Hi everyone,

Apologies if this is covered elsewhere and/or sounds dumb - but is there anyone here with experience of sending cuttings from the US to other countries?

I am in the UK and want to purchase some cuttings from a grower I have found in the US (yellow-variegated Monstera, impossible to find here, quite temperamental apparently but appealing none the less). Looks like quite a small-scale grower and, whilst the website states that they will ship internationally, this is at 'your own risk, as all countries have their own customs rules'. If I made an order, I think there'd be a high chance of never receiving the cuttings, and/or breaking the law too.

Plant imports into the UK require phytosanitary certificates to prove the plants are disease/pest free. I have ordered plants from a Thai nursery before, who provide them along with all orders. But this US grower doesn't mention them, and doesn't seem geared up to obtain them. There's plenty of information online about this process, but it's aimed at commercial exports. It also sounds like the nursery, rather than the individual specimen, has to be inspected.

Has anyone got any experience of how to obtain one for a small quantity of cuttings? Would the plant health people have to inspect the grower's facilities? I do have family in the US - could one of them take the cuttings along to wherever this certification is issued?

Seems like a lot of hassle but I really do want to find a way! Thought someone may have experience on here - collectors swapping cuttings with friends in another country perhaps?

Many thanks!