How to Do Something Your Don Know: How to Send Flowers Internationally

If you want to send flowers to a person in a different country, there are a couple of different ways you can send them. You can use an international flower service or you can find local florists near the person's house. If neither of those options work, you can purchase flowers locally and send them in the mail. Regardless of what you decide, sending flowers internationally is easy as long as you know what you're doing.

EditSteps

EditUsing an Online Flower Company

Find a company that will ship to the recipient's location. 1.800 Flowers, Pro Flowers, and FTD work with different florists from all over the world. Visit their websites to view a list of countries that they send flowers to. Some websites will have an address field that you can fill in to verify that they deliver to the recipient. Read online reviews to help decide which service you want to use.^[1]
Choose an arrangement that you want to send. Think of what kind of flowers the person prefers and search through the website’s different offerings. Choose an arrangement that you think they would like.^[2]
Include a custom note to personalize the flowers. Most online flower companies will allow you to fill out a personalized note that will be included on a card with the flowers. Write a note or message to the person to further personalize your gift.^[3]
- The note could say something like “Thinking of you” or “I hope these flowers brighten up your day.”
Choose shipping options. Once you select an arrangement to send, you’ll have to select the date when you want the flowers to arrive, as well as other shipping options. If you need the flowers to arrive immediately, you may want to spend more money for same day or next day shipping.^[4]
- If it’s not a rush, standard shipping is usually the cheapest.
Purchase the flowers. Start the checkout process. If you're ordering online, input your payment details and make sure that the address that you use is correct before you submit your order. Once you confirm the shipment details your card will be charged and the website will start fulfilling the order.^[5]
Track your order online. Once you pay for the flowers and choose a delivery date, most websites will allow you to track your flowers using their system. Login using the details that you used to purchase the flowers to track them online.^[6]

EditOrdering from a Florist That’s Local to the Recipient

Find a florist near the recipient online. If you don’t want to use a large chain flower company, you can use a smaller local florist in the recipient's area. Type their address into a search engine and find florists near their house. Finding a local florist near the recipient could save you money on additional fees that the larger international flower companies typically charge.^[7]
- Ordering flowers near them will ensure that they are fresh when they arrive.
- Even smaller florists will sometimes have online ordering systems.
Select an arrangement online, if available. Larger florists will have an online system that you can use to find the arrangement that you want and order flowers. If an online system is available, use it to look through their offerings and select an arrangement that you think the recipient would like. Find the arrangement that you want to send and then input the recipient’s address and details.^[8]
Call the florist if you can’t order online. If you're ordering over the phone, speak to the florist and describe what kind of flowers you want to send. A florist may be able to help you choose an arrangement if you’re unsure of what kind of flowers to get.^[9]
- It may be difficult to order flowers over the phone if you don’t speak the recipient’s native language.
Include a personal note if you prefer. You can include a personal note with your flowers to personalize the gift. If you are using an online system, you can type the note when you order the flowers. If you are ordering over the phone, you’ll have to dictate the note to the florist.^[10]
- The note could say something like “I hope these flowers brighten up your day” or “Get well soon.”
Choose a delivery date and time. Select a delivery time and date on the website, or let the florist know what day you want them delivered. Many local florists will deliver the flowers themselves instead of shipping the flowers through the mail.^[11]
Pay for the flowers. After you’re done with the order details, you’ll need to confirm the order by paying for the flowers. Provide the florist with credit card information so that they can charge you. Once you pay for the flowers, your order is complete.

EditShipping the Flowers Yourself

Select an international shipper to use. Companies like FedEx and UPS provide international expedited shipping, which is what you need to send flowers to a different country. Contact your local shipping office and ask what kind of flowers (if any) are prohibited from being sent to another country.^[12]
Purchase the flowers that you want to send. Go to a local florist and purchase a flower arrangement that you want to send. Don’t purchase flowers with a heavy vase or pot because it will cost more to ship.^[13]
- Shipping soil to a different country is sometimes illegal.
Wrap the bottoms of the flowers with wet paper towels. Since you can’t transport the flowers in wet soil, keep the stems wet so that the flowers don’t dry out by the time they get to the flower recipient. Saturate the paper towels in water and wrap them around the bottoms of the flowers.^[14]
- You can use rubber bands to secure the paper towels to the flowers.
Dip the ends of the flowers in water. Dipping the paper towel wrapped stems in water will help further saturate them and prevent them from drying out.^[15]
Wrap the ends of the flowers with a plastic bag. Put the ends of the flowers into a plastic bag and wrap a piece of string or a rubber band around the top of the bag. This will prevent the wet paper towels from getting your box wet during transit.^[16]
Secure the flowers to a box with zip ties. Get a box that's big enough to house the flowers. Make small holes in the bottom of the box and feed a zip tie into the box. Wrap the tie around the stems and secure the end on the outside of the box. Place the lid on the box and tape the edges to secure it tightly before you ship it.^[17]
- Securing the flowers with zip ties will prevent your flowers from shifting and moving around while they are being transported.
Take the flowers to the closest shipping center. Search online for the closest shipping center or call the center to see if you can get the box picked up. Once you obtain a shipping label, place it on the top of the box so that it ships in the preferred orientation. Do a last-minute check to make sure that the box isn’t leaking.^[18]
Ship the flowers through expedited shipping. Select 1 or 2-day shipping so that the flowers are as fresh as possible. Sending flowers internationally with standard shipping may take weeks and by then the flowers will be dead.^[19]