It is frustrating when plants are mislabeled and even more so when the sellers couldn't care less! I bought a succulent recently at either Lowe's or Home Depot and it was only labeled:. Succulent. Now that's lazy labeling!

No, you are right, and I sympathise totally. At least you have identified most of them now. And finding the other name might be fun. If a seller sold a plant under the wrong name, and that name was of an extremely rare plant, wouldn't that be fraudulent? At the very least, it's lazy, and uncaring of their customers.

Neil, I'm totally on the same page here. This is why I think for the whole ny region, all big box stores and most nurseries just labelled their c&s as assorted varieties, that way consumers can't dispute over "buying a wrong plant".

What's even more infuriating is that sellers on ebay tend to list names of rarer plants and sell them at a higher price as Marguerite had mentioned. I was victim on one of my earlier purchases, where they listed it as a graptopetalum superbum as a Pachyphytum Oviferum Moonstones. I was so upset when I paid for something that isn't right, and when I stumble upon their ebay store again recently, I will do a thorough search and realize almost half of their plants were all named wrongly! The last straw was they used the exact same reasoning as what your seller did, "We put disclosure stating that we name the plants to the best of our knowledge, what is most important is that you like what you see." Needless to say, I gave them a negative review immediately.

Neil
You have done some detective work.

I have just few here with following labels:
1. pachyveria glauca Little Jewel
2. graptopetalum (pentandrum subsp.) superbum

3. pachyphytum oviferum

Could you post photos (hopefuly numbered) of your plants with appropriate names?

Thnx. Rina

It's definitely irritating but I've gotten used to it. To be fair, the bigger nurseries and big box stores are catering to the 99% of customers who don't give a crap what it really is. Taking extra time to get the names correct is just extra cost that won't get them any extra sales. As you demonstrated, the few of us that really care can do the research to figure it out.

Side note on naming, the convention for writing botanical names is to capitalize the genus but not the species, and put cultivar names in single quotes, along the lines of:

Echeveria agavoides 'Red Edge'

Quite a few of those labels are wrong on the multitude of succulents sold at BB stores around here like WM, Lowes, and HD, I've noticed. That's why I seldom log my new plants in with the label on them. I try to look them up and ask people with more knowledge than I have to correct or confirm. The only labels I semi-trusted were the ones I got at the cactus/succulent club show (there, it's sort of peer-vetted, where if your tag is wrong, it's pretty embarrassing and someone more experienced would not be shy about letting you know). At my favorite, independent nursery (thank goodness they still exist!), sometimes there is no label at all, but when I ask, the staff really steps up with all their resources (expensive ID books the size of old-fashioned phone books!) and helps me find a name (my last plant, a Echinofossulocactus multicostatus, they were spot on) . Not everyone is so interested in proper names so I can see why they don't label everything, but I am a total plant nerd, too, and log in every single one, tracking its adoption date, repot dates, and yearly status report (even death date or given as gift date).

"but I am a total plant nerd, too, and log in every single one, tracking its adoption date, repot dates, and yearly status report (even death date or given as gift date)."

I do the same thing except for yearly status report. I note it all on the plant tag. :-)

Rina- Thanks I am working on the pictures right now. A lot more work than what I thought! lol

Personally, this doesn't bother me at all, haha. As long as I know generally what the plant in question is supposed to look like so I can make sure nothing's wrong with it, I'm set!

Rina- Here is one pic of the new plants. I believe most to be labeled incorrectly. The ones I suspect are correct are the Pachyphytum Bracteosum and the Pachyveria Powder Puff "Exotica." These were purchased at Lowes about a week ago marked down to $1.00 each. I'm hoping they'll look a lot better in a couple of weeks or so.

Neil
Thank you for the photo.
Few of my plants (name as per labels):
xPachyveria Exotica
(Laurent pointed to correct name for this plant: xPachyveria 'Powder Puff' - post on May 31)

Pachyveria glauca Little Jewel - is it pachyphytum compactum?

Pachyphytum oviferum:

Rina

hm...what they are I cannot tell you, but..

I don't think those names are correct.

There is no x Pachyveria exotica

and yes: could be compactum, but is to skinny.

