Plant poaching: how to avoid ego-driven criminality while collecting succulents

[@Idontcareorknow]

Great video and EXTREMELY important topic. Nothing is more disheartening than going on social media and seeing someone who has dozens of pachypodium gracilius potted up in an apartment, obviously poached, and collected with the mindless enthusiasm of someone collecting the latest hypebeast clothes and shoes…

[@Tony.795]

The Japanese are notorious for this. They either don't care or are willfully ignorant at best.

[@AridZine]

Yeah, you’ve nailed it. Wild collected plants shouldn’t be a status symbol… but somehow here we are.

[@Tony.795]

@@AridZine Some people keep tigers and lions as status symbols, so it is not surprising.

[@user-ek7kd3il5m]

Thank you very much for speaking out so openly out this very important topic!! Unfortunately the poaching hat hit its high during covid. people had nothing to do, sitting at home and searching the internet for new hobbies. Plants have hit the all-time high. Especially the Aroid Family. whole placed habe been ripped out. The beautiful Alocasias and anthuriums.....some of them with foot long stems and old roots. rare plant shops opened like never before. you tubers were the hottest things on earth, now they are reduced to videos how its ok to reduce the plant collection and plant burn out!! I myself am a lover of Hoyas. Oncd I the did the mistake to order from Asia and the customs here in Switzerland is quite harsh, most of them arrived dead and the one with historic roots, I was able to re-root. My bad, never again. so glad I saw your video... new in cacti and succulents. Now I know what to look for. I never buy or Etsy or e-bay.

[@AridZine]

It’s an absolute blight on plant collecting, and unfortunately there are many who are indifferent to it! Thanks for watching 🤘🤘

[@OCCactus]

sown not flown brother! Deal with local reputable dealers and this problem is over. You rock.

[@AridZine]

100% - cheers! 🤘

[@barnabaslundberg8674]

I had never thought about poaching plants since my joy in plants is propagation, usually cutting, until this year the only seeds I planted were vegetables and flowers. I started some drosanthemum globosum from seed, which took a little experimenting since they are winter germinated in nature. I had to put them in a cooler with ice on one side to get the temps below 50F at night and above 80F in daytime. All my Cactus I started from pups and cutting from fellow enthusiasts. Even though they start out small and aren't mature and rugged, I like to see how they change over time. Some I have had over 15 years and have turned into awesome specimens. I'm just now getting into caudiciform plants. I bought the first of my collection as a seedling (dioscorea elephantipes). By looking around for others to propagate, I think I am going to be doing a lot more seed starting if I want more caudiciforms.

[@AridZine]

Starting from seed is such a joyful and worthwhile experience - especially for those with patience. Good luck on your caudex adventures!

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

The sooner the better, when it comes to starting these from seeds

[@JadriGroenewald]

Amazing video, thank you. I wish more creators will speak about this.

[@AridZine]

You and me both!

[@Haunyed]

This channel is just getting better and better , thanks for this video!!

[@AridZine]

Thank you! Appreciate it! 🤘

[@dash12cam]

I bought a Stephania Nova a month ago, before I watched this video….felt like a douche all day. Love your videos brother, your passion is contagious

[@AridZine]

As long as you’re learning and growing it’s all good! Now you know what to look out for in future - that’s the most important thing.

[@tammyhansen1246]

Thank you so much for posting this video. I had absolutely NO idea that this was a thing!

