matplotlib
diff --git a/‎lib/matplotlib/category.py‎
Lines changed: 17 additions & 13 deletions b/‎lib/matplotlib/category.py‎
Lines changed: 17 additions & 13 deletions
@@ -181,20 +181,19 @@ def __init__(self, data=None):
             self.update(data)
 
     @staticmethod
-    def _strs_are_convertible(vals):
+    def _str_is_convertible(val):
         """
-        Helper method to see if list of strings can all be cast to float or
+        Helper method to see if a string can be cast to float or
         parsed as date.
         """
 
-        for val in vals:
+        try:
+            float(val)
+        except ValueError:
             try:
-                float(val)
+                dateutil.parser.parse(val)
             except ValueError:
-                try:
-                    dateutil.parser.parse(val)
-                except ValueError:
-                    return False
+                return False
         return True
 
     def update(self, data):
@@ -212,18 +211,23 @@ def update(self, data):
         """
         data = np.atleast_1d(np.array(data, dtype=object))
 
+        # check if convertable to number:
+        convertable = True
         for val in OrderedDict.fromkeys(data):
             # OrderedDict just iterates over unique values in data.
             if not isinstance(val, (str, bytes)):
                 raise TypeError("{val!r} is not a string".format(val=val))
+            if convertable:
+                # this will only be called so long as convertable is True.
+                convertable = self._str_is_convertible(val)
             if val not in self._mapping:
                 self._mapping[val] = next(self._counter)
         # check if we can convert all strings to number or date...
-        if self._strs_are_convertible(data):
-            _log.info('using category units to plot a list of '
-                      'strings that is a;; floats or parsable as dates. '
-                      'If you do not mean these to be categories, cast '
-                      'to the approriate data type before plotting.')
+        if convertable:
+            _log.info('Using categrocical units to plot a list of strings '
+                      'that are all parsable as floats or dates. If these '
+                      'strings should be plotted as numbers, cast to the '
+                      'approriate data type before plotting.')
 
 
 # Register the converter with Matplotlib's unit framework