People Are Buying Adorable ‘Cat’s Eye Dazzle’ Flowers—But They Don’t Exist
Image generated on AI
No number of green thumbs will be able to grow these adorable blooms that resemble kitten faces. Dubbed the “Cat’s Eye Dazzle,” they’re unfortunately a figment of artificial intelligence imagination, but they’re so cute people have already reached into their wallets to buy seeds.
As noted by fact-checking site Snopes, the too-endearing-to-be-true species first sprouted on the Facebook group National Geographic Wild Planet in a now-deleted post. Claiming to feature a flower that looked just like a cuddly cat, the images soon went viral, racking up over 80,000 likes and 36,000 shares, and were shared on other platforms under names like “Cryptanthus bivittatus.” Requests to purchase the seeds appeared to have come mainly from older folks.
Cat's eye Dazzle flowers 😠beautiful ðŸ˜, I love it pic.twitter.com/JdITO4lKAN
— Loubna🇲🇦🇩🇪 (@Loubnalabriny) April 23, 2024
It turns out the flowers were grown with the help of AI, not Mother Nature. A quick web search revealed no scientific record of any "Cat’s Eye Dazzle" or "Cryptanthus bivittatus" before 2024.
Not only is this a case of mistaken identity, but the Cat’s Eye Dazzle botanicals have found themselves in money-making scams, with websites in China claiming to sell seeds for the non-existent species. In a video, TikToker Partly Sunny Projects warned viewers that buying these seeds wouldn’t produce “those Pokémon anime kitty cat flowers.”
So, consider this your reminder not to get catfished or dazzled by those Puss in Boots-esque eyes.
@partlysunnyprojects No, but seriously everything that’s on the Internet is not real. Hell, even my face has been touched up. You can’t believe anything let alone Pokémon anime kitty cat flowers!!! #PartlySunnyProjects #BuyerBeware#greenscreen
♬ Animal baby - 上野燿
[via Snopes and r/gardening, images via various sources]
