Importation of 

Bromeliads in Approved 

Growing Media from 

Belgium, Denmark, and 

the Netherlands

Environmental Assessment

April 2010

United States

Department of 

Agriculture

Marketing and 

Regulatory 

Programs

Animal and 

Plant Health 

Inspection 

Service
Importation of Bromeliads in 

Approved Growing Media from 

Belgium, Denmark, and the

Netherlands

Environmental Assessment

April 2010

Agency Contact:

William Aley

Regulatory Coordination and Compliance

Risk Management & Plants for Planting Policy

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

4700 River Road, Unit 133 

Riverdale, MD 20737

__________________________________________________________

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Table of Contents

I. Purpose and Need............................................................1

II. Alternatives ......................................................................3

A. No Action ....................................................................3

B. Proposed Action.........................................................3

III. Environmental Impacts....................................................6

A. No Action ....................................................................6

B. Proposed Action.........................................................6

IV. Endangered Species Act.................................................8

V. Listing of Agencies and Persons Consulted ...............10

VI. References......................................................................11
1

I. Purpose and Need

The purpose of the proposed rule change is to remove the current 

restrictions that prohibit the importation of bromeliads belonging to the 

genera Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia,

Tillandsia, and Vriesea from Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands in 

approved growing media. International trade agreements require that such 

requests be honored as long as there are no science-based reasons for 

denial or modification of the requests.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine 

(PPQ) has conducted a pest risk assessment (PRA) to determine the 

potential of the proposed action to introduce a plant pest, should the 

importation request be honored. Based on the results of the PRA, PPQ has 

advised an amendment to import regulations under 7 Code of Federal 

Regulations (CFR) § 319.37, which would add bromeliads belonging to 

the Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, 

Tillandsia, and Vriesea genera originating from Belgium, Denmark, and 

the Netherlands, to the list of plants in approved growing media that may 

be imported into the United States. All importation would be subject to 

specified growing, inspection, and certification requirements as delineated 

in 7 CFR § 319.37–8(e). 

This environmental assessment (EA) of the proposed action, prepared in 

accordance with Council on Environmental Quality, USDA, and APHIS 

regulations under National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR parts 

1500–1508, 7 CFR part 1b, and 7 CFR part 372, respectively), will be 

used to help determine whether to prepare an environmental impact 

statement (EIS), which is a more comprehensive study of the proposed 

action and alternatives considered by an EA. If the analysis and 

mitigation procedures presented in an EA satisfy regulatory officials of the

safety of this proposed action to the human environment, a finding of no 

significant impact (FONSI) is then issued for the proposed action. 

Background

The Plant Protection Act of 2000 (PPA), Title IV of Public Law 106–224 

(7 United States Code (U.S.C.) 7701 et seq.), as delegated by the Secretary 

of Agriculture, authorizes APHIS to take actions to prevent the entry and 

establishment of harmful plant pest species, provide for the control, and 

minimize the economic, ecological, and human health impacts that 

harmful pests can cause. APHIS enforces regulations (7 CFR parts 300–

399) to carry out its safeguarding mandates under the PPA. Under these 

regulations, APHIS provides notices of quarantine on agricultural 

commodities; requires permits for the importation of agricultural 
2

commodities; inspects cargo and passengers; has the authority to refuse 

entry of commodities found to be infested with certain pests; can require 

treatment of commodities with chemical methods, nonchemical methods, 

or a combination of both; monitors for pests; provides preclearance 

inspection programs of certain agricultural commodities in some 

countries; participates in cooperative efforts at the international, Federal, 

State, and local levels, in an effort to protect against the introduction and 

spread of harmful pests; and conducts control or eradication programs. 

Title 7 CFR § 319.37 pertains to foreign quarantine notices for nursery 

stock, plants, roots, bulbs, seeds, and other plant products. The proposed 

changes for allowing the importation of bromeliads of genera Aechmea, 

Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and 

Vriesea from Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands in approved 

growing media would affect 7 CFR § 319.37. Bromeliad plants, including 

these genera, are most commonly used as houseplants or landscape 

ornamentals in warmer climates. All bromeliad consignments entering the 

United States must be accompanied by a USDA permit and phytosanitary 

certificate issued by the plant protection service of the exporting country. 

