I learned that anyone selling certain plants for planting in the UK needs to be certified and inspected by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and issue Plant Passports for their stock. At first, the idea of an official inspection at my nursery was, if I'm honest, a bit intimidating.
So, like any sensible gardener expecting company, I had a big tidy-up. The dogs’ bed came out of the polytunnel, the pile of “bits and bobs that might come in useful someday” was finally tackled, and I swept every corner. I wanted the place to look its best even though I knew, deep down, the real stars of the show would always be the plants.
When the inspector arrived, all my nerves melted away. She was relaxed, friendly, and genuinely interested in what we grow here. I actually enjoyed showing her around. And I’m proud to say the plants really did shine that day, because we passed the inspection and now Pretty Wild Plants is officially Plant Passport certified!
So What Exactly Is a Plant Passport?
What You’ll See on Your Plants
- The botanical name of the plant
- “GB” to show it’s grown in Great Britain (shame it can’t say Wales!)
- Our unique grower registration number
- A batch code
That batch code is specific to the group of plants it came from, so if there's ever a problem, we can trace it right back to when and where it was grown. It might seem like just another bit of bureaucracy but it represents something important: care, responsibility, and traceability, both for you as a customer and for the landscape we all share.
A Note About Northern Ireland
One frustrating thing I’ve learned through all this is that even though we’re now licensed to issue Plant Passports, we still can’t currently send plants to Northern Ireland.
To send even a single plant across the Irish Sea, we'd need to arrange an individual inspection from APHA (minimum expected cost: £127), and then include a Phytosanitary Certificate with the order, which adds another £25. For a tiny nursery like ours, those costs just aren’t workable.
Brexit really is the gift that keeps on giving.
As soon as sanity prevails and those extra charges are reduced or removed, we’ll be ready and I’ll be sending you all the Mugwort and Monkshood you can plant Northern Ireland!
Why It Matters
We all know our wild and cultivated spaces are under pressure from new pests and diseases to unpredictable weather, pollution, and the loss of biodiversity. They’re not exactly thriving right now. But Plant Passports are one small, practical way to help protect what’s left.
It feels good to know that every plant leaving here has been grown and checked with those wider concerns in mind. So there you have it a little behind-the-scenes story from my polytunnel to your garden. I’m proud to add that label to each pot, knowing it stands for the kind of care I want Pretty Wild Plants to be known for.
If you’ve got any questions about Plant Passports, you know where to find me.
Pretty Wild Plants
