"Because Taiwanese have the character of pioneers, they insist that plants they cultivate meet three conditions: they must grow quickly and luxuriously; they can't require money for fertilizer; and they've got to have practical uses." Chen cites bougainvillea, which blooms in profusion without fertilizer (doing worse with it) and serves as an obstacle to thieves.
「台灣人因為開墾性格，連帶種的植物也具有三個條件：生長力旺盛、不用花錢買肥、實用性大」，陳文輝最喜歡舉攀爬在牆上的九重葛為例，任憑自行生長便花團錦簇，費心施肥反而越不開花，它還有防盜功能，可說是「台灣人性格」植物的代表。