Border checks in full bloom
Some flowers cannot cross into nation
Be careful with the bouquets and flowers you bring across the border as gifts for Mother’s Day.
Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are reminding travelers that certain agricultural items and floral displays are not permitted in the United States, as they can carry the citrus greening disease, which if allowed to spread could have destructive effects on American crops.
Citrus greening, known as Huanglongbing, was first discovered in Florida in 2005 and is caused by a bacterium that can infect most citrus crops and some ornamental plants, including orange jasmine, according to USDA.
The disease has already affected citrus production in India, Asia, Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa, according to the federal agricultural agency.
"Most flower arrangements are not prohibited," said Eddie Perez, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "The best recommendation we can give is if you have a particular flower you are interested in purchasing in Mexico, stop by any of our border crossings and ask to speak agricultural specialist."
Seek advice as to whether the ornamental greenery being bought is allowed into the country, he said.
One popular type of decorative plant banned from the United States is murraya, or orange jasmine, which is sometimes used in floral arrangements. Murraya is a host plant for the Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, an insect that can carry the citrus greening, according to CBP.
Other flowers and greenery not permitted in the United States include gladiolas, chrysanthemums, pine and choysia. Plants from Mexico for propagation also are either prohibited or restricted.
Prohibited citrus items include the following: oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, sour oranges and sweet limes. Other popular non-citrus fruits also prohibited include guavas, mangoes, peaches and pomegranates.
Failure to declare such agricultural items can result in hefty fines— penalties for personal importation, for instance, can run as high as $1,000 and up to more than $250,000 for commercial importation, depending on the seriousness of the violation.
"In the past plant diseases have been introduced into the country, and it has taken millions of dollars to eradicate such plant diseases or insects," Perez said. "So that is what we are trying to avoid."
