• AI-generated houseplants: Fakes like floating pots or neon-colored monstera are flooding online communities—harmless-sounding fun but rooted in deception .
• Misinformation & scams: Sellers push seeds for impossible plants—e.g., pink monstera or blue hostas—with even Google’s assistant validating their existence .
• Garden center fallout: Casey Schmidt Ahl at Colonial Gardens reports weekly inquiries about such plants. They now actively debunk these and warn customers .
• Care myths amplified: AI chatbots and apps regurgitate pseudoscience—cinnamon, honey cuts—adding to a folklore-fueled misinformation ecosystem .
• Community impact: Reddit plant mods (e.g. Caring_Cactus) ban AI content. Users find it shallow, spammy—and it disrupts real engagement .
• Why it matters: Fake plant posts may dilute the joy and mindfulness of real gardening. They also risk undermining awe and trust in genuine plant variety. Its also happening on other forums and topics like interior design.