Shipments of Christmas trees and wreaths originating from Maine have been rejected by officials from California and other states, due to violations of certain plant regulations in those states, according to the Maine Department of Agriculture (MDA).

State officials are warning shippers to be mindful of the regulations before shipping plant-based holiday products.

When shipping wreaths to California, for example, shippers should be especially careful of juniper and nuts, which are prohibited if originating from Maine.

According to State Horticulturist, Ann Gibbs, states are concerned about plant pests that certain species carry, as well as the ornamentation put on wreaths, which may also be infested.

“California is concerned about things that might be found in rose hips, and …  nuts that might be put on wreaths,” she said. “Sometimes the wreath itself … may have pests on the tips.”

The MDA reports that California prohibits juniper, chestnuts, crab apple, hawthorn fruits, and unhusked nuts of hickory, pecan, walnut and butternut.

Arizona also prohibits crab apple, hawthorn fruits, and the aforementioned nuts, while Idaho only prohibits crab apple and hawthorn fruits, according to the MDA. 

“They [states] are concerned about certain pests, but they also get a huge volume of holiday greenery shipped to their states, so it helps them to sort through those shipments and move things along,” said Gibbs.

Gibbs said that state regulations on Christmas trees isn’t a new issue, but that things are much better than they used to be.

“This has been going on for many years,” she said. “Part of the problem is that a lot of people who ship wreaths aren’t big businesses; it’s people who aren’t generally shipping plant material. That’s why we want to get the word out.”

According to the MDA, pine shoot beetle was recently found in Oxford and Franklin counties. A pine shoot beetle quarantine was established, which regulates the movement of pine Christmas trees and pine wreaths outside these two counties.

But it’s not just beetles that are the problem.

“The biggest concern is gypsy moth,” said Gibbs. “It is likely that it could be on the stems of trees being shipped.”

Gibbs said to prevent the spread of gypsy moth, shipments of cut Christmas trees to any state other than Maine, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont require inspection and certification that the shipment is free of life stages of the gypsy moth.

“States have certain regulations for the specific pests they are concerned about that may be harbored on … branches,” she said. “There are very specific pests depending on the product.”

Gibbs said that while there are some parts in the state where gypsy moth is not found, shippers need to have some notice on their outgoing boxes about what part of the state the tree is being shipped from. It also speeds the tree or wreath shipments through state inspections if the contents are clearly marked on the outside of the box, said Gibbs.

“I like to caution people [shippers] to write on the box the origin … and what is exactly in the box,” she said. “A lot of states assume something coming from Maine is from a gypsy moth area. … We want people to make sure they don’t put a certain plant part on their wreaths [prohibited in other states].”

For inspection of Christmas tree plantations from which you expect to ship trees to gypsy-moth regulated states, inspection certificates, or information on plant regulations of any state or country, contact the Maine Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry 287-3891.

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