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Is there a plant nursery that sells cactus somewhere in northern baja, around Tijuana or Ensenada? I am looking for Stenocereus gummosus, which is a common cactus I've seen many times on my way to bahia de los angeles, I think it grows inland from Ensenada on down. I live in San Diego, and can't find it at any nursery around here.

You can see it here, if you see it you will recognize it as a pretty common cactus once you get a little east of the pacific coast.

http://www.oceanoasis.org/fieldguide/sten-gum.html

Not sure about the Tijuana-Ensenada area but I think have seen that variety of cactus sold at a nursery down here in San Quintin...

Do you know the name or phone number of the nursery in San quintin. I kind of like the hotel Santa Maria down there, and my wife and I head that way about once a year or so.

Roger

Are you thinking of taking the cactus to the US???

Note- I found a guy in riverside who has a lot of these growing in a cultural center and will sell me cuttings, so I don't need to import it. I think you need export permission from mexico as well as import permission from the USA to get one in from Baja. Probably possible but lengthy and a big hassle.

Yes if it can be done legally. If you cant get permission to do so then I wouldnt, but I planned on contacting customs and asking how I can do that.

I called the USDA, you can bring a live cactus back for landscaping if you get permission before hand. He said I follow the online instructions here, and make sure to have permission before you go down and pick up the plant.

Looking further into it, this plant is covered in CITES Appendix II, I think I would need an import permit from the USDA as well as an export permit from Mexico or Baja California. Not sure where I would apply for an export permit, might be difficult to bring this thing back to the US.

USDA - APHIS - Plant Health, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Permits

Last I heard even at the military checkpoints heading north now cactus is one of the contraband items they look for...

Yea I think you need to have the proper forms to try and bring anything back from Baja. This cactus is on the CITES Appendix II list so you need permission from Mexico as well as import permission from the USDA. I imagine if you pursued it you could get it, but since I found a guy who has a ton of them growing in Riverside it's way easier just to drive up there and get some cuttings.