When one woman shared a photo of a stunning succulent on social media, the post quickly went viral, dividing the internet.
The comments revealed the plant to be mother of thousands which is in fact a poisonous, noxious weed and illegal in certain Aussie states.
The unique plant is otherwise known as Kalanchoe daigremontiana and is often confused for mother of millions (or devil’s backbone). Both are native to Madagascar and were first introduced as garden plants.
As the name suggests, the mother of thousands rapidly produces tiny plant that quickly form new colonies which overtake other plants.
The exotic succulent also has a toxic steroid known as daigremontianin which is dangerous to pets and livestock.
The plant has drooping leaves with purplish hues and like most succulents it thrives on neglect, making it hard to destroy.
Though the plant was revealed to be a weed, the response were divisive, with people either labelling it as stunning or a pest.
“If that’s a weed, it’s the most beautiful weed I’ve ever seen!” one wrote.
“It’s so pretty but so bad, keep away from pets and if you want to keep it then keep it in a pot or container!” said one woman.
“Super super poisonous to animals when ingested and a massive problem in Aus… they definitely shouldn’t be selling this,” wrote another.
While the succulent is not allowed to be sold in Queensland, one WA-based woman had a different experience.
“Not classed as a weed in WA. In fact you can buy it at Bunnings! And they aren’t that bad. I’ve had them and they never grow like weeds in my yard! Maybe they don’t like me or my yard,” she mused.
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