Leuconostoc mesenteroides is widespread.  These bacteria live as epiphytes, meaning that they depend on other organisms for support but not for nutrition.  They are often found with other Leuconostoc species on crop plants. For example, they are found on cabbage leaves.  They are in greater abundance on fruit trees and vegetables as compared to other bacteria that produce lactic acids.

Leuconostoc Mesenteroides is considered psychrotrophic, because they grow in temperatures from 0-7 degrees Celsius. They have such a big metabolic capacity, making them able to adapt to new conditions very easily, which attributes to the fact that they are so good at fermenting foods. L. Mesenteroides needs to have a complex media to grow on because they need to have so many amino acids, peptides, carbohydrates, vitamins and metallic ions. An example of a good media that can sustain L. Mesenteroides is milk.