Plants come in all shapes and forms, but there is one particular category of greenery that has captivated generations of botany lovers — the graciously corpulent, sweetly plump, and drought-resistant plants known as succulents. At any flower market, a dazzling array of succulents exist under the spotlight. So with global demand comes growing supply, which brings us to the ultimate question — how does one distribute these delicate beauties on a planet-wide level?

In May 2019, Leader Mutual Freight’s (LMF) Qingdao bureau was approached with its first exporting request for succulents by air freight. Upon research, the LMF team discovered that succulents are fragile cargo requiring extra special care. Each plant needs to be de-potted and aired under the sun without excess soil for several days to prevent root rot. All the plants are also blanketed with cotton, packaged with paper rolls, and placed in specially sourced, plant-appropriate paper boxes, which are then packed with cushioning materials to prevent bruising.

Succulents thrive in warm climates bathed by the sun, so the conundrum becomes — how does one customize a healthy transportation experience for these leafy passengers? At the turn of each season, shipping adjustments are introduced to balance out the variability of weather. When it turns cold, we have to book storage area maintained at 2 to 8 degrees warmer than the existing temperatures. Even in the warm months, the finicky cargo cannot spend more than ten days in transit; both hot and cold climates can harm the plant.

Under LMF’s nurturing green thumb, succulents are now finding new homes around the world. From Japan and South Korea to Mauritius, the United States, Portugal, Bulgaria, and Italy. They may be adorably small, but succulents are taking the world by the storm — and LMF is happy to help them reach new shores.