‘How hard is it to keep a plant alive?’: California woman exchanges dead flowers at Home Depot every four months. Should she be ‘embarrassed?’
TikToker Jax (@jaxinenci) posted a life hack for her audience: Bring a dead houseplant to Home Depot with a receipt. Apparently, the store will take it off your hands and give you a brand-new, healthy shrub.
She shared her exchange process for a small, very dead shrub, which has since amassed 1.7 million views. It seems people yearn for living plants, despite many TikTokers’ apparent talent for killing even the simplest, nearly indestructible houseplants.
But should Jax and other content creators simply learn how to take care of the plants they already have? And is serial plant murder truly a heinous crime?
Wait, you can exchange Home Depot plants?
Jax’s on-screen text confused a few curious viewers. She mentioned that she goes to Home Depot “every [four] months with the same flowers I kill.”
According to her, Home Depot “offer[s] free exchanges if they die.” Many people did not even know that Home Depot has a plant return policy, much less one that allows customers to return the same dead houseplant or shrubs every four months.
For those without particularly green thumbs, Home Depot does have a notably generous policy for garden center returns. That includes accepting plants that have died and replacing them with brand-new shrubs, bushes, or trees anywhere from 90 days after purchase to a full year.
“As long as you have the receipt and the tag on the plant our policy for exchanges is one year!! Take advantage,” one user said. “If it’s very expensive or a lot of plants at once the manager might claim you have to go to the SAME store they were purchased at though so try and go to the same location.”
This policy does not apply to all plants in the store, however. Home Depot notes, “while most plants are returnable within 90 days, perennials, trees, roses, and shrubs have a 1-year guarantee and can be returned for store credit.” Succulents and other small plants are typically subject to Home Depot’s standard 90-day return policy.
To receive a replacement plant, a bona fide plant killer would need to bring in the original receipt. Some commenters also noted that it is important to keep the original container the plant was sold in. This is just in case it is requested. Finally, it is worth keeping in mind that each Home Depot location may handle returns slightly differently.
Is it unethical to keep replacing dead houseplants at Home Depot?
Contrary to Jax and other commenters’ recent lightbulb moment with Home Depot, many commenters had an entirely different solution: keeping the plants alive. Some shamed Jax and others who choose to continue returning their plants to Home Depot, arguing that it defeats the purpose of the return policy.
“That’s kinda messed up. like they could be going to loving caring homes,” one commenter said.
Another claimed, “Homedepot [doesn’t lose money]. They contact the [nurseries] and [ask them] for a refund. The only [people who lose] money [are]… small business[es].”
There is, however, little evidence to conclude that Home Depot takes refunds directly from the nurseries that supply plants to its garden centers. That claim would suggest a pay-by-sell method, which Home Depot does not appear to have disclosed as company policy.
How do you keep a Home Depot houseplant from dying?
Some viewers wondered whether plants bought at garden centers are truly destined for greatness once they go home. So, are there any reasonable ways to keep a garden center plant alive once it comes home?
The simple answer is yes. It is possible to keep Home Depot, or any home improvement store’s plants alive.
One of the most common mistakes a plant owner can make is purchasing the wrong plant for their home. Similarly, not following the care instructions outlined on a plant’s tag can lead to its eventual demise. Houseplants are also susceptible to insects and pests. So, it is important to keep a close eye on them and ensure they are not attracting creepy crawlers.
But the most important aspect of keeping a houseplant alive is simply checking on it. Checking on a plant once a day and observing its leaves or foliage can help a budding plant owner become more comfortable with its care. Eventually, those daily check-ins can become more sporadic with practice, as long as the plant does not have intensive care needs.
If you end up with a dead houseplant, there’s still hope. Even dead houseplants can get revived after the fact with some care and attention. But it’s important to be proactive and assess the plant’s condition before it completely shrivels away.
@jaxinenci #homedepot #hack #plants ♬ The Home Depot Beat – The Home Depot
The Mary Sue reached out to Home Depot via email and Jax via TikTok direct message for comment.
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