Re: [gardeners] Smuggling plants

Liz Albrook (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Fri, 30 Jan 1998 14:12:24 +0000

Cheryl & Erich Schaefer <gardeners@globalgarden.com> wrote:

> It is true enough. I declared plant material coming back from Italy
> and the inspector told me that my cuttings and bare root plants were
> fine. The problem was soil. You can also apply for a permit to
> import plants with you if you know in advance what it is you want to
> bring back. Cheryl

It must depend on the country of origin.  My sister tried to bring in 
one of the roots from which wasabe is made when she came from Japan 
last summer.  No dice.  She told me in advance that she couldn't find 
a place to get one with a phyto-sanitary certificate but that she was 
going to give it a try anyway.  There is some enormous fine if you 
get caught smuggling so she declared it.  They told her no.

Liz