As Mother’s Day approaches this Sunday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is emphasizing heightened surveillance to ensure floral arrangements imported into the country are free from pests and plant diseases.
Recognizing the tradition of gifting flowers to mothers on this special day, CBP’s agricultural specialists will be stationed at ports of entry, diligently inspecting floral gifts to prevent the spread of pests and diseases.
While popular flowers like roses and carnations are permitted entry into the United States after thorough inspections, certain plants and seeds require permits for importation. Notably, soil from Mexico is strictly prohibited, as highlighted by CBP officials.
“CBP strongly urges the public to refer to the CBP website for guidance on permissible and prohibited flowers before importing floral arrangements,” stated CBP in a released statement.
The practice of gifting flowers on Mother’s Day can be traced back to Anna Jarvis, the holiday’s founder, who initially wore white carnations in honor of her mother and later distributed them at her local church in Grafton, W.Va.
The popularity of this floral tradition gained momentum in the early 1900s, fueled by an article in the Weekly Florist Review advocating for carnations as the ideal Mother’s Day flower.
As Mother’s Day approaches, CBP anticipates a surge in floral imports at various ports of entry. Hector Mancha, CBP’s director of field operations in El Paso, Texas, emphasized the agency’s commitment to ensuring imported floral arrangements are pest and disease-free.
“Our hard-working and vigilant CBP agricultural specialists are ensuring that any imported floral arrangements are free from insects, pests, or disease. We urge the public to declare all agricultural products they are importing to CBP,” stated Mancha in a Wednesday release.