I've thought about it, but even though fallen leaves and branches will just end up in the trash anyways...it still just feels wrong. Though I only usually buy small plants in 4" pots max, which are rarely more than $7, so not too often do I not buy it outright.

Plucking leaves or cutting branches or rosettes from other folks plants without permission, in a store, at a nursery, or on the sidewalk in your neighborhood, is very bad plant etiquette. Please do not do this.

I know someone who opens his home and garden to visitors once a year. Since he has a fantastic property with many big mature Aloes, Agaves, and all the rest, this event always draws a big crowd. After several years of finding his plants damaged by folks hiding cutting implements, he puts up a big ASK BEFORE TAKING CUTTINGS! sign at the entrance. It only stops some of the theft.

On the other hand, I was buying quite a few of a growers plants at a show, and we had been chatting for quite a while when I reached the end of my budget and carrying capacity. That was when this gracious old lady started grabbing small leaves from the inflorescences of some of her choice Echeverias, and dropped a bunch on my tray. Most of them grew up to be all they could be, for free and when I saw her the following year, she was very pleased to hear that those little trinkets had become real plants. Succulent people are good people. Just mind your manners ;)

Brad

I don't take off branches or anything but if there are jade leaves that have fallen off the plant then I'll take them.

thats what i meant like i have a nursery i go to and people give me free cuttings and when i see brocken or dameaged limbs that are on the floor or something i take them and try to grow them!

Ill admit... I have done this. After the first time I did it I felt kind of guilty. I couldnt decide if what i did was wrong. To the workers, they are just leaves on the ground to be swept up and thrown away. To me, I see beautiful full plants in a year or two. I have never plucked it off the plant though. I feel, for me, that would be crossing the line. I go with my gut. If it feels wrong, then it probably is. Ive thought about asking permission to scavenge the flats and under the carts, Im sure I would look like a loon then lol :) I dont think I will do it again until I do ask. A lot of these box stores are really tight about things like that. They seem to have the attitude that if they cant sell it then no one gets it. Even if it is just a leaf on its death bed. I agree with paracelsus about minding our manners. No need to get into trouble over a few leaves and a twig.
plant_junkie

i think if a leaf is fallen it is not unethical. Anyway i am at some HD and i buy pots, supplies etc...
They kill so many plants without care. a fallen leaf or cutting should be ok.

If it was a nursery where they actually care about plants it would be different .

Anyway if you pick a leaf from the floor you kind of help them doing the cleaning.
Is it ethical to sell all those blooming Phalaenopsis orchids potted in sphagnum moss that will make the roots rot in a very few weeks? even the label says "it is ok to discard the plant after it blooms... we'll grow more!".

I believe ethical rules have somehow more flexible boundaries.. do not damage / hurt / abuse . A leaf on the floor could be a nice experiment. After all if you really want the plant you would buy it. But what if you are curious about something that you do not want to buy?

Anyway I always buy from the closeout at lowes.

$2 for a Mandevilla, a large Adenium, Dendrobiums.
$1 for phalaenopsis, cordyline.
donated soem to the community garden.

This is the reason I don't invite people to my garden any more. Somehow pieces end on the floor it is very discouraging. I had a plant disappear last time.
Like I'm being punished because I buy nice plants that are scarce. I notice I don't share as much as I use to. Norma

This is very personal to me. I hosted my local garden club meeting this past July. (I ALWAYS try to get friends to come and get what they want from me. I share all the time.) So...at the meeting, during the tour of my yard, one member caught another member filling her pockets with seeds and cuttings she had grabbed. We all laughed about it, but it makes me mad. I would give them anything they want, they don't have to steal! I just have to ignore it and move on.
Kathy

Some of you can rationalize all you want about what is unethical. I guess if a credit card fell out of "your" pocket and I picked it up, you would have no problem with me rationalizing it was on the floor and fair game. Where does one stop rationalizing value of things and just have to courage to do the right thing? If it wasn't offered to you, it's stealing.

