Anyone would love to have some rare exotic Korean succulents as a part of their garden collection. And I am no different, but having these beauties isn’t easy and people are often jumbled in import laws and regulation which makes it quite complicated.
Importing plants from Korea can soon become a very long and hectic process, especially if you have no prior experience about how to do it(Believe me, I was in a mess when I did it the first time).
But stay assured, I have done some digging and prepared this ultimate resource to make the whole process much smoother and simpler. By following these steps you can easily understand the whole process very clearly.
So, how to get your succulents from Korea (or any foreign country)?
- Decide on what type of succulents to buy and import.
- Apply for an import permit if it is required.
- Find a Reputable Seller for desired succulents.
- Prepare all the Required Legal Documents.
- Send the required documents to the seller in case of Permits.
- Select a Reliable Shipping Services – Use Express Service in Winter.
- Wait until your shipment enters your country.
- After the necessary inspection, it will get delivered to your home.
- Unbox your succulents carefully and plant them accordingly.
Let’s see each of the above steps in more detail.
Deciding On Which Succulents To Buy
This is an important step as all the following steps are dependent on this one. Succulents have wide variety of species and many sellers are specialized in keeping certain types of succulents whose reference you will see in the next steps.
The most common types of succulents people choose to buy and import is Haworthia and Echeveria. Both of these plants are exceptionally beautiful and easy to care for. If you want to learn about choosing your succulents, please refer to this post from Succulents and Sunshine, they do have great resources on succulents.
Apply for an Import Permit
Permits are required for the importation into the U.S. and transit through the U.S. of regulated plants and plant products for consumption or propagation. Plant and plant product permits include plants for planting such as nursery stock, small lots of seed, and postentry; plant products such as fruits and vegetable, timber, cotton, and cut flowers; protected plants and plant products such as orchids, and threatened and endangered plant species; transit permits to ship regulated articles into, through, and out of the U.S.; and controlled import permits to import prohibited plant materials for research.
USDA APHIS | Plants and Plant Products Permits
The above excerpt is taken from the official website of USDA, you can go to the source for more information about plant import permits. Some of the succulents may come into this category but not the most commonly imported succulent species such as Echeveria and Haworthia, they don’t need it.
Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) regulates the importation of plants and plant products under the authority of the Plant Protection Act. PPQ has different permit forms for different categories of plants as mention below.
| PERMIT(PPQ) FORMS | Application For Which Type Of Plants |
|---|---|
| PPQ 525 | Application for permit to receive soil |
| PPQ 585 | Application for permit to import timber or timber products |
| PPQ 586 | Application for Permit To Transit Plants and/or Plant Products, Plant Pests, and/or Associated Soil Through The United States |
| PPQ 587 | Application for permit to import plants or plant products |
| PPQ 588 | Application for permit to import prohibited plants or plant products for experimental purposes |
Click here to apply for the Permit online. The above forms are dedicated to U.S.A and might be different for different countries.
You should confirm with your country’s customs department or agriculture department for more information.
Finding A Reputable Seller
This is one of the most important steps as there are many frauds who are ready to loot you by selling you ordinary succulents in the name of some rare exotic species.
You can find reputable sellers online very easily through their Websites, Instagram, Facebook, Etsy, eBay, or by any other means possible, but you must reassure their credibility by doing a thorough research of your own
But don’t worry I have done some research of my own and listing below some of the sellers that I found reliable.
Succulent Seller Websites
1. K-Succulent
This is one of the good sources from where you can get rare and unique Korean succulents. Their How to buy guide is a really thorough and simple guide which will give you a general idea of steps required to buy and import a plant from foreign.
Pros:
Excellent Service
Price is reasonable
Cons:
Shipping is really Expensive
2.Xplant Korea
This site claims to be the biggest succulents store in Korea and their collection does look really huge too. They also have some excellent resources on how to buy for overseas, here is an example of that-
Source: Xplant |Flow of purchase for Overseas in Xplant
Source: Xplant |Shipping Options for Xplant
For Context 100,000(Won) = $92(USD) approx
Source: Xplant |Information about Phytosanitary Certificate on Xplant
Pros:
A huge variety of Succulents are available.
Price is reasonable
Cons:
Shipping is really Expensive
3. Succulents Plants
This a Spain-based store with some great unique Echeveria hybrids and other rare succulents.
Pros:
Succulents available on wholesale
Price is reasonable
Cons:
Only EMS Delivery option is available
Succulent seller On Facebook
zusung collection – They have a huge collection of Korean succulents. Provide excellent services.
