0604 - Foliage, branches and other parts of plants, without flowers or flower buds, and grasses, mosses and lichens, being goods of a kind suitable for bouquets or for ornamental purposes, fresh, dried, dyed, bleached, impregnated or otherwise prepared:

Chapter 06 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) pertains to live trees and other plants; bulbs, roots and the like; cut flowers and ornamental foliage. Within this chapter, heading 0604 specifically addresses foliage, branches, and other plant parts intended for ornamental purposes, which are not in bloom. This includes a wide array of items such as decorative leaves, sprigs, boughs, and other plant materials that are fresh, dried, dyed, bleached, or otherwise processed, but crucially, they must be without flowers or flower buds. The primary characteristic for classification under 0604 is their suitability for use in bouquets or as decorative elements.

This heading is distinguished from other headings within Chapter 06. For instance, it is separate from headings covering live trees and plants (like 0601 and 0602), as 0604 deals with harvested plant parts. It also differs from headings that specifically enumerate cut flowers or flower buds (which would fall under different subheadings or headings if the defining characteristic of flowers or buds was present). The "ornamental purposes" criterion is key here, differentiating these items from plant parts intended for other uses such as foodstuffs or industrial materials.

Heading 0604 is further subdivided to accommodate different states of preparation. The primary subcategories often distinguish between fresh specimens and those that have undergone various forms of preparation. For example, a common subdivision is "0604.20 Fresh," which covers plant materials in their natural, unprocessed state, while other subheadings like "0604.90 Other" would encompass items that have been dried, dyed, bleached, or otherwise treated to preserve them or alter their appearance for ornamental use. This distinction allows for precise classification based on the physical condition and treatment applied to the plant material.