This kind of stuff keeps me from having people that I don't know coming to my property.

randy

I have so many plants, I share with people all the time. When I am dead and gone, I want to know my plants are making the world beautiful. It's only plants for goodness sakes. With world hunger and all of the other problems on earth, I don't think that taking a succulent leaf on the ground will hold me up at the pearly gates.
My motto is share my rare plants with the world and when I lose a plant because it dies, at least I can go to a friend to get a piece of it back!

Hmmm, if you are going to throw in all the problems the whole world faces, It might be best to just steal the whole darn plant and forget the leaves on the floor. :-)

I'm sure being generous with what you have will make everything cool with the guy upstairs.

randy

Stealing a whole darn plant is wrong.......and I can't take advice to do such a horrid thing........... :)

:-)

randy

Randy you are correct. If you don't ask it is stealing...even at a box store. Rationalize it all you want to but stealing is stealing. Period. I am not a saint here and have taken things w/o asking. I'm not proud of it.

Funny (sort of) I made brownies last night and got so mad at my husband for taking one before I had a chance to cut them (I made them for an event). I was more than willing to give him one (or more)but he didn't ask OR give me the chance to give. It's the same thing with the plants.
I'd love the chance to give...please don't take from me.
The ole' golden rule.

I would think if you bought a rare plant costing $200.00 I think it would matter. I don't buy Box store plants, I do an lot of mail order for speciality plants, and i resent it when a visiter pulls off a leaf and ask look what I found on the floor may I have it. Especailly after I had just swept the floor just before company arrived. So now I don't invite people that I am not comfortable with. Now Jeff and Karen both know I share, they just ask and I give them one if it isn'a my last one. yes, they are just plants, but they are mine, I don't steal your dog or babies, these are by only babies right now, each one means a great deal to me. Please be considerate of others. Norma

Theft is theft even if it is something which is going to be tossed. If you'd had one of your plants stolen then you'd know why this is such a hot topic. It doesn't hurt to ask and if they say no so be it, it's just a plant.

ok....im not saying i take the leaves off the plants, i would never damage a plant unless it was mine...yall all have great points. and randy i get what your saying about the credit card but you can put the credit card back in your pocket, you cant put the leave back on the plant! (well not naturally anyway) so all im saying is if i see a leave that naturally fell on the floor, ill pick it up. now if i see someones belonging on the floor ill try to find out who's it is!...so i was not trying to cause a large argument and rattle up anyone's feelings so please take this apology, IM SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

to the Poster:

Now you're saying "ok....im not saying i take the leaves off the plants, i would never damage a plant unless it was mine.."

yet I'm quoting you from the 2nd line of your opening comment:

"pluck some small teeny tiny branchs from the cacti and try to grow them"

You appear to be speaking out of both sides of your mouth. I might accept the apology (you can see this is a HOT topic; many people have been victimized), if you'll go back to the 1st line & read what you said & then retrack it completely, not deny you said it.

I think you still believe this -- it's just that you're saying you don't 'cause SO MANY people have come out against such practices.

Hi all.....
I have a really neat green house that I go to, one of the first times that I stopped there long time ago...I couldn't afford to buy plants, but once in awhile I would save alittle to buy a plant...any way I would always ask how to take care of whatever plant I was getting and one time there was this plant can't remember what is was, but it was spendy..and I asked if I could get a cutting..and they gave it to me and to this day if I ask they give me a cutting....I don't ask all the time just if a plant is kinda spendy...right now the last time I was there they have this huge night flowering orchid cactus, I asked about getting a cutting and they said that plant is a little hard to get started so they are starting me one...
so just ask.....linda

