Three men were charged after they attempted to export more than $600,000 worth of wild succulents, described by one expert as “tiny and cute” plants, that they poached from state parks in Northern California, the United States Justice Department said.

The men — all South Korean nationals — arrived in Los Angeles in October 2018 with plans to harvest the plants in Northern California and ship them to South Korea, the department said in a statement on Friday. They were charged with conspiracy to knowingly export plants from the United States that had been taken in violation of California law, and attempting to export plants taken in violation of state law.

The men, Byungsu Kim, 44; Youngin Back, 45; and Bong Jun Kim, 44, drove to several state parks and pulled the succulents out of the ground, officials said.

The plants, which are known as Dudleyas and have sage colored leaves that slowly unfurl in a rose pattern, were transported to a nursery run by Byungsu Kim in San Diego, according to court documents. Byungsu Kim and Mr. Back have fled the country and Bong Jun Kim was in federal custody.