Is the cactus hype real? | What factors influence our plant purchasing decisions?
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- čas přidán 23. 03. 2024
- My name is Jenny and I am a cactus and succulent addict. The fateful purchase of my first cactus almost 4 years ago exploded into a collection of hundreds of mature plants and thousands of seedlings. I often look through my plants and wonder what driving force made me decide to buy each and every plant? What influence did I see or hear from other folks that made me willing to pay hundreds of dollars for a "rare" plant? Or do I select plants based on my own personal preference and taste that is unmarred by outside influence? Even the seedlings! What drove me to spend hundreds of dollars on seeds of a genus of plant that I had only heard of and never seen in real life?
In reality, the reason for buying certain plants is a combination of all of the above. I have plants that I bought purely because I liked the look, where rarity and outside influence had no part in the decision making. But I also have plants that I added to my collection because I knew they were rare and highly sought after by other collectors. Perhaps without the knowledge of rarity I never would have purchased the plant. Some plants I was willing to pay a pretty penny to get them into my collection and subsequently show off on social media. On the other hand, I also have plants that I purchased because I liked the look without knowing any better and then finding out years later that it was rare. There are plants in my collection that I bought off a whim. There are plants that I bought just for the sake of buying. And the list goes on and on. Sometimes I look through my plants and ask "why did I buy you?"
I guess the psychology of purchasing decisions applies not only to plants but to just about every single thing that we buy beyond everyday staples - cars, handbags, jewelry, clothes, Pokemon cards, you name it. And at this point we are so far in that it's impossible to separate influence vs. innate preferences. They are forever intertwined.
So, is the cactus hype real? What factors influence your plant buying decisions?
Connect with me on Instagram: / cookiescacti
Flowers, flowers! That’s my primary goal. I don’t care even if the cactus looks beat up or grows weird.😉
That’s a very good point. I’m gonna go hug my ugly ones!
Anna has entered the chat 😂 I was thinking "Well I know CactusCaffeine cares mostly about what the flowers look like."
For me it's a little from column A and a little from column B. I was initially influenced and inspired by seeing people's copiapoa, ariocarpus etc, but they also bring me joy. I've gotten heavily into aztekium and sure, they're super expensive but then they're rare and slow growing. I want them because of the fact, but I also love them and when I look at them in my greenhouse it brings me joy. Let's all do what brings us joy.
After being into tropical plants, especially Hoyas, I quickly learned not to buy the Hyped plants, the prices get jacked sky high because the Stanley Cup girls MUST have it, until the next Hyped thing comes out...then the $700 1 leaf one node plant becomes $50 for a full mature multi stem 8 inch pot 6 months later. I only grow what I love , I could care less what the Hyped plants are. I've never cared about fitting in , so why care what others insist my plant collections need.
Same, I started with tropical plants, and shifted to mostly Euphorbia and Pachypodium. They do grow slow but even so, the super expensive hyped plants will eventually be imported to the US from the amazing S Asian growers and drop in price. Abdelkuri was easily 100+ for a small plant one year ago, now they are ~30
After 40 + years I finally gave up on tropical plants lol (I was 6 years old when I got my first Dieffenbachia . Best decision ever giving them up.
I look for beauty and affordability for my collection.
You’re having a hard time trying to figure it all out but you have to take into consideration that you’re an overall plant lover and if you could you would grow them all! 🤣💚
As a cactus nursery salesman of 10 years, i have seen both types of buyers. Some people see the beauty in things that i think are boring and common.
Started collecting succulents about 20 years ago but then went through a traumatic time and most of them died. Then about four years ago, started collecting them again. I just enjoy the variety, the beauty of the flowers, everything
I was immune to Ariocarpus until your videos (side eyes nine Ariocarpus mocking my gullibility.) I love Opuntia and Gymnocalycia.
First!
We buy them just because.
Love your videos!
I just love raising cacti and succulents. I only buy what I can afford and if I like it. Many of my plants come from big box stores and local nurseries. I do believe that many plant purchases are fueled by peer pressure, especially if one shows or belongs to a plant club. Also Instagram envy seems to be a common ailment that pushes people to obtain plants. I rarely go on social media so I couldn't care less if someone is showing off their latest variegated plants or expensive cacti.
