Of course it needs to be said that we cannot simply import roses from Ireland without going through USDA official procedures for importation. The process undoubtedly involves a quarantine period of at least one year.

Thanks for mentioning all that, Paul. It seems the topic comes up on a regular basis. Diane

Hate to rain on anyone's parade, but yup, totally illegal to bring roses into the US without a rigorous, onerous and $expensive$ process of paperwork, inspection, and quarantine. The only country we can import roses from, without a quarantine, is Canada. And it's a TWO year quarantine for the few allowed countries (Ireland is NOT on the allowed list, Northern Ireland IS), with inspections done regularly by the USDA, paid for by you. The only rose material allowed into the country that doesn't require quarantining it, is non-rooted cuttings (under a certain diameter, which will probably not arrive alive after the inspection delays), budding material, or seeds. Here's the USDA chart pertaining to roses. Please click to enlarge. This chart is from the APHIS site, specifically prohibiting ALL rose material except from the given few countries, and even from them when "not meeting Federal Order Conditions for entry". Please note the last white highlighted area, with the arrow for emphasis: all ROSE plants "...MUST enter post-entry quarantine program from..." pretty much everywhere they said you could import from at ALL. In other words, from anywhere but Canada. There is an absolute prohibition on the importation of roses from four countries: Australia, New Zealand, Italy and Bulgaria

The basic requirements of quarantine:

*a phyto-sanitary certificate from the country/supplier of origin, meeting all USDA requirements of a nursery inspected for listed pathogens and pests (paid for by you)

* plants will be inspected on arrival in the US by certified USDA/APHIS inspectors (at your cost).

*plants will be re-packaged and forwarded to importee (that's you, at your cost).

* all plant material will be grown on the premises specified in the application under your supervision and control and will not be moved or distributed without prior written permission

* state or federal officials will be granted access to the premises during regular business hours

(at least twice a year, at your cost)

* there will be no increase of these plants by cuttings, grafting, suckers, flowers, seeds or air layers, no distribution of the plants, and no cutting of flowers for sale, until the plants are released from quarantine, without prior written permission

* the plants will be labeled by plant name, port accession number and date of import

* the plants will be separated from domestic stock of the same genus (other roses), including such stock on adjoining premises, by no less than three meters (approximately 10 feet) and will be separated by other imported plants by the same distance.

* any treatments prescribed by the officer including destruction of the quarantined plants or other plants grown on the premises will be complied with to prevent dissemination of plant pests

* the appropriate official will be notified in writing within 30 days when an abnormality is noticed or when a plant dies. Dead plants must be retained and surrendered to the officials for analysis. (This is where you pray they don't accuse you of endangering all of agriculture/horticulture by having imported some previously unknown pathogen)

And I'm SURE I'm forgetting something.