In article ,
Lee and Kath wrote:

If some plants are notoriously bad to transplant and die at the first sniff of being moved, how come
they are OK to buy as pot plants?

The other postings answered most of this, and I have little to add.
There is a secondary aspect that is worth taking note of.

Some plants are happy in pots when very small, but don't do well if
left too long in pots. Such plants are better bought small - i.e.
a large plant isn't worth more, but less (whatever is charged for it)!

I have planted such things too late, and they don't take off. When
I have dug them up later, I have found that their main roots were
still in the shape of the pot and they hadn't established a wide-
ranging root system.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.