people I know as well... I ask for cuttings off the floor from the manager/supervisor available and only then would I take them.

[@tate4783]

I had no idea that people were CUTTING plants in shops. Let alone a whole plant mafia smuggling operation. Am I alone in this? MindBLOWN!

[@lylaleigh2464]

I’m not ashamed to admit it, I took a bunch of cuttings from my old job and propagated them because my old coworker who was “taking care of them” was killing them so I tried to save them at work and had the cuttings as a backup plan. I was able to take over the care of the plants at work and they lived and I quit before the cuttings were fully rooted and ready to go back. I don’t feel bad about it because it wasn’t for personal gain.

[@andreacoughlin2736]

Stealing is a sin end of story. I share lots of cuttings when asked or someone says they like a plant I’m like “want a cutting?!” Just asking saves a lot of heartache.

[@Pockets9396]

It’s just not all around wrong, no religion needed

[@andreacoughlin2736]

@@Pockets9396 it’s not religion it’s the Bible. The Bible isn’t religion it’s Gods word. Religion is man made.

[@analymorales9554]

It’s just about having good ethics. Religion or the word of God has nothing to do with it (:

[@plantisami4993]

Thank you for saying it! The only time I take something is when it is detached and will die without help anyways (like a broken succulent leaf).

[@plantisami4993]

@@sierra734 yes. I also saw the “one step away from stealing a cutting” but don’t agree. I would never take a cutting. There is a big difference between something attached and something not.

[@silverc.8105]

I'll do that at big box stores but I get anxiety about taking it without permission so I still always ask a store employee and they always look at me like I'm crazy but say it's fine lol

[@plantisami4993]

@@silverc.8105 yes! The employees know me by now and they don’t care that I do it. I just don’t take from the actual plant. Only what will be trashed and stepped on. Even though I’ve asked munitions of times, I still get antsy

[@ampgc10]

Well effing done! I like this I like this alot! Ashley with the resources page!!!! She's a whole plant journalist now!!!

[@PlantingAshley]

Ive been researching this for months hahaha

[@ampgc10]

@@PlantingAshley well you out did yourself! I can't wait for the poaching video. Do more passion videos! This was passion. I felt it

[@lavernec7812]

Can you believe that people not only steal plants but also beach sand . I think they’re the same people!😂 It’s a $100000 fine to steal sand from Hawaii beaches. A couple stole 88 pounds of sand from a beach in France and were arrested. Stealing beauty!

[@LauraaC]

It’s so sad that some people just don’t care about small local businesses

[@joycetheobald1717]

There are lots of online plant swap groups for fun ways to expand collections, for free or very cheap (shipping).

[@freya-louise6669]

Great vid it’s horrible that people will steal from others just because it’s a plant it’s still stealing

[@paubel58]

unrelated but i keep getting ads for ashley home furniture on your videos lmaoo

[@kai3962]

Lol I do too

[@aurorapeden7695]

This hurts my brain. Stealing is stealing. Taking something that isn't yours without permission is stealing. Stealing is illegal, no matter where or how you do it. Props to you Ashley for putting this out there

[@ThePursuitofJoy]

THANK YOU for saying something.

[@wiesje93]

Thanks for making this video! I once saw a guy deadass cut roses from someone’s garden rosebush?????? I was so shocked!

[@PlantingAshley]

Yiiikes

[@wishingonthemoon1]

This is actually an important topic. Who doesn’t love grabbing leaves off the ikea floor? And who doesn’t love taking a cutting from wild common house plants… BUT I live in the alps. There are Christmas Roses everywhere in the mountains where I live. I thought they were so cute, and thought, oh I should bring one home. They grow everywhere. FALSE. Luckily my partner knew that they are protected. I asked, how can that be, they’re sold commercially? The Christmas Roses sold here commercially are a different strand then the ones that live in the wild. And while they grow very concentrated here, they are endangered because they don’t grow widespread. There are tons of protected plants here in the Alps, and I definitely don’t know all of them, so I’ll never try to take a plant again! (Except Himalayan Balsam. That’s super invasive and I will try and remove the thicket at the river near my house. They’ve choked out all other plant life here).

[@wishingonthemoon1]

Being aware of the area which you are visiting/in which you live is super important. For example, if visiting Hawaii, don’t don’t don’t bother the plants. Many of them are ENDEMIC, meaning existing *only* in Hawaii.

[@Aki_s_Place]

I need to educate my mom... Thank you so much for making this educational video!!

