The California Dept. of Food and Agriculture web site has lots of information. If you can't find the information you need there, call the county ag. office where you plan to move in California, they are very helpful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bringing plants, fruits and vegetables into California

And please, don't be tempted to try to sneak your plants in. Agriculture is our biggest business, and foreign pests are a very serious problem here.

Csemerad, don't take it that way. But jkom is right. AZ has restrictions also and I am sure you wouldn't want critters or diseases brought in. So many things have hitch-hiked their way in and caused millions in damage to CA economy. Plus why risk them being taken at the border and just tossed into the trash. Leave them behind for people to remember you by. Most moving companies know the laws and they won't do it...due to stiff fines.

Think of it in the opposite way -- when sudden oak death became a big problem by attacking more than just oak trees, and the pathogens were found to be carried on a much wider variety of plants grown in CA than first thought, the major wholesalers suffered an enormous financial hit. Many states temporarily banned all plant imports from CA unless the stock was individually inspected and certified as clean.

Would you have wanted us Californians moving to your state (which a LOT of them are) to be carrying our plants into Arizona, maybe even moving next door to you, saying, "well, I'm just bringing a few of my favorite plants, no problem to anyone else."

I very much doubt you would have welcomed this attitude in someone else.

The laws are there for a reason, to protect as many and as much as possible. They apply to me, and you too.

Why we do have the Mediterranean fruit-fly problem? Because tourists to Hawaii insisted upon coming home with fresh fruit that turned out to be bug-ridden. Forbidden by law of course, but "the law didn't apply to them, it was just for their own enjoyment." Threw it into the trash, and eventually a foreign pest with no natural enemies here, became entrenched in the environment.

I don't mean to pick on you specifically. I am saying, however, that such a mindset has proven in the past to be detrimental to our environment, and that IS a fact. Ignore if you wish, but if you do you ignore it not only at your peril, but possibly at ours (Californians in general) as well.

Apparently nobody read my post all the way through. What I was asking what are the regulations so I know what plants, IF ANY, I can bring with me. If I was an irresponsible plant owner then I would be tempted to sneak them in. I never said I WAS GOING TO sneak them in. I am perfectly willing to leave them here and start over again when I get there. I got a much better reception and response on the Arizona gardening forum. They actually read the whole post.

You shouldn't be so snippy with everyone, csemerad... you're the one that started this little tiff... I don't think that jkom51 was more or less letting you know of their concerns, not trying to insult you... and I appreciate all of you well meaning individuals for being willing to share information and links... this should help enlighten many others about the restrictions between our states...
Brittany

I did read your question all the way and it was answered.
But you are getting the point. Even though some may be allowed, even any nursery, gardener or anyone that has any knowledge of gardening in CA does NOT want anything brought in period regardless of it health or condition.

When I moved here from Maryland (granted, it was 25 years ago....), I could not bring any plants to CA. They do have very strict regulations. Even my pets had to be certified by a vet. Once here, an inspector came out and checked my outdoor furniture for insect eggs/webs/etc.

In all likelihood, you will not legally be allowed to bring any plants across the border without a lot of red tape/permits/quarantining/etc. I would just say goodbye to your plants and find them nice homes.

As an aside, I would like to add that we are all really nice people here. jkom's post was not meant to insult or insinuate that you were irresponsible; she was just being honest without the frills. You will find lots of good advice and friendly people on this forum.

Hope this helps

gobluedjm & wanda, THANKYOU!!!! That was the info I was looking for, & again, I am happy to find new homes for my plants. I really was just looking for a simple yes or no here.

The first response provided is identical to the response you received on the Arizona forum. If you click on the link, you will see that "All soil, nursery stock, or plants with roots, except as provided" are prohibited from importation from "AZ, ...etc..." That's a pretty tough rule. If you can bareroot some of your plants (remove all soil), box them up and treat them with a general insecticide, such as malathion, and have secured in advance a permit to import plants from the Calif. Dept. of Food and Agriculture, you might have a chance. (Allow 30 days for permit to process.)