I Think everyone took this post too personal. The original poster was talking about "pinching" pieces from a large chain store, not someones garden party. A piece on the floor is just that, a piece on the floor that the minimum wage employee is going to sweep up and toss. It's trash. I highly doubt the kid is going to call security if you pick up a leaf or two. Now, if you're going in with a backpack and a broom... some's going to say something.
As for pinching a leaf or small pup, it is wrong, but if I went into a store and saw a plant I liked, I'm going to buy it and never even know someone pinched a pup off it. Will I care? Not even if I discover a small scar where it was pulled off... Why? Because I preceived a the value of what I bought as the price I paid. Otherwise I would not have paid the price.
At one point in my life I lived in a small apartment. I didn't have room for large plants so If I saw a cactus with small pups (at a chain store, not someones yard), I knocked one off. I even found more satisfaction in growing that small pup to blooming size and sharing it's pups with others than if I had purchased the large plant with buds and pups already on it.
Also, many of the larger chain stores have deals with the growers to take the plants back if they do not sell or don't look good. They take them back and get them healthy again and try to resell them a year or so later.

But, I think if you go to someones house and take pieces of their plants without asking, that's just wrong. I know my plants from leaf tip to root tip and I always know if someone took a piece! Ask and I'ld gladly give you a piece and from a part of my plant that won't look bad after.

JMHO FWIW

Many of us objecting strongly to this practice are long-time growers who have spent a lot of money buying unique, rare, and unusual plants. This is a personal issue. It doesn't really matter if the theft is from a large chain store, or not. I tried to explain this gently, but Randy's more direct stealing is wrong message is unequivocal. Any other position is rationalization of wrong doing.

You can not justify knocking off a pup because you were able to grow it to blooming size and share it with others. The ends do not justify the means.

The big box stores often do not own the succulents they sell. They are the property of a contract grower, who only makes money when a plant sells. If it does not sell, or is damaged, or in poor condition, it is the grower who takes the loss, not Home Depot or Walmart, or other big anonymous corporations that are so easy to demonize.

I really thought this thread was done a long time ago, but folks keep coming back to rationalize their bad behavior. Stealing is wrong. Isn't that something we can all agree on? It doesn't matter if you steal from someone's home, from a big box store, or from the government. It's all the same. You can not justify theft just because the plant is at a big chain store with crappy, poorly cared for plants. Stealing is wrong. To ilovecacti_grower, you stepped into a touchy topic without knowing it. I want to forgive you, but I need to object to picking up leaves from the floor. Do you think that you can steal groceries that were accidentally knocked off the shelves? Of course not.

I find it interesting that the folks complaining the most have been growing succulents passionately for a long time. It is newcomers who are trying to rationalize theft. You just can't do it, so stop already.

Ironically, you will probably not see very many pictures of my plants posted on this site because the Terms of Servitude with iVillage state that they own any photo you post on this site, or just link to here from another site. They also think they own your words. I wrote something the other day over which I wanted to assert my copyright, and included the little copyright symbol in my post. I was astonished that I was not allowed to make that post, but was re-directed to the TOS page. Unbelievable! Anything I write, or post, or link to becomes the property of iVillage? This is the reason a great many of the long-time posters here all flew away to other sites less interested in stealing our property.

Remember, if you post it, you lose it, because iVillage claims they can steal it. Or, they would probably argue in court, you gave it to them of your own free will. Leave nothing on the floor around here, ever, or you'll never own it again.

Brad

Many of us objecting strongly to this practice are long-time growers who have spent a lot of money buying unique, rare, and unusual plants.

I too am a longtime grower and I still see nothing wrong with taking trash off the floor. There's a big difference between someones 'credit card' on the floor or knocking groceries off shelves get them on the floor and a leaf. That's just silly

s is a personal issue.

