Sources of SA Plants in US

21 years ago

What are some sources of SA in the US? I know of at least 3:

1. Jim Duggan in CA http://www.thebulbman.com

2. Guy Wrinkle, also in CA http://rareexotics.com

3. Toney Avent http://www.plantdelights.com (few)

Of course there's all the folks carrying kniphofias and Delosperma plus clivias, and common bulbs in number too large to mention. I've dealth with PD but not the others. Any comments on them?

Overall it seems that the better sources are in Holland and the UK like Paul Christian, which is a real shame in the current situation and the threat of having your stuff held up in customs because of all the alerts.

Where do you all get your plants, especially you guys in sunny CA and TX?

RJ

Comments (6)

lazy_gardens
21 years ago
RJ -
It's hard to NOT get South African plants in the dry warm Southwest, at almost any nursery. Those and the Aussie plants abound.

Many of the acacias, succulents, and flowering bulbs (Ixia, Sparaxis, Watsonia) come from there. We get a bit on the overheated oven side for some of them, but with a bit of shade most of them will survive.
Floral_Artistry
21 years ago
I have never order bulbs from Jim Duggan but I have been to a behind the scenes tour of his nursery and purchased other plants from him there. Nice stuff. He is the designer (and partial supplier) to the new Getty Museum that opened here a few years ago.

Guy Wrinkle. Hum. I have mixed feelings about him and his plants. I have heard that most all of his plants are wild collected and I don't really agree with that. If he gets them from areas right before construction etc. that is fine but I'm not so sure. He does have a great list of plants though. I have often been tempted. But the prices always put me off.

As far as other sources, there are tons of suppliers out here for material. Even Rogers Gardens in Costa Mesa (of Victory Garden fame) sell a large selection of bulbs and plants. I got a lot of Watsonia cultivars from them this past fall.
I also have a lot of wholesalers that I can get my exotic plants from on a regular basis. One supplier has a huge selection of Clivia species and a yellow cultuvar.

John Ingram
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Joe_California
20 years ago
Try the Australian Native Plants Nursery. Jo O'Connell there has MANY South African plants as well. She's a great resource!

Here is a link that might be useful: Australian Native Plants Nursery
safariofthemind
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks for the link Joe. RJ
jools4
20 years ago
Hi Safariofthemind,

Jim Shields' Nursery is located in Michigan I think. While I have not ordered from him myself, he if very reputable in the business. His site is: http://www.shieldsgardens.com

He has many varieties of Nerines available and he told me that he is working on trying to obtain some seeds from Cryptostephanus sepecies as well (very very impossible to find I think).

jools4 : )
Obsidian
20 years ago
Heronswood nursery near Seattle is a collectors & speciality nursery with a fairly large number of unusual South African plants. The owners travel and collect themselves. I know they carry the South AFrican gunnera (perpensa); restios; kniphofia etc.

Heronswood

All sources are listed in the catalogue.

Shannon