A colleague just emailed me to ask if this is still possible. I believe I see people coming through the TSA gauntlet in SEA with bouquets from the Pike Place Market, but I just wanted to be sure.

I tried search, it didn't seem to be working for me, four words even.

lala

shouldn't be a problem, as long as there's no water. your colleague can either
1-Put the flowers through the x-ray as is, and hope TSA doesn't catch the water (decent chance)

2-dump the water, and fill it back up post-TSA

a bouquet usually isn't in a vase so water shouldn't be a problem. I've seen people with flowers and balloons. No worries.

Now, getting a gate pass if he wants to meet someone at the gate with said flowers might be a different story...

Did you mean 'a fully refundable ticket'?

No problem. I do it all of the time from AMS and, after a quick Ag x-ray, have no trouble re-checking through Security for domestic flights. There are only problems if you are coming internationally or from Hawaii with non-certified plants or flowers as there is always the concern of bringing insects and disease with the flowers.

last year I was taking a huge bunch of daffodils to a friend for her wedding. They were wrapped in wet paper towels, clear plastic wrap, and a zip bag secured by a rubber band. After they were x-rayed, the screener wanted to inspect them further by poking the outer bag with a pointy object. Fortunately I was able to persuade her to unwrap then so they could be visually inspected. It never ceases to amaze me the TSA continues to secondary items which present no threat. What was I gonna do, beat someone to death?

definately no problems with flowers, but watch the 3.2oz of toothpaste!!

Back to the subject of flowers from AMS, has anyone received any problems bringing back flowers into the U.S. that are marked "safe for U.S." (or some similiar verbage)? I saw both "safe for U.S." and "not safe for U.S." markings on flower labels when I was in AMS last year, but I didn't buy any because I didn't know if how customs would react.

I brought bulbs back from Amsterdam and they did look for the certificates for them, which I had and there was no problem. I have brought boxes of orchids back from Singapore on 3 trips I've gone there and again, never had a problem.

There are allowed and not allowed depending on the types of insects and diseases that they potentially carry. Most of the fresh flowers sold in the airport shops are OK, but plants and things that go in or contain soil can have some nasty stuff and not be allowed. Orchids and plants may need a phytosanitary certificate when coming from other countries (and a CITES certif. if importing some orchids). Some Hawaiian growers say that you need to buy from them (rather than roadside stands or discount stores) because they have the certification, but actually orchids do not use soil, so the Ag screeners there have told me that they are not a problem. It also helps that I live in Minnesota and travel to Hawaii in December, when no soil borne nematodes are willing to live.

Also, as far as fresh flowers are concerned, for years I never bought them in AMS because I was concerned about them being out of water for so long. I learned that when they are shipped here, they are also out of water, so it really isn�t an issue. Recut the stems and put them in water at your destination and they will be fine.

Don�t even THINK of sneaking in something prohibited. I am an avid gardener and orchid grower, but I have never seen anything that would even come close to being worth the risk of bringing in the next Mediterranean Fruit Fly.

Terri
St. Louis Cty, MN Master Gardener

I've never had a problem with the ones labeled "US Safe/approved". Declare 'em, Customs will ask you to show them, and they'll let you go when they see the sticker. I did it a couple of times through JFK.

Thanks...next time I'm in AMS I will be bringing back some.