With so much effort involved, compounded by the risk of losing plants in transit, it might be easier to gift your favorite plants to friends or hold a plant sale, and start fresh at your new home. All the plants you listed are readily available at low cost. Good luck to you with whichever route you choose.

What area will you be moving to? You might call the Ag. dept. for that county.
I know of some nursery people that bring some of their plants to sell to the SF flower show. I believe they contact someone to get an inspector to inspect their plants. They are suppose to meet at the (former) inspection site when they come into the State. However, I believe there has been times that they don't get their plants inspected until they are set up at the Flower Show.
I can tell you are a responsible plant owner. After all you will soon be a Californian also.

OK, not to continue the thread in an unpleasant direction here but I have another question about this topic:

I've read the link for cdfa.org and can't find anything pertaining to cacti cuttings and Sonoran desert. I have a SoCAL friend who drives all the way to Phx to visit our Desert Botanical Garden at least 2x each year. She always wants to get something to take home but never does. I also would love to give her prickly pear, cereus, yucca, agave, euphorbia (milk tree) and a few others I have but, of course, we both figured they'd take them at the border. Does anyone know the regulations regarding importation of cacti cuttings/bareroot pups?

Thanks for any feedback. I'd love to be able to tell her she could take home a cacti on her next trip without endangering CA's ag economy and I know she'd be jazzed after all these years of going home emptyhanded....

Ok, if you dig a little deeper on the site, and get into the manual for state restrictions, you find that there are certain exceptions. NO RESTRICTIONS are placed on: houseplants, smooth root vegetables, cactus, and aquatic plants, as long as they meet certain guidelines.

Kathleen, your friend may be in luck, a cactus cutting would certainly meet the requirements.

Here is a link that might be useful: California restrictions; exceptions

Thank you, catkim! My friend is going to be so thrilled on her next visit:) Thank you for digging further - I had looked and looked but didn't see this exception list.

Yippee, doing a little anticipatory cacti sharing dance here :)

I'm reading this thread and it occurs to me that many, many people are trading plants and cuttings through the U.S. Mail via the Web. Is this not a total no-no?

It isn't illegal to bring plants into California. It is illegal to sneak them in. Ideally, when you are at the border checkpoint you declare live plant material. The inspectors should ask you what state and county you are from. If it is not in a quarantined area and the plant is not a host to a pest, and there is no concern of pests that could be living in the soil in the area you came from, they will inspect the plant for pests and health, and may let you take it in. Since most of the country has something in the soil, this really limits what they will allow in. I think Oregon is one of the few states that they will allow you to bring plants from, as long as they aren't conifers (conifers need a nursery stock certificate).

You can trade plants through the mail as long as you identify the parcel as having live plant material so inspectors can open the parcel and make sure there isn't a problem with the plant. Importing some species is not permitted, such as citrus. Some areas of the country have a quarantine, which means there is a pest in that area that has the potential to be transported. For example, maybe some place in Ohio has a problem with a virus that is easily transmitted by aphids, and as a result it is prohibited to import plants from the quarantined area. It can also get a little tricky and very specific. Some areas have little nasty things that live in the soil, or on the roots. In parts of Florida they have a nemetode. In other parts of the country they may have a root rot fungus in the soil. Generally it is illegal to import soil, or plants grown in the soil from these areas, which is why you see so many mail order catalogs that state they can't ship bareroots into California. The roots were in native soil that may have a pest in it. In other cases, cuttings for propagation may be permitted, and possibly potted plants grown more than a couple feet above the ground, which is too high for the pests to reach. In the latter case, a certificate is usually required from the county of origin before it can be imported to California, which is only issued to greenhouses. Chances are the country of origin is not going to give a homeowner such a certificate because a homeowner is not going to be able to demonstrate that the potted plant never came in contact with the ground, vs a greenhouse that normally grows potted plants on shelves.

