When I went to California in 2010, that’s when I first noticed succulents. It all started with a single plant that I got on bargain from a nearby Home Depot. At the time, I had no idea what kind of plant I was buying, but when it didn’t die but instead started to thrive, I was hooked. This was the beginning of my eight-year journey—and mild obsession—with these plants.
Perhaps it stems from the sense one has when these plants start to flourish. You are immediately given a sense of competence, and you begin to question whether you really are a plant killer after all. You feel like a winner when you notice blossoms, offshoots, or new baby plants developing from your plants because that emotion is returned by them. For many people, like me, this is our first exposure to these plants.
Succulents have unquestionably been a highly popular plant, and their appeal only appears to increase year after year, regardless of how a person first became interested in them. Succulent-related searches have grown steadily over the past ten years in many parts of the world, according to Google searches. Here is an excerpt from Google Trends:
Succulents: Will they be a trend in 2021?
For a while now, succulents have been the stars of the show, and their popularity only appears to be growing. Fair enough, there’s a valid explanation for that. Not only are there hundreds of different types, but they also appear to do well with slight neglect.
Different types of succulents may easily survive in warm, dry conditions when other plants might fail. The tissues that store water ensure that they will stay beautiful even if you don’t water them for a while. Even succulents can survive both indoors and outdoors!
Succulents—are they in style?
In your neighborhood food shop, cactus-like plants may look appealing in charming containers.
What to anticipate if you bring home a succulent was recently covered in a Penn State Extension webinar.
Susan Wilson, a Lehigh County master gardener who also teaches biology, anatomy, and environmental science to high school students close to Allentown, Pennsylvania, will be the webinar’s presenter.
Succulents are among Wilson’s favorite plants, she claimed. More and more hyrbid succulents have been generated in recent years and succulents have become “trendy.
An example of a succulent is “any plant that temporarily holds water in its stems or leaves, according to the woman.
The plants have distinct leaf and branch systems and are lush and plump. They appear in various hues, lack needles, and are incredibly delicate.
“A succulent is a type of plant that includes cacti. Wilson clarified that succulents are not cactus.
She claimed that cacti are monophyletic plants with little to no leaves. They are often green and have long white hair.
Succulents are unable to endure extremely cold temperatures. Some of them, according to Wilson, can tolerate temperatures as low as the mid-40s, but they are not frost hardy.
The danger zone is defined as 35 to 37 degrees, according to Wilson. “After that, she claimed, they are beyond saving.
A dehydrated succulent is not the worst scenario, despite their need for water. Wilson claimed that exposure to chilly temperatures actually takes longer for them to recover from than a shortage of water.
Originally, succulents grew in arid, dry areas as well as some coastal, high-alpine, dry tropical, and woodland habitats.
What is the trend with succulents?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people who are confined to their homes have discovered that succulents make an excellent first plant. Images provided by Gulley Greenhouse
Throughout the 2010s, succulents were a popular category with shoppers, but by about 2017, things had begun to level down a bit. We were manufacturing too many goods that were the same as a sector.
The customer might desire blue echeveria, and we were providing them with 30 quite similar varieties to chose from in a gallon or a 4-inch container. No of the kind, you can only charge for a quart of blue echeveria what the person down the street is asking for it. Consumers don’t perceive enough difference. There were simply too many choices available, and the market for landscaping was also beginning to show signs of saturation.
But in 2018, a few distinct niche markets led by Millennials started to witness a return. For starters, internet sales of 2-inch succulents began to soar. The grower will love this new product because it turns quickly. Five to nine weeks are required for growth. It’s an easy vegetatively propagated liner that is being offered as a finished good, and all you’re trying to do is root and ship it.
The fact that many people are now trying to root the plants themselves is an additional intriguing trend. Unrooted cuttings are being resold online at a tidy profit by growers and internet business owners. A 15-cent cutting may fetch $1 online the same week it was purchased by the dealer.
Tillandsia appears to be the source of this fad (air plants). Consumers were finding success with these when they began to understand they could achieve the same two- to three-month aesthetic appeal by placing a little succulent with little soil in one of the tiny glass containers.
These two specialty markets are brand-new and expanding quickly. I won’t say they’ll be enormous, but you can see some incredible margins. Additionally, you get low inputs, quick grow times, and low risk. For growers, these developments are fantastic.
An Easy Decorating Solution
Small succulents being used as ornaments is another trend I’ve noticed. Baby Boomers are online, and since they have a little more money available, they choose items they can flaunt on Facebook that are easy to maintain and will endure for a while. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are being applied by finish growers to succulents before they are put in picture frames, used as Christmas tree ornaments, or even used to create succulent Christmas trees. With little effort, the end user can enjoy them for a longer amount of time. For the plants, it’s like suspended animation. The PGR application produces a plant that is not intended to grow but to last. It will look lovely as a Christmas tree during the holiday season and in a picture frame for up to three months.
