Transporting plants from one Country to another

[Zayin]

Couple of questions, i am potentially in a year going to be selling out and moving to the Canary Islands, I am trying to figure out whether it would be possible to bring the palms that I have grown with me ( I really hate to let go of some <read all> of my palms. that I have been growing from seed for the last ten or so years. I would also like to purchase some of the great big stuff that the Nursery people grow so beautifully to take with me too before I go..

I haven't seen too many growers of the exotic more unusual stuff in Europe, so I don't know if I would have to start from seed or if there are any growers there etc.

Anyone know?

Anyone?

[Kostas]

For palms,if you can take care of the paperwork needed and dont mind the shipping,its doable and you should not have much problems doing it

For cycads and other CITES plants though it will be very difficult if not impossible going the legal way...

I dont know about the Canaries but in Northern Europe there are some worthy nurseries raising rare palms for indoor culture where you can find some sizable speciemen of rare palms,including Carpoxylon.But again,really,the variety is far less than when you grow from seed yourself...And the acclimation is an ugly phase for such plants and you end up with 1/3 the bought height as sun growth is much much more compact than the shady greenhouse one...

[Pivi]

Of course there are real palm nurseries in Italy, Spain etc...

Norther europe regarding nurseries? Can't compete with south

[Kostas]

Only palms i have seen are relatively common for California or Florida...Nothing too exciting

For example,any large Dypsis in Southern European nursery?Any Dictyosperma?Acanthophoenix?Arenga other than engleri?From what i know,no such things are grown in nurseries in Southern Europe But i may(and would love to be) be wrong!

[Pivi]

Kostas, this is just one of them that comes to my mind. There are many...

http://www.palmerasyjardines.com/es/cgi-bi...sid=4&oid=1

(use alphabet menu on the left)

Edited March 19, 2009 by Pivi

[Kostas]

I know of this one Pivi,good variety for Europe but again,nothing too exotic except for Acrocomia and some rare and beautyfull Livistona

[Pivi]

Kostas, they offer some beautifull palms and enough species (for europe).

I believe there are many others...

You must understand that european palm nurseries can't compete with Florida and Hawai regarding exotic palms species.

We are in europe. No coconut can grow here (at least they say so). That tells you a lot.

[Kostas]

I have to agree that for Europe,this is a great nursery offering great variety of rare(for Europe) and big palms and were they closer to me,a couple Livistona mariae would be with me....But they arent

No Cocos for California either(well,as supposedly as for Europe...)but they have lots more tropicals in a more arid environment than ours in many places...

[Zayin]

Thanks! thats mostly great news. I think that I probably will have to do a bit of homework and may end up purchasing the ones I want in Florida and then sending them over via ship, If I cannot find what I am looking for in Europe. I don't think that i want to grow everything from seed again. Im not getting any younger.

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

But Jody, don't minimize the importance of time when trying to secure a nursery's ohyto sanitary certificate, and the exportation permit you need from the USA as well as the important permit you definitely need from the Canaries.

Nothing is going to come too cheaply as far as securing these certificates (I found that the import permit was most expensive for Panama. and hard to secure!) Remember, that even with permits, quarantine is often required. In Panama, the period of time is two weeks. Many countries don't want things from Florida, as LY is a big factor in Florida, and Canary Is Date Palms are suseptible to LY, so even if you're not bringing in coconuts, but rather palms like: Pritchardias, Veitchias, Paurotis, and other date palms, LY could be "hitchin' a ride overseas!" That's why Florida plants are scrutinized so vigourously!

Just the same, it's worth the effort, to get palms to the other side of the Atlantic, as your collection there will definitely be unique, and after all the trouble (and what isn't these days?) you'll be enjoying a fabulous, and well-rounded palmetum!

BTW, Jody, don't forget the nurseries in South Africa or even Thailand and the rest of SE Asia! You'll have some wonderful additional palms to choose from!

It will be an enjoyable project; with research and time, you'll get you collection brimming with beauty ultimately!

Best of Luck!

Pablo, in Ft. Lauderdale, FL area

[Charles Wychgel]

I suggest you post your question on the Spanish board, most of the palm input on this board is from Canarians and if you supply a list of the palms you want to import they can tell you if it is worth it or not.

Are your plants in pots or in the ground? If you have to take them out of the ground and put them in pots they will certainly suffer and sulk or even die after an overseas trip by boat.

There are plenty of nurseries in the Canary islands and plenty of dedicated palm collectors to help you out.

[Zayin]

Great, this helps out.. Like I said, I have a LOT of homework to do beforehand!! I simply haven't posted anything to the spanish forum, as I don't speak the language and wasn's sure if I could post in english..

Thanks again

[Exotic Life]

Hi,

There are a lot good nurseries in Southern Europe, when i'm holiday you always see large field with palms or big nurseries. Also here in northern europe there are some places where you can buy you're palm trees but not so easy as i southern europe and most of the time the nurseries over here don't selling the tropical species. Why, one simply reason because tropical species don't survive very easy in Northern Europe.

But just told here above by different people, how much more south more and more palm species can be found.

Robbin

[Phil]

Jody,

What a great move: from Canada to the Canary Islands! Coconuts, here we come. Carlo Morici is a member of this discussion group and posts from time to time. He'd be a good contact to ask questions to. I'd contact authorities in the Canaries, get a contact there and ask what is needed. Also, regarding cycads, CITES laws apply to "convention for the international trade of endangered species". The important word in this is "trade". It has been possible for some to transport their own personal cycads between countries as long as they are not being sold. Several South Africans took their personal plants to Australia and I even know of one taking big plants to Canada. Check with your Canadian authorities as to whether you could get such a permit from them. The U.S. government is quite an obstructionist about this, so it would be hard to get a permit here in the U.S., regardless of whether one thinks it is just or not. But, perhaps Canada would be better. Good luck.

Phil

[Zayin]

Thanks Phil, for the advice. I 'll definitely check on that before we go. I had a small hardy palm nursery here outside of Vancouver and have discovered that for the most part I cannot GIVE away some of the less hardy palms so i have decided to take some of the T.Martianus/Latisectus etc with me instead of just hocking them to be rid of them. So I will need to consider the requirements of transporting them overseas ( all are already in pots fortunately ) and actually getting them through Spanish customs. I will also be looking at other places that I can purchase some stuff that is already seedling etc. So I will be keeping a close eye on Prince of Palms who I have seen has some more of the rarer stuff - I will be looking for other growers as time goes on too...( Too bad that you don't ship international, as I have been dreaming about your Copernicia gigas's ) Fortunately I have given myself 1-2 years to get it all in place as I suspect that this is a bit of a process.

Thanks again all for the advice