# "dying" plants to get different flower color



## mjehughes (May 4, 2011)

stupid me, I saw a "blue" phal on ebay - advertised as the "worlds first blue"
looked hard at the photos, read the description and purchased 2 - really stupid, since they were a bit pricey. thought maybe someone had lucked out with a cross or something..
Just got them and they are white phals that have been watered with blue food dye like florists do to change color of carnations etc. the roots are blue, leaf edges are blue, flowers are not uniform color, any cut/damaged edge is darker. so paid triple price for a white unnamed phal.. "floral piece".. just a warning.. hopefully not a new trend in plants.


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## gonewild (May 4, 2011)

If they advertised as "the worlds first blue" you should send them back and demand a refund. Report them to ebay as fraud.


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## jtrmd (May 4, 2011)

You got the 'Blue Mystique'.They were injected with blue dye in the spike as it was developing.Only blue once,but if that spike branches you may get lighter blue flowers.


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## goldenrose (May 4, 2011)

:sob::sob: sorry to hear, as they've been doing this for awhile now.
I agree with Lance, you have nothing to lose, right?
Next time you're faced with this type of temptation - just ask us, that's what we're here for!


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## Heather (May 4, 2011)

Ouch! Sorry to hear that but I agree, I'd report them.


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## mjehughes (May 4, 2011)

Thanks - Waiting to hear back from the seller.. . the statement as the "worlds first blue phal" to me meant natural - though color seemed a little unnatural and I should have known.. nature doesn't generally change by that big of leap , but do get this color blue in other plants. so they can get the first "red", orange, green etc.. just inject with the right color
SO my face is "red", turning blue about being soooo stupid.. but they should disclose that this is a "dyed" plant since there are phal violaceas that are being promoted as blue -er.. and plant sales should be different than "floral centerpiece".. plants were so jumbled up in shipping due to poor packing they won't make a return trip very well.. but too much money to ignore - I would rather have good natural phals or paph plants in the space..


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## likespaphs (May 4, 2011)

http://www.silvervase.com/blue-mystique.php


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## SlipperFan (May 4, 2011)

And since you won't be "infusing" it next time it blooms, it will be white.

I saw them being sold locally for $50.00. Then I saw them from a vendor at an orchid show for $35.00. No, I did not buy one!


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## suss16 (May 4, 2011)

Saw a bunch at Lowes for $19.99... they appear to be hot sellers. They ain't my thing, but like a bunch of the "orchids" they sell in the mass market world - they sell fast, cheap and most get tossed when they wilt. 

If you want to call them "orchids" you can, I prefer to consider them to be a generic novelty plant. So in that vein I am cool with them, I just don't buy like I don't buy gold dusted poinsettia's.


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## Ernie (May 4, 2011)

Yeah, they're all over the place. HD for $20. If the listing made them seem at all natural, I'd push for a refund. A vendor put some in an exhibit at a show and the show committee asked them to remove the plants or be DQ'ed.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (May 4, 2011)

They're all over my local Home Depot. And pretty popular. I told some people buying one that the color wouldn't last, but they didn't care.


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## Paph Wrangler (May 5, 2011)

A lady that I work with got one, thinks it's great, and offered it to me when it's done blooming (I'm the office orchid rescue center!!), then got offended when I declined. They look like an abomination. I might be able to stomach them if the blue color was at least even......the one she has is blooming worse with each bud. Blech!!


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## Heather (May 5, 2011)

Where I work, the orchids are all fake. But I don't think anyone notices. Apple employees have a weird penchant for those green plants that flower just like the plant but red. I'm not sure what they are called but I love watching them being "cared" for.


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## Marc (May 5, 2011)

A while ago I visited a garden center and there were tablets filled with mollested Orchids. Lot's of Phally hybrids were the blue dye was still oozing out of the hole were it was injected.


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## goldenrose (May 5, 2011)

Paph Wrangler said:


> A lady that I work with got one, thinks it's great, and offered it to me when it's done blooming (I'm the office orchid rescue center!!), then got offended when I declined. They look like an abomination. I might be able to stomach them if the blue color was at least even......the one she has is blooming worse with each bud. Blech!!





Marc said:


> A while ago I visited a garden center and there were tablets filled with mollested Orchids. Lot's of Phally hybrids were the blue dye was still oozing out of the hole were it was injected.



EEEEWE! and probably oozing with virus too!


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## SlipperFan (May 5, 2011)

I see that our Meijer stores are now carrying them -- for $35.


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## likespaphs (May 5, 2011)

Heather said:


> ...those green plants that flower just like the plant but red....




bromeliads?


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## Heather (May 5, 2011)

No.


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## Ernie (May 6, 2011)

Heather said:


> ...those green plants that flower just like the plant but red. I'm not sure what they are called but I love watching them being "cared" for.



Do spaths come in red?


