When Artificial Houseplants Look Real

Recently I went into a nearby Marshalls.

There I found tables and shelves of houseplants. There were dozens.

My first thought was how great that Marshalls is supporting the current craze for houseplants.

I found myself in the same store a couple of times since then.

Saw the same plants. Never gave a thought to their watering need.

Yesterday I went in and all the plants were gone. There were dozens of them, each in a pot.

Where did they go?

I asked the sales manager what happened. She pointed me to the back of the store, their new home.

Spontaneously I asked, “Those plants are real, right?”

She said, “Oh no. They’re all artificial.”

In all my trips to Marshalls I thought these plants were real.

Here is a photo I took yesterday: l

Notice the detail in color and shape. It seems like a wonderful selection.

I wondered why there were no tags with the genus and species.

When I looked up close, the only tag I saw was “Made in China.”

In my defense, I must mention that in the past I remember that I did buy a live plant from Marshalls.

The details of where and when I do not remember.

Has this ever happened to you?