Succulents have become an increasingly trendy item to showcase. However, given the recent pandemic, it seems that these thick, water-storing plants may be here to stay.
When shelter in place began in March, thousands of Bryan College Station residents were suddenly homebound, left with little to occupy their free time. Hobbies were restricted to that which could be accomplished within their own four walls and the yard outside them. For many, this became the deciding factor to adopt succulents.
Megan Bush, a junior at Texas A&M University, says this was the case for her, though her mother always had a garden.
“I got my first two plants in May for [my mom] and I to have something to do together,” says Bush. “As time has gone on, I brought my plants with me back to College Station. I try to quarantine as much as possible, so it’s been something to have at home.”
Laura Dunn, a fifth-year Texas A&M student, says succulents became her reason to get out of bed. Although she struggles with mental illness, these plants have created a daily routine and sense of purpose essential for her overall health.
“Being out in the sunshine and taking care of something was so good for my mental health,” says Dunn about potting her plants. “Especially being quarantined, you don’t go outside a lot. You don’t realize how little you’ve seen the sun. Just that little act of sweating and being in the sunshine and getting your hands in the dirt is therapeutic.”
Dunn says, although she was reluctant to care for a living thing that could not give her direct feedback, she found most varieties of succulent plants required very little maintenance.
“Succulents teach you a lot about moderation,” says Dunn. “If you don’t give them enough, they respond poorly, but they also respond poorly if you overwater them. It teaches you about self-discipline and allows you to understand that giving too much isn’t necessarily better.”
Fallon Crocker, founder and owner of local succulent nursery Succs N Such, corroborates this sentiment, emphasizing how easy it is to grow succulents without a green thumb.
“I think that is a big part of the reason we’re seeing such a growth in the succulent industry: you don’t have to be someone that’s good with all plants to keep these alive,” jokes Crocker. “They’re perfect for people like me that kill other plants from lack of attention.”
Crocker holds firmly that succulents are more than a temporary fad, if for no other reason than the element of greenery and domesticity they add to otherwise dark and dull spaces.
“Seven years later, I still derive the same joy from them as I did then, and I see that with a lot of other people,”says Crocker. “For me, personally, what has been so fun is making the arrangements. I don’t know which addiction is worse: the succulents or the decorative pots that I put them in ... I call them living works of art.”
When Texas A&M student organization Aggie Replant hosted a succulent sale fundraiser on campus—featuring Succs N Such products—in March of 2019, they were overwhelmed by the response they received.
“I was surprised how many guys and girls wanted to get a succulent,” says Rob Cook, former Replant associate director and treasurer. “I thought it was a good idea; I didn’t know it was going to be that good. We sold out every day and had to have [Crocker] bring more inventory halfway through each day.”
Crocker says, although COVID-19 policies restrict another on-campus fundraiser this year, she is excited for a continued partnership with Replant, providing the opportunity for more people to buy plants of their own.
Until then, Bush recommends that, in addition to Succs N Such’s north Bryan location, The Farm Patch Market in Bryan is a great place for those interested to begin building their succulent collection.“It seems intimidating at first, but there are so many good resources online. There are even apps you can get to help take care of your plants,” says Bush. “It’s honestly a lot easier than I expected, so I recommend it.”
