Rise of Succulents

CHENNAI : Until about three years ago, the only succulent plant that was likely to be found in one’s neighbour’s balcony was aloe vera. Then, the word ‘succulent’ was hardly part of the average Indian home gardener’s vocabulary. Today, #succulove is a de rigueur Instagram tag for any urban gardener, with over a hundred different varieties of succulents to post online. How did these ancient plants that have lived a virtually anonymous existence, become the hottest new houseplants overnight?

WHAT ARE SUCCULENTS?
Succulents are characterised by fleshy leaves filled with sap. This helps them survive long dry spells. Hence, it is no wonder that these are found in some of the most inhospitable places on the planet.

HARD TO KILL
Their resilience is one of the reasons why succulents make ‘perfect plants’ when there’s a space and time crunch. Most succulents need infrequent watering and come in sizes small enough to fit on a window sill or cover the mark of a penholder on your desk. Perhaps, that’s why they are favourite among millennials who find succulents to be very adjustable green companions with their unregimented schedules, studio-apartment-lives and travel-love. Veethika, a designer and proud owner of over two dozen succulents, got hooked to them because unlike the other plants she tried, these were the hardest to kill.

SOCIAL MEDIA DARLINGS
It does not hurt that their atypical shapes and bright colours look great on social media. From the striped Haworthia Fasciata, veritably known as ‘Zebra’ plant, with the perfectly symmetrical rosettes of Crassula Kimnachi that lend it an uncanny resemblance to a Buddhist Temple, the spectacular world of succulents has all the ingredients for #plantporn.Their unusual looks, miniature sizes, and ability to survive on very little, sometimes even without soil, has allowed people to be creative with them in ways that no other plant species could. From jewellery to wedding bouquets, succulent artists are pushing the limits of our imagination of where plants can grow.

IRONY OF GROWTH
These plants take at least 18 months before they are ready for sale. A typical houseplant takes less than one third of that time. Indian growers did not anticipate such a sudden spike in demand and are hustling to meet it. Rashmi Attavar, JMD of a large succulent farm in Bengaluru, mentions that they have seen sales become almost five-fold in the last 18 months and sometimes have to import to keep up with it.
In the recent years, succulents have also become popular in China and Korea. They are sold in emporiums as large as a football field. The challenge to meet fast growing demand for slow-growing succulents has even led to their smuggling from a succulent farm hub in California.(The author is co-founder of greenopia.co)