The Philodendron Pink Congo SCAM! | Dish The Dirt

WATCH THE UPDATE: • The Philodendron Pink ...
Watch til the end.. because we are gonna slide into some DMs...
Welcome to my new series: Dish the Dirt - in this series I aim to discuss various topics / scams / debates regarding the plant world.
If you have any suggestions on a topic you would like me to Dish the Dirt on - leave them below!
Thanks to MyCleanLeaves for the screenshots she provided:
/ @mycleanleaves
My instagram post on the congo:
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The 'Calathea makoyana pink diamond':
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[@bcart-vf3ri]

I know people are VERY aware of this issue, but I’d be interested to dish the dirt on the history of painted succulents and cacti and the hot glued flowers.

[@billyhemingway73]

theres not much too it non plant people wouldnt be tempted to get a normal looking cactus so the stores just made up the idea of bright colors and fake flowers and jack up the price also apparently the workers are supposed to tell the customer its natural if they ask which is horrible

[@cooperolm9687]

Also how succulent seeds sold online are more often than not a scam, the seller will just send you some misc cheap veggie seeds.

[@MyCleanLeaves]

Hot glued cactus flowers and glued in succulent dishes.... explain the madness!!!! 🤣🌵

[@PlantsPotsWhatNots]

Oh!! I agree!!! That drives me up the wall!

[@PlantsPotsWhatNots]

@@cooperolm9687 ohhh! That's a good one too!

[@ashleylaw7467]

I would love to see you talk about the Etsy plant community. So many of the sellers are overpricing plants, with incorrect descriptions.

[@kelzbelz313]

The number of obliquas (faux-bliquas?) I’ve seen on etsy is astounding. Plus dozens of obviously photo shopped plants.

[@juliadevore9602]

This. Recently bought off of there. Waiting to see if I get what I actually purchased, first of all. I most definitely didn't spend too much. Have you noticed the ridiculous pricing of shipping as well?? Was trying to buy cuttings (2-3 clippings of 4 plants) and shipping came to be well over $35. Shipping was more than the actual purchase.

[@daublex2388]

@@juliadevore9602 exactly! I was just looking at a similar listing, $2 for 1 clipping and $15 to ship... WHAT?? 🤬 I think I'm done with etsy. Everyone is just out for the $$. I appreciate this video...

[@bkrbkrl]

Etsy is ridiculous. But people need to keep in mind that no one is holding a gun to anyone's head and ordering them to buy. I will NOT overpay. Period. That goes for shipping and "handling' charges as well!

[@noelle7714]

Julia DeVore that’s where they make their money, so they can sell plants cheaper it makes the customer feel like they’re getting a good price.

[@rosealblah7071]

BEEECH i can't wait for more of these, this scam was the Jaclyn Hill lipstick launch of the plant community, thanks for spilling the tea

[@lochlinbly6959]

BEEEECH!

[@vanessaj3541]

Think we'll find human hair growing out of the plants? 😂

[@Emiliapocalypse]

Hahaha 😂

[@shahana_style]

Hahahahaha this comment is 100% legit

[@chanceheu4712]

My aerial roots are SNATCHED after this tea. Thanks for all your informative and fun videos!

[@missrachel9291]

🤭🤣😂

[@RobynOmo]

Omg I love it 😂

[@Emiliapocalypse]

Lol!

[@Mspoor70]

😂😂

[@jordandiazfr]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@sophiedavies9161]

Watching the whole Pink Congo Scam unfold over the last few months has been amazing. It's pretty wild considering the houseplant community rarely has any drama. I'd love you to cover plant poaching.

[@user-vr2qp2hi8z]

It would be great to see her cover plant poaching! Lady's Slipper orchids, and rare native plants, suffer greatly from it

[@emagnusson6479]

@@user-vr2qp2hi8z A lot of wild orchids are stolen from nature in Sweden, especially the island Gotland every year :(

[@Plantsandtoyhorses]

Plant poaching is a problem here in the US as well. I've read about people trying to poach and smuggle plants like wild Dudleya succulents and Cochise Pincushion cacti seeds out of the country.

[@ambergrislo1070]

So true! Drama In green and fake pink

[@kelzbelz313]

If you’re going to continue this series I would like to know more about poaching of wild plants to satisfy the houseplant market. I know in the USA succulents are being harvested in the southwest and Venus flytraps are being dug out of swamps at an alarming rate. I would like to know if there is more information on poaching in pants around the rest of the world and how sellers are ensuring their supplies are not coming from the wild.