Yes, but you're making it too personal. This was a simple request about "how many of us walk by sucs/cacti you cant buy and take some cuts" and she then mentioned Walmart as one of the places she was refering to. She wasn't asking if it was Morally or ethically right or wrong. Just Who Does it. After all, you're not her Parent or Priest. If you were, you'd know that you should "Judge not, lest ye be judged". Want another? "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone". You can't tell me NONE of you have EVER been somewhere and saw a Cactus, or any other plant that you have always wanted or thought looked Amazing and just had to have, Looked around for a seed, leaf, offset or small branch that you could take to start your own. Then looked around to see who would notice and then for cameras. And I'm not just talking about Garden parties or box stores but Botanical Gardens, City Parks or planters as well. It's Human Nature to want and we all do and do what we can to get.

It doesn't really matter if the theft is from a large chain store, or not. I tried to explain this gently, but Randy's more direct stealing is wrong message is unequivocal. Any other position is rationalization of wrong doing.

Sure it does. Large chains haven't spent months or years sweating over a plant. Neither has the contract grower. The contract grower works on volume. Anything they take back is just put back in the greenhouse for another year or is used as a tax write off.

You can not justify knocking off a pup because you were able to grow it to blooming size and share it with others. The ends do not justify the means.

I wasn't. I was just saying it was more satisfying and rewarding because it was so small and (in most cases) had no roots to start with. And in the limited space of my old apartment, the smaller offset was a better fit.

As for "Demonizing" the larger chains, No one was doing that... but they are giants and can afford losses and use them for tax purposes.

I really thought this thread was done a long time ago, but folks keep coming back to rationalize their bad behavior.

It was only two and a half weeks ago. It's not like this thread was started a year ago. And rationalizing their bad behavior is fine... But Most posters didn't even admit to doing it.

Stealing is wrong. Isn't that something we can all agree on? It doesn't matter if you steal from someone's home, from a big box store, or from the government. It's all the same. You can not justify theft just because the plant is at a big chain store with crappy, poorly cared for plants. Stealing is wrong.

Yes, it is! Stealing is Wrong. But most posters just jumped on the Moral highground and chastised the OP. THAT is wrong too. They were either too afraid to post that they HAVE done this or figured it was easier to throw stones like the majority.

To ilovecacti_grower, you stepped into a touchy topic without knowing it. I want to forgive you, but I need to object to picking up leaves from the floor. Do you think that you can steal groceries that were accidentally knocked off the shelves? Of course not.

Why do you think she needs your forgiveness? Who are you? You can object all you want but that's not going to change the fact that people do pick up leaves from under plant benches or pinch a leaf or seedpod or offset from a plant they desire. It happens and always will.... whether everyone wants to admit they do it or not.
steal groceries that were accidentally knocked off the shelves That's just so silly lol

I find it interesting that the folks complaining the most have been growing succulents passionately for a long time. It is newcomers who are trying to rationalize theft. You just can't do it, so stop already.

So Stop Already?? Again... Who are you? It's Not Just Newcomers who are trying to rationalize their actions, but the ones who are admitting to it! Most of us have done it and many probably still do.
So, lets give her a break already. She doesn't need anyone here to "Teach" her right from wrong. And since none of us are saints, it's not our place to criticize her for Anything!

Ironically, you will probably not see very many pictures of my plants posted on this site because the Terms of Servitude with iVillage state that they own any photo you post on this site, or just link to here from another site. They also think they own your words. I wrote something the other day over which I wanted to assert my copyright, and included the little copyright symbol in my post. I was astonished that I was not allowed to make that post, but was re-directed to the TOS page. Unbelievable! Anything I write, or post, or link to becomes the property of iVillage?

Why wouldn't they own it? You're adding to their site which makes people come here and read. See? You posted a reply to my post and I came back and have spent 20 minutes here now responding to your post. That's a value to them. Anything that adds value to their site is theirs. It's a bit extreme if they really do claim photos that are just Linked to their site and don't let you post copyrighted material. Again, those just increase the value (real or perceived) of their site.

This is the reason a great many of the long-time posters here all flew away to other sites less interested in stealing our property.

What other sites? Are they free too?

