Kalanchoe orgyalis, Opuntia sulfurea.....and the Operculycaria decaryii, which I hope you'll be carrying.

Ha ha, heavy is it, Jeff? :) Out of curiosity, why did you pick those?

First would be (very carefully!) my Saguaro from seed planted in 1993 by one of my daughters who persuaded my dear dad to buy her a pkt of mixed cacti seeds. This is the sole survivor after each and every seed sprouted!

Second would be one of my treasured Adeniums, reminding me of a holiday spent in Bangkok with my late d/h where I saw my first plant of that species.

Third would be my biggest Thanksgiving cactus rescued as an ailing specimen from mum's house when she became to ill with dementia to continue living there alone.

Edit, as reminders of the three people who have influenced my life in so many ways.

Gill UK

Herm, Euphorbia balsamifera, Euphorbia francoisii, Euphorbia cylindrifolia tubifera. But once I'm in there I'd probably grab as much as possible. :D

Marguerite, it's desperately needing a repot next spring, but it's got large rocks in the bottom of the pot that the subterraniun roots are growing on - the roots will be slightly raised next year in the repot. I picked those three because the Kalanchoe's my favourite one (and also the genus I first loved), the Opuntia's my best Opuntia, and the Opie is my most valuable plant, IMO.

Wow, what an impossibly hard question. I'd most likely perish in the fire while trying to make up my mind. But in the spirit of the game let's say Euphorbia decaryi, my grandmother's jade and pachyphytum oviferum from Neil.

Even as I type this I feel guilty about the ones I didn't choose.

Hoyas, Hoyas, Hoyas.

OK, really, Hoya kerrii (hydro), Euph milii x marlotti' & AquaSans (Sans. grown in water & Leca Stones)

Could not pick only three. One would be my Adenium that I started from seed 7 or 8 years ago. Maybe also my rarer Jades, but the idea is totally impossible to contemplate.

Christopher

Great answers from you all, thanks very much. It was interesting to note that sentimentality played a large part in choices. I was envisaging a situation where you would be able to go back to your other plants eventually.

Is Marguerite a seer and has she booked tickets to Kamloops (so she can carry out the Op.)?

Shake, Rattle and Roll

For the record, I didn't feel it. The strongest one I felt was in Japan (6+)a number of years ago.

Margaret.. I went through this over and over again in my head.

I always end up with 3 Echeverias.. it might be a sign...

I'm assuming your answer will be a trio of jades..

Bernard

Interestingly enough, two sons were up late talking when they felt the ground shake. In the morning came news of the big Japanese earthquake. Kamloops may well be followed by a big one elsewhere.

I haven't yet thought for myself about this. Shocking, I know. But they would probably be jades, in that I have very little else. In fact, if there were serious danger, I would also take leaves from all my jades - no-one said I couldn't ! :)

Oh my gosh. This is a rough questions that gives me slight anxiety...

I think all 3 would be jades.

1. 'Denethor' (of course) - my pride and joy

2. 'Break Dancer'

3. How can I choose just one more? I am very partial to one of my 'Finger' jades and I think if I had to make a split second decision that would be one I went for.

-Erica

I'd grab my white DR, my white K blossfeldiana (that was sent to me when my father died) and my best Crosby's Compact jade. Then . . . I'd fill my pocketbook with leaves! LOL

Of course, if it was assumed that I could return to my plants later, I would forgo taking leaves from my plants. Maybe.

Re. the leaves, two minds with but a single thought, Crenda. Sorry, Erica, I didn't mean to make you anxious.

It's an interesting point to ponder. When Hurricane Charley came through here, I found out that my bird's cage wouldn't fit in the car! I now have a second, smaller cage for that problem.

I moved my plants under the lanai and behind the hurricane shutters. (they would also become flying missiles) BUT if we had actually gotten that 18-foot storm surge they predicted, all would have been lost. My elevation is 10 feet. Lucky for me, the eye wall changed and collapsed as it neared land and the surge was only about 5-6 feet here.

Now I will add plants to my evacuation plan!

And I will actually evacuate the next time! Charley was a weird one. Blew up to a Cat 4 and changed course rather quickly. Had to wake up my husband in India to yell at him for not being here. LOL

The three oldest ones that include Euphorbia francosii, Jatropha podagrica and a very heavy and also big sized Christmas cactus

Considering that the Jatropha and CC are in good sized pots I'd be able to add some of the smaller sized pots.

Nomen, you have the neatest plants! Many here have beauties too

Every one know what at least one of mines would be..lol The others, it would take be days to decide leaving me only time to escape with one.

No need to apologize :).

-Erica

Might have to come back for this one, too...

If my cats are settled... I'd grab my recent jade find with the lines, a variegated c. ovata, and my ghost cutting. (If SO gets 3 too, then I'd really have 6 to grab, woo-hoo! I keep debating those)

A few years ago lost power for 3 days during an ice storm, had some Crosby's Compact jades then, the small pots were fine, but the mother jade collapsed months later, I now wonder if the cold did it in with rot... being in sandy soil and being knocked over during a party didn't help it either.