Here's a place to look:

http://www.crassulaceae.ch/de/artikel?akID=147&aaID=2

greets

harry

Well, welcome to the real world of succulents and nurseries… I can't even begin to count the number of times I have seen plants mislabeled at nurseries, even specialty ones that should probably know better… I am almost amazed now when I see succulents and cacti actually labeled correctly at a large garden outlet nursery- I have long since learned to mostly ignore the labels on succulents and cacti at these larger nurseries and just collect what looks good and find out later what it really is, since so often it is not what it was labeled to be. Unfortunately that often leads to collecting a lot of plants that never get a final diagnosis of what they are, but that is also true with collecting other oddball plants such as palms and other unusual tropicals…. yet despite my wariness and experience, I still fall for misidentified plants fairly regularly.

Harry
Thank you; here is the plant in flower (I don't have better photo of blooms):

The site you linked has xPachyveria & if I understand correctly, 2 species.
And p.compactum has really 'chubby' leaves - mine was never like that.
Rina

Rina/Neil - This resource might help you too, it says most pachyverias are new hybrids and have not received any formal names yet. So are Pachyphytums, I think for now, most people kept the name of the plant as Pachyveria glauca Little Jewel.

- Bernard

Bernard, Rina and everyone who responded- A big thanks. Bernard, I checked out the link, they have some fantastic pictures. The pachyveria little jewel looks exactly like the plant on the page that has it named a Pachyphytum Compactum. And, my plant I bought last week labeled a Pachyphytum Compactum looks nothing like those two.

Rina - First of all, that pic you posted for harry ..that bluish color is awesome!

Ok..now the pics you were showing me..your pachyveria Exotica, that is it's proper name.

The pachyveria Glauca (Little Jewel) I believe it is really a pachyphytum compactum (I could be mistaken). But, every reputable website I have researched it on describes the pachyphytum compactum as having a "chiseled," "jewel-like" appearance. The plant I bought last week was sold as Pachyphytum Compactum and it looks nothing like yours or on other websites. I suspect what I bought is a Pachyphytum, but not a compactum.

I've seen many of the Pachyveria Glauca Little Jewel plants (that's what the labels say) and you notice immediately the "chiseled" appearance of these plants, from the smallest to the largest ones I've seen, they all have that "Little Jewel" look.

The third plant you have as the Pachyphytum Oviferum, looks exactly like mine. Except, that I have learned if it's showing a more of a pinkish/lavender tone it is most likely a Graptopetalum Amethystinum. The Oviferum is not pinkish, it is bluish with the white coating (the farina) giving it that "moonglow-like appearance. That's why the popular names for it are "Moonstones," or the Sugar Almond Plant.

I have about 4 separate clumps of this plant. Some were labeled "Pachyphytum Amethystinum which is incorrect because no such plant extists. (according to experts, not me) The true name is: Graptopetalum Amethystinum.

The two others were labeled "Oviferum," which is also incorrect. The bluish powerdy white plant is the oviferum. The pinkish one is the Graptopetalum Amethystinum which, I highly suspect is what you and I both have.

I want to address some of the comments that were made by others on the forum about this. Some of my fellow forum members as well as my friends and family members share this attitude: "if you like the plant, it shouldn't matter what it's name is."

My brother and his wife suggested that I ask the plant what its name is and that it would know. They thought my frustration about this was hysterical. They could not understand why this was such a big deal for me. But, that's ok, they're not "plant people." They will now be scratched off any Holiday gift lists I keep...forever (lol)

My brother is into cars though, so when I suggested how he might feel about his car emblem being swapped out for another one, he didn't like the thought of that so much. He started to understand, finally.

While it's true I would still love my plant no matter what it's called. There are other, practical situations where having the correct name is very important.

There are others in the forum who, like me, enjoy keeping a journal of the plants they have. If you don't have the correct names it makes it impossible to have an accurate journal. Still not a big deal? Here's another situation:

Imagine this: You see a plant you love. You've gotta have one. It's a bit pricey. (sound familiar?) You get an idea! You'll buy one online. It just may be cheaper. The package arrives..the excitement builds...you open the box and its not the plant you wanted. Now what?? You may like the plant and decide to keep it or you can go through the hassle of returning it and hopefully getting a refund. Bernard already mentioned to us that this has happened to him with Ebay so, I'm sure its happened to many others too. Now, its starting to be a bigger deal, especially when money is involved. We haven't even mentioned the fact of how disappointed someone would be.

