NEED TO CHECK WITH U.S DEPT OF AG... to get requirements for importating plant material from Asia.
take cutting several hours after it was well watered...
rap cutting in damp paper & put in plastic bag. ship express/overnight & remove from plastic on arrival. & then treat to get roots/plant.....

Yep, I see definite legal issues here! Unless your cousin is familiar with the regulations and has the ability to provide a phytosanitary certificate, I wouldn't recommend this at all. This is how devastating disease and pests have entered the country before and resulted in disaster.

Another option would be for your cousin to carry a few cuttings the next time he comes to visit. Customs will look at them. For non-commercial purposes, the regulations say that cuttings and rooted plants are allowed, as long as the plant is not on a forbidden list and as long as there is not any soil on the plants. None!

Would this be a Mint from Iran, by any chance?

Rain2Fall

rain2fall ,

My cousin isnt comin to america , so when I go there I'll get it myself like you said.

Not Iran, but from S.india where I am from !! It still comes under mentha spicata/arvensis,peperita etc but has smaller leaves than the common american mint...Indian mint tastes great for all spicy cookings, meat dishes.Yummy!

So how different is the iranian mint from the american grocery mint? Do you have it!!

I don't know much about Iranian mint, and I don't have any. I wish I had some. It was better than the mints here. I also wish I had some Greek basil. It is small, with tiny leaves. Not at all like the Italian basil.

Mint roots very easily. Have your cousin prepare a fresh bed of mint for you. Then you can dig it up and separate it into rooted plants. The night before you return to America, wash it off; wash every little bit. NO SOIL! Wrap it in damp towels and put it in a plastic bag. It should come through customs okay.

Before you leave for India, you might want to find the customs regulations about brining soil-less plants into the U.S. and have a copy with your baby mints.

About 30 years ago, a Yugoslav woman visiting America fell in love with African Violets. At that time, there weren't any in Yuglslavia. She learned how to propagate them from leaves. The night before she returned home, she took cuttings of leaves and carefully stored them in her ... bra, to keep them hidden from Yugoslav customs. I do not recommend this method.

Rain2Fall