Also, a few specific plants are prohibited from being imported because they are, or may host a pest.

The real problem with all this is that it is too confusing for most people to understand, so if in doubt, don't bother importing it. Chances are you can buy one in California and not risk the chance of importing a pest.

Simply put: Welcome to California from one transplant to another (I'm originally from the midwest) You will get used to the California ways in a few years.

csmerad,

in most places in California, straight talk with little or no innuendo is the order of the day. My wife (originally from south-central Oregon) was originally much put off, but has learned to appreciated the greater latitude usually granted the occasional verbal faux pas.

Ryan

Why can't tomato plants from anywhere or even a commercial grower, like Burpees, come into CA?

Westelle: the link lists nematodes, ozonium root rot, Colorado potato beetle, and Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (FL) as reasons for restrictions.

Thanks, catkim.

Wow, what an exciting thread.

From reading your post, toyon, you could work with me on the
border. I'm an Agricultural Inspector at the Truckee Border Station. You've given a lot of, and good advise here.
For the most part, the plants named at the beginning of this
thread are not resitricted, but as has been said earlier in
this post, it's mostly about the soil. If you can bare root the
plants, they should be o.k. to bring in. That being said, if you
enter CA, and an inspector notices signs of disease or other pest,
the plants may be confescated right there...

We always try to encourage any new resident who is transporting plants to CA, to contact their
County Agricultural Commissioner, not just for inspection, but,
if you can begin discussion with them, they may be able to help you
with future plant/pest questions.

I did want to respond to the cactus question, however. The only restrictions
on cacti from AZ...and interior regulations in CA, is the type
of cactus. There are endangered species of cactus in our surrounding
areas. If the cactus is purchased by a reputable dealer, and has
an accompanying certificate, there should really be no problem,
the problem comes from digging up potentially endangered species.

It is great for me to read a thread that has so much support
for the border inspectors and our purpose. Sometimes we feel
that much of CA doesn't really know what we do out here, or why.

Thanks for your support, and good luck with the move and everyone else...

Happy Gardening,

-S

I love it when everything turns out right in the end - especially when everyone is trying to do right!

Credits to all.

Peace and successful gardening!

So where are you going to be, Csemerad? San Diego has a great Cacti and Succulent Society and a variety of societies devoted to other plants, too. I am also sure that you will be able to replace most plants you might decide to leave behind, and you can grow some things here that the heat in Phoenix might make difficult. In any case, welcome to CA. DH and I moved here 9 years ago and love the climate, so good for growing all sorts of things, except those that demand a cold winter.

By the way, I don't see how Csemerad "started" any "tiff," and Jkom seems to be preaching to the choir, as they say. However, the pest and virus concerns mentioned here are valid, so maybe Jkom or someone else would consider posting a link to the regulations in a separate thread here from time to time (or maybe on the California Gardening forum), in general and unoffensive language, so that others planning to move or send plants would be alerted to the dangers.

I forgot to add: Csemerad, if you like cacti and succulents, I would be happy to send you a gift box of starters from within the state as a welcome present! You can email me from my member page on GW.

I forgot to add: Csemerad, if you like cacti and succulents, I would be happy to send you a gift box of starters from within the state as a welcome present! You can email me from my member page on GW.

Here is a link to a summary of restrictions for importing plants to CA, from the CA Dept of Food and Agriculture:
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/pe/summary.htm
Hope this helps to further clarify (or confuse??) the issue.

I'm new and a little confused because I want to buy plants from a catalog.....do most nursery catalogs list that they won't sell to CA or can they sell to CA because they are certified or something??? Or should I only buy from CA nurseries??

thanks, Ruth

You don't need to bring any of those in. We have them all right here; they are not exceptional after all.

California is very strict about bring in plants now due to virus and other problems. In some ways they always have been; but it seems counties are even restricting commerce from other counties.