How to Export Florida Ferns

Florida is home to some of the most beautiful ferns in the world, making exporting them a potentially profitable venture.

The sunshine state is known for its beautiful ferns. The fact that these plants are quite popular provides potential for a profitable exporting business. There are some state requirements you must follow to export these plants and they can be accomplished in a few fairly simple steps.

Instructions

1. Register your business. The Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry, regulates companies that deal in plants. If you are growing plants for sale or distribution, you will be required to register as a nursery. If you are buying the plants from another nursery and simply reselling them, you will have to register as a nursery stock dealer. There are local plant inspectors throughout the state. When you contact the Division of Plant Industry, they will connect you to an inspector in your area who will visit your business and issue your certificate of registration. Fees range from $25 to $460, depending on your business's acreage and inventory.

2. Obtain inspection tags. Every box or container you export must have an inspection tag from the Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry. Your local plant inspector can provide the required state form to fill out and order tags.

3. Secure permission for any endangered ferns. Certain ferns in Florida are listed as endangered, threatened and commercially exploited. Check with your local plant inspector to obtain the required state clearance before exporting any ferns on this list. Among the protected ferns in Florida are the adiantum melanoleucum (fragrant maidenhair fern), adiantum tenerum (brittle maidenhair fern), anemia wrightii (parsley fern), asplenium auritum (auricled spleenwort fern), and blechnum occidentale (sinkhole fern).

4. Obtain import permit: Secure an import permit from the country where you are exporting the ferns. Every country has different rules specific to their area. Contact the agriculture office for the country you are exporting to or the trade office for information.

5. Secure an export certificate: The Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry, requires 48 hours notice before issuing a Phytosanitary Export Certificate. You will need to provide complete address of where plants will be shipped, botanical name, number of plants, number and types of containers, means of conveyance, port of entry, and copy of import certificate (if required by the country to which you are exporting the ferns).

6. Advertise your business. Take advantage of directories that promote Florida fern exporters such as www.pvns.net which offers free listings. Consider joining organizations such as the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association to connect with others in the fern industry and advertise your services.

Tips & Warnings

• Before ferns can pass export inspection, they must be isolated and free from pests and diseases.

References

• Florida Department of Agriculture: Plant Inspection
• Fresh From Florida: Plant Registration and Certification
• Florida's Fern Capital of the World: Directory of Growers & Shippers of the Worlds Finest Live Cut Foliage
• Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association

Resources

• University of Florida Institute for Food & Agricultural Sciences: Bird's Nest Fern
• Nursery Report
• Association of Florida Native Nurseries
• Florida Department of Agriculture: Types of Ferns and Decorative Greens