Imagine this: Your sweetheart, mom, someone you care about loves roses. Its a special occasion and you show up with daisies. Well, the label said it was roses! The person receiving the gift of course would be grateful yet still, it's not the roses they would have liked. Had you known better, you would not have spent your money on something that was misrepresented.

There are many events that use floral arrangements as part of a theme or décor. Imagine buying the wrong plants because the labels were wrong! People would be talking about it forever. Especially, if a wedding had Pachypodiums as centerpieces! You, Me, Bernard, David, and others on this forum would probably love that because we love succulents! I don't think most people though, would decorate with cactus for a wedding. <g> Youv'e just spent a lot of money on plants that you didn't want and the day of the event is upon you. If only you knew better and the person selling knew better, you could have purchased the plants for the event without issue.

Plants and floral arrangements for some events can cause thousands of dollars. Would that be a big enough deal then, to have plants labeled correctly?

And, i'm not saying it's done deliberately. It's just a simple case of not knowing the correct information. In my case the misidentification was not a costly one, just a disappointed one. Now if someone comes over and asks me what my plants are I can say "I don't know, if you don't like it, don't look at it!" (LOL)

I've managed inventory for many businesses. I would never put NIKE products in a box that said "New Balance," simply because they're both shoes. Imagine a kid you bought a pair of NIKE's for opened that box to see a pair of "New Balance!" Would that be a big deal then? I bet you it would.

I know this was rather long-winded. Thank you Rina, Bernard, David and everyone else on the forum for "listening."

Neil

Neil
You are very thorough in your research, and thank you for sharing your findings.
I am totally confused...look at few photos of the same (100% sure it is same) plant-
here it is when received (it was mailed to me, so spent few days in dark box):

Same plant year later - different color, spent few months outside:

Those 2 babies of the same plant grown from fallen leaves (bluish above), in April 2015:

Baby growing from big & fat & cracked leave (it's all green above) - about 6weeks later is still green - other 2 are very colorful. Same pot, same soil, same watering, same light:

So, the same plant has bluish and pinkish leaves.

Since the leaves fall of with slightest touch, I leave them to root, and many do. Here are some other babies that grew from these leaves + a photo of one of them more recently (lower left in group photo, circled in red, is the same plant):

So the color changes depending on amount of sun, but there are also 2 differently colored leaves on the same plant. There is some farina on the leaves (marks left where leaves were touched).

File I have this plant under is named Pachyphytum oviferum - confirm ID? So you can see how confusing it is to me.

Rina

Here is copy from thread by aztcqn I copied: this thread showing couple of his plants:

One of my favorite succulents - a pachyphytum with violet tones. Might be pachyphytum opalina. I need this to branch, already!

I've found an excellent specimen of pachyphytum amethystinum! Exactly
what I was looking for, pale almost white with a strong blush in the
center!

And another thread on same subject from 2014:
more confusion

Rina- Believe me, I understand. My Pachyphytum Oviferum (powdery bluish) and Graptopetalum Amethystinum (powdery Pinkish) are grown in full sun so, the coloration is very distinct. That's how I tell them apart really. But now, after seeing your pictures...I think I'm back to a state of confusion again.

Yours seem to have bluish and pinkish tones on the same plant! I would really love to get to the bottom of this. Next Saturday, the 6th of June, is the Cactus & Succulents Society's Show & sale here in San Diego. I am going to hunt down every expert I can find there and see what they have to say about this. I will demand the truth! I will report my findings to you and the forum after the show. Wish me luck! Hopefully, they won't have me thrown out <g>

Rina - those last 2 pictures are beautiful plants. I am so drawn to these species or what I think they are <g>

Here is what I am confident in:

The Pachyphytum Opalina is false. Real Name: Graptoveria Opalina, a cross between a graptopetalum and echeveria.

Pachyphytum Amethystinum is false. Real Name: Graptopetalum Amethystinum. It's not crossed with anything.

But, again, this is from research I've done. I am by no means an expert in any field lol. If anyone can shed more light on this, please do!

My 50cnts.

Most people are led (or is leading the word?) by form and color and that can be very misleading and confusing. Some pictures of plants that have the right name.

This is oviferum. It was at outside and cold since march this year.

