Social media's love of rare plants has created a black market boom

Flowering vygies are seen after rainfall outside the Richtersveld National Park in South Africa. Unusual-looking houseplants are a global trend. Due to the high demand, many rare species are poached and traded illegally - and are therefore threatened with extinction. — dpa

Succulents and other exotic plants are trending of late, not least for their geometric shapes and popularity on Instagram. However, the high demand has resulted in rare species being poached and traded illegally, leaving some even at risk of going extinct.

A photo of a rare, unusual-looking plant is shared more than 10,000 times on social media. Under the entry, the comments rapidly pile up. "I'd love to have one of those!" and "Where can I get one?" A few weeks later, smugglers in South Africa are caught with the endangered plant species, whose trade is illegal.