yes that would be a bad idea
anything with soil is a bad idea and also many microbes can hide in them
better to ship them over or send. find out the regulations
i no u cant take flowers

Thank you. But I'm still not clear about your reply :-o(

Xuan

Hi Xuan,

I don't know about the rules relating to traking plants OUT of Australia but I know the rules about bringing plants IN are VERY STRICT.

It's probably best if you use Google and type in 'AQIS'

This will bring up the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service web site and I'm sure you'll find the answer to your question if you're prepared to wade though a mountain of regulations.

Good luck with your hunt, all the best, Nev.

I'm not from Australia, but generally it's the Ag. restrictions of the country you're bringing them INTO that matter. Every country is different, and the airport inspection agents will ask you where you are taking them. I would contact the Vietnamese Dept. of Agriculture and ask them what their import requirements are. They can tell you if you need to get an import permit or a phytosanitary certificate, whether or not they need to be from a certified nursery and what kind of treatment the plants will need to have. You can then plan accordingly, and give that information to your Australian source.

If you have all of the necessary paperwork and have met the import requirements for Vietnam, the airport inspectors shouldn't give you any problem. They don't care about (non-native) material going out, only coming in.

Lisa, do you ever get plants from Australia? On the rare occasions I've inquired about having plants sent over here it's been a resounding "NO!". Are there nurseries that ship to California?

No, I never have, Gonz, but Sharon Petersen has gone over several times and I'm pretty sure she has brought plants back. I'd have to ask her about that. Michael Kiehl occasionally gets shipments from certain Aussie growers too. I'm not sure what is involved, but FL is a lot easier to get plants into than CA or HI. California's really strict! I hear they've got some new moth certification you have to get now too, in addition to everything else. Probably just another way to raise revenue for the state. ;-)

Many thanks, Nev and Lisa, for the clear explanation.

I did look up AQIS and CITES list and found that, under Bromeliacea family, only several tillandsias were listed there. I figured it meant other types of plant in the family such as neoregelias are not restricted to bring out of the country. (I knew all along that Australia is one of the strictest countries about pest control. When I went there the first time some 20 years ago, the airline people sprayed the whole air-craft with passengers on it before we landed at Melbourne!)

I intend to buy some neoregelias from Australia and bring back to Vietnam and want to make sure that there won't be any problem with Australian airport customs before I do.

For bringing plants into Vietnam... well, so far I haven't got any problems going through the airport, thanks goodness!

Xuan

Lisa, it seems to get plants into CA these days the requirements are now 6 forms of picture ID, a 3rd mortgage, your firstborn son, a urine test and a 10$ Starbucks gift card.

What, no loyalty oath or polygraph, Gonz? Do they at least give you a break if you can recite an entire scene from The Terminator?

And i thought that only in OZ are the boffins from the Ag department a bunch of bloody minded Troggladytes ,nice to see that we now share the same problems ,problem is they love paperwork and forms ,if its not written in black and white for them to be guided by then they are lost ,first requirement for Ag inspectors ,Custom agents and Police is that you must have NO IMAGINATION ,and NO LOGIC , after all it says in Section a/2 ,paragraph B as amended in 1910 ,subsection 22 ,paragraph 3/a as re amended in 2001 ,under heading of ' imported plants' subsection 88/c and 49/s that you shall not enjoy life by bringing in plants that we know nothing about ,if in doubt see section 67/f as amended in 2003 ad nauseum ad nauseum . get it ? COMPUTER SAYS NO ! Jack

Hi Jack,

Yeah you've got that right!

All the best, Nev.

{{gwi:503232}}

Thanks Gonzer I guess that piccie says it all Jack

You guys are so funny!!!!
Bureaucracy is everywhere, isn't it?

Xuan

Hi Xuan ,glad you enjoy the humour ,and yes the bureaucracy is everywhere ,but you have to have a laugh at times ,keeps you young , Jack

Jack, I agree. Surely, you have to laugh sometimes, especially when you have to abide by something you know is totally silly, right?

Xuan

Ah yes my friend ,laughter is the best medicine ,I must say Xuan you have posted some lovely plants at times ,nice to see there are such great plants where you live ,keep up the good work , cheers Jack