Passions run deep for strange succulents

Centuries ago, explorers, botanists and missionaries collected succulents from the most exotic and far-flung reaches of the world.

Today, fleshy and architectural specimens of aloe, echeveria and aeonium are available in supermarkets alongside common house plants and cut flowers. Arranged in fashionable pots, they sell in trendy boutiques (North Park, Solana Beach, I’m talking to you) and star in cafe centerpieces (hello, succulent wall at Bankers Hill Bar & Restaurant). They increasingly upstage thirsty lawns and greedy flower beds throughout San Diego and statewide as California grapples with a drought and braces for wildfires.

Succulents have never been more hip, relevant and practical.

To understand just how passionate succulent enthusiasts are, consider this: Hundreds waited in a line — rock-concert style — that snaked outside the Casa del Prado in Balboa Park on Saturday morning just to get first dibs on the thousands of plants offered at the San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society’s winter show and sale.

Robert Uribe made the trek from Riverside County. Others came from Arizona, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.

“There is just something about succulents,” said Uribe, who’s been collecting and growing them at his Grand Terrace home for about 20 years. “They are strange-looking plants. They don’t take much water and they are easy to grow.”

Thousands packed the succulent show. Some towed wagons, carried boxes and toted baskets. Others brought sketchbooks, cameras and journals to take field notes and register ideas.

The chatter and conversation in the courtyard could have easily been transplanted to any of the nearby museums. “Look at the architecture of this piece, like it came from the mind of (architect) Frank Gehry,” one woman said. “Can you believe this texture? And the color of these are surreal.”

Charlene Juarez of Escondido whipped out her iPhone to flaunt photos of her succulent garden to strangers, as though she were showing off baby pictures.

“I love them so much. I even blog about them on Facebook,” said Juarez, who boasted that her monthly water bill has dropped from $200 to $50 since tearing up her front lawn and planting succulents. “I never know what’s going to bloom and what it’s going to look like. I call them my little treats.”

California is home to native cacti and other succulents (fun fact: Every cactus is a succulent, but not all succulents are cacti). Africa claims the greatest variety of succulents, many of them exotic and highly collectible. Saudi Arabia and India are also known for interesting varieties.

Amid the backyard gardeners and patio collectors who flocked to Saturday’s event were professional growers and serious succulent afficionados.

Duke Benadom, who sold succulents and his self-published book “Superb Succulents” at the event, said the drought-tolerant and fire retardant plants make more sense in California than do East-Coast style hedges, flowers and grassy lawns. It would be safe to call Gov. Jerry Brown pro-succulent since he called on Californians to cut water use by 20 percent to help the state cope with the drought.

“Californians waste all that water just so their lawns can look like the neighbor’s,” said Benadom, a member of the succulent society. “You can absolutely have a lush and beautiful yard with nothing but succulents.”

As shoppers waited in long lines to purchase plants, others watched and listened closely as elegant and bizarre-looking specimens — one called euphorbia obesa looked like a bowl of green pomegranates — were judged live and awarded ribbons.

Deputy District Attorney Alan Kessler took meticulous notes while inspecting the succulents competing for prizes.

“I have about 110 plants in my 25-by-25 patio,” said Kessler, who lives in Sabre Springs. “They are unique. And for me, they are soothing and relaxing to look at while sitting on my patio.”