Remember, if you post it, you lose it, because iVillage claims they can steal it. Or, they would probably argue in court, you gave it to them of your own free will. Leave nothing on the floor around here, ever, or you'll never own it again.

Now who's trying to rationalize? Is it because IVillage is owned by a corporate Giant that you can rationalize them NOT owning what you post on their site for free? What you post is not like 'leaves on the floor'. You Gave it to them when you posted your message.
But that's another topic altogether.

Is Pinching plants from Anywhere Wrong? Of course it is.
Is anyone going to Hell for it? I highly doubt it.
Is anyone directly hurt by it? Not really. But if it's from someones private garden or collection, their years of care of the plant is set back and it's not fair to them. Be Kind to fellow growers. If you want something, ask. Don't just take. We all know that and should follow it. The fact that not everyone does shouldn't surprise anyone.
If you can't get a piece that way, go to the exchange board and try to trade with someone for a piece.

And this wasn't just for you Paraclesus, but since you responded to my post, I responded to yours. It's nothing personal ;-)

Brad,

There is nothing quite like rationalized anger. :-)

Mr. Goodie Two Shoes

Randy, no kidding.

What are you guys so Angry about? There's no anger here. Absolutely nothing to be angry about.

And having a stronger moral compass than others doesn't make you a Mr. Goodie Two Shoes, but if you like going by that, that's fine too :-)

Something tells me that the negativity on display in this thread could be one reason many long time boardies have gone elsewhere. I've enjoyed coming here for some time before I finally registered, just to read and gather information about my plants. I warily stumbled into this thread after it kept showing up at the top and this...wow...this is just sad.

I very much disagree with your point about negativity. What's negative about making a stand on what is right and wrong? What's sad is the number of people today that have no qualms about publicly stating it's not stealing if it's from a commercial grower or corporation. Will it not be stealing tomorrow if you don't get caught?

randy

Maybe it's the tone of the comments. For me coming into this thread so late...it's very negative and disheartening. I know it's a contradiction...but I can't agree with the thread starter, nor their defenders, but at the same time I can see where the line for them is blurred. I can't pass judgement either way, but I will share a little bit of what I know.

I work for a very popular, national chain store and I see how the plants are treated, so I can understand some peoples view on that. However, I think this was stated earlier and I know from work experience, the chain stores don't take a loss on plants. It's the growers, and not all growers for these stores are large nurseries, some are actually small "ma and pop" nurseries that actually depend on these plants as their only source of income. The majority of plants sold in these large stores are on consignment, if they don't sell, the store doesn't pay for them.

Someone mentioned earlier that many times the growers will take them back if the plant has been damaged or is unsellable, just to be sold later. In my experience, this is NOT true. I've walked by the houseplant section of my store many times and seen plants simply thrown in the trash because maybe a customer knocked them over and broke the leaves off. Often, if they can't be sold, they're trashed.

As far as a customer taking leaves off the floor, true, that would be a service to most of us who work there, but you have to ask yourself "Does it belong to me simply because it's on the floor?". The garden center employees work closely with the growers and vendors of these plants, I know some in my store by first name. I can guarantee that if you simply asked an employee, they wouldn't have a problem with you taking a couple leaves off the floor. I wouldn't go crazy and ask to fill shopping bags, but a leaf or two that's laying on the floor, just ask them. They may even be able to get you in contact with the growers themselves.

I've rambled enough, sorry this is so long :-)

I'd like to say that there's a heck of a difference between picking a fallen leaf or stem off the floor of a big-box-store and tearing one off a person's potted plant. And it's not exactly unheard-of for a store to allow potted plants to die. I see nothing wrong with grabbing a piece of a dying plant. In fact, this summer I found a pot of dying hen-&-chicks at WM; the "hen" was dead, so I grabbed and pocketed its 7 or 8 "chicks." So what? If nobody had grabbed them, they probably would've went into the trash.

