Homeowner stunned after learning dangerous truth about item purchased at hardware store: 'I've gotten scammed'

After being tricked into buying a seemingly native plant, one homeowner took to TikTok to warn viewers of the threat of greenwashing used by retailers to sell invasive plants. 

"I've gotten scammed," the TikTok creator, Shelbizlee (@shelbizlee), told her viewers as she described the story. In working to remove invasive plants in her yard and replace them with a native oasis, she went to the hardware store to look for native plants. The TikToker was excited when she found a plant called "Texas Lilac" coupled with a tag in the shape of her state of residence, Texas. 

@shelbizleee a lesson in greenwashing 👩‍🏫 #greenwashing #greenwashingsucks #invasivespecies #invasivespeciesremoval #invasiveplants #nativeplants #nativeplanttok #ecofriendlyyard #austintx #texasplants ♬ Blade Runner 2049 - Synthwave Goose

Once she got home and researched the plant, she found that Texas Lilac is actually invasive in Texas. To make sure Texas Lilac was truly invasive, she looked up the scientific name to find that Texas Lilac is "a downright ecological threat," she said.

"The reason I'm sharing this story is to tell you to look out for greenwash because that's exactly what this is," the TikToker explained. "They marketed this plant as a native plant, as something that is good for the ecosystem, when it's quite literally invasive and bad for the ecosystem."

The sprawl of invasive plants in the United States is a major threat to the ecosystem and economy. Invasive plants grow rapidly and overtake native plants, completely changing the ecoscape and impacting agriculture, infrastructure, and even the food supply chain for humans.

On the economic impact of invasive plants, a 2021 study found that the US has spent $26 billion per year on the removal and containment of invasive species since 2010. On an individual level, the removal of invasive species can cost homeowners hundreds to thousands of dollars. Greenwashing by major retailers ultimately increases the price as homeowners are tricked into planting invasive plants that overtake their gardens and, potentially, their property.

While invasive plants are costly to homeowners and damage the environment, native plants do the opposite. They save homeowners both time and money. They also contribute to critical biodiversity, which creates healthy ecosystems for the pollinators that help protect our food supply. 

Native plants and lawns — like clover and buffalo grass — don't require as many resources, including water, helping homeowners save money on bills and cut down on time spent on labor. 

Ultimately, this TikToker warns us to pay attention and look out for greenwashing on invasive plants. Researching the plants that are native to your region and taking note of those that are invasive is a simple way to avoid wasting money on harmful plants.

TikTok commenters were appreciative of the creator's advice.

"They shouldn't even be allowed to sell them, let alone scam people into buying," wrote one commenter.

Another was eager to take heed of the original poster's advice, writing: "Stories like this solidify my insane need to double and triple check things I plant."

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