What is CITES? What to know before buying succulents, orchids and caudex plants

If you grow succulents, orchids or caudex plants, you will often see "CITES Appendix II" in product listings or online discussions. This article explains what CITES is, how the Appendices differ, and what is in fact not covered by them.

To be clear: this is general information compiled from public sources consulted in September 2026. It is not legal advice. The Appendices and the regulations change, so if you do import or export, check the current rules with the competent authorities.

What CITES is

CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which Taiwan's regulations refer to as the Washington Convention. It deals with international trade: making sure that trade in plants and animals is legal and does not threaten their survival in the wild.

Species protected by CITES are listed in Appendix I, II or III. The Conference of the Parties meets roughly every two to three years to decide on changes to the Appendices. The current listing date for families such as Cactaceae and Orchidaceae is March 2026 (the 20th meeting).

How Appendices I, II and III differ

Appendix	Which species	What international trade requires
Appendix I	Species threatened with extinction that are or may be affected by trade	Allowed only in exceptional circumstances and not primarily for commercial use; both import and export permits
Appendix II	Species not currently threatened but that may become so without trade controls, plus look-alike species that need to be regulated as well	An export permit from the exporting country; whether an import permit is also needed depends on national law
Appendix III	Species protected in at least one country that needs help from other Parties to regulate trade	An export permit or a certificate of origin, depending on the exporting country

Most CITES species are in Appendix II. Appendix II means international trade is regulated, not banned.

Whole families and genera: cacti, orchids and caudex plants

Many horticultural plants are not listed one by one but as a whole family or genus:

• Cactaceae is listed as a family in Appendix II, except for species in Appendix I, and the genera Pereskia, Pereskiopsis and Quiabentia are excluded from this listing. This site's Lophophora williamsii falls under it.
• Orchidaceae is listed as a family in Appendix II, except for species in Appendix I. Most lady slipper orchids are in Appendix I. This site's Phalaenopsis pulcherrima is in Appendix II.
• For caudex plants, it depends on the genus. Pachypodium, for example, is listed as a genus in Appendix II, including Pachypodium brevicaule, but Pachypodium baronii in the same genus has been in Appendix I since 1990.

Within one family or genus the Appendix can differ, so always check down to the species. And not every caudex plant is listed: this site's Dioscorea elephantipes has no CITES listing in Species+.

Checking is easy: search the scientific name in Species+, a species database run by the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre with the CITES Secretariat, which shows which Appendix a species is in and since when. For help reading scientific names, see Reading plant scientific names.

What is not covered

The Appendix II listings for Cactaceae and Orchidaceae both carry annotation "#4", which sets out the parts of the plant that are not covered. The three most relevant to growers are:

• Seeds (including orchid seedpods), spores and pollen. The exemption does not apply to Cactaceae seeds exported from Mexico.
• Seedlings or tissue cultures obtained in vitro and transported in sterile containers, the flasked plants many growers know.
• Cut flowers of artificially propagated plants.

Each family also exempts certain artificially propagated plants:

• Cactaceae: several Schlumbergera hybrids and cultivars, Hatiora x graeseri, cultivars of Opuntia microdasys, and Cactaceae colour mutants grafted on Harrisia 'Jusbertii', Hylocereus trigonus or Hylocereus undatus stocks.
• Orchidaceae: artificially propagated hybrids of Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis and Vanda, only when conditions are met. The plants must be clearly artificially propagated with no signs of wild collection; non-flowering shipments must be packed in containers of 20 or more plants of the same hybrid with documentation of the numbers; flowering shipments need at least one fully open flower per plant and professional retail packaging and labelling. Plants that do not clearly qualify must be accompanied by CITES documents.

Note that this orchid exemption covers hybrids only. Phalaenopsis pulcherrima is a species, so it is not covered by it.

In Taiwan: which authority is in charge, and who to ask if you really do import or export

Buying and growing plants within the country does not involve CITES permits; the Convention covers the border crossing. If you do need it, here is who to ask:

Matter	Authority
Import and export permits for CITES species	Ministry of Economic Affairs, carried out by the International Trade Administration
Plant quarantine (not only CITES species)	Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency, Ministry of Agriculture

Two basic principles are set out in the Trade Act: endangered species may not be exported without permission from the competent authority, and may not be imported without permit documents from the exporting country. Export permits are applied for at the International Trade Administration, with the details set out in the Regulations on Import and Export of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna, Flora and Related Products. This article does not go further into the procedure, because the rules change; follow the authorities' current announcements.

Plant quarantine is a separate matter

CITES covers trade in endangered species; plant quarantine is a separate set of rules that applies even to plants not listed in the Appendices:

• For live plants, seeds, seedlings, cut flowers, bulbs and pollen, check the list of plants approved for import and their quarantine conditions, and provide a phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country.
• Soil and plants with soil attached may not be imported without a prior import permit, and growing media have their own import conditions.
• Plants carried by travellers (including checked baggage) or sent by post must follow the import quarantine rules too.

In short

"CITES Appendix II" on a label is not a reason to worry: it is a level of international trade control, not a ban on growing or buying the plant. What deserves attention is buying across borders: check the scientific name against the Appendices first, then confirm that the seller can provide the matching documents.