Uncovering the People Making Tens of Millions a Year by Poaching Succulents on the US West Coast

The southwestern United States can be called the homeland of succulents; 90% of succulent varieties originate here.

From California along the West Coast down to Mexico, you will see native succulents everywhere along the way.

Ever since succulents became hugely popular, "gold diggers" from around the world have come to the southwestern United States and Mexico and begun a "succulent poaching journey." They are made up of "tourists," "sightseers," and local residents.

They first set their sights on a succulent called Dudleya farinosa, which sells locally for 40 to 50 US dollars per plant, about 300 yuan. With poachers digging up large numbers of them, this variety has become an endangered species locally, and it has also drawn the attention of local government authorities.

Local authorities recently arrested two South Korean poachers. According to their statements, they had already shipped tens of thousands of wild succulents back to Asia and sold them to China. Their income was nearly 10 million yuan.

Local government also raided their residence and found tens of thousands of Dudleya farinosa succulents already boxed and ready to be moved.

In addition, they rented a van in San Francisco, bought and poached large quantities of succulents along the California coast, and shipped them back to South Korea and China from San Francisco International Airport. Truly dug up and sold on the spot....

It is said that Dudleya farinosa is deeply favored by Chinese white-collar workers. But because of this, the poachers have caused enormous damage to the local ecology.

This really echoes Jay Chou's saying: "No buying, no killing."

Although this happened in the US, the curator still hopes that succulent enthusiasts will protect the ecology and not buy wild succulents.