This must indicate that the plant material in question has been inspected 

and is free from harmful pests and plant diseases. Currently, bromeliads 

are imported from Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands (in addition to

some other European countries) into the United States as bare-root or 

unrooted cuttings; this means that upon importation, they are free of soil, 

sand, earth, or other growing media. These plants are enterable into the 

United States, subject to inspection results at designated ports of entry that 

have plant inspection stations (i.e. ports with facilities where live plant 

material can be examined).

A number of other species, including rhododendrons from Europe, 

Begonias, Gloxinias, Ananas, and other plants were permitted to be 

imported in approved growing media. To date, in all of these cases, the 

phytosanitary measures are believed to have been effective in reducing 

potential environmental impacts, that is, no associated pests are known to 

have been imported and become established as a result of the importation 

of these plants in approved media.

As required by 7 CFR § 319.37–8(g), APHIS has performed a single,

comprehensive pest risk assessment for the importation of Aechmea,

Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and

Vriesea species in approved growing media from the requesting countries. 

The risk assessment (USDA–APHIS, 2009) indicated that the bromeliad 

species associated with this proposed action are relatively disease-resistant 

taxa. However, one quarantine pest was found to be connected with 

Aechmea, one of the bromeliad genera associated with the proposed 
3

action. The quarantine pest, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. opuntiarum, is a 

fungus characterized as having a low pest risk potential.

Importation of bromeliads from Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands 

into the United States is currently limited to bare-root or unrooted cuttings, 

which are then propagated and/or grown by U.S. nurseries, and sold 

throughout the country. The importation of plants already established in 

growing media is not permitted under current regulations. The result of 

the current practice is that imported plants and cuttings are not available in 

the market place until after they have been planted and grown in media 

and then shipped to retail outlets. This additional handling of plants 

results in some loss of merchandise. It does, however, provide business to 

the U.S. nurseries that supply the labor, materials, and space for the 

rooting, potting, and growing of the plants. The number of U.S nurseries 

which currently import bromeliad plants from Belgium, Denmark, and the 

Netherlands is unknown, but is estimated to be no more than three 

(USDA–APHIS, 2010). 

An economic analysis completed by APHIS (USDA–APHIS, 2010) as 

part of the review of this proposed rule change indicates that the volume 

of U.S. imports of bromeliad plants from the Netherlands has steadily 

declined from 2,350,476 in 2006 to 759,684 in 2009. In 2007, the number

of Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia,

Tillandsia, and Vriesea plants imported to the United States from Belgium

totaled 2,662,367. The volume of imports of these bromeliad species 

originating in Denmark is unknown at this time. 

II. Alternatives

A. No Action

This alternative would maintain the current import restrictions on 

bromeliad species originating from Belgium, Denmark, and the 

Netherlands without any changes to those restrictions. That is, 

importation would be restricted to bare-root plants and unrooted cuttings. 

Importation of plants in approved media would not be permitted. 

B. Proposed Action

The proposed rule would allow bromeliads of the Aechmea, Cryptanthus, 

Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea genera in 

approved growing media to be imported into the United States from 

Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands subject to the requirements of 

§319.37–8(e). 
4

For plant species of the Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, 

Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea genera imported under the conditions 

of the proposed rule, importation would be allowed only if the measures 

summarized below are followed. These measures constitute a “systems 

approach” to addressing potential risk and environmental impacts of the 

proposed importation. A systems approach refers to a combination of 

specific mitigation measures that provide overlapping or sequential 

safeguards. Additional detailed information on the associated 

phytosanitary requirements discussed below is available in the risk 

management document (USDA–APHIS, 2009c). 

All species of the Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia,

Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea genera imported into the United States 

must be greenhouse-grown plants. Wild and non-domesticated species 

cannot be imported. All mother stocks are to be determined to be as pestfree by an approved official of the exporting country’s national plant 

protection organization and an APHIS–PPQ inspector no more than 

60 days prior to being established (planted) in the greenhouse 

environment.

All Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, 

Tillandsia, and Vriesea species plants imported into the United States 

must be in approved growing media (as defined in 7 CFR § 319.37–8) to 

prevent the introduction of pest species. No sand, soil, earth, or other 

unapproved media can be present with the imported plants.

All species of the Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, 

Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea genera must be grown in accordance 

with written enforcement agreements among APHIS, the plant protection 

organization of the exporting country, and growers. This includes 

requirements for written operational workplans for detecting and 

eradicating any pests before importation, and any applicable registration or 

permitting of growers in the exporting country.

Bromeliad species grown for importation into the United States must be 

grown in pest exclusionary greenhouses following all applicable 

phytosanitary measures outlined by APHIS in 7 CFR § 319.37–8(e)(2)(ii).

Benches on which plants belonging to the Aechmea, Cryptanthus, 

Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea genera that 

are grown for importation into the United States must be at least 

46 centimeters (cm) above the floor.

1. Approved 

Plant Sources

2. Approved 

Growing 

Media

3. Agreements

4. Exclusionary 

Greenhouse

5. Raised 

Benches
5

Floors in greenhouses where plants belonging to the Aechmea,

Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and 

Vriesea genera are grown must be composed of permanent material that 

can be sanitized, if necessary, and be free of soil.

Automatic closing doors to exclude flying insects and, to a limited extent, 

prevent windborne pests from entering the greenhouse, are required. 

Greenhouse air exchange and temperature control vents must have screens 

with openings no larger than 0.6 millimeters (mm) to exclude pests.

Sanitary procedures must be in place to maintain the greenhouse free of 

injurious pests. 

Mother stock bromeliads must be grown in the exporting country for at 

least 9 months prior to export of the plants to the United States. Mother 

plants imported into Belgium, Denmark, or the Netherlands from another 

country must have been grown in the exporting country for 9 to 12 months 

(the actual time period is dependent upon the treatment of the mother 

stock in the exporting country). Descendant plants must be grown in an 

active state of foliar growth for at least 4 consecutive months before 

export.

Water sources used in the growing of bromeliads belonging to the

Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, 

and Vriesea genera for importation into the United States must be either 

rainwater that has been boiled or pasteurized, clean well water, or potable 

water.

Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, 

and Vriesea genera plants for importation into the United States must be 

accompanied by phytosanitary certificates issued by the plant protection 

organization of the exporting country, which represents a finding based on 

monitoring inspections that the conditions outlined by 7 CFR § 319.37–8 

are being met.

Inspection of mother stock by a PPQ inspector or an inspector from the 

plant protection organization of the exporting country will take place no 

more than 60 days before the bromeliads are established in the 

greenhouse. Descendant plants will be inspected no more than 30 days 

prior to export. APHIS inspectors will visit Belgium, Denmark, and the 

Netherlands periodically to ensure that the program is working properly. 

In addition, inspection of imported Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, 

Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea species will take place 

at the port of entry into the United States by PPQ inspection personnel. 

6. Floors

7. Automatic 

Doors

8. Screens

9. Sanitation

10. Detention 

Periods

11. Clean Water 

Sources

12. Phytosanitary 

Certificate

13. Inspection
6

Pest interceptions or repeated detection of a quarantine pest may result in 

PPQ requiring more specific mitigations of the pest(s) of concern.

Plants belonging to the Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, 

Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea genera intended for importation into 

the United States must be packed and stored in areas that are free of sand, 

soil, earth, and plant pests. Packaging should be designed to prevent 

contamination and the introduction of hitchhikers. Bromeliad plants shall 

not be packed in the same container as prohibited articles. 

III. Environmental Impacts

A. No Action

As described above, the no action alternative would maintain the current 

import restrictions on bromeliad species originating from Belgium, 

Denmark, and the Netherlands without any changes to those restrictions. 

That is, importation would be restricted to bare-root plants and unrooted 

cuttings. Importation of plants in approved media would not be permitted. 