Succulent seller on Instagram
@succulent_echeveria_korea
– The sellers are very professional and have a huge variety of echeveria available. They also ship worldwide with Phytosanitary Certificate.
@dayukchanggo – Provides Korean succulents for both collectors and resellers as well. They too ship worldwide with Phytosanitary Certificate.
Succulent seller on Etsy
EncounterSucculents – Amazing shipping and quality. The price is also reasonable. You should definitely consider this seller.
StayGoldSucculents – Plants are quite expensive but they are worth it, they have a good assortment available.
Succulent seller on E bay
rexbike2013 – He provides excellent services and provides a variety of rare beautiful succulents. You can also contact him on other platforms for more options.
You can find so many good resources for getting your succulents online, you only have to dig deep enough to check the credibility of the seller.
Points to keep in mind while deciding on your seller:
- When you deal with sellers on Instagram, Facebook, or any other social media platform just go through their follower’s reviews and comments. You will find relevant information about your seller’s service there.
- While dealing with eBay keep in mind the rating of your sellers and feedback about how much percent positive or negative feedback the seller has in the seller information block while viewing the product.
- While dealing with Etsy sellers, keep an eye on the number of sales the particular seller has completed and also the reviews and comments below their sales page.
- Be aware of clickbait deals, when it sounds too good to be true it’s often too good to be true. Any authentic seller won’t provide you with shady deals or price, always buy from authentic sellers only.
Required Legal Documents – Phytosanitary Certificate, Import Permit, etc.
Before getting into the details, you must be aware of your country’s laws and regulations when it comes to importing foreign plants, as different countries have different regulations and many countries only allow personal use for plants and don’t allow to resale it.
There is some required paperwork that must be done before importing live plants from another country. This paperwork might differ from country to country and depending upon what type of plants are imported and how many of them are imported. Let’s take a look at this table for a better understanding as to why these documents are necessary when are they mandatory :
| Document | Why it is required | When it is mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Phytosanitary Certificate | NPPO uses it to make sure that the plants are pest-free at the time of shipping and were grown in sanitary conditions. | Mandatory(in US) for all kind of succulents |
| Import Permit | This type of permit is required while importing exceeds 12 plants or any prohibited species. | While importing prohibited plants or more that 12 plants at a time |
| Declaration Form | To declare the name and species of each plant while entering the country | Necessary to declare during custom. |
Lets see about each of the above documents in detail:
Phytosanitary Certificate
The Phytosanitary Certificate is an official document required while importing live plants and similar agricultural products like plant seeds, soil, etc from a foreign country.
The National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) uses the phytosanitary certificate to make sure that the plants are pest-free at the time of shipping and were grown in sanitary conditions. This document varies from country to country according to different regulations followed by the country of origin for the agricultural department.
Cost – $10(USD)
If you are importing the Succulents from a foreign country to the USA(or any other country for that matter) then your seller must include this certificate with the shipment which makes it much easier to get your plants through customs.
Import Permits
We have already covered this above in applying for a permit step.
Declaration Form
Though you are not required to fill this Declaration form for common succulent species, however, it’s required while importing plants with permits.
The below image can provide a rough idea for what documents might be required for different countries.
You should confirm with your country’s customs department or agriculture department for more information.
Send Documents To The Seller
All the above documents should be present with your shipment when it enters the border of your countries. This will make the whole process of your shipment going through the customs really easy and fast.
Once you have prepared all the documents you require for your shipment then make a scanned copy of each of the signed documents and send it to your seller in a pdf format, never send it in any word or doc format as this might get edited along the way(If it’s by mistake get’s misplaced online or get compromised) and maybe misused, pdf files are uneditable and that’s why is a preferred method to share important information.
A Reliable Shipping service
Well, if you are patient enough and can wait for 3-4 weeks to see your rare Korean succulents, you might opt for any renowned Mail service and it will get the job done.
It is okay to wait 3-4 weeks during summer as succulent can stay this long without any care or watering, but it can prove fatal during winter as the cold freezing temperature might damage your plants.
Express mail service(EMS) is a good option if you want urgent and fast deliveries(within a week). The shipping cost might be around $30- $40(USD) for one shipment(containing all your succulents). This might sound a bit expensive but it is worth it as you will get your succulents very fast.
DHL, UPS are other decent options.
Waiting for your shipment
The time in which your shipment gets delivered really depends upon the shipping service you chose. I usually select express delivery and get it within a week or two. But on average it will arrive within 3-4 weeks.