[@sophiedavies9161]

Yes, this would be fantastic. I know there's a lot of controversy around jewel orchids being poached to sell to houseplant collectors. You've got to be careful about where you buy them.

[@malindabarberio5726]

YES YES YES PLEASE

[@emagnusson6479]

A lot of wild orchids are stolen from nature in Sweden, especially the island Gotland every year.

[@RoseRose-db2ux]

E Magnusson seriöst?😮 vilken blomma?

[@kaitlynnwilson9868]

Ohhhh I never even thought of this but good point! I wish greenhouses would say if they’re farm grown or not

[@malindarayallen]

I've seen sellers say the new leaves will revert to green as they mature, but NEVER have I seen them say the plants will stop producing pink leaves entirely. So glad I passed on this expensive hoax.

[@cooperolm9687]

Yeah, it's super shady to me when they say that plants leaves will revert to green, and don't specify that the whole plant will stop producing any pink. Just saying that leaves revert is likely to lead folks to think that it's like, say, prince of orange where individual leaves will fade to green, but there will always be colour on the plant as new leaves grow in.

[@user-ow7bi3se2b]

Kaylee I work for a plant shop in Ottawa, ON, Canada and your videos help us a lot :) thanks for giving us a heads up on this plant that will eventually end up on our radar! You've been amazing doing this research for us, the plant community :) xx

[@PlantsPotsWhatNots]

💓

[@miahmills9509]

Great video! I'm so impressed that you are using your platform to educate in an accessible way. Other suggestions to dish the dirt on: 1. Hoya kerrii "zombie leaves" sold for Valentine's Day. 2. Why do they dye cacti bright colours, spray paint the leaves, or add sparkles? 3. Gluing straw flowers onto cacti? 4. The massive recent scandal of smugglers poaching protected succulents from California (wild collecting in general)

[@yeahivekilledthat719]

This was like watching an investigative report of a crime scene. "CSI Houseplants". The whole pink craze and variegation mania is getting out of hand, and you helped bring it down to earth. You are doing a great service to the plant community. Thank you and I look forward to other topics. Maybe you could address the rumor or truth about ficus ruby-is it really just an immature tineke?

[@leas.8603]

CSI houseplants :D

[@ambergrislo1070]

Now it’s yellow and metallic

[@froggybibi]

i don’t believe so, most of the ones i’ve seen are quite mature

[@annacostello5181]

I just got a ficus ruby. It’s large and has quite a bit of red but still hardly deserves the “ruby” designation. I don’t like the tienke (?) much so I hope it’s different 😜. Didn’t pay any more for it.

[@darkomijic]

It is very dishonest to use disclaimers to sell reverting "rare" plants legally.

[@user-ow7bi3se2b]

Hahahah yesss! Agreed

[@kelzbelz313]

The blurred disclaimer shown in the video looked like two short sentences buried in a wall of text. 99% or people will not read that whole thing. They’re gonna glance at the first few lines to check light and water requirements then skip the rest. The seller absolutely knows this.

[@meghansplantchanneljohnson7827]

Playing devils advocate and respectfully disagreeing with this but ONLY when it's a small business owner such as an etsy seller

[@NA-yq4pe]

@@meghansplantchanneljohnson7827 I don't know, I feel if the information is there and people don't bother to read it is kind of their fault too, it's like signing a contract without reading the small stuff, at the end it's your fault for not reading it

[@epasuxelar4473]

@@NA-yq4pe Yes, and I see no reason why it shouldn't be able to be sold for special occasions like weddings and quinceaneras. People can do a bit of their own research especially before buying a plant that costs triple digits.

[@MyCleanLeaves]

Happy to help anyway I can. Hoping RARE plants don’t get a bad name and are still highly sought after! 💚 The “pink” Congo will not ruin it for us!!! 🤣

[@snowangelz430]

Thank you for helping to spread the word. If people are informed and still want to pay the price thats fine but not to sell them and pretend you dont know to make a profit would be my last time with that seller for sure.

[@kondavekann4992]

@@snowangelz430 వ్

[@tearalewis7532]

As someone who has been a big House plant collector for over 20 years, and come from a home and extended family who was big into house plants in the 70s and 80s. I have watched this hobby explode over the last few years, and saw the good and bad that was going to come from this. I love that it has brought some rare or less known houseplants to a level of more common, and ultimately less expensive and more available place for people like me who just can not spent crazy prices on plants. But like with any trend or fad. It brings out the fakes, and price hiking for some plants that were pennies before this wave. For a while I was frustrated by it. But I think now with social media, and more knowledge available we can also call out the bad, and fight it better. So thanks for this.

