Buying Bulbs
 

Headed to the Netherlands next year and am wondering what the rules are on buying plant bulbs and bringing them back to the U.S.?

Can anyone help me with the answer to this or a link to the right place?

thanks!!!

unless you are a certified importer who does all the paperwork and inspections, I'm 90% certain that you can't bring back live plant products like bulbs.
Are you from the USA? Check the website for US Customs.

sorry, you did say you are from the US


www.customs.ustreas.gov

They sell bulbs at Schiphol Airport and in Amsterdam's flower market that are claimed to be certified OK for US Customs. But the bulbs you can buy there you'll probably find cheaper at home and forget about the hassle. It's kind of like those Dutch hothouse tomatoes that the local shop was selling for 99 cents a pound last winter - in Holland these would cost 2 or 3 times as much. But i believe you can import ones that are packaged with certification though i may be wrong.
Still seeking the black tulip - Dutch horticultural wonders are still trying to develop a truly black tulip - wonder if anyone knows the developments in this quest?

At Amsterdam's flower market, you don't usually take them with you. You pick out waht you want (they have EVERYTHING) and then they ship to you when it is the precise time to plant them (based upon your home address). They have it down to an exact science and you couldn't ask for a better system.

Bardo1 - thanks for that clarification - never bought bulbs at the market but saw signs saying approved bulbs - sounds like a nifty thing to do. Maybe Schiphol operates the same.

hmm I just got back from Amsterdam, each flower market has a section that offers certified bulbs, ie you can bring in to the USA and you don't need to declare. I got 3 packs ranging from 3.5E to 5E each. I picked up those that are rare and expensive to find in USA - how did I know? Because my mother's passion is flowers and I knew which ones are rare here etc. So no they are not overpriced and no you cannot find all of those bulbs here in the USA. G'luck! I didn't declare them and didn't have any problems bringing in these bulbs through customs. (handbaggage)

I stand corrected, good info

we bought bulbs at kuenkenhof gardens last spring. they will ship them to you at the appropriate time of year for planting - ours should arrive within a couple of weeks. There are a few that are marked, inspected, etc and can be brought back into the states but must have that sticker on the box. we brought back a beautiful amaryllis. the vendors at kukenhof were extremely helpful and not pushy. However, they are only open for a couple of months each year. The flower markets around the villages may also have bulbs that you can bring back but make sure they are inspected and sealed with the customs stickers.

yes and if you just tell them that you're taking it back to USA they will guide you toward the section with the custom stickers....they're pretty good about that - don't try to trick you or anything. :)

Even though certified flower bulbs are allowed into the US, that doesn't mean you don't have to declare them. Since the customs form you complete asks if you are bringing in any plant material, your answer would be "yes"

Authoritative info from U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/clearing
_goods/agri_prod_inus.xml

If you go to any of the major flower markets you will see bulbs marked for export to the US. I'm not sure what they do to them (pasteurize? use anitseptics???) but I've brought them back (declared) several times and it was fine.

Just make sure it says approved for import to the US on the package.

Thanks everyone! Great info - you all are so wise! :-)

We bought bulbs in holland, planted them, watched them begin to bloom, and then they became deer fodder.

My first trip to Europe when I was in college many years ago, I carried Holland bulbs through 7 countries only to have to toss them when the ship landed in NYC b/c of customs regulations.

Just got back Sat. night from Amsterdam bringing half a dozen packages of bulbs I got at the Bloemenmarkt. I declared them and was waved through without a question, though I did note that they had health certificates on my declaration.

About 2/3s of the vendors have racks labeled for the bulbs certified for taking into the US and Canada, though the selection is nothing like as large as with the non-certified bulbs. If you don't find them, ask. Between the plastic bag with the bulbs and the cardboard backing there is a health certificate. But note - which I didn't until after I bought them - that the health certificates are dated. Mine all had 6 weeks before expiration but I suppose you could buy some without enough time for you to get them home.

I paid between 3 and 4 Euros for a pack of 10, though there were some higher. Since I live in FL and we can't grow them here, I have no idea what the usual cost is in the US, what varities are unusual, etc. (These are for my daughter in NC.) The problem I had is that I wanted iris and other bulbs besides tulips and found only one person selling those that were certified. And not a large selection. The prices on the non-certified bulbs are way cheaper.

I do have a package of black tulips. So it says. So the picture shows. I'm be interested in hearing from my daughter just what they look like when they bloom.

Black tulips? Centuries-old search for black tulips finally solved? Great news!

Be sure to check the date on the US certified bulbs. We had about 50% of our bulbs confiscated in customs because they were 3 days "over due". It has been several years but if I remember correctly, the certification is good for 1 year after the date on the little US certified sticker.

What time of year do they send them? I am going tomorrow, but do not think it is the proper time to buy them any hints? I bought some 20 years ago in Holland and they are still beautiful!!!
Connie

PalenqueBob---I answered a bit about the black tulips on the other thread. They are actually a deep, deep purple. The quest for a "true black" in flowers has been most successful in the black pansy, which is grown from seed, and thus has some inherent variability. However, many of them do indeed appear a true black in most light.