A friend of mine may move from CA to either PA or FL. Can one import a
young Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix Canariensis - Forgetting the
climate issue for the moment]) and a meyer lemon tree (which she cared
for for years and doesn't want to give up) from California into either
Pennsylvania or Florida?

Hi rickjb-ga

There's good news for your plant loving friend.  Both States to which
she might move have no prohibitions on importing or owning either of
her "pet" plants.

Neither State explicitly bans the interstate transport or possession
of either the Canary Island date palm or the Meyer lemon tree.

Pennsylvania seeks to curb the growth of invasive plant species--those
that spread rapidly and aggressively to displace other plants. The
State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources urges residents
to refrain from planting such species in gardens. However, the State
has no laws banning them.

In Florida, most threats to the citrus industry are deemed to come
from plants, parasites and diseases imported from outside the USA. The
citrus code and other laws pertaining to the import of plants govern
those that will be grown commercially.  The State Department of
Environmental Protection also requires permits for the possession of
aquatic plants but only those grown for business purposes.

Some web sites of interest:

Dave's Garden "For Gardeners By Gardeners"
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/49905/

Canary Island Date Palm
http://www.zinnysworld.com/canary_island_date_palm.htm

Industry Issues
http://www.zinnysworld.com/canary_island_date_palm.htm

Florida Department of Environmental Protection
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/lands/invaspec/2ndlevpgs/fieldops.htm

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources "Invasive Plants"
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/wildplant/invplants.aspx

Search terms:
Pennsylvania Canary Island date palm
Florida Canary Island date palm
Pennsylvania Meyer lemon tree
Florida Meyer lemon tree
Pennsylvania plant imports
Florida plant imports
Florida citrus code

I hope this is helpful to your friend.

All the best,

Alanna-ga

See if you can find a State Agriculture Department listed for the
state you wish the trees to end up  in.  Frankly, the citrus tree
sounds scary, because there are a bunch of dangerous stuff hanging
around citrus trees. I live, when I am there, a few hundred yards from
an orange grove in southern Texas. They got a strange bug or worm in a
tree imported from Florida, and now the whole orchard is closed down,
and no wood, leaves, or fruit is allowed removed. So, I think your
concern deserves some real research. If no one answers, look for the
Ag folks in that state.