On that subject: How about rescuing plants from the trash? I've got two big, bushy chrysanthemums in my front yard, and they would have rotted in a landfill if I hadn't rescued them from the dumpster behind a florist's shop. (Not that I'm promoting "dumpster diving," a practice of questionable legality. I was just walking by, and saw them in the top of the dumpster, so I grabbed them.)

I remember a few years ago on the Houseplant Forum there was a thread about swiping plant cuttings. That one also got a little heated....

When I lived in Texas, I kept getting volunteer pecan seedlings sprouting in my yard, even though there were no mature pecan trees on my property. I guess I was a thieving reprobate, because I actually let some of those seedlings grow! How terrible! True, it was the neighborhood squirrels who committed the original theft, but I was still an accessory after the fact! I accepted STOLEN PROPERTY!

Obviously, the morally correct response would have been to take tissue samples from the volunteers and all the mature pecan trees within a 10-mile radius, send them to the lab at Texas A&M for DNA analysis, and then dig up every darn seedling and return it to the neighbor who owned the parent tree! Sure, it would have cost me tens of thousands of dollars, but hey, appropriating any propagation material that you don't already own without permission is theft! Yes absolutely every time it is unequivocally wrong, wrong, wrong!

I had my 14 year old daughter read this thread. Then asked her what she thought. She found it totally weird that some dudes thought taking leaves from a store if it was on the floor was cool, but the same dudes said it was wrong to do it to a friend at his house. Hmmm.

I've beat this horse enough. I wish everyone the best.

randy

Every time a leaf falls off one of my jade plants, I'm going to mail it to the Salvation Army and claim a $20 tax deduction.

I kept hoping this thread would go away, but the bickering and the "holier than thou" attitudes are enough already. I won't take the bait and give my view on this ridiculously heated topic, for fear of being pounced upon by the plant police, but only say in the words of the immortal Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?"

So now a discussion is bikering, I call it a discussion of two different opinions, but others may not. With the attitudes that I am reading here the Huntington Gardens would be stripped of all seeds that fall, and leaves in a very short periods of time, we had a theft fo $10,000 worth of Schick hybrids, and $30,000 of old Japanese bonsai, we had theft of plants from our conservatory, and I can' imagine what else. Is that we what to happen in our public gardens? The Huntington is not even a public Gareen, That is the reason collectors are so uptight about this subject. Just be considerate of others, and I promise I won't steal your car if it's not parked in the garage, after all it was left outside in the street. Norma

I found this an interesting discussion. New question: how many people have tried to suggest better care to staff at the box stores of the plants perhaps lovingly grown by mom and pop outfits?

There are various ways of being moral. Arguably, rescuing a dying plant is one of them, or starting life from garbage (real garbage) another.

Just another angle

Hilary

To Randy and your daughter.... The difference between taking leaves from a store and a friend is the friend may want to propagate his (or her) own plants from the fallen leaves. I myself have a Kalanchoe baharensis that only seems to make babies from fallen leaves that have sat on the damp soil for a while. If every leaf that fell was gathered up by a neighbor, I'd never get any babies for gifting or trading with friends. Where as a box store is just going to sweep up the fallen leaves and toss them.

To those wondering why this turned into a "bickering" thread, The only reason I can see, after rereading the threads again, is for some reason several people had to chastise the OP for her actions rather than just answer her question of How many of us take cuttings from stores.
She didn't ask if it was right or wrong, Just if we do it.

To Oklahoma Tim - Dumpster diving isn't illegal. Once it's in the dumpster, it's all fair game. Many stores have closed dumpsters or dumpsters only accessible from the inside and behind a compactor to prevent dumpster diving though.

But in the end, To answer the OP, I think many of us DO collect cuttings or leaves from plants we can't or are not going to buy. Many used to and don't any longer and some just don't (or will never admit to doing so).