[@jennysethman8392]

My thoughts exactly. Perfectly said.

[@LynnAgain83]

Very very well said. My jaw drops at some of these prices for "rare" plants that were $15-20 15 yrs ago. 🙄

[@fishfullthinking3348]

You should do one on vendors selling hoya hearts. There are so many people buying ones that are just leaves that will never grow who end up disappointed : / edit* I realize with some of the replies that I should clarify. If these plants have a tiny bit of stem on them when planted, they CAN grow, hence the exceptions, but the issue is many places selling them planted as only a single leaf, leading to the heart shaped leaf producing roots, but not growing beyond that original leaf.

[@mynameislisa2281]

Do you mean Hoya Kerrii, sold as 1 single heart?

[@meeks6798]

mynameislisa yes

[@KelsiBriana]

I was scrolling through the comments section just to find someone who also suggests the hoya kerrii leaf scam.

[@samanthawhat]

Yes! Holy cow I see them at every nursery and I'm always tempted to buy one even though I KNOW of this issue. UGH. Wish they'd stop doing this.

[@jenniewesterlund2898]

YES, I hate that trend! I can't get my hands on a "real" hoya Kerii because all the vendors only sell those. Some people truly think they bought a cutting and since it's a thick hoya assume it just grows slowly..

[@niccienglezos3464]

Could you do a video on pruning a pink princess. How is this done properly to encourage more pink .

[@Antok56]

Yes please

[@OjGiGi]

My understanding is that you do NOT want to encourage more pink as the pink parts of the leaves are not making food for the plant because they lack chlorophyll which a plantain needs to make it's own food. If the plant starts to turn more pink it is essentially starving to death and you should prune back any solid pink leaves to encourage more variegation so the plant doesn't starve to death and die. The solid pink leaves are pretty will induce suicide and kill it.

[@niccienglezos3464]

Olga Williams yes this is true, but I’m trying to get some pink as my princess as it only has 4 leaves that have hair thin flecks of pink and not even a little block . All the new leaves are solid deep green almost black .

[@meghansplantchanneljohnson7827]

@@OjGiGi this Is generally common knowledge, but you should absolutely 100% trim pink princess as a maintenance technique and as a preventive measure to avoid full reversion.

[@HamsterLife_EnglishLearning]

@@meghansplantchanneljohnson7827 There is two women doing a video on their pink princess and it is huge and they have it as it should be. Then they cut it back only because it was too large and lanky.

[@malindabarberio5726]

As a plant biology student beginning reaserch in the fall, I LIVE for this video and the information you're spreading 👏❤️ thank you!!!

[@sarahgiggles9444]

I want to personally thank you for your work on this issue. I'm obsessed with the Florida Ghost but I've had trouble finding a reputable seller for it, and when I saw the "Pink Congo" I thought it would be a fun way to get my fix. I was in the process of saving up for this plant when I saw your post. It's a good lesson to all of us to be responsible consumers and also how important it is to find trustworthy sellers. Thank you!!

[@crisgon6824]

Wasn't interested in this plant, but had no idea this was a rampant practice!!😲 Keep these videos coming, I'd like to know where to spend my hard earned money and where not to.

[@byankashomestead8038]

Do one about the sad, one leaf hoya on Valentine's. What a waste of a plant!

[@lexcrumpets]

the price wouldn't even be an issue if it was being explicitly sold in the wedding/event market. I've seen these popping up for a while on houseplant sites though and they don't even state they will revert, so that's where I feel it gets shady.

[@debracisneroshhp2827]

I'm having difficulty understanding why it isn't "ok" to jack-up the price 1000% if it's sold as a "houseplant" but it WOULD BE "ok" for people getting married and events to pay that price?!?!? 😳😒🌱🌿😾

[@KayleeEllenOfficial]

It's not ok for people to pay that price at weddings either. Not in my opinion anyway. I just think it's okay to sell these plants for that purpose.

[@lexcrumpets]

@@debracisneroshhp2827 the same way its OK for florists to jack their prices up for wedding table arrangements. They only need to look good for one day, they need to arrive looking immaculate, and people are willing to pay that sort of money.

[@eden.stjames]

Also, you should do one on "Pink Princess" seeds that people are claiming to have now 🙄

[@millierouston]

I was really disappointed to see I seller I really liked stock these a few weeks after the news became widespread. I saw loads of shops (including this one) put ‘disclaimers’ in the product descriptions, but they were super vague and didn’t mention that all new growth would eventually be green, making them sound like a Florida ghost kinda deal. I know people had probably invested a fair bit in the stock, but selling essentially a basic green philo for around £100 is just so dishonest and gross.