The potential environmental consequences of maintaining the importation 

restrictions to bare-root plants and unrooted cuttings are minimal. The 

current practice of importation of bare-root and unrooted cuttings of 

bromeliad species from Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands has not 

resulted in any incidence of identified environmental impacts as a result of 

either the imported bromeliad species or any pests that may have been 

present on the imported bare-root and unrooted cutting plant material. 

B. Proposed Action

Under the proposed rule, as discussed above, the current importation rules 

would be revised so that bromeliad species originating from Belgium, 

Denmark, and the Netherlands could be imported into the United States in 

approved growing media. The requirements associated with the 

propagation, rearing, shipping, and importation of Aechmea, Cryptanthus, 

Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea genera 

under this option are designed to minimize any potential environmental 

impacts associated with the plants being brought into the United States in 

growing media. 

There are some bacterial and fungal diseases that are identified in 

phytopathological literature sources that have the potential to infect 

species of the Aechmea, Crptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, 

Tillandsia, and Vriesea genera. However, as discussed in the PRA and 

risk mitigation document completed for this proposal (USDA–APHIS,

2009b; USDA–APHIS, 2009c), there was one quarantine pest identified 

14. Packing and 

Storage
7

for Aechmea species which could reasonably be expected to be imported 

on these plants. This quarantine pest, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. 

opuntiarum, is a fungus, characterized as having a low pest risk potential

(USDA–APHIS, 2009b). This was determined by analyzing the biological 

profile of the pest, along with several factors, including the consequences 

of introduction and the likelihood of introduction. Likelihood of 

introduction takes into account the number of plants which would be 

imported annually, the likelihood of the pest’s survival following 

postharvest treatment, the likelihood of detection at the port of entry, and 

the pest’s restrictive climatic and dispersal requirements. The PRA also 

assessed the weediness threat posed by Aechmea, Crptanthus, Guzmania, 

Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea. The PRA indicated 

that three species of the Tillandsia genus are considered weed species in 

Chile (T. landbecki Phil) and Argentina (T. recurvata, and T. aeranthos). 

However, these plants have presented little evidence of adverse impacts in 

these countries, and grow without incident as established plants in the 

United States. 

Systems Approach

The systems approach described previously (which includes all mitigation 

measures listed in this document under II.B., Proposed Action) is designed 

to be a fail-safe system that includes tiered safeguards. Thus, if one of the 

above mitigation measures were to fail, other safeguards built into the 

system are designed to ensure that risks are managed. Even though the 

risk of any environmental impacts associated with the importation of 

Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, 

and Vriesea genera into the United States in approved growing media is 

extremely low, this systems approach further minimizes any potential 

environmental impacts. 

Under the proposed action—

• all plants must be grown in compliance with a written agreement for 

enforcement signed by the plant protection service of the exporting 

country and PPQ; 

• plants must be developed from mother stock that was inspected by an 

APHIS inspector or foreign plant protection service inspector and 

found free of diseases and pests no more than 60 days prior to the time 

the plant is established in the greenhouse; 

• all plants must be grown in compliance with a written agreement 

between the grower and the plant protection service of the country in 

which it is grown that allows for inspections and monitoring of 

compliance; 

• plants must be grown in a greenhouse in which sanitary procedures 

are sufficient to exclude plant pests and diseases; 
8

• plants must be rooted and grown in an active state of foliar growth for 

at least 4 consecutive months immediately prior to importation into 

the United States; 

• plants must be grown from seeds germinated in the greenhouse unit or 

descended from a mother plant that was grown at least 9 months in the 

exporting country prior to importation into the United States; 

• plants must be watered only with rainwater that has been boiled or 

pasteurized, with clean well water or with potable water; 

• plants must be rooted and grown in approved media as listed in 

§ 319.37–8(e)(1) on benches supported by legs and raised at least 

46 cm above the floor; 

• plants must be stored and packaged only in areas free of sand, soil, 

earth, and plant pests. 

Previously, a number of plant species, including penjing species, 

Phalaenopsis, Schlumbergera, Rhipsalidopsis, Rhododendron, Begonias, 

Gloxinias, Ananas, and other plants were permitted to be imported in 

approved growing media. To date, in all of these cases, the phytosanitary 

measures included in the systems approach have been effective in 

reducing potential environmental impacts, that is, no associated pests are 

known to have been imported and become established as a result of the 

importation of plants in approved media.

