Succulent market cools down, prices fall from 10 yuan per plant to three or five mao

What plants are good to put in the office? Many people will answer in unison: succulents. Since 2013, these "succulents" and "fleshy plants" with enlarged nutrient organs have been loved by many office workers, and whether in the office or on the living room balcony, these "cute little things" can be seen. A small pot of succulents priced from over ten yuan to tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of yuan let many people see a business opportunity. There are also no small number of people growing them on a large scale, but is this kind of investment really reliable?

Originally 10 yuan per plant, now sells for only three or five mao; on the market, several tens of yuan per pot is most common

Zhang Wu began growing succulents in greenhouses at the end of 2012, and can be counted as one of the earliest people in Taizhou city to grow succulents. It is understood that his growing base currently covers a total of 15 mu, and there are nearly 50 varieties that can be propagated on a large scale. Zhang Wu told reporters that compared with three years ago, the price of succulents can now be called affordable for ordinary people. "Three years ago, the wholesale price of ordinary succulents was at least 10 yuan per plant, but now it is only 5 mao, and if the quantity is large, sometimes they are all sold at 3 mao per plant," Zhang Wu said.

Reporters visited multiple flower and bird markets in Taizhou city and found that at present there are not many types of succulents on the market, and ordinary succulents are not expensive either. For example, varieties such as Pachyphytum 'Amethyst' and Pachyphytum 'Frosty Morn' are still fairly common, and the price of a small pot is only around 20 yuan. "Summer is the off-season for succulents, mainly because the weather is stuffy and hot at this time, and succulents are relatively difficult to keep alive," said Lu Weixing, who has been selling flowers at the Luqiao flower and bird market for several years. He told reporters that by September, other varieties will come onto the market one after another, and prices will also rise somewhat.

In addition to the flower and bird markets, there are also many specialty stores for succulents on the streets of Taizhou city. A reporter saw in a succulent specialty store with the sign "selling beauty" that although there are many types, the prices are not cheap either, with the most expensive exceeding 2,000 yuan, and the cheap ones also costing several tens of yuan. The shop owner told reporters that most of those who buy expensive succulent varieties are people who understand succulents and truly love them. "Most people decorating offices and rooms will choose plants at several tens of yuan per pot, so even if they do not grow them well, they will not feel too heartbroken. Pink roses at over 100 yuan per pot sell best, but they are not easy to grow; if you are a beginner, it is best to start with easy-to-keep ones to practice."

Growing succulents carries great risk, and the high-end market with prices in the tens of thousands is getting harder and harder to manage

On Taobao, a so-called collectible-grade Euphorbia horrida with a maximum width of 30 cm is priced at nearly 30,000 yuan, but for many days after the seller listed it, no one showed any interest. The succulent market that was once hyped up vigorously has tended toward stability in recent years, and there are fewer and fewer "players"; very few people still follow the trend of "playing with" succulents.

"Two or three years ago, succulents were regarded as high-end consumer goods, and people would buy succulents worth tens of thousands of yuan; some people would use them for collection and investment, just like antiques," Zhang Wu told reporters. As early as two years ago, a succulent in his greenhouse was sought after at an international exhibition, and its price was directly quoted at 50,000, but he could not bear to sell it. "That succulent later did not survive and had already rotted away." Speaking of this loss, Zhang Wu still felt some regret.

Zhang Wu was not the only one to regret something about succulents; Lu Weixing did too. Because he was obsessed with succulents, last year Lu Weixing spent 10,000 yuan to buy three expensive succulents, but unexpectedly, because of inadequate care, all three died, and the 10,000 yuan was wasted in just a few months. "The risk is too great. Without a certain level of growing skill and without mastering environmental factors, you simply do not dare to grow succulents," Lu Weixing said. Earlier, friends around him had also "speculated" in succulents; succulents with good varieties, long years of growth, and good shapes were extremely profitable, but now there are more and more rational people, and the high-end market is getting harder and harder to work.

It is understood that currently there are no fewer than 50 succulent growers in Taizhou city, with growing areas mostly at two or three mu, but the people who truly profit are not many. Industry insiders said that fierce market competition, blind investment, and lagging technology have meant that many growers who began large-scale succulent growing at the end of 2014 did not make money. "The production speed of succulents cannot keep up with the speed of price declines; this is the main reason many people lost money," Zhang Wu said. (Social News)