[@emma472]

Could you please explain what you mean about the Florida ghost? Is the Florida ghost a scam too?

[@JemmaKomo]

Emma no, a Florida ghost’s baby leaf pops out white, but as it ages it slowly turns green (and it’s natural as far as I’m aware). They’re awesome!

[@emma472]

@@JemmaKomo I see! That's so cool! They're very beautiful! It's a shame they don't sell them in my country or I would definitely try get one!

[@peteralanson6535]

Seller 5 is quite clearly Ginger Jungle. They are the only ones in the UK that have sold these. Knowingly scamming people. The disclaimer STILL doesn't state that the plant will only produce green. Disgusting.

[@nittygritty7034]

I'd love to watch it revert. I know timelapses take hella time to film, but I love watching plants grow and change.

[@M_T_14]

This woman is not only passionate but also responsible. Respect.

[@KnotDude]

Here for the tea ☕️☕️☕️ although you aren't a drama channel bc we see your face :) Great video!

[@spiders_silk]

Thank you for this video, I was saving up for a pink Congo, I'm so glad I hadn't bought one yet 😨😨

[@Emiliapocalypse]

Rhys Moon that would have been such a bummer! Good thing this video came out in time

[@corald3638]

I think that leaving a disclaimer stating that the plants are chemically induced and revert back is perfectly ok, but saying it's a rare plant is not very honest, especially since that's the first thing in bold that a consumer will see. Idk how expensive it is to chemically induce colors, so maybe the price tag makes sense if the process is costly? Seems smarter to work with the chemically altered platform rather than try and hide it.

[@mitchl5220]

She doesn't even state the chemical used in the video. How do we even know if there is a chemical being used at all?

[@allycat6141]

I said this about a year ago to my husband! With social media making variegated plants the "must have" items, it's only a matter of time before some growers figure out a way to counterfeit it for profit!

[@SockDrawerDemon]

I mean I've already seen people fake variegation in succulents by covering the centre of the plant with a coin to create a pale area! People will try anything on if they think they can profit!

[@allycat6141]

@@SockDrawerDemon Wow! That's crazy! Plants are so beautiful on their own--seems we should just be able to appreciate them for what they are naturally!

[@LynnAgain83]

That's exactly how it starts with all the internet hype and hysteria ie: "Monstera Monday" "Fern Friday"etc etc I sure do miss the days 15 yrs-20 ago when a xlarge houseplant was $10-15 If I REALLY truly fall in love with a certain "rare" plant I wait until the internet hype goes down and buy it on sale.

[@LynnAgain83]

@@allycat6141 so true

[@philodendronfam4262]

Another topic: the single leaf hoya kerri... and how it turns into a zombie and not a real plant!!

[@KayleeEllenOfficial]

What do you mean by Zombie?

[@philodendronfam4262]

@@KayleeEllenOfficial It's a term a lot of Australian Hoya collectors use to describe a 'rooted leaf' that will never develop stems or other leaves. Thus it is a living but technically 'dead' plant= zombie. :)

[@AmandaMichelleJones81]

@@philodendronfam4262 😮

[@agatasobocinska1142]

Philodendronfam it will eventually develop a plant but it will just take a super long time - usually a quite few years. They always develop a stem eventually

[@zimarshall7497]

@@agatasobocinska1142 mine actually developed one new leaf after i bring it home for a month!

[@brangodon2713]

we should start selling them as “plant peoples wedding floral arrangement” and it should be like $13

[@liminal.animal]

Good on you for keeping the process/chemical private! Love your videos!

[@LollaRockin]

Thanks for the extra info on this! I saw a Pink Congo in one of my favourite online shops to browse shortly after the news first hit. The seller put up the disclaimer, but, as you said, didn't lower the price. Tbh I lost a lot of respect for them, as it seemed like they were still trying to present the plant as special. As the second seller in your conversation said, it gives a bad rep to the shop and there's plenty of others to choose from.

[@rickyt3961]

🙋🏽‍♂️... thank you! I agree; keep the plant, watch it revert, and in the end you are still left with a beautiful green plant that deserves a good home to care for it 😉🤙🏽

[@bradmiller9584]

I'm loving all the tea being spilled. People really need to know what's up. Too many shady ****s out there. Thanks for doing this series.

[@weareorigin]

The philodendron pink congo, or any congo, grows so slowly....you wouldn't know it for several months until it's too late to return.