Thanks Mike , I guess the question I would ask is where would I bring them to in case of an evacuation.

Well, thank goodness it's only a hypothetical question, nomen.

You'd be a decorative evacuee, anyway, Richard.

I see Denethor's future is safe, anyway, Also Nancy's new find.

Is Mother your first choice, Mike?

Nancy, that sounds like some party !

Erica, Break Dancer has grown enormously, from what I remember in your earlier pictures.

You know, the question is terrifying, but it does help focus on how we really feel about our plants.

Christopher, lovely photos. You'd be staggering under those pots. And you'd miss your south window.

Margaret, Break Dancer has grown a bit but I have always struggled with how much water to give. It always seems to be dehydrated, I think it likes more water than usual but I am so worried about overwatering!

-Erica

Erica, I think it is always best to err on the side of under watering with a plant you value so much. I have learned my lesson in that regard, several times in fact. I am a slow learner.

Christopher

yeah, but what about my 97 year old century plant? It has been handed down (in my mind) for generations …

So that's one you'd take, Bragu? Or is it too big? I'm not familiar with Century plant.

Erica, whatever you're doing with Break Dancer, I'd stick to that. It looks just great.

Christopher, I agree - especially in winter months.

Thanks, Margaret. I mostly just put it in a window and forget about it this time of year! I did not put it outside when it was warm because I was too worried about it.

-Erica

As the laws of the sea state: Women and children are to be first toward rescue. My question now is. Do I grab my three youngest ones ? The youngest female ? The older females ?

Youngest female would make the most sense...

I would take my paintings and sculptures first. During the 6,000 acre fire that got within a mile and they had me evacuate (but I didn't). I had my car loaded up for a month of fires. Not a plant made it in the car. We had 5 fires that summer and I never really unloaded my car.

This post is extremely entertaining and I love the dry humor, and sentiment expressed by most, even Richard, whom I gather is pro level from stalking numerous post, I've never personally viewed a bloom on a succulent other than here and google "show off/overachievers " images ;) Funny but I am mostly attached in sentimental ways also to each of my now embarrassingly large succulent population, I feel like a junkie each time I see a succulent supplier, cause I just need one more! I posted here when I got my first plants a few months back. I am moving and have all of my guys packed in cat and dog kennels, 3 exactly, so I would be cheating, and do my best to carry all (= sadly though I'm afraid my outside family has caught a pest that's very concerning, but I will post that else where. You guys and gals are the best thank you for patiently sharing your knowledge as you do daily! Mary zone 9b Florida (Tampa area) full blown succulent addict/lover

They're all females in the house, except for me and Zeus the Wonder Fluffy Boy Kitty.

Mara, the question is limited to plants, not anything else. If we're talking REALLY valuable things too, it would be my printouts of all of the gritty mix discussions here that I'd be taking first.

Mgt, I still stand by my list, but I looked at my Cipocereus bradei today and decided that it, and not the Opuntia, would be in the three.

I do not do the either /or thing very well. The list I give today will be different tomorrow. Probably my Aloe capitata will be amongst the. 3. I would have to say , it depends how large my escape vehicle is. I would dig up an Agave striata "live wire" / and Agave ovatifolia. This would not bode well in my Honda fit. I would have to leave my husband behind. Jeff, I will go by your place and take your Opuntia if you don't want it.

That would make a good thread - 'In an evacuation crisis there is only room for your SO OR your plants - which would you choose?' :) No, better not go there...

Ahhhhh a good idea : Send the SO with the three they would like and and take three others with me

1. Espostoa blossfeldiorum - my very first succulent, my first ever plant actually. I've had it since 2012 and I finally identified it a few months ago after another relentless Google search. Very tough plant, didn't even flinch when we had that foot+ rain event.

2. Echeveria agavoides 'Red Tip' - my largest Echeveria, and the pot and top dressing match the plant perfectly.

3. Echeveria 'Blue Sky' - my favorite Echeveria cultivar, alongside the related 'Imbricata'. Also one of my largest Echeverias.

This one is my easy first choice

Just found this thread, agree very entertaining- more so for peoples' thought processes (I'm a closet sociologist)! I would have to take my pachypodium saundersii that I've had since it was the size of my thumb, then my jade forest (8 plants, 1 pot), then my echeveria afterglow for its sheer beauty (thanks again, Howard!).

i'm still chuckling as I imagine an emergency vehicle driving through the neighborhood announcing the evacuation and that you are limited to three succulents, hahaha!

ez

When you put it like that, ez, it is very funny :)

True. If it was houseplants in general, my variegated Peace Lily and Phalaenopsis are priority(my CC is super heavy)

I think I would grab my CC before my wallet

SOLUTION! MY personal items would be my non-succulent houseplants!