Yo there, Seax88.

You are quite right to decline that suggestion. That sort of thing has not worked since the 70s, I don't think and whoever suggested it has not been through NAIA customs in the last 10 years. Even if it were possible to slip through, it is a very, very dangerous practice with the potential to destroy whole crops and I'm not even exaggerating. And it's just rude, as I'm sure you will agree.

Anyway, I think I am almost sure it will not be possible for you to bring a live plant out of the Philippines into (I'm assuming) the US.

The proper procedure is to have US and Philippine phytosanitary inspectors regularly inspect the nursery to ensure they are not hosting pathogens that could spread all over. This means that the nursery would already have to be certified before the fact. Then, the plant material would have to go through the applicable phytosanitary protocol (there are different kinds for live plants, fresh plant produce, animal products, etc) probably involving things like sprays, vapor heat treatment or whatever it is they do for live plants.

These standards and protocols are obviously necessary safety measures but even something that obvious is not that simple in practice. It is also a widely-used tool for trade restriction which is why Philippine mangoes are only found in very specific restaurants in California and only come from one specific island in the Philippines (Guimaras). The stakes are quite high, considering the number of orchards in California and Florida alone (they will be at risk from possible contamination with agricultural pests). The stakes are even higher if you consider the volume of (icky) mango imports from wherever those abominations come from (lol note my bias there), since their market will be under threat from vastly superior mangoes (lol).

ANYWAY, putting aside my rabid Philippine mango obsession...That's how difficult it is likely to be. Of course things might have changed in the last three years since I was last home but I doubt it. If you want, I can help you get in touch with someone who would know more.

The good news is that there are adenium sources already in the US and although I have never personally tried it, there are exporters out of Thailand and Taiwan as well and they are well-known in this forum of wonderful enablers.

Besides, those prices are ridiculous. In the unlikely event that I will feel compelled to pay $65 for an adenium plant, it better be at least 15 years old with a caudex the size of my office chair.

I hope this helped.

Pagan