Defra’s restrictions to protect palms from pests
Nurseries specialising in hardy tropicals are likely to be hit hard by Defra’s palm import ban – but why has it happened? A red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), a large red/brown weevil devastating palms on the continent, occurred on an imported plant in Essex in spring 2016. From January 1, a ban on most palm importation comes into force to protect our existing stocks.
The country has been granted Protected Status against both the red palm weevil and the palm borer (more on that later). If continental growers sell plants in the UK and Ireland, palms must grow in a protected area (such as an enclosed greenhouse) or be quarantined for a minimum of two years in a protected area. Read about the best hardy palms for UK gardens.
Palm import ban – Not cost-effective to quarantine
Most exporters grow their palms outside in warmer areas of Europe. They say it isn’t cost-effective to quarantine areas for export to the UK, as the market is so small. With the import of large specimens becoming severely restricted, stocks of palms in the UK will diminish quickly. Prices are rocketing, not helped by the weak pound. Virtually the only palms imported after January 1 will be small ones grown in Dutch greenhouses.
The South American native palm borer moth (Paysandinia archon) was discovered in West Sussex in 2002. In May 2007, nine live adults turned up in an office building in Kent. They had emerged from four 5m tall Phoenix canariensis palms imported from Spain.
Plea from expert UK supplier
Of our UK nurseries, here is the message from Hardy Tropicals on their site:
- www.hardytropicals.co.uk: Realistically, this means the end of palm importation for most people involved in the business unless the big nurseries change their policy.
Palm import ban – What can gardeners do to help?
We need to support our small specialist nurseries through the next two years. If palms aren’t available, buy other plants from them. Keep them in business – if you don’t use them, we’ll lose them. If you see non-native plant pests, report them to the relevant authority. In England and Wales, contact your local APHA Plant Health and Seeds Inspector or the PHSI Headquarters, Sand Hutton, York. Tel: 01904 405138, email: planthealth.info@apha.gsi.gov.uk.
For Scotland, contact the Scottish Government’s Horticulture and Marketing Unit, email: hort.marketing@gov.scot. In Northern Ireland, contact the DAERA Plant Health Inspection Branch: Tel: 0300 200 7847 Email: planthealth@daera-ni.gov.uk.
For information on UK plant health, see: https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/phiw/riskRegister/ https://www.gov.uk/plant-health-controls.
