Bought a 'rare' orchid online for $80. It was just a common phalaenopsis.

Saw a listing for a 'Blue Mystique' dendrobium. Seller said it was super hard to find. Paid extra for shipping too. Plant arrived and it was a plain white moth orchid from a grocery store. Felt pretty dumb. Anyone know a good way to check if an online plant seller is legit?

3 comments

3 Comments

diana_thompson382mo ago

That's such a bummer... it feels like this happens with everything now, not just plants. You see it with concert tickets, used cars, even those fancy kitchen gadgets. People just slap a "rare" label on something common and hope the hype does the work for them. For plants, maybe check if the seller has a long history on the site with lots of detailed reviews that mention healthy plants. A real grower usually has pictures of their actual greenhouse, not just stock photos.

palmer.thomas2mo ago

I once paid way too much for a "rare" cactus that turned out to be the same one they sell at the grocery store. My plant shelf is a monument to bad hype.

stellat8724d ago

Not sure I fully agree with the whole "this happens with everything now" angle. Plant sellers have always had shady marketing, but the rare plant game has gotten worse because people don't do their research before buying. A quick image search or checking a plant forum would've saved you $80 easy.