As advances in artificial intelligence sweep across social media and e-commerce, a new challenge is budding for houseplant enthusiasts: AI-generated images and misinformation are infiltrating online plant communities, spreading confusion, scams, and discouraging meaningful engagement among plant lovers. The phenomenon, highlighted in a recent investigative feature by The Verge, documents how fake AI-created plant images and misleading care advice are threatening the authenticity and educational value of plant forums and online groups, reverberating beyond Western audiences and touching the global gardening community, including Thai enthusiasts seeking reliable information in the digital age (The Verge).
Online plant forums, once havens for exchanging care tips and celebrating rare foliage, now find themselves grappling with a deluge of AI-generated content—from impossible plant photos to unreliable care instructions. What may seem at first glance like harmless digital creativity has, according to digital gardening experts, seeded a new ecosystem of misinformation. Fake images, often used by unscrupulous sellers peddling “seeds” for plants that do not—and cannot—exist, are luring unwary consumers into costly scams. For instance, so-called ‘pink pastel monstera’ or ‘blue hosta’ plants circulate in AI-generated photographs, despite the genetic impossibility of such vivid hues arising naturally.
Thai plant lovers active in online marketplaces and groups may encounter similar scams. As e-commerce and digital communication platforms continue to merge, the ease of sharing images—and the difficulty of detecting fakes—has only increased. This issue parallels concerns in Thailand’s robust orchid cultivation and houseplant communities, where authenticity, rarity, and careful breeding are highly prized. A Bangkok-based horticultural specialist recently commented through a local gardening association that “AI images may promise exotic colours or forms, but experienced growers know to be wary—genetic limitations are real and science-based evidence is key.”
The core problem isn’t simply trick photography or consumer gullibility. Even well-meaning newcomers find it hard to distinguish fantasy from biological possibility. Garden centers and plant shops, like the Colonial Gardens in Pennsylvania, report regular inquiries about AI-generated plants. Their staff now educate visitors not just on care, but on skepticism—training the next generation of gardeners to question before they buy. In Thailand, where plant-based scams and pyramid sales have at times been in the news (Bangkok Post Archives), the risks may extend from virtual forums to physical markets, especially as online sales platforms become ever more popular.
Misinformation isn’t limited to images. AI-powered chatbots and plant care apps sometimes propagate outdated practices or outright myths, inherited from folk wisdom or unverified “tips” circulating online. While gardening has always had a folklore element—such as using honey or cinnamon for plant wounds, as recounted by international experts—AI’s authoritative delivery can amplify pseudoscience. In effect, these tools can nullify the value of hard-earned expertise. As one moderator of multiple Reddit plant forums explained to The Verge, “Most people are looking to socially connect based on real lived experiences, in a community with others like you, otherwise it would be easier to simply Google a question for answers.” Automated, generic replies diminish community connection and replace it with content that is “often wrong and doesn’t take the human variable into account.”
For Thailand’s houseplant community, where sharing experience and traditional wisdom is part of the social fabric, this trend threatens the communal roots of the hobby. Thais have long exchanged knowledge at weekend markets, plant fairs, and temples, combining folk techniques with modern science. There are subtle but significant differences in care depending on Thailand’s tropical microclimates, available supplies, and local pests—a nuance that AI-generated advice cannot account for. Moreover, the culture of gift-giving and merit-making with plants adds another layer of meaning to authenticity.
The relentless volume of AI-generated “plant slop” even risks making genuine, awe-inspiring new hybrids seem suspect. As another expert noted, recent breakthroughs such as the ‘firefly petunia’—a real, glow-in-the-dark variety—can sound fake in an environment oversaturated with AI fantasy. This erosion of wonder and trust, both in digital and physical spaces, may harm the plant hobby at its roots.
Looking ahead, many online communities—including Thai-focused Facebook groups and LINE chat networks—are beginning to ban AI-generated plant images and issue warnings about questionable sellers. Moderators play a crucial role, but the onus remains on individuals to develop digital literacy skills. Marketplaces in Thailand, such as Chatuchak’s famous plant section, could consider adopting public awareness campaigns in partnership with universities and botanic experts, highlighting the importance of scientific thinking, careful observation, and real-world learning.
There are positive steps that Thai readers can take to guard against digital deception. Always verify unusual or too-good-to-be-true plant images by searching for reputable sources or consulting local botanists. When considering seed or plant purchases online, check for seller credibility, customer reviews, and genetic likelihoods. Engaging with local gardening clubs, cooperative societies, or university extension programs can provide a bulwark of advice rooted in real expertise rather than robotic repetition. As one international horticulture advisor put it: “It’s essential to ground our advice in science… AI-generated misinformation is now just another part of an ecosystem that discourages plant owners from talking to an expert face-to-face, and disconnects us from reality, relationships with nature, and our community.”
For the future, the integration of digital literacy into public education—for both young learners and lifelong hobbyists—will be essential. Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy could consider developing guidelines, in collaboration with international partners, to help citizens distinguish synthetic images from realities. Further research into the impact of AI in other Thai hobbyist sectors (such as aquaria, pets, or crafts) may offer early warning of similar threats.
For all its promise, AI cannot replace the mindful joy of nurturing real living things, nor the wisdom gained from hands-on experience and sharing with trusted companions. Staying grounded, both online and in the garden, will be the best defense against digital weeds.
For more on this topic, see the original article at The Verge and historical coverage in the Bangkok Post Archives.