[@AridZine]

Glad you found it informative! 😄

[@k.jespersen6145]

Watched this video when you first put it out, and definitely appreciated learning the signs that these particular types of plants exhibit when wild-harvested, but didn't really think it was something I was going to encounter, because I'm the only "crazy plant person" I know. I was wrong. Plenty of friends/family/acquaintances come to the "crazy plant person" for help ("The post office mangled my philodendron! Can it be saved?" "What's this weird bug that's eating my grape vine?" "You've advocated commuting with a cactus to ensure personal space on public transport. Would you recommend a golden barrel or an old man cactus, for a beginner?" "Oh, hey. You're moving to a new job? Can I have your desk aloe?"), but not usually to show off their new plants. Well, it looks like I may be getting a poached patient. I don't know what it is, but it has the rootless and small-leaved hallmarks you showed. The person who brought it for a "check up" was horrified to hear this, and is now fully invested in making sure this plant regenerates and survives, but I'm not sure what to do to help it. Do you know if rooting hormone against the bottom callus helps the plant direct its energy there? Should it be getting 18 hours of day-spectrum light to help its leaves produce the most sugars? Should we isolate it from other plants, or would their released chemical signals be likely to help it?

[@AridZine]

Do you know what species it is? Very broadly speaking, you’ll want to stimulate root growth so keeping it warm, in a very airy soil mix, with semi-regular watering. Rooting chemicals may assist the process, depends on the state of the plant itself. (Also - you have a wonderful way with words!)

[@k.jespersen6145]

@@AridZine I have *no* idea what it is. It doesn't quite look like any of the ones you showed, but it does have a caudal(?) bulb with a few leaf rosettes. The owner didn't keep the receipt, and there's no tag. I'll dig into research on it in a bit. Warmth, airy potting mix, and maybe rooting compound. Got it. Thank you. Just air warmth in general? Or should it be on a warming mat like sprouting seeds?

[@k.jespersen6145]

@@AridZine (Thank you for the compliment on my wording. Writing is a hobby of mine.)

[@raystephens9550]

KZbin crossover Hybrid? Intended as compliment coz I like Tony's work too, and so heads up for "Crime pays but botany doesn't".😊

[@AridZine]

Love Crime Pays but Botany Doesn’t!

[@ssw6442]

Thank you for adressing this important topic! great video

[@AridZine]

Thanks for watching and taking the time! 🤘

[@Jeanine6037]

Thank you for this video. It's good someone speaks out so clearly!

[@AridZine]

Thank you for watching! 🤘

[@grannyplants1764]

Geez…best video yet, Michael, thank you so much for this information that popped up while having my morning tea. Yes we’ve heard of poaching but not what to look for to say no to poached plants. Common sense actually…I would also add buy from a grower you trust. If you get any other information about poaching please do an additional video. People who are really into plants truly need to be educated about this. And to support your channel- watch the annoying ads, mention this site to others, leave a comment etc. Good job! 🤗🌱 👍🏻

[@AridZine]

Thank you as always! I’ll have an ear to the ground for further poaching developments.

[@gazepskotzs4]

Very interesting vid,love that you care about the environment this much! Keep up with your awesome work.

[@AridZine]

Thanks, appreciate it!

[@95_Nepentheses]

Poached Stephania are ALL over tiktok right now. Going to post about it soon to pass along the info.

[@AridZine]

It’s a terrible shame - at least with Stephanias it’s a case of buyer ignorance for the most part.

[@jeannette7243]

Good to know. Thank you for the video. It's not the language but the practice that makes it hard to watch... the things that people do for money - or ego.

[@AridZine]

Very true! Makes my blood boil.

[@oscarmurray-n4j]

You're an absolute legend, Michael! I once met someone who bought a Stephania from Etsy during COVID. He had no idea it was poached, and he got pretty offended when I pointed out that it almost certainly was. I'm just getting into Nepenthes, and I've learned there's a huge market for poached Nepenthes, especially their seeds. In some areas, populations are going extinct because people are taking every seed pod from their natural habitats, leaving little chance for regeneration.

[@AridZine]

Horrific. I’m generally pretty good with ethical wild seed collecting - key word being ethical - because it’s the best way for cool plants to come into widespread cultivation, and ex-situ conservation through collectors collecting is a great thing. But swiping whole generations worth of seed pods… heinous.

[@oscarmurray-n4j]

@AridZine yea mate! Totally understand! From what I understand, Nepenthes are one of the only genus under direct threat from seed poaching, mainly because they can be grown quick and they are very hard to breed pure species in cultivation so people just take seed pods from the wild and plenty of people by them.

