Succulents in the Tropics

So. Guess who got diamond-tipped drill bits for her birthday. Nothing is safe. Bowls, mugs and other knick knacks have been drilled. This is actually an ashtray. Well it was anyway.

That's a Sedum rubrotinctum, Crassula perforata and a Gasteria. The right one is a weed (growing with an adenium) that I stuck in there to fill the space.

Time was, my relationship with succulents was tumultuous. Full of grief, mostly  mine. Although they tolerate the heat here in the tropics, the humidity kills them if one is not careful. For a long time they were in the TINZ. I've melted a lot of them and considering how hard they are to come by where I am, that's a real heart breaker.

I usually get my succulents from the mall. They are not usually found in the local garden centers. Even the Plant Lady only sells the occasional cacti.