[@vitord2005]

I just love you and your channel. In the plant segment you have by far the channel with the best content - topic, research, charisma: it's all, as always, 100%

[@darkomijic]

You are doing fantastic work. I truly appreciate it.

[@mitchl5220]

Although I'm not sure about this case in particular I noticed a lot of plants turn pink/red when they're exposed to very high light of a kelvin temperature of around 5700-7000 kelvin. It's a very common thing which people try to encourage within the terrarium/vivarium hobby. Things such as Bromeliads which look green will turn pink-red if exposed to a high enough kelvin temperature. My friend once bought beautiful pink plants (bromeliads) but the lights they kept them under weren't strong enough to keep their colours so they reverted to green. Can you try storing it under lighting which gives off a kelvin temperature of 5700-7000K? That will 100% debunk this plant.

[@RaVeNaNdTiM]

Nacho Friend I was kind of thinking the same thing except not so scientific. Lol! But you’re right. Kind of like the Guatemalan Pony Tail Palm. The only way you can get that pretty red on the foliage is in full sun. I’ve got one in partial shade, it gets a lot of sun but has yet to turn red where as I had one a long tome ago that did sit in full sun and had that beautiful red color on the foliage.

[@Alizardlovesyou]

On a super low level this happens at US grocery stores with these neon colored petaled plants (Halloween/Christmas/Easter... colors). The are not priced up to that level, but the plants have just been watered with water with food coloring and I feel bad when people see them and and get excited for their color. I haven’t seen ANY disclaimers in these stores and it happens constantly.

[@JimMeeker]

Hey, I saw my name in there. Very Cool!. Excellent new series! Can't wait to see more.

[@lucythedog13]

definitely do a video on all of the etsy "rare seed" sellers! If I had a dollar for every time I tried to buy and germinate licuala cordata seeds off of etsy....

[@LynnAgain83]

You mean you didn't learn the first time 😂 just sayin'🙈

[@carrieanne5415]

I got scammed on that one too!

[@Eliel89s]

What bother me the most is how they push it as a rare plant when it's clearly not. I also don't like that they don't say to the seller what this plants are. It is so not ok, it can cause little seller to loose the customer trust and the business. I prefer knowing what I buy. Even if it reverts, I want to be able to choose knowing the full truth.

[@carrieanne5415]

What is so sad is, the rare ones many times are illegal. They are killing our ecosystems with plants! Stripping them out of their enviroment

[@TerryHan103]

Hi Kaylee! So, a lot of American nurseries and garden centers have been receiving boxes of "Raphidophora tetrasperma." I have a cutting from Thailand that matches the characteristics of the Raphidophora tetrasperma at the Huntington. I also purchased this big box version of the Raphidophora tetrasperma and it many different characteristics: larger and pointier leaves, bluer hue. Some nurseries acknowledge this and attribute it to it's cultivation technique, but Chelsea Garden Center did some digging and revealed it to be a Raphidophora pertusa, which looks similar to the tetrasperma in juvenile form, but matures into a large almost-Epipremnum-like plant. I've seen several plant stores with this cultivar openly discuss the differences but maintain the "tetrasperma" tag. I'd love a Dish the Dirt episode of this, it's very Adansonii v. Obliqua

[@TheOrganizedSoprano]

I’m here for this! People are so shady LOL

[@zoeg1992]

The Organized Soprano has to

[@3333alex]

Can you plzzzz do a dieffenbachia rare plant index? :)

[@corald3638]

Pleeeease?!

[@PlantsPotsWhatNots]

Yesssssaaa!!!

[@stephanieooten6169]

Yessss!!!

[@rokktober-personal]

That poor Makoyana. That's plant abuse that is.

[@TheBlushFairy]

I am so glad that I have found your Channel, I have recently moved to the UK and im building my plants again and because I am from the United States I am seeing different types of plants, so knowing which is a scam and which isnt is very helpful!

[@killernuesschen1912]

Hey Kaylee! I’ve recently discovered your channel and it helped me soooo much getting into the “plant game” as I’m still pretty much a novice. Could you maybe do a video on pruning/ cutting a variegated monstera/ plant to prevent the variegation from reversing? Or a video about reversing variegation in general? If you already covered this in one of your recent videos I apologise and I need to rewatch :) thank you so much for all of those amazing videos! Sending hugs from Germany 😘

[@kiwistars]

THIS is the content i always needed but never knew i did who else thought of the powerpuff girls when she said chemical X my clean leaves is so cute!! love her too and you youre amazing!!!

[@alejandrocisneros5952]

Can you pleasee do a hoya rare plant index?

