Shipping Policy
States We Ship To
We ship live pepper plants to most of the continental United States. We do not ship to:
California
Arizona
Florida
Hawaii
Alaska
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
These restrictions exist due to USDA phytosanitary regulations, state-level permit requirements, and logistics constraints for live plant shipments from Texas.
When We Ship
Order any day you like — but every order ships on a Monday. We hold shipments to the start of the week for the health of the plants, so they never sit in a carrier facility over a weekend. Our climate-controlled Texas nursery runs all four seasons; we don't respect them.
Transit Time
Your order ships the next Monday after you place it, and most arrive within a few days of leaving us. Shipping to the start of the week keeps plants out of the box over a weekend. Faster carrier speeds are available and shorten the transit — but the plants ship Monday regardless of the speed selected.
How We Package Plants
Each plant is carefully packaged with support and moisture protection to survive transit. We don't ship plants in containers — every plant travels with its root ball wrapped in a moisture-retaining bag. Seedlings arrive 4–8 inches tall, well-established; Established Plants arrive bigger. Either way, container it up (or plant it) within a day or two of arrival.
A note on leaf drop: Even with careful packing, a live plant that rides days in a dark box will usually shed a few leaves — most often the lower ones. This is normal transit stress, not damage. Once it's back in light with fresh soil and water, it recovers and grows on.
When Your Plant Arrives
First, what to expect: some leaf loss is normal — both in transit and as new growth comes in, especially older leaves toward the bottom of the stalk. It isn't a sign of damage. Your plant bounces back and pushes fresh growth once it's potted and settled.
Then get it established:
Open the box carefully and remove all packaging.
Get the plant into soil and watered as soon as possible.
Keep it out of direct sun at first — start it by a bright window or under an artificial light, and ease it into stronger light over a few days.
Hold off on fertilizer the first week; start feeding in the second.
For full care instructions, see our Knowledge section. If the box arrives damaged, take a photo and contact us — UPS isn't perfect, and we'll make it right.
Shipping Rates
Your box leaves us Monday morning and has to reach you alive, so we only offer air service. You pick the speed at checkout:
Rates start at $9.95 and are calculated from your address and the size of your order. We ship UPS, which cannot deliver to a PO Box, so we need a street address. We buy our labels through Shopify, which carries a substantial carrier discount, and that discount is what you are charged. Shipping a living plant by air is simply not cheap, and the further it travels the more it costs:
Established plants stand about a foot tall and need a taller carton, so they cost a little more to send than seedlings. Rocotos go overnight only, packed with cool packs.
A faster service shortens the time your plant spends in transit. It does not change the day the box leaves us — every order, at every speed, still ships on a Monday.
Order Minimums
No minimum. Buy a single plant or a dozen — mix and match any varieties you like. One Carolina Reaper, one Ghost Pepper, whatever you want.
Austin Peppers · P.O. Box 1009, Cibolo, TX 78108