Hi Jenny. Notocacti / Parodia are my thing. Very out of fashion and often overlooked.
I find this video funny because it literally happened to me, especially with the crucigera. I mostly gravitate towards white hairy mammillarias and sometimes the very orange spine ones. And crucigera was not something I knew existed or found appealing until you bid 300 dollars and hyped it up lol. Ever since then, crucigera was on my radar. I feel like it was a sign from above when I found a crucigera being auctioned in EBAY by a private collector. Of course I had to win it! And I am not sorry because the crucigera is really beautiful in real life.
Omg I'm dying reading your comment! I've always thought of myself as the person being influenced and not the influencer! OMG!!! I'm responsible for being on the receiving end of the hype and a perpetuator of the hype itself!!! This makes me rethink how I do some things 🤣🤣🤣 hmmmmm now I have even more thoughts...
What a great question. One of the things that attract me to these plants are their life span. I get a kick knowing many of my plants will out live me as a 36yr old and I’ll be able to pass these on to my boys.
Example: I picked up a few beautiful!Frailea castanea and when i found out they lived 10 to 15 years, I was a little bummed and probably would pick any more up.
Every time I see my friends posting about their lavish dinners on social media, I think, "Wow, that must be a $200 meal! I could buy so many plants with that."
😂😂😂 I like the way you think!
I purchase numerous Astrophytums because I'm passionate about cross-breeding them. I find joy in cultivating various forms, patterns, and traits within the genus. The possibilities seem boundless.
Moreover, my buying are driven by my admiration for the aesthetic appeal of cacti and their blooms. This explains my collection of Mammillaria, Rebutia, Sulcorebutia, Lobivia, Echinopsis, and other clumping flowering cacti.
I usually avoid purchasing trendy cacti due to their initial high prices, knowing that within a few years, their value usually decreases. Here in the Philippines, variegated Gymnocalycium cultivars are trendy. They are expensive on the first few years (some cost around 100 USD and above), then they tend to get cheaper as years pass by. I usually start purchasing them when they are below 5-10 USD.
The hype is real… Poas, Arios, and many others. I try to limit my purchases to plants that speak visually to me… common or not. I also take into account whether, given my level of experience, I’ll be able to keep them alive. As an example, I see newbies at plant shows buying unrooted Pseudolithos and I want to cry.
For me, as a young cactus gardener, I have the privilege of time and so I raise everything by seed. My preferred method of buying seeds is to go to some large and trust worthy seed vendor and just buy the "random discount packs" and raise a lot of cacti that I do not know how to identify for many years. I think this keeps me focused and takes away basically of the pressure of style and conformity. There are some cacti I do love in particular just from looking at them so I buy seeds of those specific genus and families but I still think raising the cacti from seed keeps it fresh and rewarding.
I hope to be a cactus gardener for many decades to come so I try to adopt a decade long mindset.
I can see that buying an adult cacti is a bit like buying art, there is an element of decoration and beauty but also self expression. I think finding out how to narrow in on the self expression is certainly no easy task!
Like many other things, I think one's plant style develops overtime. Early on one is influenced by the masses, then you move to a more knowledgeable stage and the rarity factor starts to have more of an influence (for better or worse) Once you go through both stages, you move onto developing what you really like. I think the stages are different for everyone in preference and length. Like to think I'm finally developing that 3rd stage but have def made some stupid purchases lol. Great
Vid as always.
Growth rate and size is a big factor for me. I really hate waiting years to get something visually appealing. Quite often for a certain type of plant (e.g. "a columnar cactus growing max 1.5 m tall") I will look up and buy the fastest growing species that matches.
For outdoor plants I must consider the cold and wet climate here which sadly rules out almost all cacti.
I waited nearly 3 years for the Twisted Sisters snake plant to become affordable and available locally. Bach’s called me that they had just gotten a shipment! Love Them!