I agree with you hpersky. You would be indeed saving a life. Maybe this is a naive thought but its a good point. I understand why people are touchy on this subject. But by gaurding our belongings we increase the risk of theft. Thus increasing our self suffering. Im not trying to justify any of my previous actions. I took what was not given to me and I felt horrible. I have since asked twice to take random fallen leaves and was told I could.

Unfortunately I feel that this discussion turned into who is right and who is wrong although the opinions were welcomed. I can see the angles from both sides. For all those who have lost plants that they loved to theft I have sympathy for you. But isnt it about growing the plant, nuturing life and creating something from very little instead of the value or rarity of a plant? I grow plants specificaly to propagate and give them away for free. Ive asked myself, "Is this REALY mine?", " Do I identify who I am with the value or rarity of my plants?" I am just an observer in this beautiful place bounding with life. I came into this world with nothing and I will leave with nothing. I think as humans we enjoy the thought of having things that others dont, so on some level we can feel like we have worth because our items do. If we have things without owning them, then theft will cause no suffering. The more we guard and become attached to our belongings the more theft we will incounter. So then we guard more and find more theft and even more suffering. Its a never ending cycle. How can someone steal something from me that isnt mine in the first place?

This is not some elborate philosophy I have conjured up to justify any wrong doing that I feel I have done. I understand having nice things, I like nice things too. But we experience the most beautiful, rare and valuable thing ever, everyday. Life and all its wonders. Beauty is all around us.

I apologize for any offense I might have caused or feelings that I may have hurt. This is not my intention. I wanted to share my thoughts and maybe bring a profound understanding to possesions and ownership. Perhaps its not my duty to do so but I sensed so much anguish in the above posts. I will be expecting people to test my philosophy by asking for my plants. I have more than I could ever hope for and would be more than happy to share. :)
plant_junkie

To the hardliners: Next time someone walking down the sidewalk picks up an acorn that fell off your oak, call the cops on them. See how far you get pressing that "theft" charge... Or you could take your case to Judge Judy. See how much she awards you in "damages."

I've got hundreds of succulents growing in three garden plots. They're constantly putting out pups, offsets and other propagules or losing leaves and stems that could be propagated, and I don't have the time, space or inclination to put every darn one of them in a pot of soil to root and grow into a big plant.

In other words, I have a great and constant oversupply of propagation material, and for me to begrudge one of my neighbors or their children taking something that wouldn't fill a matchbox to start their own plants seems not only grossly petty but an offense to Nature itself. Nature LIKES plants. It WANTS people to grow them.

Note I'm not talking about taking whole plants or bags full or foot-long cuttings.

Yes, there IS a practical and ethical difference between picking up a pine cone in the gutter and hauling away the 60-foot tree that it fell off of.

ok...now that we've all let out are feelings, can we just leave this alone now?
this is getting on my nerves. all i said was how many of us do this...not IS THIS WRONG OR RIGHT? or DID I DO A BAD THING? ooookay, i understand that its wrong...though i dont see how!?! as long as i dont kill the plant, or rip it outta its pot, whats so wrong about taking a leave off the ground...its a freakin leave thats gonna lie in the garbage and DIE! why not give it life? who am i gonna ask? theres hardly anybody over there! and if your soooo sure they'll say yes! than why bother ask? all i wanted to know was a simple answer "yes i do every now and then" or "no never!" so i think this has gone way outta hand. i dont care what you say anymore....and thank you very much pualzie. and as for the rest of yall...if you dont have anything nice to say dont say anything at all! just answer the stupid question! OK????????? thanks!

NO, I don't take cuttings or snatch offsets off a plant. That would be WRONG and UNETHICAL.
YES, I have picked up a peanut or mamm offset that has tumbled and is lying under the display table. That little guy is asking me to SAVE him from the dustbin.
Just my opinion. The first case causes HARM, the second case causes NO HARM.
To lighten things up a bit, because there is some humor in this whole posting on this subject: you know sometimes people put stuff out in front of their house for "recycle day"...the old stuff you want to get rid of when you clean out the garage or whatever... and sometimes there's a "FREE" sign so you could stop and take stuff. Ha ha, one of my co-workers suggests making your own "FREE" sign and then when you snag something by the side of the road, you just show the Police..."hey, but there was a "FREE" sign!!!"

