Ok to bring in small, cut and dried flowers and leaves, and small stones, into the USA?
Long ago I visited my ancestral village in Greece, and while there, saved some small wildflowers and leaves in my diary. I also took some small, colorful stones from the Ionian sea. Today, looking through my old diary and seeing these precious little momentos, it occured to me that bringing in these several small flowers and leaves (and stones) might have been a no-no--though it never seems wrong back then! I always thought of plants and fruits that were restricted as fresh fruits, or live plants. Am I ok to have done this?
Best Answer
You can bring the flowers and stones to the United States but you must declare them to Customs for Agriculture inspection.
Bringing Agricultural Products Into the United States
If the Agriculture Officer allows them, you're good to go. If not, they will be seized and destroyed, but you will not be fined or suffer any other consequences because you declared them.
People get in trouble for smuggling.
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Answer 2
Am I ok to have done this?
Nobody except CBP can tell you definitively.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Specialty/seasonal/holiday food and plant items
In passenger baggage, every fruit or vegetable as well as every meat or poultry product must be declared to a CBP Agriculture Specialist or CBP Officer and must be presented for inspection - regardless of its admissibility status.
Fruits and Vegetables: Travelers may check the general admissibility of fruits and vegetables by consulting APHIS's FAVIR database at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/favir/. Simply select the type of fruit or vegetable in
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