Caelie Wilkes was shocked to find out that the succulent she has been taking care of for two years is actually fake.

Wilkes, 24, told Insider that the succulent was a gift after her first one died.

So she worked hard to keep her second succulent alive, washing its leaves and putting it on a "watering plan."

But when she tried to change its pot on Friday, she discovered that the succulent was attached to Styrofoam with sand glued on the top.

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There's nothing like watching a favorite plant thrive, knowing that all your love and attention has helped keep it alive.

So one California mom was shocked to discover that the "perfect" succulent she has been taking care of for two years is actually made of plastic.

Caelie Wilkes, 24, told Insider that she had been gifted the succulent after her first one died.

So, this time around, Wilkes was diligent about keeping her succulent healthy.

Wilkes' worked hard to keep her second succulent alive after her first one died. Caelie Wilkes

She placed it on her kitchen window and created a "watering plan." She even became protective over her precious plant.

"If someone else tried to water my succulent I would get so defensive, because I just wanted to keep good care of it," Wilkes wrote in a Facebook post.

And, over the years, it appeared that all her hard work was paying off.

"I was so proud of this plant," she wrote. "It was full, beautiful coloring, just an overall perfect plant. I absolutely loved my succulent."

But everything changed when Wilkes decided to move her succulent into a new pot on Friday.

Wilkes was shocked to discover her succulent wasn't real. Caelie Wilkes

"I decided it was time to transplant," she wrote. "I found the cutest vase that suited it perfectly. I go to pull it from the original plastic container it was purchased with, to learn that this plant was FAKE."

As Wilkes pulled the succulent out of its container, she saw that it had been sitting in Styrofoam this whole time. Sand was glued to the top of it.

"I put so much love into this plant!" she added. "I washed its leaves. Tried my hardest to keep it looking its best, and it's completely plastic! How did I not know this. I feel like these last two years have been a lie."

Wilkes told Insider that she "literally laugh cried" when she discovered her succulent wasn't real.

Wilkes (pictured) said the succulent gave her confidence to buy more plants. Caelie Wilkes

The discovery was even more surprising because the succulent had actually given her the confidence to take care of more plants.

"I now have a huge plant collection due to this one succulent," she said. "I actually have a whole bunch of baby succulents, cacti, and aloe plants I started from seed that I'm trying to sell at a local market."

"The succulent kind of gave me my 'green thumb,'" she added. "So to find out that it was fake was crazy."

Wilkes posted about her succulent on Facebook, just wanting to share her story with some friends and family members.

But the post quickly went viral, making headlines around the world and inspiring others to share their own stories of being duped by plastic plants.

Home Depot sent Wilkes some real succulents after her story went viral. Caelie Wilkes

"Overnight it was everywhere," she said. "Truly amazing."

Home Depot even sent Wilkes some real succulents to add to her growing collection.

But Wilkes has no plans to get rid of the succulent that started it all.

It's still standing proudly on her kitchen window, now in its chic new pot.