IV. Endangered Species Act 

According to 40 CFR § 1508.27(b)(9), APHIS–PPQ is required to 

consider the “degree to which the action may adversely affect an 

endangered or threatened species or its habitat that has been determined to 

be critical under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.” In addition, 

Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and ESA’s implementing 

regulations require Federal agencies to consult with the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (FWS) and/or the National Marine Fisheries Service to 

ensure that their actions are not likely to jeopardize the continued 

existence of endangered or threatened species or result in the destruction 

or adverse modification of critical habitat. 

In meeting these requirements, APHIS prepared and submitted a 

biological assessment (BA) (USDA–APHIS, 2009a) to the FWS in 

Arlington, Virginia. The BA used the results of the PRA (USDA, 2009b; 

USDA, 2009c) and analyzed (1) the potential of quarantine pests to be 

included in commercial shipments of plants, (2) any federally listed 

endangered or threatened species that are potential hosts for these 

quarantine pests, and (3) the potential invasiveness of Aechmea, 

Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and 

Vriesea species.
9

APHIS has determined that the importation of commercial shipments of 

Aechmea, Cryptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia,

and Vriesea spp. plants in approved growing media from Belgium, 

Denmark, and the Netherlands will have no effect on federally listed 

species or their habitats. There are no federally listed species in the plant 

family Bromeliaceae (FWS, 2010). There are no listed plant species that 

would be susceptible to F. oxysporum f. sp. aechmeae because it is 

pathogenic to only a single plant genus, Aechmea, in the family 

Bromeliaceae. Within the United States and its territories, Aechmea

species occur as native plants in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 

However, the pathogen is effectively removed from the pathway and 

effectively precluded from establishment in the United States by the 

mitigation measures already present in the applicable regulations (USDA–

APHIS, 2009b).

Based on information presented in the BA, along with previous 

programmatic consultations concerning the importation of nursery stock 

established in APHIS-approved growing media, FWS concurred with the 

APHIS determination that the importation of plants from the Aechmea, 

Crptanthus, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea

genre in growing media from Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands will 

have no effect on federally listed or proposed endangered or threatened 

species or their habitats. 
10

V. Listing of Agencies and Persons 

Consulted

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Policy and Program Development

Environmental and Risk Analysis Services

4700 River Road, Unit 149

Riverdale, MD 20737

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Commodity Imports Analysis and Operations

4700 River Road, Unit 133

Riverdale, MD 20737

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Phytosanitary Issues Management

4700 River Road, Unit 140

Riverdale, MD 20737

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Planning, Analysis, and Regulatory Coordination

4700 River Road, Unit 156

Riverdale, MD 20737

U.S Fish and Wildlife Services

Division of Consultation, Habitat Conservation

Planning, Recovery, and State Grants

4401 N. Fairfax Drive, 420

Arlington, VA 22203
11

VI. References

FWS—See U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

USDA–AHPIS—See U.S. Department of Agriculture–Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture–Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service, 2010. Initial regulatory flexibility analysis: Importation of 

bromeliad plants in growing media from Belgium, Denmark and the 

Netherlands. March, 2010. Riverdale, MD.

U.S. Department of Agriculture–Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service, 2009a. Biological assessment for importation of bromeliads in 

approved growing media from Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands. 

September, 2009. Riverdale, MD.

U.S. Department of Agriculture–Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service, 2009b. Plant Protection and Quarantine. A pathway-initiated 

pest risk assessment: importation of Aechmea, Crptanthus, Guzmania, 

Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea in growing media, into 

the United States from Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands. July, 

2009. Raleigh, NC. 

U.S. Department of Agriculture–Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service, 2009c. Plant Protection and Quarantine. Risk management 

document: Importation of Aechmea, Crptanthus, Guzmania, 

Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Tillandsia, and Vriesea in growing media, into 

the United States from Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Revised: 

July, 2009. Raleigh, NC. 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2010. Species report. Threatened and 

endangered species system. [Online]. Available: 

http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/ [2009, July 7].