During the holidays, succulent wreaths might bring consumers some happiness. picture provided by Gulley Greenhouse
This is giving these plants a new market that is somewhat similar to cut flowers. They are currently being used to fill a cornucopia as the Thanksgiving table’s centerpiece. They’re not meant to endure forever yet they can bring pleasure for a while. In January or February, you don’t need them to be still stunning on the Christmas tree. In place of poinsettias over the holidays, succulents are now being used. Growers can sell them rapidly and possibly for a higher profit.
Great Potential in E-Commerce
Some of the latest succulent fashion trends are appropriate for e-commerce. Tillandsia was the first plant that customers could order and send online. However, it has changed into a place where succulents are sold, both as 2-inch plants and as unrooted cuttings.
Growers attempted to sell 4-inch succulents online, but they found it challenging. The larger pots with more soil were more expensive and more difficult to ship without them arriving to the customer in poor condition. The 2-inch is a good compromise. They make the best marks. The growth period is brief. To prevent soil from simply spilling, the plant covers a larger portion of the pot. Additionally, because succulents are hardier plants, they survive shipment a little bit better than impatiens or petunias may.
Customers can purchase them for $4 each item or perhaps $12 for a modest collection. And the producer now receives $3 to $5 for a 2-inch pot rather than 75 cents to $1.00 for an unrooted clipping. Additionally, growing in 2-inch square pots makes the most of available space on a grower’s bench in the greenhouse.
A Shareable Experience
The effects of COVID-19 on succulent sales online and generally cannot be ignored. People have stayed inside due to the pandemic. Consumers are looking for activities they can perform at home in place of previously spending some of their leisure money on going to a movie or restaurant. Succulents are a simple, accessible way to get started with plants. The pandemic’s ability to shut us indoors has accelerated that process. People are attempting to bring the outdoors inside because we can’t truly go outside.
It’s also important to consider how this relates to social media. People are eager to post photos of their plants and projects on Facebook and Instagram because it is difficult for us to meet with friends and family as much as we used to. But when you do so, you’re not simply exposing others to succulents—the technology also introduces you to fresh concepts. For instance, Facebook identifies when you publish a photo of your succulent endeavor and starts to display different varieties of related plants to you. Then it goes in an upward spiral. New plants that you might find intriguing are introduced to you.
These days, people are willing to pay a little bit more for a single plant that they can keep indoors and enjoy. Succulents make mistakes difficult to commit. Customers purchase it for its unique and cool appearance rather than the flower. If it blooms, that’s simply an added bonus. They can feel successful by watering it once a week.
It’s also a terrific trend for producers who want to sell their products online. It travels well and is simple for manufacturers to package. It can withstand a little heat during transport as well as a little drought stress. If you use a plant growth inhibitor, it will ship unharmed in a dark box. I’m quite eager to see where everything goes.
Five Succulents You May Have Overlooked
Are you trying to take advantage of the new succulent opportunities? Here are five things to think about:
Three Time-Honored Methods
- Perle Echeveria von Nurnberg
- Fasciata Haworthia
- Vata crassicle
Two New and Exciting:
- String of Hearts in Ceropegia
- Senecio’s Pearl String
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Chris Rocheleau ([email protected]) has produced ornamental plants for more than 15 years. At ForemostCo, he serves as the sales representative for the South Central region of the country. Here you can view all author stories.
Are succulents widely used?
One of my favorite seminars I took at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale had nothing to do with plants. Personal Finance 101 was covered. Some of the best advise I’ve ever heard in a classroom was provided by the professor, Dr. Ted Pilger, over the course of a full semester. from picking a retirement strategy to learning how to purchase an automobile. One of the most remembered remarks was in reference to his car price haggling. “I’ll know I’m progressing when they stop calling me sir,” he added.
The horticulture students presented Dr. Pilger with a container of succulents and cacti as a token of their appreciation for his lectures. “Thank heavens something I don’t have to water,” he quickly said.
If only we had known back then how succulents would take over the garden center industry. Since 2007, the appeal of this collection of plants has increased. Succulent sales in Midwest garden centers amounted for 15% of total sales, according to a 2017 poll by Garden Center Magazine. For 2019, that number has unquestionably increased.
There are succulents everywhere! They are available in supermarkets, farmers’ markets, and even clothes stores. Succulents don’t require much watering, at least not frequently, which is one of the many reasons these plants have gained popularity.
A plant known as a succulent has thick, fleshy leaves or stems that are suited to hold water. Consequently, the term “succulent” is quite general and can refer to a variety of plants. You might be familiar with hens and chicks, jade plants, aloe plants, Christmas cacti, and other typical succulent plants.