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

And the people collecting the seeds are to freaking stupid to even scatter a few about so that they don't damn their own hustle? Lol. So sad, and stupid.

[@juliashearer7842]

Such an important subject that needs to be more talked about.

[@AridZine]

Absolutely! Something I’m so passionate about

[@rodadelossantos6194]

Thanks for the tips on how to spot possible poached plants! 👍

[@AridZine]

Thank you for watching! 🤘

[@tanaruz]

Good topic. Want to add another point why there is always seller is because there is demand. With recent economic recession, poverty really hit thise africa people forcing them to dug those wild plant and sell it to the world mostly asia people. Asia people didnt see it as issue which is so sad. They proud showing these poaching plant in their instagram / facebook page for the internet clout. The bigger or cool the plant look boost their self esteem

[@AridZine]

Yeah, I could have gone on for another twenty minutes about the whole globalisation / socioeconomic issue of it. Would have diluted the message - still, it’s a really important aspect worth considering. Thanks.

[@sampetrie9177]

Great video as always! I first heard about caudex plants after buying a stephania erecta during that Covid phase. Have learnt a lot about poaching since and happily growing plants from seed now (except adenia and operculicarya - I wish I could get those to grow 😭)

[@AridZine]

Dude… we can try to crack the Adenia mystery together 😂😂

[@kerriefearby9542]

But where do I get legal seeds in Australia?

[@AridZine]

There are a few good vendors on eBay, or you can legally import them - many international seed sites do all the necessary paperwork (although it’s not always cheap!)

[@Tony.795]

Unfortunately the people that should watch this don't care.

[@AridZine]

True - although hopefully I can steer a few people away from inadvertently buying a poached Stephania or E. rapulum.

[@issigonis975]

These kind of plants are easy to move about. Add the obsessive collecting around them and you have almost in a small part of the customer base addicts. Addiction drives up prices which feeds a market that then has to be dealt with by laws. Then you are left with the criminal element feeding it. If you are happy to get a rare plant ripped out the environment you are not a cactus or succulent enthusiast you are just a collector. I have collections of things that are not plants and as a collector there is always something missing. You are never satisfied with what you have despite it being extensive. These are plants being moved and sometimes from the wrong hemisphere. They will not survive just slowly die. If you have no morals you need to realise you are sending money to criminals for something that in all probability will not live. There is also the fact you have that thing because you have money not the skills to grow it. I am proud of my old Copiapoa that is decades old and grown from a seedling. Boy is it slow growing though!

[@AridZine]

All very true - environmental vandalism at its worst.

[@billgolightly7203]

Thanks for your words of wisdom. Hopefully it will help the situation.

[@AridZine]

Thanks Bill

[@ministrychannelsa4216]

Thank you. I appreciate what you do. I myself have bought these rootless leafless balls from my suppliers in the past, I will not support certain of my suppliers after watching your very informative video.

[@AridZine]

Appreciate it! It pays to be cautious

[@ministrychannelsa4216]

@@AridZine indeed. Have a good one mate.

[@wevvi]

Thank you so much for this video! I had no clue that was the case with the stephania - I was looking forward to getting one soon and the ones I saw online were bulbs without roots 😔 Good thing I was waiting for moving houses first. I won’t be buying those ones now. Thanks for the warning! Coincidentally, last week I watched a short documentary here on youtube called Plant Heist - Succulent Smuggling, which covers the poaching of the Dudleya you mentioned. Seeing such things really enraged me as well. It’s saddening how careless people can be 😢 Thanks again & take care! 🌵

[@AridZine]

I’m glad you’re equipped now to find an ethically grown one 🤘

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

I saw that video. Too many people think it's a trifling issue who only butthurt snowflakes care about. Look into some seeds or seedlings. Good luck :)

[@Mihomike]

Very important to talk about this. Thank you Bro

[@AridZine]

