Sucking Away the Succulents

Succulents (like these 'living stones') are plants with thickened, fleshy and engorged structures. They generally have these adaptations to retain water, as most succulents live under arid conditions. Succulents tend to be slow growing but long-lived. Some have become popular houseplants and can be worth a lot of money. A South Korean national is currently being sentenced in California, for poaching rare, wild succulents on a massive scale (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/20/california-succulent-smuggling-dudleya). The succulent poacher may have taken circa 120,000 wild plants since 2013. He is known to have been active in Mexico, South Africa and the USA. Some of the succulents taken, are essential for maintaining the ecology of their areas. Others are exceedingly endangered and can be hundreds of years old. They are not easily replaced. There is nothing that humans won't steal inorder to make a quick buck!