AGM_Cape_Cod

A friend is going to Amsterdam prior to a business trip to London. She asked if I wanted her to bring something back for me. I would like some tulips but am not sure where she needs to get them so they can be brought back into the US. She is flying from Heathrow to Amsterdam if that matters. TIA.

jamikins

Most sellers will have packages that are allowed - tellyour friend to ask for ones that can be brought back to N America and she should have no problem.

BigRuss

Sounds dicey. Jamikins is a transplanted Canuck and there's a big difference between bringing flora to "N America" and to the United States. The US and Australia have some of the toughest regulations on imported flora.

Fact is, it may be easier for you to get tulips from Netherlands at a florist than for your friend to transit through customs with fresh cut flowers.

This is from the customs and border patrol website:

<i>Plants and Seeds
Some plants, cuttings, seeds that are capable of propagation, unprocessed plant products and certain endangered species are allowed into the United States but require import permits and other documents; some are prohibited entirely. Threatened or endangered species that are permitted must have export permits from the country of origin.

Every single plant or plant product including handicraft items made with straw, must be declared to the CBP officer and must be presented for CBP inspection, no matter how free of pests it appears to be. </i>

And here is the Plant Protection Act of 2000: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/pdf/PlantProtAct2000.pdf

Simply stated, it's easier (and less stressful on the friendship) if you buy them yourself.

jamikins

BigRuss - I was just in Amsterdam and they sell bulbs specifically packaged to bring back to the US and Canada. I am not sure what is different about them, but they have special packaging with some sort of approval on them. It wasnt one dodgy seller - it was almost all of them. The packages are in a special section so you know they are approved for import to the US.

Perhaps someone else can confirm to give you comfort. Yes, my mom took some back to Canada with no problem and it was to Canada, but the packaging said USA and Canada and we say this everywhere!

jamikins

Sorry meant to say we saw them everywhere.

jamikins

Another way to find out is to email one of the vendors at Keukenhof:
http://www.keukenhof.nl/en/16/sale-of-flower-bulbs.html

HappyTrvlr

I bought several bags of "approved for the USA" tulip bulbs in Amsterdam at the Bloemenmarkt. The U.S. Agriculture inspector at JFK confiscated them as they didn't have a special metal seal on them or in the bag.The bags of bulbs were put through a scanner to find this seal. I appeared to be the only from the flight pulled aside and I have to guess other passengers had some in their bags too.

jamikins

My mom had the same thing happen in Canada, she had to show them and put them through a scanner, but hers passed through - maybe they had the metal seal?

BigRuss

If so jami, that's good -- it means the vendors have met the USDA requirements ahead of time, which tend to be stringent (as HT found out).

hetismij

You can buy them at the Bloemenmarkt in Amsterdam or at Schiphol which may be a safer bet. They are certified for import into the US.
It is really the wrong time to buy them - they will be last years bulbs and not as fresh or reliable as this years will be when they are available later in the year.

spaarne

I buy my bulbs at the flower market at the Singel in Amsterdam. To bring them home the package must have the dated "Certificate of Inspection" as shown at http://tinyurl.com/3ja88se. The round seal is a silver hologram.

These bulbs have grown to giant 26" stems and just opened beautifully again last week here in mid Michigan.

My other souvenirs of Holland are herring, cigars, and a liter of genever. I should move back there.

finntraveller

Don't bother bringing any tulip bulbs from Amsterdam. Or at least do not buy them from the market. I visited Amsterdam last fall and was dump enough to shop at the marketplace. I chose MANY bags of supposedly beautiful tulips. They ALL turned out to be the same dull yellow variety. What a scam. Never buy any from the market in Amsterdam as it is impossible to know what junk is actually in the package!

hetismij

Which market did you buy from? In the past I have purchased bulbs from the flower market and got exactly what it said on the packet.

isusie

Check the State Dept web site on importing plants. We flew into Atlanta, GA from Amsterdam about 1 1/2 years ago. Our tulip bulbs were confiscated even with the "certified for import" tag. The agent said that only a USDA agent could approve something for import, not a vendor or grower in a foreign country, implying that no bulbs bought on the street can be legally imported to the US.

CYESQ

I bought several of the "approved for US" packages at AMS airport and had no trouble getting them into the US through Portland airport.

Once again, you've got different interpretations of the rules at various airports. A lot depends on who's checking your bags.

Dazedandconfused

My next-door neighbor has some lovely tulips. His sister bought the bulbs at the airport last autumn and they got them into the ground here prior to the first frost. They're lovely and he has a couple of different vibrant colors, too.

crayon78

We bought the "approved for US" package with the certificate and seal attached and had absolutely no trouble bringing them in through JFK last year. They just looked for the certificate and seal.

cw

I bought approved bulbs and had no problem getting them into the U.S. I bought them at the big flower market near the Amstel River and the canal.

dutyfree

As an international flight attendant I have brought in both cut flowers and bulbs with appropriate seals. Agriculture/customs in the US will want to verify the seals on the bulbs and will ask to see the flowers and shake them for bugs.If you follow appropriate procedures you shouldn't have any problem.

nytraveler

I have brought tulip bulbs - not fresh flowers - to my father several times without any problem at all. The bulbs come in packages clearly marked that they have been treated (I have no idea how) and are approved for import into the US. Each time I declared them - and only once did the customs agent ask to see the package. He saw the approved for US seal and said they were fine.

Can't imagine anyone meant to bring cut flowers onto a place - they would be half-dead by the time you got them home - never mind where would you put them?