None, please. It's often illegal to begin with, along with the fact that those succulents usually don't live outside a narrow environment, especially for someone with your present skills.

Digging up plants is not really ethical. Each plant does something for the environment they are in. The flowers attract insects which makes fruit for other animals. They could provide food from the fruit it produces or the from the pads themselves. They also provide homes to animals sometimes. Taking a plant could disturb the whole ecosystem surrounding that plant. Most states have laws. I know Arizona is super strict about collecting plants and you could get jail time.

Also most plants are on state land or private property and you will need permission to dig.

Mark

This post was edited by Maark23 on Wed, Nov 6, 13 at 23:46

Learn how to grow them from seed and then collect some seed, sparingly. Also you need to know which populations are threatened and have a protected status. Things get a bit complicated. It is best to buy seeds from a reputed dealer like Mesa Gardens.

I agree with Mara plus from seed is awesome to see the plant develop and grow

If you have to ask, you not only shouldn't do so but would probably be breaking a bunch of laws in the process. Plus, you will earn the hate of all the honest hobbyists here. Cowboy collectors from ages past did an enormous amount of damage.

Learn how to grow from seed. Start a sizable collection and grow your skills. Join the local cactus and succulent society.

Don't be an a**hole.

If you have to ask, you not only shouldn't do so but would probably be breaking a bunch of laws in the process. Plus, you will earn the hate of all the honest hobbyists here. Cowboy collectors from ages past did an enormous amount of damage.

Learn how to grow from seed. Start a sizable collection and grow your skills. Join the local cactus and succulent society.

Don't be an a**hole.

Like the others said its illegal.

You can find a lot of starter succulents at local garden nurseries, home depot, Walmart, lowes etc.

I really wouldn't pull them from the wild unless you want to get arrested and or shot by the land owner

I guess you could probably pick all the ice plant you want on the coast. Heck, take the pampass grass while you're at it.

I think that traveling to nurseries in California is a great idea. there are some great ones out there that have plants not available in other places. I do understand the wish to collect out of the wild as a compliment and a increase of the connection to the land thus increasing the experience of hiking. your camera, collecting seeds and cataloguing will do that. I did it in New mexico with wildflower and grasses.

There is the over collection of seeds also. Many of then agave seeds , IE Agave utahensis var eborispina have been over collected in their very few local populations to the point that every seed inflorescent was taken. That means (since that plant only blooms once ) that that plant that had survived all that mother nature threw at her during its life, will not be able to hand its tough nature on to a brood of babies in the population. Every plant that bloomed was collected COMPLETELY. I find this heart breaking. Cactus and and succulents are different from wildflowers in the time that it takes to grow and the means that they duplicate themselves. IT makes their populations easily damaged by over collection due to our sense of popular whims. Judicious collecting and breeding in cultivation is the way to go but it takes time and work.