Thank you! 🙏

[@drikonrokon852]

I do own a plant species I know is from nature but it's a plant that is native to my region but is an extremely successful growers and has invasive tendencies so I took cuttings off an health patch but made sure the plant left were stable afterwards, southern dewberry is it's name and it extremely easy to grow even if the whole plant above ground was destroyed it can grow back perfectly (also the area where they are is being planned to be housing development) and I did check state and local laws but when it comes to my cacti and other plants I try my best to buy them from a reputable nursery if not their seeds

[@AridZine]

Don’t think there’s much of a problem with that approach…

[@drikonrokon852]

@AridZine only take what you need, make sure you left things better than the way you found it (like taking out trash) and read laws for your region is pretty much my top 3 rules of gathering fruits and nuts but if it's a cutting I always make sure it can handle it (which only cuttings I have from nature are those southern dewberry's, my agave was from a friends garden and my bee balm was from seed heads I collected last year)

[@samjones-km6mg]

Awesome video.

[@AridZine]

Thanks! 🤘

[@ainselart]

I’m glad you talk about this subject !

[@AridZine]

It’s so important!

[@Devildogcacti]

thank you for the amazing info.

[@AridZine]

Thank you for watching!

[@Malprincess]

YES THIS STUFF. I'm so here for this.

[@AridZine]

🤘🤘

[@Malprincess]

@@AridZine Thanks so much for the vid! Very informative as always!

[@carriebeth7996]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. It had never occurred to me before that this is happening.Just out of curiosity which is the rarest cactus or succulent that you have.

[@AridZine]

Hmmm.. hard to quantify what’s the rarest, but maybe Euphorbia globulicaulis. A very cool plant but barely in cultivation at this point.

[@charlesmckemie7274]

Amen. Well done

[@AridZine]

Thanks 🤘🤘

[@jr5927]

Another great video! Thanks

[@AridZine]

Cheers 🤘

[@chadscott9157]

thanks for the insight. yea poaching is a huge issue and certainly not a new thing. We cant do tourism in South Africa on these plants, cause they GPS location and then hire someone to get them. Sad. I can imagine ppl have taken form South Africa going back 50 yrs ago...Ah all the best, thanks for the education,,, Ill share your page to local enthusiast. like and sub ppl

[@AridZine]

Thanks mate - pretty bloody shocking that it’s afflicted SA for so long.

[@bobbiechinn9578]

Good to see/hear someone who feels like me 😊💚🌵🏵️🌴🌳🌲🪵🌱🍃🍄🌻🌈☁️🌧️🐼🐨🦝🐺🐰🐤🐓🐅🐆🦍🐿️🦒🦏🐘🦥🦜🐋🐬🦈🐟🐳🐠🦀🐙🦑🪸🕷️🐞🐝🦋🐛🪱🐾🦠🕸️

[@AridZine]

😀😀

[@Royaliize]

Great video as always my friend. I totally agree on everything that been said in this video. I for one, aint into trending plants nor do i use social apps much....why do people want plants that they cant even care for, makes my mind bogling, if that is even a word lol....seed grown plants, sharing among friends are the best for humans snd plants😊.

[@AridZine]

Well said! Growing from seed I think is more rewarding anyway; sure, my collection isn’t as mature as it could be, but I know where all my plants came from!

[@achimschaffeld9653]

Hey there! I recently purchased a Kanna plant (sceletium tortuosum) and I wonder, if you think that it's an easy cultivar? I bought one back in 2015, but it didn't survied for very long... It wasn't a poached plant, that is for sure. i got it from a known succulent breeder in Germany 😅 now, i bought another one and got some decent grow lights and hope it'll survive a bit longer... greatings from Germany! I really love your informative videos!

[@AridZine]

I’ll be honest, I’ve never grown it before - but from what I’ve read, it doesn’t have a particularly long life ordinarily anyway. So whether it’s easy or not, it’s probably worth taking cuttings periodically to help it along.

