Pros and Cons of Buying Imported Succulents

by Lynn KirkApr 19, 2022


It’s tempting, for sure. There on your monitor is a stunning, full-size photo of a succulent that you’d love to add to your growing collection. But you hesitate. And that hesitation is for good reason. What are the pros and cons of buying imported succulents? Should you order or not? The following might help you decide …

  • Minimal info, undisclosed experience. The seller is an unknown international retailer with lots of promises, but no customer feedback. Lots of low prices, but no details on company history. Lots of options, but no botanical names. Why take a chance when you could order from a reputable domestic retailer with generations of experience and undisputed know-how? Is a dollar or two ‘supposedly saved’ worth the inherent risk?

  • Extended time period of boxing, shipping, storing. Succulents aren’t your typical commodity for one reason: they’re alive. They need care, sunlight, and at least monthly watering. Being shipped a few days without these is just fine since they tend to be hardy survivors. But a shipment across the world is another story. Succulents exported from Mexico, South Korea, Thailand, China, Japan, or the Philippines could take weeks—or even months—as the box sits in U.S. Customs for agricultural inspection and then sits in a warehouse due to current transportation delays. Would your single plant survive? Would it get lost in the shuffle? Would it suffer long-haul shipping stress?

 

  • Different protocols. Different origins = Different growing methods = Different agriculture regulations. They also entail different plant cultures in terms of temperature, humidity, elevation … and even varied shipping procedures. So would the plant be as healthy as one grown in the U.S.? Or would shortcuts be taken, and mistakes made that could impact the plant’s long-term health and your long-term satisfaction?

 

  • “Made in the USA.” That’s a tagline with merit! Small businesses in our own country deserve our patronage whenever possible. That’s because buying products—and yes, plants—from domestic retailers provides jobs for future generations, promotes America’s independence, helps reduce our country’s deficit, and more! * Yes, this decision is entirely personal and certainly optional, but worthy of serious consideration. Every domestic purchase supports our country’s domestic health.

 

  • Guaranteed. Read the fine print if you can even find it. Good luck ordering from a global retailer that would replace your dead plant or refund your money. When you’re dealing with an international provider, you’d have little recourse if dissatisfied with the product. But not so with California’s domestic retailer Succulent Market. For three generations, the Britsch family has declared, “We guarantee that you will be happy with your order … [and] because of this we promise to send replacements for any succulents that happens to arrive damaged” — whatever the reason. Now that’s a REAL guarantee!

 

  • Smuggled, irreputable, mislabeled. Sometimes intentional, sometimes not, but either way there are consequences with these type of sales. The species suffers when rare and endangered plants are uprooted and sold. The buyer suffers when the photo doesn’t match the shipped plant. So, why take a chance in receiving 'fugitives'? Instead, deal with a retailer you can trust? It’s simpler, smarter, safer, saner in the long run. 

 

  • Pests. Plants have ‘hitchhikers’ that carry their own potential for harm. Hopefully, U.S. Customs spots the pests and quarantines the plants, but things happen. When you stay with domestically grown plants, typically any pests are native, known, and easily treated.  Better yet, deal with a grower that has a reputation for pest-free products!

So, what’s your decision after reading the pros and cons of buying imported succulents? If you’re still undecided, check out the website for Succulent Market: a domestic grower you can count on! You’ll discover:

  • Reputable service, experience transparency, and real customer feedback
  • Immediate boxing and shipping – with NO storage delays
  • Excellence exceeding U.S. protocols
  • USA-grown-and-propagated plants
  • Trustworthy guarantees for customer satisfaction
  • No smuggling, mislabeling, or misinformation
  • No pests

 

Succulent Market: Your domestic headquarters for succulent plants, cuttings, and gifts!

SOURCES: American Made Matters at https://www.americanmadematters.com/10-reasons-buy-american-made-products/