For anyone just starting out living on their own, getting plants into your home feels like a super grown-up thing to do. It might be the first time you're responsible for keeping a living thing alive and thriving. Although, of course, raising plants can't remotely compare to raising children, keeping those suckers alive is hard work. Doing those at the same time, though? I'd pretty much declare you a domestic goddess.
That's what Caelie Wilkes felt like after successfully keeping her beloved succulent alive for two years. Well, that is until she discovered her efforts were for nothing.
After two years of meticulous care, she decided it was time to change pots. That's when she discovered her beautiful plant was actually a fake.
" I absolutely loved my succulent," she shared on Facebook. "I found the cutest vase, that suited it perfectly. I go to pull it from the original plastic container it was purchased with to learn this plant was FAKE. I put so much love into this plant! I washed it's leaves. Tried my hardest to keep it looking it's best, and it's completely plastic! How did I not know this? I pull it from the container it’s sitting on Styrofoam with sand glued to the top! I feel like these last two years have been a lie."
People utterly lost it over this realization, and her post quickly spread.
People mostly commented with laughing emojis, but some even shared their own plant blunders.
"I had opposite," wrote Facebook user Sarah Sparkle. "I bought 5 which what i thought was plastic plants from Walmart after Christmas because they were painted gold and silver. They road around in my car for about 2 weeks…I finally took them out and sure [expletive] they were not fake. They are doing amazing now and have started out growing the silver painted parts and are getting green as ever, but I have plants that I have to care for which is why I wanted plastic plants. Fail on my part… lol"
A few naysayers called shenanigans, saying there was "no way" Wilkes didn't realize the plant was a fake.
Mostly everyone wondered where the water would have gone because Styrofoam wouldn't have soaked it up.
Regardless, her story caught on like wildfire, getting coverage from outlets such as People to even landing her a spot on Good Morning America.
Home Depot even pledged to send her some real plants to care for, coming through with a gorgeous selection.
People also offered a lot of encouraging advice now that she has some real plants.
"Just think about all the practice you got," Facebook user Robert Gendrom kindly noted. "Please don't kill the real ones with love. (too much water)."
Here's to hoping this mama can love her new plants as much as she loved on her old fake one.
And kudos to her for caring for kids and plants. I can't promise I'd be able to handle both.