[@achimschaffeld9653]

@@AridZine Ok, I'll do that.Thanks!

[@akinfernno6151]

Can you recommend any good sellers or sites for buying succulent seeds from?

[@AridZine]

Definitely! Koehres Kakteen in Germany and Lifestyle Seeds in South Africa are where I buy most of my seeds. They do all the proper paperwork for exportation and they often stock some very interesting species.

[@user-ek7kd3il5m]

I just wrote to the seller on Etsy who sells the plant you showed. Just got the answer. apparently the plant is grown out of seed. How long does it take to grow such a big one???

[@AridZine]

Haha yeah, they would say that. They are of course grown from seed… just in nature. I would expect a plant of that size would be many decades old.

[@user-ek7kd3il5m]

@@AridZine That is what I thought!!

[@caloocanboy5800]

Here in Philippines, you can easily buy wild orchids,.ant plants and giant ferns online.😢 They also sell super duper cheap which is so hard to resist

[@AridZine]

That’s a real shame. 🥲

[@cacogenicist]

Seems like the culture among collectors is changing ... hopefully.

[@AridZine]

Hopefully… but plenty of habitat plants still floating around

[@AridZine]

Hopefully… but plenty of habitat plants still floating around

[@raystephens9550]

Easy to pick (and report, when no legitimate retailer wants bad PR) On behalf of biodiversity, I Thank you.

[@AridZine]

🤙

[@RainebowEvee]

I wonder how much of a grey area it is for someone to take said poached specimen of a plant to further grow it and cultivate it for the plant hobby. Just like with many domesticated animals, the breeding population has to come from somewhere... all we can do as hobbyists is to avoid the high risk plants until someone can grow enough of them to ethically sell (though some like lithops and conos that renew their leaves may be hard to tell if they are poached or not)

[@AridZine]

These are long-lived plants and so there’s plenty that were lifted from habitat pre-environmentalism; what’s been done has been done, so best to keep those plants growing happily and propagate from them if possible. Generally speaking I feel like ethical collection of seeds from habitat plants is the best way to bring new plants into cultivation

[@Epiphyllum_Sherman_E_Beahm]

08:10 any of these East Asians could visit the California Natives section of an independently owned Southern California nursery and purchase a seed grown Dudleya brittonii or D. farinosa or D. pulverulenta or D. cymosa in a 4 inch pot for around $6 USD or a one gallon specimen for $10 - $14. Or, they could go to one of the several California Native Plants Society sales and pick some up for less than that, BUT NOOOOOO, they would rather trample habitats getting to cliffs and canyons to rip the Dudleyas out and leave their trail of destruction behind.

[@AridZine]

Yeah I just don’t understand the Dudleya poaching thing… they’re so easy to grow and propagate. It’s genuinely just a wild money grab.

[@zhaezz84]

If i havent grown it from seed, i dont want it 🙌🙌💚💚🌵🌵

[@AridZine]

Preach! My feels exactly.

[@RobCherwink]

🌵 Only take photos! and never buy poached plants 🦊

[@AridZine]

Truth! 🤘

[@rohansmith2571]

Poaching is the lowest form of human greed, but, I was of the opinion that given Australia's strict import and quarentine laws that we would be somewhat of a too hard basket market. Seems to be the case to a degree but recently a huge array of obviously smuggled in plants has appeared in most staes and ar openly sold on marketplace. Things that are not on the allowed import list, things that are immediately sold bare root, straight from the smugglers box because its too risky to try and establish them ... better to make that a buyer problem (get what they deserve anyway), and even Korean imports that no way could have come in properly via quarentine, showing very onvious signs of Mottle Virus ... something that is specifically checked at both ends when doing legal Korean imports. Buyer beware but most seem oblivious to these money grubbing money (not plant) lovers. Maybe a good subject to cover ?

[@AridZine]

Yes the smuggled stuff is everywhere at the moment - an incredible shame. Haven’t heard of mottled virus; I’ll look into it.