The same pot a few years ago in hot summer.

Next one a pot with oviferum now. I mixed three plants. Look at the colordifferences

Even the flowers can be misleading: this is oviferum, but many times the color is softer.

First the hard red.

now the softer color - this was on the same clone, but some years earlier.

And there is a x Pachyveria 'Captain Jessup' (a cross between P. oviferum and P. viride) that has the same flowers and even the plants looks sometimes at oviferum

The next picture is 'Captain Jessup'. The frontplants are oviferum, but the rose leftbackplant is jessup.) The color on the rightone has everything)

Harry

ps. G. amethystinum is very hard to get here and seldom seen. Maybe in your country easier to find??

Harry
Good photos. Some look almost brown.
My plant never flowered, but as you said even flowers could differ slightly.
Looks like cooler temps will make it turn more pinkish-purple.
I'll keep my plant outside & see if there is any significant color change. It overwintered indoors in temps 8-10C.
Rina

Neil

from your original post:

...There is no such thing as a plant called “Pachyphytum Blue Haze” nor a
plant called “Pachyveria Blue Haze” It is simply a “Pachyphytum
Oviferum,” whose popular names are “moonstones,” or the “sugar almond”
plant...

And then I find this:

click here

Pachyphytum 'Blue Haze' is a hardy succulent which reaches 30 cm. The pale leaves are very fat. They can turn pink in winter. this succulent has a flowering stem filled with pink bells. (Origine: Pachyphytum bracteosum x Pachyphytum glutinicaule)

...and here

Pachyphytum hybrids.

Some hybrids are popular today. X Pachyveria ‘Elaine’ was ISI-876 in 1974. See photo of it on p. 235 of CSSA of Sept. 1990. Another one is ‘Blue Haze’. Prof. Uhl made and favours his hybrid of fittkaui x compactum. Still another is x Pachyveria ‘Haagei’ that was widely sold in the mid 1990s. Flowers of the hybrids often look much like Pachyphytum species blooms.

Needlessto say, my confusion continues...Rina

Rina, Pachyveria 'Exotica' is a (non-valid) name for xPachyveria 'Powder Puff' (a U.S hybrid Pachyphytum oviferum x Echeveria cante created in the 70's).

Laurent

Hope I understand you correctly:

(xPachyveria Exotica - non valid name)

= valid name is xPachyveria 'Powder Puff' for this plant:

I did notice photo & name on this site: here

Thank you. Rina

Sorry,
Valid = xPachyveria 'Powder Puff'
Not valid = xPachyveria 'Exotica'
Not valid = xPachyveria ‘Kobayashi’

Laurent, Mine had the label xPachyveria "powder puff" (Exotica). they still have them at home depot with that label.

Neil
mine was originally labeled xPachyveria 'Exotica'.
Rina

Rina- it's gotta be the same plant we both have. its just so exasperating. my friends have all suggested I "get a life." This is my life! lol

The same plant has been named several times. The first name published is the valid one : xPachyveria 'Powder Puff'.

There is a rare and beautiful variegated form : http://www.google.fr/imgres?imgurl=http://www.xericworld.com/forums/attachment.php%3Fattachmentid%3D4300%26stc%3D1%26thumb%3D1%26d%3D1328500789&imgrefurl=http://www.xericworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t%3D2916&h=600&w=800&tbnid=0sNXg7oYf2RBPM:&zoom=1&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&usg=__phoemgUuUrtoDg3XBsgbuNlqcWw=&docid=88peNb3TxGTVSM

Laurent

I already corrected name on mine after your post (and being able to read about it).

Thank you for posting the link, variegated one is beautiful.

Rina

Hi guys! I got this fella a month or so ago, and being new to succulents and plants in general, believed that what it was labeled was correct. That is, until today. It was labeled as Crassula Rupestris variety, although I was browsing various plant sites and stumbled upon Crassula Brevifolia, which seems to be what this guy is. What do you think? Is it Crassula Brevifolia? Or am I mistaken, and the label is correct?

Rupestris

I would say brevifolia looks right...

I agree with Breton and disagree with myself.

It’s likely your “little jewel” is a Pachyveria Gluaca. It’s a hybrid of e true little jewel “pachyphytum compactum” but bred with an echeveria to make it a bit more sturdy.