Understanding Our Plant Imports

Welcome to our community! We are excited to help you bring beautiful, exotic plants into your home. Importing plants is a unique process that involves a long journey, and we want to make sure you are fully informed about how it works, the risks involved, and what to expect.

What is an Import?

When you claim a plant through our group, you are participating in a group import order. We handle all the complex logistics, including international shipping, phyto certificate, taxes, customs and CFIA inspection clearance. You do not need to worry about obtaining your own import permits; we take care of everything to get the plants safely into the country and into your hands.

Combined Shipping Service: If you have your own seller but want to save on shipping and other import expenses, we can help! We provide combined shipping and importing services for imports from Thailand and Indonesia. No import permit needed. Please message us for details.

The Risks & Realities

Importing is a significant adjustment for any plant. Because of the long journey from the nursery to your door, it is important to be aware of the following:

  • Canadian Import Requirements: According to Canadian legislation, all imported plants must travel bare-rooted. This means your plants will arrive without soil, which is a major factor in the stress they experience during transit.
  • Know the Risks: Generally, plants with thinner leaves carry a higher risk of not surviving the trip, and highly variegated leaves have a higher chance of melting during transit.
  • Plant-Specific Challenges: Some genera, such as Alocasias and Begonias, are notoriously unpredictable and sensitive to transit stress.
  • Beginner Recommendations: If you are new to importing, we highly recommend starting with more resilient options, such as Philodendrons or non-variegated Anthuriums.
  • The Propagation Mindset: A great rule of thumb is to ask yourself: "If this plant arrives in poor condition, am I prepared to take cuttings and propagate it?" Having this mindset helps lower your personal risk.
  • Recovery Time: Plants may experience stress or leaf loss during transit and may require significant care and time to recover. The plant may decline even a couple of weeks after the import.

Responsibilities

Our Responsibility:

  • Selecting healthy plants, checking their roots and ensuring they are carefully packed for their journey.
  • Managing the entire logistics process, including cleaning plants, customs clearance and CFIA inspection.
  • Ensuring timely dispatch or notification once the shipment reaches Toronto.

Your Responsibility:

  • Reviewing these terms and the nature of importing before claiming a plant.
  • Being available for timely pickup (within 48 hours) or promptly finalizing shipping arrangements.
  • Utilizing our provided Acclimation Guide to help your new plant settle in.

Guarantees & DOA Policy

We take the health of our plants seriously and put immense effort into ensuring they are packed for a safe journey. Because we aim to offer the lowest possible pricing, rather than marking up plants to cover potential losses, we cannot offer refunds or replacements from our own personal funds.

  • DOA (Dead on Arrival): If a plant arrives dead (defined as unable to regrow, not just having wilted, yellowed or even lost leaves), please notify us within 24 hours of receipt with photos or videos so we can assess the situation. If there is a healthy node that can be regrown, the plant is not considered DOA. 
  • Replacement Process: For standard orders, if a plant does not make it, we can usually assist in arranging a replacement in our next shipment. Please note that in this scenario, the client is responsible for the associated shipping and import expenses.
  • No LAG Items: Some plants are sold as "No LAG" (No Live Arrival Guarantee). These plants are excluded from the replacement process described above.
  • Reduced Cost Items: Any plants purchased at a reduced or sale price are sold as-is and carry no guarantee.

By claiming a plant, you agree that you have acknowledged these rules, understand the nature of importing, and accept the associated risks and responsibilities. If you are ever unsure about a plant's resilience, please feel free to ask questions before ordering.