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## Marc (May 6, 2011)

Ernie said:


> Do spaths come in red?



I think were looking for Anthuriums?


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## likespaphs (May 6, 2011)

what bugs me most about the blue Phals is that there was no indication on the plant tags or the display in the store mentioning they'll be white next time


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## etex (May 6, 2011)

Yuk! I hope you get your money back!


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## mjehughes (May 6, 2011)

I didnot receive a reply with just -contact the seller, so sent a message with a -not as described- message line- and the seller refunded the full payment. -the -Message from merchant: the plants are not injected. they use a process similar to the one used when aluminium sulphate is added to the soil to turn pink hydrangeas blue.- so they don't know what they are selling, or they are using a different process.. though the plants thad the Blue Mystique tag on them. There is NO indication in the ad, or on the tags that the color is obtained artificially. So if I put red dye in the soil, will get red paphs using a white one? 
:rollhappy:but got my money back


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## Ernie (May 6, 2011)

Hydrangeas change color based on soil pH affecting cellular pH, if I'm not mistaken. If it was that simple to get blue from white in Phals, it woulda been done ages ago (and I'm sure folks have tried). AND the color in a blue hydrangea "looks natural" not "painted" like the Blue Mystiques. 

Glad you got your $ back!


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## Sirius (May 7, 2011)

If anyone is interested, I am going to become an officially licensed dealer for a dyed orchid competitor. We are going to call them "Blue Mistake" and they will retail for $199. Something that expensive has to be ultra rare, right?

:rollhappy:


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## Heather (May 7, 2011)

At least they refunded you, despite the BS! Definitely pays to complain when wronged. 

and John, I'm not investing in that venture...


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## NYEric (May 7, 2011)

They still dont sell them here as far as I know. Can someone post a photo?


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## likespaphs (May 7, 2011)

from their website
http://www.silvervase.com/blue-mystique.php


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## SlipperFan (May 7, 2011)

I've seen them in several stores now. Personally, I think they are ugly -- so very artificial-looking, like fake flowers.


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## NYEric (May 8, 2011)

Wow! that's .....different! Do they glow under black lights!?


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## Mrs. Paph (May 10, 2011)

Yeah...in person they look much nastier than in the pictures! Blue Mistakes sounds like a Great name for them! Yuck. 
Glad you got your money back - the seller was clearly a creep just waiting for someone who hadn't seen them for sale in person in their local area...not fair at all!


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## gonewild (May 10, 2011)

NYEric said:


> Wow! that's .....different! Do they glow under black lights!?



Under black light they probably glow white.


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## NYEric (May 10, 2011)

Hmmmmm...


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## likespaphs (May 12, 2011)

http://www.greenhousegrower.com/news/?storyid=4549


my favorite quote


" I am an _*avoid *_collector/grower and appreciate this beautiful blue."​


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## goldenrose (May 12, 2011)

likespaphs said:


> http://www.greenhousegrower.com/news/?storyid=4549
> 
> 
> my favorite quote
> ...


:clap: :rollhappy::rollhappy::rollhappy: :clap:


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## SlipperFan (May 15, 2011)

Says it all!!!


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## likespaphs (Jul 24, 2011)

they're at it again....
http://www.greenhousegrower.com/news/?storyid=4747


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## paphioboy (Jul 24, 2011)

Ew. Why can't they just leave phals alone as they are...?


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## Lanmark (Jul 24, 2011)

likespaphs said:


> they're at it again....
> http://www.greenhousegrower.com/news/?storyid=4747



It's disgusting! I think the perpetrators should be hauled into court and senteneced to being dunked in vats of indigo dye, or better yet, tattooed completely blue and surgically-gifted with Pinocchio-sized nose implants. :rollhappy: Gosh, am I feeling harsh today or what?!


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## koshki (Jul 24, 2011)

Seems silly...we've already got purple phals!


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## SlipperFan (Jul 24, 2011)

But not indigo!!!

I'll be impressed when they make one that is sky-blue pink with purple polka-dots! :wink:


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## koshki (Jul 24, 2011)

And even if they did, I doubt there would be one in your greenhouse, Dot!


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## SlipperFan (Jul 25, 2011)

Well, you are right about that!!!


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## Marc (Jul 26, 2011)

It's fake and I consider it so damn ugly that I wouldn't even allow it a spot on my compost heap.


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## goldenrose (Jul 26, 2011)

:rollhappy::rollhappy:
I bet artificial ones could be had for half the cost & they'd permanently stay that color!


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## paurts (Aug 9, 2011)

> I bet artificial ones could be had for half the cost & they'd permanently stay that color!



Yes you can! I did a little search on the Internet and you can get the far cheaper than that. I order flowers online once in a while, artificial ones and real ones and you really have to be careful what you order and from whom. I'm not sure if I'd go on ebay again. I rather stay with mine.


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