[@snowangelz430]

I thought when they started popping up everywhere it was actually a plan to breed all chlorophyl out of our world as we currently know it. And the fact that people will buy at such outragous prices is maddness. Thank you so much for the work you have done to bring this to light.

[@LynnAgain83]

Ikr?! I love my green plants

[@TheSingingGardener]

YAASSS!!! Glad someone finally spilled the tea on this! Awesome job as always!

[@nixelniki1995]

I'd love for you to discuss orchids next episode. I know there are several color varieties that are temporarily dyed such as the blue and green ones

[@lindseyhigginson8492]

Another 'scam' is the cute heart shaped leaf cuttings of Hoya Kerii. Those cuttings will never become full plants unless there is some stem included. I bought one thinking it would and found out the truth afterwards. I am now nurturing a leaf which will eventually die.

[@roeferrell8292]

I love this so much! This is so helpful for people who are new to plants, thank you! I’m glad that you decided to shed light on this ❤️❤️

[@animalcrackers8880]

You said "chemical X" and the powerpuff girls theme started playing in my head 😅 This is wild. You'd never think the plant community would be this dramatic hahah Also just want to say thank you! I had seen the thumbnail for this video pop up the other day and I disregarded it. As a new plant enthusiast, I was unaware and about to buy one of these.

[@Lyndiloo]

A HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS FOR A 4" POT ARE YOU KIDDING ME Princesses are like $15 here. I will send you dozens of 'em.

[@cassandraclose4617]

What!! Where are you? I can't find any near me under 100

[@Lyndiloo]

@@cassandraclose4617 Coastal Alabama - we have a subtropical climate, so philos grow naturally down here and we also have lots of nurseries that grow like a hundred different varieties. I had no idea pinks were so sought after, looks like I need to start propagating and getting paaaaid!

[@cherierose356]

Lyndi Wittmann I live in Australia, extremely jealous of you right now!

[@AFrozenMango]

Wow, I'm from Belgium and the pink princesses are always sold out and veeery hard to get!

[@AGoddess]

If you can figure out how to do it responsibly you may have some $$ on your hands. I’d buy for sure! Let us know 💚

[@agood1]

Lookong forward to watchng more of this series. For example. If buying a splash plant (polka dot) from the houseplant section it is 400% what you get for it labelled in the outside section.

[@herrenfam]

and less hearty! I have one from the indoor section that drops leaves at every opportunity, and have rooted cuttings from an outdoor plant that are planted in the same pot that are growing new leaves like gangbusters!

[@sammikeiko8860]

Ethylene is also what makes roses smell fragrant, the higher the ethylene the stronger the scent and the faster the flower decomposes. This is all very interesting how different plants use ethylene

[@lisao3963]

I read a disclaimer on a seller's website and didn't go for it and to be fair they'd put it really prominently and directly asked customers to read before they bought. It was also cheaper than their pink Princess but it was pricy. I read it and decided not to buy but the seller did their best to inform me so I think fair enough. As customers we need to vote with our wallets and drive the price down. They should be the prices of Christmas poinsettia!

[@margogiordano9599]

I saw this on a Reddit thread last week and I’m so glad I saw it before adding this plant to my wish list! Who knew plant people could act so shady??

[@carolinemuller7787]

Kaylee thank you so much for this video I had no idea about this! I actually did have this on my wishing list - not anymore! It's very disappointing that retailers are selling this for such a high price as well. It would make me think twice about ordering from a retailer if they are selling them for three digit figures. Thanks again and keep em' coming! 👍💓

[@kaylasprettynails2848]

I'm pretty new to house plants and my obsession has grown pretty quickly. I have even been thinking about trying to sale plants to make some extra cash BUT I would never even have something like this. I am a lover of nature and all things natural and THIS is not natural! One of my favorite things about the plant community is that most are great people and not really any drama and in our drama filled lives it's a great getaway. So this has kind of opened my eyes to know that even in this amazing community, there will still be bad people and people who are only out for cash crops.

[@carolinerobert1370]

Im new to plants and I would have never been able to know it was painted because I never knew this could be done so thank you for sharing this !

[@janiceraby6175]

I contacted a person on Facebook about this as she was promoting this particular plant, Linda Jansson, Tropical Plant Addict for promoting this and as she’s selling them and not giving the full facts out, she blocked me! I wasn’t impolite at all.

[@laurengregg4553]

I am so glad I found this video before purchasing a pink congo.

[@kristiwaski8418]

Did you see that Laura from Garden Answer mentioned you in one of her videos this week? Keep up the great content!!!

