Samuel:

Here is an option as to how you can order plants in the US and take back to Canada without a phytosanitary certificate.

From the CFIA at:
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/protect/dir/hsplante.shtml
"Houseplants imported from the Continental United States and Hawaii, may be exempted from regular documentation requirements because the risks of introducing quarantine pests into Canada from these commodities is considered low. The total number of plants must not exceed 50 houseplants."

This summer I ordered three plants from Jeff Hagen and had them shipped to http://www.cbiusa.com/ in Niagara Falls, USA and brought them back over to Canada without any problems.

Not sure if you are close to the US-Canada border. If you are, it is worth going this route since just about every US company I had previously contacted will not ship to Canada. I think Plant-O-Gram said they will but the cost of the certificate made it way too expensive.

Hope that helps.

Robert

Jeff's website:
http://www.localharvest.org/elsys-plants-M41595
He is a very helpful and accomodating individual. I plan on picking up some more plants from him next summer. The website is not very detailed. It is best to contact him by email to discuss the plants you want.

If you are shipping to the US and then picking them up personally and taking them back over to Canada, you do not need any certificate. I had ordered two mangoes (Julie & Carrie) and a carambola from Jeff and did not have any certificates when I picked them up in Nigara Falls, USA and took them back to Canada. I showed the border guy the CFIA regulation and he was ok with it.

You can google "us address ship to canada" & you will find lots of places that cater to Cdns. for this sole purpose. Here is a forum that discussed this - I just googled it:
http://forums.redflagdeals.com/us-shipping-address-canadians-514393/
and on it, a person specifically asked about Montreal and the reply:
"Hi, What is the best one or nearest one to Montreal?
Thanks.
Freeport Forwarding
1320 Route 9
Champlain, NY
12919
518-298-8582"

Thank you very much. I'll think about it, anyway I have until spring to decide what to do. Does Jeff have good sized mango trees? How tall were yours when you bought them?I don't understand, when you order to ship to Canada certificate is required ,but when you ship to US and then you bring it to Canada certificate is not anymore required? Why do they charge us a certificate if we don't need one?

Have you heard from Flora exotica? He sells tropical fruit trees including mangoes. I bought this summer a malikka mango tree from him 4 feet tall and it cost me 65$ in total including shipping and everything.

Jeff's plants are smaller sized ones in 1 gallon container for ~$15US each. They are recently grafted. Mine are doing well and I have no complaints.

I understand your confusion about needing a certificate when shipping across the border but none when you personally take it over. I'm just as confused but I accept it's the way which is really a bonus for us.

If you ask a company to ship to a US address you should not need a certificate and they should not charge you for one.

I also bought a Mallika from Flora Exotica and a June Plum this summer but I think Perry sent me a Hog Plum instead. I contacted him about this but he never replied back.

Buying from Jeff or even a bigger company like Pine Island, having it shipped to a US address and then picking it up and taking it back is a lot cheaper than buying from Flora.

Not sure, Pine island charges me 152$ for the shipping only! I think they charges to much and Perry gets his mango trees from them ,so I prefer buying from him.

I think it's pretty weird that perry sent you the wrong plant, I feel sorry.I am lucky I live close to him ,so I don't need to ship them to my house and I can see them before buying the plant. I think he was really a nice guy, I went to his house when I bought my mango tree and he maked me a tour of his yard and it was very beautiful. He has beautiful trees too he told me he ordered them from pine island nursery and I asked him if I could get a 7 gallon mango tree next year from pine island nursery and he told me yes! I was pretty suprise because no nurseries ship plants that size. The price will go up a little bit to 125$ ,but it worth it.

Samuel Forest

I think $152 is for shipping to Canada. This is what Pine told me to ship to Niagara Falls, USA:
"Shipping is via Fed Ex, we have a box that holds one tree, the shipping cost is $27.50, and a box that holds two trees, ship cost is $37.50. The cost to ship three trees is $65.00. Each tree is $30.00"
So the total including shipping is $57.50 for one plant, $97.50 for two and $155 for three.
If you can pick up at Flora then it may be worth buying from Perry but for me the shipping ending up costing too much.
I was more surprised he didn't respond back on my inquiry as to if it was a hog plum and not a june plum. I am keeping it and see what happens.

You should write a message on garden watchdog about Flora Exotica. It cost nothing to try and usually Perry answers and explains. We don't know you'll maybye get a refund or he could had send you the right plant. Who knows?

I would really like it if you post some pictures of your mango tree.

I can't send you the link because Garden Web says that it's a spam, but just google: The scoop on Flora Exotica

Thank you again for everything.
Samuel Forest