Qingzhou floral park in East China's Shandong province houses succulents provided by local growers. [Photo by Chinadaily.com.cn]

From gardens to skyscraper balconies and from bedrooms to coffee shops and boutiques along the street, succulents seem ubiquitous in our daily lives.  

Echeveria or Crassula, the flower-like plants in various colors are popular among urban residents as they are simple to grow, require low maintenance, and last for years.

Some succulents can be kept alive for weeks after being uprooted, and this has facilitated a thriving online plant purchase business. In only the first half of 2015, when succulent sales began to soar across China, the number of businesses selling the plants on Taobao, one of China's largest e-commercial platforms, increased by more than 50 percent, reaching 23,000.

Six out of ten succulents sold in China now come from a floral park in Qingzhou, a city in East China's Shandong province.