As kiwifruit growers know, plants and plant material can’t come into New Zealand without correct approval and stringent biosecurity requirements being met.

In a case of mistaken intel recently, air plants were destroyed on arrival when a passenger travelling from Melbourne declared four plants she had purchased at the Melbourne Garden Show, three tillisandia plants and a syngonium plant.

The passenger unfortunately was given incorrect information from the seller at the time of purchase, and the plants were subsequently seized and disposed of by border officials.

Image: Tillisandia plants (left), also known as air plants, do not need soil to grow. They are often found attached to branches or trees and get water via their roots from the moisture in the air. Syngonium plants (right) can survive in water without soil and are considered water propagatable plants.