Paean to the power of plants

In 2012 Xiao published a blog titled A Hundred Kinds of Succulents Most Seen in Daily Life, explaining how to distinguish different kinds of succulents and giving tips on how to care for them, and it was read more than 1.5 million times.

"From then people online began to ask me about planting succulents, and in 2013 my blog was being viewed between 30,000 and 50,000 times a day."

In July 2013 he published his first book, of which more than 100,000 copies quickly sold, he says.

"Later we republished the book, and sales now exceed 200,000, which for such a subject is a minor miracle."

With the growing market for succulents, Xiao ceased his international trading business in 2014 to fully devoted himself to the plants.

"The more you know about them, the more you want to know about them," says Xiao, who has been to South Africa twice to explore the world of succulents.

When he sold his home in 2016 he built a garden on a hill. That suburban lifestyle may seem to isolate him, but Xiao scotches that idea, saying he is always pushing videos and photos on both Weibo and WeChat, not only teaching people how to plant succulents, but letting others know what a beautiful life these small plants have given him.

Jin and Zhu can also attest to the power of these little pot plants, but as with all things, perhaps you can get too much of a good thing.

Jin, feeling overwhelmed by the work that 10,000 plants gives her, says she now hopes to reduce her greenhouse to one third the area of her current one.

However, that does not mean her love affair with succulents is over, and like Zhu and Xiao, she nurses ambitions of visiting southern Africa, whose green offspring have given her so much.

"It's my dream, and I am sure it will come true one day."

Xing Yi contributed to this story.