Louie Johnson's Panther's Blood story

Louie Johnson, a big friend to the blog, once told a story on a forum (from 2004) about Panther's Blood:

Here's proof that Paul Rhymer's insight into human psychology was, and remains, very strong:  

A year ago I was between broadcasting jobs and took a job at K-Mart.
 
I was hired to water the spring and summer garden plants outside the store. One of the store's buyers had ordered 3 dozen of the ugliest plants that ever grew. I know a little about plants, and they were some kind of succulent. Each six-inch pot contained one plant which consisted of a bunch of arms that resembled starfish. They were a deep shade of purple, and in June they each grew one small pink flower which lasted for a day or two. That was as much work as these plants intended to do. They came unmarked, so no one knew what they were, and the customers showed extreme disinterest in them. Over the first eight weeks I was there we sold a total of three plants at only $2.89. I was tired of taking care of them, and set up a sign in front of them. It said: "Panther's Blood: $2.89" Panther's Blood, of course, was a plant Paul Rhymer invented to include in Sade's garden. Believe it or not, those plants sold out in just three days! I'd stand by trying not to break up as people were stopped in their tracks by something which had suddenly become exotic.
 
Humans are susceptible to glamor. Apply glamor to something that has no glamor and people will change their mind about it fast.
 
Thank you, Paul Rhymer and cast, for enriching my life for the better and forever!