This is such an interesting comment, Terri, about waiting for the hype to die down or more ppl to grow them in volume (and therefore prices to come down). One of the plants that caught my attention on this whole hype question is in the houseplant world - the Thai constellations. Wasn't it during the pandemic that they were thousands of dollars? And now I've seen some folks post that they found them at some big box stores. My mom reminded me of the tulip craze from back in the day.
Definitely! My Twisted Sisters were in 4” pots for ONLY $8! @@cookiescacti
I feel like I'm a bit weird in that I like what I like and cannot make myself like the 'cool' rare things if I'm not taken by them, even if it would have been good to get into from a financial/prop point of view. I've likewise never been able to make myself like a variegated anything which in some areas of the plant world is practically sacrilegious. The only 'influence' social media really has on me is showing me things I've not seen before and that is dangerous enough as there is more than enough that catches my eye among the stuff that doesn't; rare and common, difficult and easy, expensive and cheap alike!
I believe this all comes to culmination. Flowers, form and rarity. On your questionable plants, l would on some cause of looking unusual. I love the unusual!!! We all love Flowers! And yes rare is cool!! Put them together ( Ariocarpus) and you have a wonderful plant!!! So all of the above!! From Morris Park in the Ozarks, out to Arizona, have a wonderful day!!! Peace, Love, Plants!!!✌️💖🌵🌷🌴🌸🌿🌻🍀🌾💐🌱🌳🌹🪴😃👍
I hate to admit but there is a lot of about influence, scarcity and maybe prestige. But you got to admit that some of those rare plants look cool and diverse.
I am really doubt that I would give big money for some rare plant that look similar to something that I alredy have, like bunch of similar Mammillarias or Parodias. As I am getting older in hobby I tend to appreciate the journey of getting old with some of my plants that maybe were not that expensive but maturity gave them a value.
I think for me in my experience is how much rent free time a particular item spends in my mind regardless of rarity or elusiveness although those factors can easily take precedence over the former. Just to put things at ease knowing its safe in my lair of its final affliction.
I was "influenced " by you to love Astrophytum, Copiapoa and Ariocarpus, but you helped me even more by showing me that I can grow them from seed. Then a beyond sweet "influencer" here on CZcams sent me all 3 kinds of seeds !!! I know right!!! Now thanks to her I guess I am keeping up with the Jones's in a way... but being smart about it 😂
Since then I have ordered wayyyy more Copiapoa seeds.... but I'm still only growing what I love...and at a fraction of the price.
Omgggg it never even occurred to me that I'm also responsible for being a perpetuator of the hype! However I feel okay about your experience, Barbie, because you were influenced to grow these plants from seed and nothing can beat falling in love with the plants that you grew yourself 💚💚💚
@@cookiescacti you definitely did a good "influence " , I am so loving this experience.
You have never came off as , well , a Stanley Cup pusher 🤣
You've never been like "I'f you don't have this xyz cactus or your collection is trash" type.
Your videos are always chill, fun , relaxing, informative and most of all FUN.
I like to buy only what I like regardless of whether it is rare or popular...I usually go for globular fuzzy ones and if they bloom...even better!!!
Personally I get influenced by whatever I like the look of on the day. But without the hype from growers and collectors like you, I probably wouldn’t have even been aware of so many cool species to look out for or get seed to grow myself… and I’m not lucky enough to live somewhere where I can see them growing in habitat.
Good questions. I feel like many things play a factor in the decision to buy a certain plant, taste only being one of them. And your own taste in itself can change a lot and be influenced by many things - whether you're aware of what changed your taste in what way or whether you don't. The you from 1 year ago might not have even noticed what present you falls in love with, like your example with the crucigera. That's not a bad thing in itself, I think, cause to change is to live. It only becomes a problem if you keep feeling pressured to buy things "just to have them". Personally, I often fall in live with plants not because of their genus or flowers or whathaveyou, but because that particular plant has grown in a weird, interesting or especially pretty-to-me way. My favourite Gasteria is the rawlinsonii, but mostly because I know that the way it grows long and creeping is so unusual for a Gasteria. If I didn't know that, I wonder if I'd love it this much. I once searched for months for a mature Euphorbia milii that had long twisted stems with the lil spikes spiraling around the stems, because those are the only kinds of milii that truly appeal to me. I once paid way too much for an old cactus just because I really really liked the look of it that old, and I didn't care to own a "younger" specimen and look at the not as pretty young version for decades before it actually brought me joy by looking at it.