[@rohansmith2571]

@@AridZine Case on BICON, some specific species grafted and otherwise imports from Korea are allowed ( as Nursery Stock by memory) without treatment or quarentine within a very specific regime of checks at both ends and treatments I think, the main check specifically being for '' Cactus Mild Mottle Virus" which is apparently quite common there in grafting stocks in particular.

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

This man is spreading the gospel. Stop poaching

[@AridZine]

🤘

[@vicky3792]

It makes me afraid to buy any of these wonderful plants. I definitely don’t want to support poaching.

[@Tony.795]

Poached plants are quite easy to spot once you know what to look for. Most succulents shouldn't be hard to find at all in nurseries. You can always start with very small plants and watch them develop, which is the fun part in this hobby.

[@AridZine]

Yeah, the overwhelming majority of plants on the market are ethically grown.

[@tundrataiga5100]

Why do i hear a slight Aus accent

[@AridZine]

Born and lived in Australia my whole life - could explain the accent

[@davidruiz2474]

it's a double-edged sword. We could either lose them to strip malls and gas stations and overpopulation and development or we could lose them to poachers who are going to sell them for whatever price to people who actually want them and who will care for them 🤷 unless it is a protected habitat, all bets are off

[@AridZine]

Sure, in a small number of instances - but usually it’s not an either/or scenario, it’s plants being lost to development AND elsewhere plants being lost to poachers. I have no issues with plants rescued from habitat when development encroaches, there’s some excellent, licensed companies who do just that in Australia. But rarely is that the case with poached plants - it’s just opportunistic dickheads adding to the environmental pressures already on these plants due to development.

[@nornalhumsn7167]

Sorry about my tillandsia

[@AridZine]

🤦‍♂️

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

No one's got the patience to grow a plant for _centuries_ ! Lmao, great video, important message. Tysm

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

Great rant! We need more of this from the yt plant community. Crime Pays is always going on about this. So cool to see another creator getting hyped

[@AridZine]

Too much greed and selfishness among collectors. The patience thing is funny right - isn’t it more rewarding to grow a plant from a seedling rather than just buying a specimen plant? Apparently not. Instant gratification is king. No good. Anyway thanks for watching.

[@skylerblog]

In some countries it’s legal to collect wild harvested plants. I don’t think it’s as big of deal as you put it. First of all not many people are gonna afford to buy a poached plant and the ones that do are far and few. Second of all why shouldn’t we be able to enjoy plants we love? At one point in history all plants were poached and over time we started to harvest them. That’s how the earth works. Things come and go and who are we to pretend humans make the rules. Animals destroy plants all the time by walking on them or eating them, you think they care about conservation? Just another way for botanical gardens to trick people they are the only ones worthy of such plants.

[@AridZine]

I mean, there’s a lot to unpack here and I feel like it doesn’t matter what I say, you’re not going to come around on this. Just go sow some seeds, mate - it’s cheaper, it’s more rewarding, you’ll have access to far more species than if you were buying them mature and it’ll be an ethical source of collecting.

[@SuziK1969]

Skyler. You look really young. Young enough to know what's happening to our planet. Animals and plants are going extinct. We have to shop for "mercury free" fish. Microplastics are in our water. This is what we get for treating our planet like a trash can. People poaching plants are stealing the beauty we have left. I hope you wake up before our planet is beyond repair. It won't be in my lifetime but it might be in yours! Plant poachers suck.

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

Who are we to pretend humans make the rules? Seriously, don't you see, _this_ _is_ humans making the rules. Ecosystems are sometimes devastated by irresponsible and mindless hyper aggressive poaching. There's a reason why people, even governments, are becoming so torn up over it, ya know. This isnt a bunch of snowflakes getting bent outa shape over nothing for some breech in etiquette. This is a serious issue. Rare and ridiculously unique species are on the verge of extinction due to this. If they can charge hundreds for individual specimens that just shows how huge the demand is, and we're talking small populations of rare species. It's a glabal market, dude.