Whatnot Plants Policy

Whatnot limits the sale (or giveaway) of plants based on plant-type, geography and applicable laws and regulations. If you have questions about what plant products you can or can’t sell, and how to ship those items, we suggest consulting your own legal counsel if you have questions

Note: In the Plant & Garden category, the buying and bidding function is disabled in livestreams for international cross border sales.

Prohibited: The following plants and plant-related items are prohibited: 

• Plants, flowers, seeds, trees, fruit or vegetable that are prohibited by applicable laws and regulations, including by applicable shipping and postage requirements.
• Plants that are endangered or trade-restricted by the CITES agreement, or by regionally-specific restrictions.
• For more information, we suggest reviewing the following resources to determine what plants you are permitted to sell:
  • United States: 
    • Plants listed by the USDA on the Federal Noxious Weeds List
    • Plants listed by the USDA on the Federal Parasitic Plants List
    • Plants listed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act
    • Citrus trees
  • All jurisdictions:
    • Plants that are trade-restricted by the CITES agreement
    • Toxic or poisonous plants, including (but not limited to) hemlock, nightshade, oleander, snakeroot, mandrake, mayapple, wolfsbane, tonka beans, bloodroot, pong-pong seeds
    • Hallucinogenic or drug-related use plants, including (but not limited to) marijuana, kratom, salvia divinorum, psilocybin, opium, peyote, mimosa hostilis, ayahuasca, opium poppy/poppy straw, psychoactive cacti, mescaline. 
    • Live fungi or fungi spores (including mushrooms)
    • Hemp plants
    • Pesticides

Requirements when selling plants: Sellers must comply with the following requirements when selling plants on Whatnot:

• Disclose species: Sellers must disclose the plant species (household or latin name) being sold in the relevant livestream and/or listing. 
• No health claims: Sellers must not market plants with health claims related to the ingestion of plants.
• Package label: All plant shipments must be labeled on the outside of the package with the state of origin of the plant, and a description of the package content (plant species and quantity).
• Comply with all federal, state and local laws:  Buyers and sellers are responsible for complying with, and staying up-to-date on applicable laws and regulations related to the sale, importation (if applicable), shipping, delivery, and labeling of plants and plant materials. State and regional requirements may vary depending on the plant product being sold. We recommend sellers review the following materials, and speak to their own legal counsel if they have any questions about selling or shipping plant products. 
  • United States:
    • National Plant Board regulations (state regulation list) 
    • USDA website
  • UK:
    • APHA website
    • Import requirements for plants, plant produce and products - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk
  • EU:
    • Germany: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation
    • France: Ministry of Agriculture and Food
  • Canada:
    • Canada Food Inspection Agency

Additional information: 

• Please have a look at the Plant Seller Best Practices for more information and tips when selling and buying plants on Whatnot. 
• To avoid being billed back for any buyer refunds, sellers should ensure they adequately pack and ship their plants.