I kinda see both sides. While I agree it may not be the best sales tactic, I totally appreciate his honesty.

I have a friend who owns a nursery that specializes in cacti and succulents. He has been in business for several decades. He is also very blunt. I find it charming.

i think you are being over presumptuous.. and all he was doing was warning you that they are hard to grow ...

and yes.. greenhouse peeps spend way too much time talking to plants and not peeps .. lol ...

and any good business peep would not invest in stock thats going to lead to a lot of whining and returns.. because they are hard to grow ...

and finally yes... he challenged you ... perhaps to do better than he can with them.. whats wrong with that??

ken

I wasnt upset or mad, just thought it strange.

Ken, yes yes, he did challenge me but I also challenge myself. I hope they make it this time. I just love them & theyre so hard to find. I wont say ”rare” & I think everyone knows why. :0)

Popmama (curious to know how you got your “handle”- I like it!!) yes, I do appreciate honesty. I knew this one would be difficult- I researched it last time I had one (before I killed it) but dang it!! Im gonna try. I’d still consider trying violets a 3rd time, or maybe Im just a glutton. I dont get it. I followed their care requirements that I researched, and the good advice of others on here, to a T. But we all have our ”trouble” plants, I suppose. Violets, cyclamen (ugh!! I LOVE those too) & pearls are mine.

that means he only wants to sell usual stuff and wont go into rare plants.

The motivation for his remarks will be purchasers who have brought back plants they killed, were perplexed or even outraged that his store presented them with material they could not keep going - most garden center customers are not plant enthusiasts.

I would agree with the others .... He was likely just giving you fair warning. Especially if you are a regular, he may have felt comfortable being blunt as well as wanting to give a regular a "heads up." Letting an unwitting customer buy a difficult to grow plant, can lead to a lot of bad feedback. I've helped out vendors at orchids shows for a number of years. There are times I have talked people out of buying a particular plant because I could say with a high degree of confidence that they didn't have a chance of growing it long term. Instead, I would recommend a different orchid more suited to their growing conditions.

Could you please name the nursery and the owner who made this comment?

Rebecca,

Brutal honesty about a plant, as this case demonstrates, often can be taken for something else. If it's a nursery you like with plants you want to grow, I'd just chalk it up to advice that's well-meant but not well sent. Good luck on the cryptanthus - I know folks who grow them well, but I certainly wasn't one.

Cactus, I do pretty good with cryptanthus. One of my 3 red earth stars bloomed this past early spring & all have a few pups. Ive noticed the dying process for them after blooming is slow, like bromeliads.

HC McDole I will have to consider a terrarium or container like yours for winter! Beautiful plants! I didnt realize they were trialing- the one I had didnt make it long enough to trail & Ive never read that about them.

Paul

yes the owner probably felt comfortable telling me this, Ive been going there every couple months for a few years & if hes there in the greenhouse, we talk plants. Hes a 2nd gen. owner & he, his bro & widowed mom own/run it. Very nice people, reasoable prices. Ive got my eye set on a ”whale tail” sansevieria from there next, may give my trifasciata away since seeing the whale tale.

Mike FLF Guy

Id rather not give the name of this place & I dont think they do online orders/shipping so if you arent in Northern IN it wouldnt help out you anyway to know their name.

Cactus- my blooming red earth star.

Rebecca,

You have my second daughter's name but we shortened it to Becky after a year or two to make it easy on us to get her attention.

Anyway, your Cryptanthus is lovely. These will fill a pan if you give them room to grow. So easy to grow and keep. Pick off the babies and stick back in the media you grow in.

I keep them in lasagna pans for spreading. I pick up new ones when I find them.

Elaine is my biggest growing one.

Zebrina is my cool one though.

There are hundreds of named varieties but I think I will stick to just a few varieties. Too many plants as it is.

HC McDole LOVE!! I always kept them in separate pots but the one pictured has spread about triple in size since I first got it about 3 years ago. Cryptanthus is SO easy to grow. Ive wanted a zebra for so long but cant find one for sale.