Overview

• Verbraucherzentrale Sachsen has filed a lawsuit on September 22, alleging misleading advertising for plants sold in stores and online.
• The challenged species include Rosa rugosa (Apfelrose/Hagebutte), Forsythia (Goldglöckchen), Gemeiner Bocksdorn, and Schmetterlingsflieder marketed as native, bird‑ and insect‑friendly hedges.
• The consumer group says the species are neophytes and in some cases invasive, threatening biodiversity, and argues Forsythia provides neither nectar nor fruit despite attracting insects.
• Legal officer Beate Saupe characterizes the marketing as greenwashing, stressing the problem is portraying ornamental plants as conservation products.
• Hornbach declined to comment due to the pending case, and some product descriptions on its website have been adjusted, according to TAG24.