The U.S. Customs and Border Protection San Diego Field Office reminded travelers today to declare all flowers and plant materials from Mexico as Mother's Day approaches.
Mother's Day weekend often sees an increase in travelers bringing bouquets and greenery across the border. Even a single pest or disease introduction can cause widespread damage to agriculture that can result in costly mitigation efforts, according to the agency.
Border officials encourage travelers to declare all agriculture products, including flowers and plants to avoid potential penalties and to protect U.S. agriculture.
"While these items are often intended as thoughtful gifts, they can pose a significant risk to U.S. agriculture by introducing harmful pests and plant diseases. To safeguard domestic crops and local ecosystems, plants, flowers and soil must be screened by a CBP agriculture specialist upon entry to the United States," the CBP said in a statement.
Flowers such as roses and carnations are generally admissible after inspection, but chrysanthemums cannot be brought into the U.S. from Mexico due to the risk of introducing Chrysanthemum White Rust, a destructive fungal disease. Additionally, plants intended for planting and any soil containers require proper permits, CBP officials stated.
Murraya, commonly known as orange jasmine, can host the Asian citrus psyllid, a pest that poses a major threat to U.S. citrus crops. If any part of a bouquet is found to be infested, the entire arrangement may be prohibited from entering the U.S.
CBP agriculture specialists conduct thorough inspections of all floral and plant materials at ports of entry, with some inspections that may involve physically shaking bouquets to detect hidden insects and using specialized tools to identify pests or signs of disease. When potential threats are found, samples are sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for further analysis using advanced identification methods.
A list of prohibited and restricted items can be found on CBP's website.
