What began as a lockdown hobby for Singaporean couple Wei Liang and Amlisa has blossomed into Amplified Cactus, a beloved online shop specialising in unique and ornamental cacti. The project is a testament to shared passion, a learn-as-you-go adventure that prioritises community and joy over profit. By combining their unique skills, they have carved out a niche, offering fellow enthusiasts access to a stunning variety of cacti that challenge all preconceived notions of the humble plant.
The journey started, as it did for many, during the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Me and my wife, we got into plants,’ Wei Liang recounts. After a string of failures with succulents, they stumbled upon the world of cacti and were instantly captivated by varieties they had never seen before. ‘We were like, “Hey, hang on a minute, I thought cacti had thorns, or cacti don't flower.”’ They discovered that the Thai growers were masters of cultivating these ornamental plants, but the prices in the Singaporean market were ‘incredibly expensive’ and ‘speculative at best’.
This is where their personal strengths merged perfectly. Wei Liang, who works in the maritime industry, applied his procurement and logistics know-how, while Amlisa, who is from Thailand, leveraged her language skills and connections. They began sourcing plants for their own collection, soon realising it was not as expensive as the market suggested. This discovery became the foundation of their business. The name itself, Amplified Cactus, is a simplified version of Amlisa’s name, reflecting their minimalist ethos. ‘We know we won’t make a big buck out of this,’ Wei Liang admits, ‘but we think we like the process of meeting like-minded folks.’
From a single four-tiered rack, their collection has grown exponentially, driven by what Wei Liang calls the plant lover’s craving for ‘more variations’. They found a welcoming community in local Facebook groups, navigating the myriad of tips to develop their own successful methods. Now, they are happy to share their knowledge, honed through direct communication with farms in Thailand, Japan, and Taiwan.
For Wei Liang and Amlisa, the project is deeply personal. With their twin children now 12 years old, it has become a form of quality time. ‘I think one of the reasons why we have kept going is we really enjoy doing this together,’ Wei Liang says. ‘It really helps us de-stress as well.’ This sense of enjoyment permeates every aspect of their business, even prompting Wei Liang—a self-professed social media hater—to embrace creating online content. ‘When it revolves around something we like, it's kind of fun,’ he laughs.
Their pride lies not in financial gain, but in their resilience and reputation. ‘The fact that we are still here and still enjoying it… that's a personal achievement,’ Wei Liang reflects. ‘For people to think of us when they think of cacti, I think that's an achievement.’
A key to their success in Singapore’s tropical, rainy climate is their specially formulated soil. ‘The magic is in the soil mix,’ Wei Liang reveals. After much trial and error, they perfected a blend that boosted their plants’ survival rate from 50-50 to nearly 99%. The mix was so effective that, after initially giving it away for free, they realised its value and began selling it.
Beyond cultivation, Wei Liang sheds light on a darker side of the cactus world: poaching. In some parts of the world, exotic cacti are illegally poached from the wild, with a single container load estimated to be worth over a million US dollars. These wild specimens, desired for their rugged, scarred appearance, can sell for three times the price of cultivated ones. ‘Some folks glorify it when you have a wild cactus. It's like a trophy for some people,’ he explains.
Looking to the future, the couple dreams of renting a small plot of land for a greenhouse, not to aggressively scale the business, but to create a self-sustaining hobby and a space for enthusiasts to visit. However, they are hesitant, wary of turning their passion into a chore. ‘We don't want it to reach that stage where… shoot, now we need to make this amount of money,’ Wei Liang says. This philosophy is perfectly captured in a joke they share: ‘Hey, you know, if this plant doesn't sell, all the better I get to keep it.’
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Want to learn more about Wei Liang and Amlisa’s journey and their fascinating world of cacti? Read the full interview in CONFLUENCE, the 5th volume of INTERLUNAR's zine.