[@KimberlyDurrMusic]

🌓Thanks so much for doing this video, I was just thinking about how I’m gonna have to hire armed security for my future nursery, that I’m am gonna have in Florida when we move soon. I have never taken plants without asking first and if someone come to my nursery or home and steal anything, well let’s just say that won’t do it again. If someone would just ask, I would probably just give it to you. But that’s crazy how this video just came up. Thanks love

[@staceytavares1501]

There's a lady that walks up and down my street once or twice a day. The last two springs she always seems to go for her walk when I'm working on the garden in the front of my house. Asking what I was planting, telling me I have a lot of patience. Then when everything is growing and beautiful, I catch her in my yard looking...okay no big deal...UNTIL she staring walking with her grandson and started taking cuttings from my yard and putting them in his stroller!!! I was BULLSHIT!! Ok, you pick a rose or whatever flower but whole cuttings of plants I've grown from seeds!?!?! NoOoOoOo that is not okay!!!!

[@maddhappy2286]

The closest I've ever come to that is once, when i was walking home from work, i picked up a few leaves from an outdoor succulent that had fallen off from a storm the night before. Never even touched the mother plant. People taking plants from parks though..., oof.

[@tams7411]

Just wanna say, thankfully, where I live it is NOT normalised at all. I think the only time it's okay-ish where I live is when you find a sad little succulent leaf/strand on the ground (usually in big box shops, or the footpath). But like full on taking cuttings or full plants (especially from independent sellers, friends and family and gardens/the wild)?? Ugh :/ when I was new, I took some cuttings from someone's plant growing over their fence (didn't know it was wrong then uuuuh 🤦🏼‍♀️), and even though they were small, it was still not right and I'd NEVER do that now after a few years of being in the community :( Edit: tysm for this video, it was super interesting for me and I learned so much! Would you think if doing more educational type content? It's really enjoyable ✨ 💞 🌱

[@cherylfaulkner7991]

That was very informative!! I never thought lifting plants was like a popular thing. Not saying popular in the popular way. Just amazing. Thanks for this information.

[@cscreative5460]

While I would never do this and didn’t even think of it before seeing the idea on plant related social media I must agree that there are MUCH bigger concerns in the world and therefore this is not my business.

[@cecilia4852]

Most i take is plants that are trashed, (i live in an apartment) spider babies (only one of each species) and pieces that have fallen on the floor. The plants i grow I give away, i only keep maybe 10% of the plants i prop. I dont even sell them, i just give them away to anyone that expresses interest in them

[@hypatiakumbera789]

This was really well research! Thanks so much for sharing. I'm going back and watching through your older videos I haven't seen to help with your move, best of luck to you!

[@livewellwitheds6885]

I really appreciate your honesty in the beginning! its so important

[@jazzyg4578]

I wouldn't date so from a nursery. I have picked up cutting from floor from big box stores as they will be walked in or thrown away. This employees don't care for the plants. They over water them and toss them in the waste bin to be counted for inventory

[@freya-louise6669]

Isn’t that still stealing though? I know they will be thrown away but it wasn’t urs I don’t know much about big box stores so sorry if this is wrong

[@Lau3464l]

Please read the comments here from big box store employees!

[@jaycruzjr4822]

I seriously respect you so much after watching this video. I don't think it's a plant community problem alone. It's a societal issue. The world is lacking in morals. Sign of the times. It's terrible. It's sad but you gotta watch who you let in your house nowadays. You'll go to the bathroom and they might jump to take cuttings. So creepy. It's wrong even if it's from a big box company.

[@amyhannah7945]

Great video. Thanks. I work at a local nursery/garden centre in Australia and we sell cuttings for $5

[@koriandergirl]

The only cutting I've ever taken was a tiny branch I accidentally broke from the begonia tamaya I bought. I told the girl in the nursery I had broken it and I wanted to keep the broken branch too, she said "sure, it's yours!". Also I took that begonia because I felt bad for the "accident". I dislike people encouraging others to do that, I wouldn't want anyone stealing from me so... Just don't do it, you're profiting of someone else's living :( Thanks for the video 💜

[@Yokastherinne]

I didn't even know this was a thing 😳

[@raisinggreen1309]

Same!

[@Yokastherinne]

@@raisinggreen1309 like this is actually concerning 😟 I understand that the hobby is expensive ( at times ) but that doesn't mean that people should steal it...

[@lilchuck994]

Why people think stealing cuttings from big box stores doesn’t hurt anybody? You are stealing cuttings away from the future customers who will end up buying the plants. Stealing is a crime no matter how much the item is worth

[@jv_likes_plants]

Omg yes, I did take like fallen succulent leaves from big box stores. But stealing from botanical gardens like in the 2014 Nymphaea thermarum case at Kew, or orchid poachers in the tropics is super wrong. I love orchids, but smuggling critically endangered specimens from Costa Rica would never cross my mind. Taking a fallen succulent leaf from a store is one thing, but taking from a nursery is way worse.Some argue that taking a cutting is saving a plant. Just buy the whole plant to save it from a box store. Ecology people, introducing or poaching species is sooooooo wrong.