I gotta admit I also sometimes get swept away by the spectacle around a new or newly hyped plant or by the knowledge of one being super rare, so I feel like it's good to keep myself in check and to question my own motivations in my overall purchasing behavior. Being aware of what you like and why you buy what you buy is always a good idea. I'm constantly tempted to buy a plant cause I know it's more expensive elsewhere, or comparably it's a very big/mature size for a very low price. In those cases it often takes me quite a while to figure out if I actually want to own it or if I'm just in love with the idea of getting a good deal 😄
Great thought, very meta. When Steve Hammer spoke this year in OC, he presented a hybrid haworthia. He said it looked beautiful enough to maybe cultivate but was not sure whether to destroy it because it had no ID. And if he gave it to someone, he didn't want that person to propagate/tissue culture/etc, because, in his eyes, it wasn't a good enough hybrid, along with no ID tag. It's almost like there are levels to this haha
Hey Jenny, i can also say that I was influenced by the way you talk about your favorites.
I already bought my Ariocarpus and finally managed to buy 1 Copiapoa, I'm still waiting for it.
You show pleasure and speak with pleasure and love for cacti in the videos you show us. We just absorbed your way of liking and I can tell you, you're an addict like us hahahaha 🤣🤪💚🏵🌵
To be fair, there’s plenty of outstanding cactus that would blend in at a nursery like bach’s. Where that same cactus would be a stand out at a more modest nursery.
I fell for the Copiapoa hype early on and bought every seed I could find. Eventually I got rid of all of the plants except for the Cinerea.
Wonderful topic! TLDR but here we go... lol I've had the same thoughts. I look at it this way: often times rare and expensive plants are rare and expensive because they are so damned beautiful that almost everyone wants one like variegated monsteras. But not always. Many are rare and expensive because they are literally being wiped off the face of the earth. Others are rare and expensive because they're hard to reproduce.
I have almost zero interest in astros and mamms and have no astros and only one mamm in my collection (that I only bought at Walmart because I thought it looked kind of cool). But I adore ariocarpus. I LOVE the way ariocarpus look, but I HATE the way the over-fertilized ariocarpus look. When they're over-fertilized they lose their star shape and become some hideous abomination that I don't find attractive. I also like copiapoa's, but not all of them. Cinerea, calderana, and lembeckei are my favorites. I own zero copiapoa's but have seeds of my three favorites going in the very early seedling stage because they're too damned expensive even at one year old. I like cinerea mostly because they look metal as f*ck and I love that about them. I have zero plants in my collection, both tropical houseplants and desert plants, that I dislike and only bought because they're popular and rare. Zero. I made a few mistakes and bought a couple philodendrons that I decided I hated but I was attracted to the variegated foliage. Once I realized they're hideous, I gave them away (and they weren't cheap). If I find something unattractive that people love, I don't buy it. Nearly my entire collection of desert plants is ariocarpus, a few lophs, and agave.
I don't exactly know what my point is, but I've thought the same thing about other people that buy expensive plants that I don't find attractive. I often wonder if they bought them because they're rare or because they're beautiful. I think often times it's the latter because they want those likes on their social media and to feel included and exclusive in the rare plant world. My funds are limited so I only buy things that call to me with their weird beauty. The plants I love, I do tend to spend more on them than I should and that's the real problem for me. Falling prey to trends and exclusivity are not something I wrestle with.
Excellent topic!
I am surrounded by astro growers, but i am not inclined to those v shaped or rare cultivars of astos at all. And many of the plants i keep are very common things that look beautiful to me, but other growers don't consider them worth anything. One factor for my choice of plants is that I'm the only one who looks at them (i rarely post pics and don't really show them to anyone) so i only care about my own choice.
for me rn I buy what is attractive/cool but also affordable. not rich yet 😂
I definitely get influenced more by the designers than just growers. I never got bit by the ariocarpus, mammillaria, or astrophytum bugs.
