Free Garden Catalogs

why is it that in the seed catalogs they advertise fruit tree's and then say they can ship to wa,or,ca,etc.?

i always get the gurney, henry fields, and other catalog's, but on most of the fruit tree's it say's cant ship to wa,ca,or, and some other states, is this a law in states or is it the seed companies have deals with larger buying fruit companies? like plum tree's cant be shipped to washington state. why is this?

Public Comments

1. It's state laws intended to minimize the risk of importing pests which damage existing fruit farms/orchards.
2. Each state has strict laws governing the import of plant material. Many of these have extended inspection periods of certain plant material which, because of the prolonged nature of the inspection, the plants will be very sickly or dead by the time the inspection period is over. Another reason is that some of these plants will be fine ornamental or perennial plants that don't go far, in the right climate; they become invasive. Think Kudzu. Nothing can be sent to Hawaii. Invasive plants and animals will push out or decimate the native plants and animals because the natives have no defense against the invaders.
3. You will see this with currants, currants will transmit a disease to various pine trees, so some states won't allow them to be brought in.