Re: Sourcing Iris Trojana

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Thank yo for your kind words. As far as i know, exporting plants to the US is as complicated as exporting plants to the EU. Normally you need an import permit from the USDA-APHIS if you buy in big quantities. The exporting country's plant protection authority checks the importing country's regulations, and they do field inspections and sometimes laboratory inspections. All underground storage organs must be free of soil because the inspectors will check for quarantine pests on them, mainly nematodes. Then they issue an export and phytosanitary certificate for some money if the plants pass the inspection. Then in the US entry ports the USDA-APHIS inspector also inspects the material, if it matches the requirements. This also can cost some money. After phytosanitary inspection if you have payed for the goods they forward your parcel to the customs. There are TARIC codes assigned to goods, it is a great hel! p for the customs if you state the TARIC code on the invoice or state that it is a dormant rhizome or bulb. Customs officers are not professional growers, they ask the phyto inspector what the good is (dormant or growing) or simply guess. It is also useful if you check if the plant you import is regulated under CITES. All 3 things are important and all rules must be obeyed or the parcel will be burned or sent back to the sender.

PS: some US phyto inspectors are very good indeed, they can identify the section of iris by rhizome, they know the difference between an Iris sibirica hybrid and a TB, but i met one who had no idea what is the difference between a bulb or a rhizome.