I’m naturally attracted to fero and echino cactus for look/size but ended up starting bunch NZ San Pedro seeds cause Reddit.
If it’s weird I want it. My crested Red Fred rules but it also cost me a days wage
At some point I used to buy some stuff for their rarity factor, but now I buy what I personally want. Actually, I have a wish list for my potential future plants. I was able to get most of the plants from that list, so it's relatively small now. I rarely add anything to that list - usually new discoveries from genera that I'm interested in or cool stuff that I haven't been aware of (both cases are quite rare).
I have no interest in trends or influence of others. My decisions are totally based on if I find a plant interesting and if I have the proper light and conditions for it. I find the common very appealing and at this stage in my life, I only buy rescue plants which are found everywhere.
I go by cuteness, lol. And price love Walmart's $3.98 cacti! Lowe's has some for $6. Living in Indiana we don't get much of a selection. During the winter I lose a few. Walmart has been getting larger cacti. Saw a yellow barrel the size of a cantaloupe for $25. I have 4 small ones.
Unfortunately(for my wallet) my taste is for ariocarpus and copiapoa. I think they’re both some of the most majestic plants there are. Other than those two, I can easily pass on a lot of “hyped” plants, and find some more common and available plants attractive. I’m relatively new to collecting, and I’ve noticed my taste has already changed a few times. Who knows where I’ll end up, I’ll probably just want two of everything eventually 😂
I must admit that i might like Copiapoa and Ariocarpus a lot becouse of rarity. I do find beutiful plants in the nursery, but i i newer buy them, becouse i need all the space for my rare stuff :P also i dont like to have to many genus.. Rather a theemed collection ^^ your plants really look good, your Ariocarpus are to die for 😍 do you use any systemic insecticides ? Best regards from Denmark 💕
I've just gotten into cacti, and I'm afraid I'll end up having a nursery like yours. Lol
Oh my goodness... welcome to the obsession. It is a bottomless rabbit hole. You will have so much fun!
It sounded like you were having a plant existential crisis lol. It reminds me of fashion how some items are “in” and people follow trends. They might buy something just because it’s “in” but not actually like it that much. I have bought some plants that I feel I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for the hype. But I think there’s a fine line because all plants are beautiful so it’s hard to put a price on that. I think if you’re not happy with a plant, or regret buying it, or think it’s kinda ugly, you probably bought it for the hype. If you think a plant is pretty/cute then you actually like it. Was it worth the price? That depends how badly you want it. Will it bring you joy every time you look at it? That’s all thing to consider. I have some plants and seedlings under $10 that bring me more joy than some closer to $100.
Beautiful plant .Tiny crosses . But I will not pay the price.
I too do not buy my plants because They are rare, I buy them, because when I first saw them, I loved they way they looked. I have a few Indian Rope Hoya's, lot's of different coloured thanksgiving cactus, and some Easter cactus. A couple of pretty Crown of thorns, a plain aloe vera, I just bought a Gollum plant, and a oxalis Iron Cross plant. Then I have a Snake plant. It's that grey type of colour. The name just isn't coming to me at the moment, lol But I buy them because I like them. The most I have spent is 17.98, that was on a pretty flowering hybred Crown Of Thorns, There are a few small cactus I would like, if I found them, but not going out of my way to look. If I find them, then It's exciting and I am Happy. But so many people seem to think, they need to keep up with other plant owners, or have expensive rare plants. I cannot afford too much for a plant, and I'm really happy with what I have. I don't feel I need to prove anything to anybody, but me. I think people should just really enjoy what they find and be happy.
Same question is in my mind now. I like Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus ever since I saw it few years ago but the price was always high. This year, the price has gone down and affordable for me. I was going to buy one but suddenly one seller is showing Aztekium ritteri to me. Aztekium ritteri is extremely rare in my country. So now, should I go for Ariocarpus that I have been waiting for years? Or should I go for rare Aztekium?
