'Tropical Foliage' and 'Bright Light'

I just bought a plant at HD and the label says those two things.
It is a variegated Hoya!!

Ah the same thing happened to me Hetty last March 2..the plant I got from HD was labeled as houseplant-foliage..so annoying! And the most annoying part, the nice vase it came with has no drainage! Super

Those generic plant label's are challenging aren't they ... and so confusing at times! I don't really think of Hoya's as tropical foliage plants but some Hoya's do grow in tropical climates, and although not all Hoya's will survive in direct sunlight, some do take more sun than others ... most all of them like bright light.

It drives me crazy when I go to one of the big box stores and find labels stuck in plants that aren't even for that particular plant. A year or so ago I was at one of our local Home Depot garden centers and found a lot of the Exotic Angel plants mislabeled. There were lots of Hedera helix (Ivy) label's stuck in Codiaeum (Croton) and Hoya plants. When I checked out I mentioned it to the cashier and she said it just so happened that the lady from the Engelmann nursery was there so she called her over. She asked me if I'd mind showing her what I was referring to so we walked back to the section where the EA plants were located and she began checking plants and pulling labels right and left! She was flabbergasted, saying that it looked like every single plant had an incorrect label and I don't remember her exact response but it was something along the lines of it being unfortunate that the folks who had that particular job at the nursery were not English speaking and had no idea what plant was what! That to me is inexcusable and makes me realize it's all about the $$$ to most of the big box stores. So many folks buy plants because they like the looks of the foliage or flowers, and the plants die because they go by the care listed on the label not even realizing that the care instructions are for an entirely different plant!! Ok ... I'm done ranting.

Hetty: Do you know which Hoya you bought that has the variegated foliage? Can you post a photo? I haven't been plant shopping at HD, or anywhere else lately because I'm trying to be good and save my money right now ... which is hard because this is the time of the year when they are getting in lots of new stuff for spring!

Lin I will take a picture of the plant (I had meant to do that anyway but life took over as it so often does)
It was a nice plant for under $ 10....

A year or so ago there were several trays at K-mart all labeled 'Pentas' - they were Kalanchoes!! I pointed it out to the teller who was like - 'who cares'?

I'm glad you were able to at least try to rectify a problem.

Dutchlady1 said: I'm glad you were able to at least try to rectify a problem.

LOL ... we can always try, but in the case of the big box stores it doesn't seem to work ... there are still tons of plants mislabeled for sale at those garden centers!

What amazes me is when you see on a lable for water plants "Do not overwater". But here Zamia vasquesii is sold as Zamia fischeri, a much rarer cycad. And we also get Asplundia martiana sold as Panama Hat Palm, Carludovica palmata. Often Hoyas are sold as just "Hoya". It pays to get a "second opinion"..

Zig: I agree. I've seen labels that say do not overwater on plants that are bog plants and require lots of water!!

I know that Engelmann Greenhouses (seller of the Exotic Angel plants) sells a plant they label as Carludovica " Panama Hat Plant" and it's apparently not that plant. I had one once and had a few folks trying to identify it ... I never found out the identity and I lost a lot of data when my laptop crashed a few years ago so I lost my photo's. If I ever see another at a local garden center I will buy it and try to keep it alive to maturity so that it can be properly identified.

Sometimes it pays to get a second opinion ... and a third ... and maybe even a fourth.

Ah and that is why I am glad we have the ATP forum Regardless what is stated on the label, it helps getting actual growing experience from those who do collect and care for specific plants. In our distinct micro-climates we can gradually adjust or improve living conditions for the plants.

This makes learning about plants difficult for people who don't know exactly what they have. If you don't know you have the wrong label with the wrong plant you don't even know to ask what the plant is and how to properly care for it until maybe too later fore the plantys survival.

I'm wondering if the mislabeling isn't being done on purpose so that the plants die and have to be purchased over and over again. Many people may think a plant only last for a short and may be buying it many times each season because they don't know any different.

If thees companies are doing this on purpose just to get the money; I would call this severe plant and people abuse, as well as murder. I think killing a plant by giving wrong indentification and care instructions just to make money is criminal.

I was at Walmart earlier today..and as always I hang around their garden center...just saw 3 mislabeled plants...one plant labeled as Crown of Thorns when it is actually a bromeliad; then another one labeled as Schefflera when it is an arrowhead plant; and an anthurium labeled as ficus..I cannot resist not calling the attention of the person in the garden center and she said oh they are old labels..I told her regardless if it is old, at least it should be on the correct plant, and they are risking angry customers later who do not otherwise know that what they got is not the correct one...told them it is so easy to even go on the internet and see the photo if it matches the name.

Ah excuses excuses indeed...so really buyer beware!

Sometimes the issue with mislabelled plants is some people being deliberately mischievious and swapping labels around. Although in cases of insecurely attached labels falling off, some "good samaritan' might pick them up and put them on the wrong plant. I guess there's all sorts of reasons wrong labels might be on the wrong plants. So as Tarev said, "Caveat emptor" - Buyer beware!