This is a real potato. Over time the potato will start to decompose, just like any other real potato. If kept in a cool dark area where it won't freeze, the life of the potato will be longer than if the potato is kept in the sun or warm air. It is recommended that if you live in a cold area where it does freeze to track your potato and not leave it in the cold mailbox. We package potatoes to ship in two boxes to protect them from temps below freezing for a short amount of time. With that being said we are not responsible for potatoes that arrive and freeze. Thank you for supporting HeartShapedPotatoes and I hope you Love your Potato! Thank you!