And yet here you are influencing others. Living in Connecticut zone 6 I have always grown cacti that will be hardy here in my garden. I don’t have a greenhouse but I do have a considerable amount of light tables set up. This is where I start all of my seedlings. Escobaria, Echinocereus, Pediocactus, and other genera that would be or possibly be hardy outdoors. Then I started watching your videos and guess what? I’ve got lots of Copiapoa and Astrophytum, seedlings among others that are definitely not hardy here. You are a naughty influencer. Just kidding. Wish me luck. Love your videos. Keep it up!
Omg I'm just now realizing that I'm guilty of perpetuating the hype! OMGGGGG!!! I've always thought of myself as the victim of influence and here I am doing the same thing to other people! LOLOLOLOLOL!!! Maybe as we think through this thought exercise, it's all about transmitting and receiving messages. There are messages transmitted everywhere but only if we are receivers at a matching frequency will the message come through and actually stick. Maybe all this just says that we are birds of the same feather with a common love and interest and attraction to these genus of plants.
With all that said, I am ecstatic that you found love in Copiapoa and Astrophytum and are growing them. I take it back - I am proud of the influence I had on you LOL! I wish you all the luck in zone 6!
I think we are all influenced by others to a certain point but how do you know what's what and what has great flowers or is rare otherwise. I go for showy flowers as well as what i like the look of. There always seems to be something i want. 🤣. Here in australia we have nearly all overseas plants as we have very few native cactuses so it's just what is available at the time to choose from.
I think visual appeal to you drives the decision. How is Cookie?
I'm getting different species to see what grows for me. I like variety in plants, so uniqueness is a driving force. I also like to have species that are in danger in the wild, since preserving those genes are important. However, I do not like the look of Ariocarpus, so I won't spend the money to get one.
I no doubt have been influenced but also have my own taste / preferences. It's natural to be influenced by others but at some point we have to ask ourselves the questions you posed in the video... I think also a lot of the plants I like are listed for sale on Facebook groups or live auctions and the mob mentality takes over, If I don't comment sold, someone else will get it.... but yeah there are definitely plants that I don't necessarily regret purchasing but otherwise wouldn't have purchased without seeing other people hype them up. I think the "rarity" of plants has a lot to do with it. If you don't get it right away you may not see that species for sale for a year or more. Especially with Euphorbia b/c a lot of them are dioecious, aka you need two to make seed.
Hi Jenny ! Your bff here ! Feel free to send me that pot of old and crusty CRUCIGERA‼️ You don’t like it and you need more space anyway ! 😝😜🤪😂🤣
LOLOLOL Judy - I could not ask for a more generous friend! To take the burden off my hands LOLOLOLOLOLOL
Personality matters. Love interior design but my home stayed the same in 30 years. It is furnished the optimal way. I allways knew how it would look like. Same with Cacti. First I got the knowledge abote all cacti. But m only intrested in "white ball mamillaria. I probabli am a little autistic😅
LOL! It's all about personality. There is no right or wrong answer, to each their own! I LOVE white ball mammillaria - I always gravitate towards them no matter what.
Astrophytum Asterias do something for me and i dont care what you him or her pay for it, if i want it, i set the price at "if i own it what would i sell it for" and a good deal for me is when payer and seller are happy with the deal and would do it again.
"Money is just money all we have is time and the only time is now"
Influence has nothing to do with my selections. I buy cactus and succulent based upon my likes of its appearance and if I can do a succulent bonsai out of it.
Just remember...
Once the Pineapple was so hyped that only the top tiers of the Rich could afford one, they wouldn't even eat it, instead displayed the fruit for all to be jealous of, then it would be rented out to the lower class rich to be displayed. Along comes a man with a boat load of Pineapple plants, a few people were smart enough to plant them... boom everyone has pineapples. 🍍.
Stop making greedy people rich , don't pay for the hype.
Shop around, or better yet wait till prices drop.
honestly for me alot of it is the "rare" factor.
I’ll buy that crucigera from you
😂😂😂 I'll let you know if I decide let it go
I have no rhyme or reason
always buy both. i love Thelocactus. do others like them? i don't know. i'm no where near a cactus club. i do watch other clubs from afar though. i want an Aloe ramosissima. can you pick one up and send it to me? 😸 here's a video from a club in New Mexico that i watched last night that shows some in situ - czcams.com/video/iPAkGG1uOhc/video.html