When I search succulent plants on ebay I see listings for this plant:


With titles like "Radiation-proof Creative Decorative Succulents Seeds" and descriptions that tell how the seeds/cuttings should be propagated what are they actually selling?
Is this a real plant that looks anything like the photos?
I don't know much about succulents so I really have no idea.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not aware of any succulent that looks like that (blue in color).

Could they achieve that blue from rooting them in dyed water?

No, without green, there is no photosynthesis taking place. Without photosynthesis, there is no life. Its probably a real plant with a good paint job then misted to look like this.

It looks like plastic to me. Seeds are already a very murky domain on Ebay (any false identity only discernible months or years after the sale), and the title you quoted pretty much guarantees you are not going to grow the plant in the picture from the seeds they sell you.

As a side note, I don't know of any succulents that have fine hairs evenly distributed on the upper surface of the leaves, but lack them on the other surface.

Oh, good point.

I was remembering about 10 years ago or so, savvy shysters were selling radiation succulents. They were supposed to absorb the radiation given off by your computer screen. The more radiation succulents you had around your computer, the better protected you were. I remember them being green though, not bright blue.

They've now changed their title to :
USA-Seller 50Pcs seedsMini Potted Succulents Seed Stone Blue Lotus Flower Seeds
If anyone reads their feedback they'll see that these are fake plants and their seeds do not germinate and are not what they say they are.

Do NOT buy seeds from sites like Amazon or EBay. I have seen this image on Amazon and it was from the same "company" that sent me an empty packet of succulent seeds.

I agree. It's just too risky. There are a lot of scammers making a lot of money on unsuspecting people.

While looking at Facebook yesterday, I saw a "sponsored post" for a gimmick called "storm glass." I searched for more info & found a Wiki article about how it was invented in the 1800's and does not predict the weather like they said it would then, and can't possibly suddenly just work now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Very disturbing that someone would pay FB to show that ad to me. But most disturbing were the hundreds of excited comments of people who wanted one, said they were buying one, etc...

AND, if you are concerned about radiation, shouldn't house plants be the last thing on your mind, at least until you get the heck out of the radiation?

purpleinopp said:AND, if you are concerned about radiation, shouldn't house plants be the last thing on your mind, at least until you get the heck out of the radiation?

Yep, lead lined walls, clothes and to top it of tinfoil hats would be your better bet...

mcvansoest said:

Yep, lead lined walls, clothes and to top it of tinfoil hats would be your better bet...

It's ironic, FB says they want to crack down on fake news. Why not start with fake ads? He who pays decides what is real?

I'm still wondering why anyone would be in the market for a radiation-proof plant?

Thanks for the input everyone! It seems it's most likely just false advertising. I'm still curious what they're actually sending out to people

jimbojango said:Thanks for the input everyone! It seems it's most likely just false advertising. I'm still curious what they're actually sending out to people

Most likely plain old fashioned grass seed. Remember, there's a sucker born every minute.

I think that old phrase 'caveat emptor ' definitely applies when buying plants . The odds are often stacked against the casual buyer getting their first plant . A lot of the bad practices are not that obvious .
Our local garden centre is full of cacti with those fake straw flowers . They sell them in sealed containers ( coffins) they sell them wilh guled on top substrates, painted flowers , pots with groups of wildly incompatible plants , incorrect or no Id, no information or totally wrong information , rubbish or incorrect soil, selling them already infected with bugs or diseases
the list of shitty practices goes on and on
At least if someone is curious or lucky enough to end up asking a question somewhere like here , they will start to get on the right track . That was certainly the case for me
Which is why we have to check ourselves a little bit from putting the boot into someone straight away when they rock up with what seems like a idiotic question or a plant that is in big trouble due to poor care
Steve