Well, you can’t do much in this step as you have done all the hard work in the above steps, now you can rest for a bit and get all hyped up about your incoming plant(I can’t forget how excited I was for my first delivery).
Although, I would suggest to be in touch with you seller and shipment service if it’s taking unusually longer than expected.
Home Delivery After Mandatory Inspection
After arrival of your package, it will go through customs where they will ensure if all the legal documents and declaration matches the package it arrives.
In some cases, it might be passed on to the nearest PIS(Plant Inspection Stations) for inspection and clearance of the plant shipment. For the list of different USDA PIS please refer here.
| State | PIS Address |
|---|---|
| ARIZONA | USDA, APHIS, PPQ Plant Inspection Station 200 N. Mariposa Rd. B-500 Nogales, AZ 85621 Phone (520) 285-5400 – Fax (520) 287-2117 |
| CALIFORNIA | USDA, APHIS, PPQ Plant Inspection Station 222 Kansas Street El Segundo, CA 90245 Phone (310) 955-3258 – Fax (310) 321-0035 USDA, APHIS, PPQ Plant Inspection Station 560 Eccles Ave. South San Francisco, CA 94080 Phone (650) 876-9093 – Fax (650) 876-9008 USDA, APHIS, PPQ Plant Inspection Station 9777 Via de la Amistad, Room 140 San Diego, CA 92154 Phone (619) 661-3316 – Fax (619) 661-3047 |
| FLORIDA | USDA, APHIS, PPQ Plant Inspection Station 6302 NW 36 Street Miami, Florida 33122 Phone (305) 492-1800 – Fax (305) 492-1796 USDA, APHIS, PPQ Plant Inspection Station 3951 Centerport St. Orlando, FL 32827 Phone (407) 825-4222 – Fax (407) 648-6859 |
| GEORGIA | USDA, APHIS, PPQ Plant Inspection Station 1220 Toffie Terrace Atlanta, GA 30354 Phone (404) 260-7830 – Fax: (404) 260-7744 |
| GUAM | USDA, APHIS, PPQ Plant Inspection Station 17-3306 Neptune Avenue Tiyan, Barrigada, GU 96913 Phone (671) 475-1427 – Fax (671) 477-9487 |
| HAWAII | USDA, APHIS, PPQ Honolulu Inspection Station Honolulu International Airport 300 Rodgers Blvd., #58 Honolulu, HI 96819-1897 Phone (808) 834-3240 – Fax (808) 861-8500 Email: Honolulu.PIS@aphis.usda.gov |
| MARYLAND | USDA, APHIS. PPQ National Plant Germplasm Inspection Station 9901 Powder Mill Road Laurel, MD 20708 Phone: (301) 313-9336 – Fax: (301) 313-9326 (For noncommercial research materials imported under a 588 Departmental permit or Controlled Import Permit.) |
| NEW JERSEY | USDA, APHIS, PPQ Linden Plant InsPhone (908) 986-9200 – Fax (908) 862-2095pection Station 1500 Lower Road Linden, NJ 07036 |
| NEW YORK | USDA, APHIS, PPQ Plant Inspection Station 230-59 International Airport Centers Boulevard Building C-Suite 100-Room 109 Jamaica, New York 11413 Phone (718) 553-3500 – Fax (718) 553-3510 |
| PUERTO RICO | USDA APHIS PPQ Plant Inspection Station 150 Central Sector Building C-2, Warehouse 3 Carolina, PR. 00979 Phone (787) 253-7850 – Fax (787) 253-4514 |
| TEXAS | USDA, APHIS, PPQ Plant Inspection Station P.O. Drawer Box 399 100 Los Indios Boulevard Los Indios, TX 78567 Phone (956) 399-2085 – Fax (956) 399-4001 USDA, APHIS, PPQ Plant Inspection Station 19581 Lee Road Humble, TX 77338 Phone (281) 982-9540 – Fax (281) 982-9550 |
| WASHINGTON | USDA, APHIS, PPQ Plant Inspection Station 835 South 192nd Street, Suite 1600 SeaTac, WA 98148-2394 Phone (206) 878-6600 – Fax (206) 870-8043 |
Unbox Your Succulents
Congratulations, the waiting is finally over and now you can get your hands on your beautiful succulents. But don’t be too hasty and careless while taking them out.
This type of Korean exotic succulents is often packed as bare rooted without any soil or pot so that they can be shipped more carefully and in a safe manner. Please refer to this short video here to watch how can you unbox your succulents and pot them.
Well, that’s pretty much it, the journey of your rare Korean succulent starting from a seller’s garden to your home finally completes.
