After the last few days of devastatingly sad news about Haiti and Afghanistan, I find myself looking for things that bring me pleasure and perk me up. My succulents definitely do that. They quietly grow and bloom, not requiring my constant attention. I’m amazed, in fact, by how fast they (along with a few weeds) grow in a short time.
But other people seem to like succulents too – maybe a bit too much. I recently read an article from The New York Times (7/31/2021) about the ongoing poaching of vast numbers of succulents from their native habitats in South Africa. As it turns out, about a third of all succulents grow there.
Local South African people are sent GPS coordinates by fraudulent dealers for locations where desirable succulents grow. The local poachers, who are simply trying to support their families, are often arrested, but the big, black-market dealers are rarely caught. The danger in all of this is that some types of succulents risk becoming extinct because of poaching. Plants that have been dug up cannot be easily or successfully replanted in the wild.
The genus which is poached most often is known as Conophytum, which consists of over 100 species. Here are a couple of photos of this genus. You can see how beautiful the plants are when they are blooming.
Many illegal plants are sold on Amazon and eBay. Most of the time, the buyers are unaware of the circumstances under which the plants were harvested. In April, 2020, an online plant business in Los Angeles hired a local poacher in South Africa to dig up 8,000 succulents for him. What happened to the South African person is unknown, but the individual in Los Angeles was allegedly sentenced to two years in jail.
So how do we know whether succulents for sale are legal or illegal? According to Ecowatch, a digital platform regarding environmental issues, there are several ways we might find out. First of all, the vendor should have a nursery license that can be verified. Secondly, if the tray of plants does not have a uniform look, it may be illegal. The soil, for example, should not have weeds mixed in with it. The plants in the tray should also be fairly uniform in size. For more tips, the video “Are We All Smuggling Rare Plants?” is very helpful.
Back in my corner of the world, I will never know whether my succulents are “legal” or not. I do know that they fascinate me because of the variety of their shapes and colors. I check on them every morning after I finish feeding Remi. My mornings are happier with them in it.
I know exactly what you are talking about. I find great joy in my succulents and other plants.
I think I received my love of plants from Mom. We always had over a hundred plants inside our house when I was growing up.
I enjoy succulents also. I may have bought some illegal ones from a local nursery this week. They were very cheap.
I’m guessing the local nursery was legit. But if it wasn’t, I won’t turn you in, Dottie.