Beautiful on the inside :)

[Maid Spikeion]

My heart went out to these guys ... does anyone have any similar creative/abuse pictures to share? Someone's probably got lots of spines in their fingers from applying googley eyes & pipe cleaners.

[Jenny29]

Poor plants...
Once I get a similar cactus, it was dressed up as Santa Claus with eyes, moustache and cap. Unfortunately up to this day it couldn't get well.. Here and there it hasn't thorns.

[Onzuka]

A work colleague of mine told me about a cactus he had bought at a big box store. Ho told me about the abundance of pink flowers and how long they were lasting. It took me ages to convince him that they were, in fact, straw flowers with pins on the back, stuck into a common mammillaria!

Steve

[DaveW]

How about in any colour you want? Scroll way down this link towards the bottom and you will find many dyed cactus and other succulents, including red, pink and blue grusonii's:-

http://www.eurocactus.nl/producten" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

At least they glue artificial flowers and eyes on now, rather than pinning them into the plant and often causing rot as in the past

[Jenny29]

It's the monstrosity of the human stupidity. I have seen such plant once or twice in a shopping centre that Dave showed. People buy them eagerly at high rate...

[peterb]

ugh.

peterb

[majcka]

ugh.

peterb

My sentiments exactly.

[Saxicola]

This doesn't bother me nearly as much as the glued on strawflowers or the painted plants (like the Echeverias I posted a while back). The reason is those "decorations" come off easily and even if they are glued on it is only on the hair, not the body of the plant itself so the damage would be less permanent. I hope that last one isn't skewered in the body though!

[diamondstate]

I agree with both peterb and Saxicola. As someone who loves the natural beauty of cacti and succulents I think they look dreadful. But at least you can take that junk off without damaging the plant unlike those strawflowers. As someone who is limited to big box store buying I truly hate those things!

[Peterthecactusguy]

*sigh* poor plants. What about cacti in their natural state?

[hendryterok]

Here in Indonesia, we have that kind of thing, thankfully no artificial flower glued on cacti.
By doing that the price is increased up to 50%

http://www.cactuslembang.com/souvenir-k ... -box-sb-27" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NB: Our currency has many zero.....FYI, 1US$ is Rp. 9.800(Rupiah)

Regards,
Hendry

[Peterthecactusguy]

hmm interesting so those plants cost less than a US dollar?

[Maid Spikeion]

Thanks for your comments and cacti links! I really wanted the 'save' the little hairy green guy on the first pic... but I thought it would only be encouraging the seller to make up more cacti fancy dress...

[daiv]

As much as I hate the googly eyes and mustaches, I to think it is better than the flowers because at least people know they are not part of the plant. The flowers are much more deceptive.

That said, in the pictures above, it seems there are some without eyes. I would buy those. Obviously, the extra effort and expense of adding all that junk is done because it sells. If nobody buys them, then they would stop. So it isn't really the nurseries or the stores fault, but the consumer!

[hendryterok]

hmm interesting so those plants cost less than a US dollar?

Peter,
Yes it is for grafted cacti.

Cheers
Hendry