Succulents thrive in neglect and dry soil, according to Candice Hart, an Illinois Master Gardener Specialist. A succulent can be easily killed by overwatering.
It turns out that succulents are perennial. Both baby boomers and millennials adore these plump and charming indoor or outdoor plants! However, many professionals in the sector assert that millennials are fueling the market for succulents.
The Great Recession may have sparked the appeal of succulents. Although some people whose job it is to think about the home garden market agree that this is an odd market driver, During the recession, many millennials found it difficult to make ends meet when they first entered or tried to enter the job market. They frequently had to return to living with their parents or friends. Succulents are reasonably priced and require little maintenance, in contrast to certain pricey home decor. For newly independent young adults, succulents were a terrific way to transform a house, apartment, or basement room into a home.
Millennials were early adopters of social media, so they started posting photos of their brand-new houseplants online. Succulents are fortunately gorgeous to photograph. Succulents can be used to decorate homes, according to posts on Pinterest. Succulent-focused Instagram profiles have begun to appear. The trend for succulents started online and has now grown to include succulents in every store and household.
Good Growing Tip of the Week: Succulents grow best in windows that face the south or west when grown inside. Many succulents will thrive in the presence of supplemental incandescent or fluorescent lights if the proper lighting conditions are not present.
Why do young people prefer succulents?
Due to millennials’ worldwide desire for the plants, there has been an increase in theft and smuggling.
At the weekend, when I casually scrolled through Instagram stories, I was shocked to witness a crime being committed. Home CCTV footage of a man stealing my friend’s cactus cut short my routine frenzy of macha lattes and kid boomerangs. The cactus appeared to be flourishing when it was placed in a doorway in Clapham, south London—at least, it did until the thief swiftly snatched it out of its container. The bad guy understood what he was going for, therefore it was obvious that this was a targeted attack.
He may have been a part of a global criminal wave, it turns out. This week, two South Korean men in Cape Town were convicted guilty of smuggling 60,000 miniature succulents from South Africa and Namibia and were sentenced to significant fines and suspended jail terms. This conviction was the fourth of its kind in recent months.
It appears that millennials’ desire for decorative green houseplant “pets” has peaked. Succulent lunacy is well on its way to defining our own horticultural age, echoing the boom-and-bust calamity of tulip fever in 17th-century Holland.
Since it took this long, I must admit that I’m astonished. As a “millennial gardener” myself, I’ve seen the succulent fever develop over the past ten years (in a way that most succulents exposed to British temperatures and light levels rarely will). After beginning in 2013, crassulas, kalanchoes, and echeverias soon filled store shelves and were frequently dusted with glitter. These days, it’s almost impossible to get a coffee without having to consider the impending demise of the grossly overwatered haworthia in the center of the table.
Succulents and indoor plants are dear to millennials because they provide a concrete means of interacting with nature.
The important thing to understand about houseplant crazes is that they are cyclical, much like many other things we place in our homes. When my mother first did it in the 1970s, having little cacti and succulents in your room and hanging them up in macrame hangers was all the rage. Before that, the 1930s Hollywood celebrities who relocated to Palm Springs were fond of cacti. Since then, cactus rustling has been a concern, which is why the anti-plant trafficking Lacey Act was introduced in 1981. Not that it made much of a difference: by 2018, so many tall saguaros in Arizona were being uprooted at night that park rangers had to microchip their cactus.
For the staff at London’s Kew Gardens, who nurture three plants of each type before placing any on show, this is all depressingly familiar ground. An impossible-to-find small water lily was stolen from the glasshouses in 2014, and even a visit to Crimewatch couldn’t save it.
Not that our obsession with plants necessarily leads to crime. Frequently, it is only a dangerous activity. A few young Victorian women perished while searching for a rare species of fern, much like the unlucky individuals who plunge to their lives from cliffs while trying to take the perfect selfie. Teenage girls’ pteridomania, often known as “fern fever, was a common passion in the middle of the 19th century. The rituals involved searching the countryside with a trowel and an identification book before pressing their find with a coffee-table book. Rare plants were routinely uprooted from the ground, which always had an adverse effect on the local species.
The terrible part is that these crazes typically have excellent intentions hidden behind them. Because they provide a physical connection to nature that is lacking in a society that is becoming more and more reliant on screens, millennials are drawn to succulents and other houseplants. For the first time in generations, society had permitted those young Victorian women to venture outside and interact crudely with nature. Both groups had to put up with dwindling gardens and unreliable leased housing; in other words, they both really needed the quiet delight of seeing green leaves spread out all about them.
Humans are hard-wired to respond to nature, just like all other species. In Shetland, “green prescriptions” are given to those with mental-health disorders because it has been demonstrated that exposure to the outside world is so beneficial. Cactus crime frequently starts with a basic, understandable yearning for some greenery.