Plain and simple

A thinks blue is the best B thinks orange is the best(or right).(OPINIONs)

We all have diff. opinions on what is right and wrong. I can put several examples, democracy for one is a good example....etc....

thing is our morals are diff. people so why argue.

If someone does argue ignore them.

everywhere i go i pinch off a cutting (stores, nurserys, people's front yards).
NEVER invite me to see you garden....you might be missing a few plants after.

Posted by oklahoma tim:
"In fact, this summer I found a pot of dying hen-&-chicks at WM; the "hen" was dead, so I grabbed and pocketed its 7 or 8 "chicks." So what? If nobody had grabbed them, they probably would've went into the trash."

I'm honestly not criticizing, I'm just curious. Why didn't you just buy the plant out right? Yeah the mother plant was dead, but you'd still have the pups to propagate from and you'd be helping whoever the grower was. If it was outrageously priced, find a manager and I'm sure they would've marked it down by quite a bit.

Just a thought that came to mind. Please don't hurt me. >_

To bunnygurl: When I saw that dead plant with the "babies" sticking out of it, I honestly didn't think of calling over an employee and asking for a discount. I just thought, "Hey, free chicks!" and grabbed them. I started feeling a little guilty about swiping them a few days later, but I wasn't about to take them back. To be fair, swiping pieces off a dying plant was one of those things I'd always wanted to do but had never done.

Note on dumpster diving: It's usually not illegal, but some cities have tried to ban it. What is technically illegal is to trespass onto private property to check out the dumpsters. There is a very interesting article about this on Wikipedia that is worth checking out.

I havn't yet....But doesn't mean I havn't been tempted too...lol.
I actually starting walking out of Walmart one day a few months ago with a few philodendron stems left on the floor, and before I walked out of the store, I put them back..Something just didn't feel right about it to me..;-)
But that is just me being me...
Hope that was a direct answer ilovecacti_grower..

I think each of us must do what is in our nature. Most people will give you a piece if you ask, and more often larger than the one you steal. I show my plants, and I would be really feel betrayed and hurt if gueast did that in my garden. How would you feel if I came into your garden and snitched a few pieces of a plant that you have been growing for 5 years and you prized it. After all a leaf fell off. Most nurseries would ask you not to return, and if your lucky not call the police. I hear them telling me that people often pick off the fuit on their trees that are for sell then they don't sell. Jeff has been to my garden and he know what I'm talking about. Now I have a list of people I would not invite. You are not welcome. Jeff I can't wait for you to stop by I have a big surprise for you waiting. Bring labels with you and a #2 soft lead pencil. You know I like giving away plants. Norma

From my mother!!

Learn a lesson from thumper..

" If you can't say anything nice, don't say nothing at all"

Now that would wipe out most of this thread wouldn't it..

Rita....

The quote is incorrect, Rita.

Isn't it 'If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.'?

Once, my dad wouldn't talk to my mom for a few days after she pulled a volunteer potato plant from his garden.

I come from a line of very protective plant folks.

If someone were to pluck my plants, I might just pluck out some of their hair. Or punch them right square in the eye.

Josh

I'm not saying it's right or wrong but...

You know, I'm curious.. A lot of people are saying that when they take something, it's to save it from being thrown out. What's to stop you from sticking the broken pieces in nearby pots? When you're at a nursery or the garden area or whatever, you're surrounded by potted plants, especially of the same kind as the piece you just picked up. I've done that at the local nursery here that I like to visit once in awhile. I'll stick broken jade branches into the pots of other jade plants. I figure it can't hurt to add to the plants they're selling. As for the cacti - they can stay on the floor for obvious reasons! hehe.