[@Jen-zk9se]

Could you do a video on “real” pink plants? There’s so many pink plants on the market.... which ones can we trust?! Also, any Canadians from BC that can recommend an online plant seller? Thanx 💛

[@maryannlammersen6536]

I haven't found any either and I live in BC also. Etsy sellers from Vancouver area have been my best bet. Have you ever ordered from Toronto? Are there good online sellers there? I am just afraid of the shipping time and weather conditions travelling from so far away. My nightmare is imagining plants in a box sitting on some hot pavement loading area or some hot truck compartment!

[@Jen-zk9se]

Mary Ann Lammersen - Hi, I have never bought plants online... was hoping to find a relatively local online seller. I live on Vancouver Island so anything outside of BC would be pretty risky I feel.

[@maryannlammersen6536]

@@Jen-zk9se Hi, I agree, keep WEEKLY lookout on Etsy or other online shops in BC. I recently went to a fun facebook meetup that was a plant and cuttings swap. Go to one or host one yourself. I'm not on facebook but a friend told me about it. I recently bought on Etsy from "Twisted Roots" in Maple Ridge which was a great experience.

[@Jen-zk9se]

Mary Ann Lammersen - Thanks for the great ideas and info 💛

[@whitneygardner3253]

@@Jen-zk9se I'm on van isle too and I'm running into the same issue!! I can never find the plants I'm after in the local shops.

[@francineh.7825]

It made me sad looking at that 'painted' plant. It looked like a victim of a crime.

[@TracySPT]

Nice new series!! I'd love to see you do one on sellers who take money as soon as an order is placed but never fulfill the orders and refuse to answer inquiries. There is a particular seller in the US that is doing this to lots of plant buyers right now. As far as the disclaimers, I can only imagine buyers who aren't reading these disclaimers would actually pay the prices I've seen these Congos going for. Makes me sad :(

[@plantanarchy9579]

Chemically inducing blooms or color is actually fairly common horticulturally. That doesn't make it "fake" per se, just temporary (and therefore shitty to sell without disclosing this). Anthuriums and Peace Lilies are induced to bloom via ethylene and often won't bloom again after purchase. That doesn't necessarily make them "fake" just limits their enjoy-ability. Same with bromeliads... it's not a secret that they won't bloom again after purchase (their pups may but frequently only with chemical bloom induction). This is already a widespread thing and has been forever, especially in the florist industry. Be careful of folks trying to capitalize on the houseplant trend and learn some goddamn botany and horticulture

[@AmandaMichelleJones81]

😮

[@watermelonlee]

This is similar to Poinsettias during the Christmas season. The bright red bracts are great decor for the season. The color is induced by nurseries. But everyone knows it doesn't stay that way forever.

[@mau345]

Uh, quite different. Poinsettias usually get red leaves during christmas time when days are short and nights are long, which is a condition that induces flowering that cause leaves called bracts to turn red to replace petals. This is why poinsettias are related to “christmas time”.

[@Keijiko]

I personally think it's okay to sell these plants with a disclaimer. It's people's own choice when they pay that much money on a plant, just like when you're buy a chanel handbag which also isn't worth it imo

[@wxlurker]

The original makoyana is a beautiful plant, I do not understand what makes someone think painting the plant improves it in any form. Like you said, the “variegation” is a really sad looking bad attempt as well. Really interesting new series, Kaylee!

[@SablePixelAdventures]

This video could not have come out at a better time! I only recently became aware of the pink congo, and was avidly searching for one! Not anymore! Thank you as always for the fantastic and informative video!

[@Timby_]

Tea spilling in the plant community is something I didn’t know I needed

[@aquaroxity]

Excellent video. Your content is getting better and better with every video!

[@renaeraveneye1831]

I saw a post in one of the plant groups I’m in where a girl got scammed thinking she was buying a variegated Syngonium and when she got it, it was LITERALLY glopped with white paint!!!

[@rchhcsupernova]

every video I binge, you show more integrity, responsibility and just a strong will to do the right thing. I just love that.

[@johnjhill3]

For 140, with the understanding that it's temporary and only meant as a decoration for an event (or two) AND a fully grown out six inch pot, with leaf spread over 16 inches wide, maybe. But NOT for the hobbyist / houseplant market. The sample you have seems like it's really Congo Rojo, unless that auxin treatment makes the petioles etc red as well. The Congos are very nice plants as they are. I got one about 18 years ago in a 4 in. pot, unlabled, so I was not sure if it was a Philo or what. The leaves, altho' young, seemed more rigid than the Philos I had known. That rigid texture remained, perhaps increased with maturity, and in a few short years it was in an 18 inch pot, spreading out twice that diameter. The sun rose behind my beloved Congo for many years, until I had to make a choice. My P. bipinnatifidum was overtaking it and I have limited space. P.b. got the space next to my bed, while my Congo was donated to the State Botanical Garden of Kentucky. I still regret that I had to make that choice. The Congo hybrids are great plants; love them for what they are.

