My neighbor just called her cactus a 'desert fern' and I had to bite my tongue

She was showing me her new plant, a little prickly pear, and said it was a type of fern that doesn't need much water. I had to gently explain that cacti are a whole different family, and ferns would die in that pot's soil mix. It happened right after I helped her pick it out at the local garden center, so the info was fresh. Does anyone else have a funny story about plant mix-ups they've had to correct?

2 comments

2 Comments

charlesj464d ago

Reminds me of my aunt calling her snake plant a "tall aloe." Had to show her the difference in leaf texture.

shane_ross3d ago

My neighbor once insisted her pothos was a philodendron for two years. I finally brought over a plant book and we compared the leaf stems side by side. She was shocked they weren't the same plant.