[@smilingmuse7495]

I bought the pink congo around USD 50 cents here in Indonesia, so I don't really feel scammed. But, it's always great to be more well informed. Thank you for the video.

[@GypsyWomanjs]

Thank you so much for making this video. This was on my wishlist, and that is an insane amount of money to spend on something temporary, especially when you have to save up for it.

[@GrigorisDeoudis]

And... it makes finally sense why we see so many "variegated" and "rare" plants coming from Thai nurseries... There are other fakes as well - not so expensive - but they are produced en mas and they take house plant collectors by storm. I know two examples of these: The Tradescantia 'Nanouk' (already sold hundreds of thousands) and the new kid in the block: Tradescantia 'Hijau Baru' (means "new green" in Indonesian). Both cultivars have been treated with PGRs that messes with the shape/size of the leaves. They come from a nursery in NW Europe, but they have facilities in Indonesia. The so called 'Nanouk' is just a Tradescantia cerinthoides 'Lilac'. After some months the once "cute round pink leaves" will look like an ordinary T. cerinthoides 'Lilac'. The Tradescantia 'Hijau Baru' is a Belosynapsis ciliata and the reversion process is the same.

[@sarahkalnajs5810]

I bought up the fake topic with an Etsy seller and she gave me an earful saying that wasn’t true.... 😢 argh

[@kathybrintlinger9993]

Sarah Kalnajs Thanks for trying! I buy plants on Etsy but won’t buy from a seller who isn’t being 100% transparent! They can’t be trusted!

[@LynnAgain83]

I really can't stand Etsy prices are too high and the shipping is outrageous! To each their own I guess

[@abr3703]

LMAO, what an amazing new series!!!

[@lschoenrank]

Hoya kerrii single leaves. When I bought mine, I thought it was a viable cutting. it certainly has roots, but apparently they don't have viable nodes and the vast majority will never produce an actual plant.

[@Eva-sn1kf]

Same thing with some cacti... i don‘t know if sellers still do this, I‘ve seen it a lot like 8-10 years ago. They used to glue fresh flowers onto small, average cacti or put them on with a small wooden stick to make them seem like they were blooming, and when the flowers started to dry and fall off people were disappointed or the whole cactus even died having a wooden stick in it.

[@bcart-vf3ri]

So excited for a new series. This is such a cool idea!!!

[@willlockett9771]

could you make a video on variegated seeds? I see several sellers trying to make money off of something that can't be grown from a seed because its a genetic mutation. I want this to be known so people don't waste money.

[@aimeehodgin6359]

This is my first video of yours, & WOW! I really like your dashing ways you skim the down & dirty. I've not dealt with stuff like this before, & just as a plant seller to make a video on such a thing, I gotta give you 2 Thumbs up! I know I am watch months later, but you got me to subscribe! :) Very interesting!

[@izzyxblades]

Many of the sellers are saying they make the fact known that the pink is temporary, and for that reason, they are not misleading the customers. There is nothing wrong as long as the customer knows. That is why there is a market for artificially enhanced gems that have their color boosted by laboratory procedures. As long as the customer knows that it is lab simulated, there is nothing unethical.

[@allyl3961]

THANK YOU. I wasn't aware, and this was on my wish list.

[@stinkusbinkus8758]

Thank you for using your platform responsibly!

[@deannad4941]

Thank you so much for this information, Kaylee! Taking this off my wish list now!

[@swetashet3959]

I'm shocked..I never heard of such a thing. I know flowers are coloured to make blue, green and all that. But they didn't even spare plants. Cheating people because we like something is so opportunistic..

[@fish7735]

Didn’t know there was so much tea being spilled in the plant community

[@sassysucculent6291]

Great video 👏🏻 This is truly your thing girl. Wonderful information

[@jordinapigrau4769]

I almost find the fact that these people don‘t know the difference between loose and lose even more outrageous

[@yeseniarios3304]

When I first got into plants I bought a very pricy crown of thorns with purple flowers. Weeks later the new blooms were pink. I scratched the old purple flowers and it was paint. I was so sad I didn't actually have a purple crown of thorns but I was more sad that humans are capable of this just for their own monetary gain. Humans continuously let me down.