There's a seller on ebay, Rocksmith, who has very perfect little "Dwarf Samurai" available. He's EXTREMELY conscientious and fair. He has excellent, well grown plants. The "DS" are small, but that's how they start. I recommend him highly. I think he's had some pingulcula and "Cobra" listed in the past. I've seen "Kismayo" around but not frequently. I'm looking for that one too.

The others you list are harder to find, but available... and pricey.

I've had good success with Arid Lands Greenhouse. They have nice plants at reasonable prices... except rorida for $250. OUCH!

Michael

Michael,

I've been loathe to use Ebay for plants, but your recommendation makes me want to order this plant. Do you know if ebay sellers also accept personal checks (I won't use PayPal)?

Thanks,

Jeff

Jeff,
I'm not certain, but this seller is quite amenable to alternatives. It would be worth checking with him.

I would NOT just buy willy-nilly from ebay. I've checked growers about other growers, made small purchases, then larger ones if it's a good product. It's always good to look at the ratings and comments of a seller. There are some very good growers out there.

You do have to have a general understanding of the species in question - always a good plan... Is it being sold in juvenile form or adult form? Is it really the species in question? For rare plants, do you *really* want to spend that much if you "win?"

Michael

Jeff and All,

I contacted Rocksmith and he is perfectly willing to accept checks. He said the whole process from bidding to receiving plants takes a few days longer to complete. That said, I just got a FANTASTIC 'Doris Pfennig' from him today. She's LOVELY! He's got super hallii, bella, 'Frosty Spears' and a bunch of others. They all have reasonable starting prices and worth every penny.

For the time being, he's about the only one I've been impressed with.

No I'm not related to him.

Have fun.

Michael

Michael,

So ebay stuff is strictly by bid? Sorry for the pestering questions, but not only have I been loathe to use ebay, based on some folks' receipt of some plants, I don't know nothin' about it. I don't just pay a set price, I really can have a Sans. rorida for 99 cents (plus shipping), if my timing is right?

Thanks for the education,

j

Jeff, Yes and no. Bids start sometimes small but most have a starting price and most have a 'Buy it now price'. So if you can watch and hope you might get a super deal. I don't like the wait and then some one at the last minuet out bids you. I just pay the Buy it now price and be done with it.
Stush

Michael, What all sans do you own? I have only a few other species other than trifasciata. One looks like a javelin spear and the others look like an agave.

Stush,

Thanks for the information. I think I'm going to do just that.

I found the plant 'Dwarf Samurai' but I don't see the Rocksmith seller - is he under another name?

Jeff,
Rocksmith222, try searching s.hallii. He is in ca
Inna

Hello All,

I just got back from a nursery tour and was out for a few days. Sorry for the response delay.

Stush, I've got about 40 species and other form selections right now. I'll actually have to record them at some point. I've got all the information on labels and have yet to get it into a database file. (I was the curator of collections for a public garden in a past life.) Most of the present ones are still small. My older ones bit the dust a few years back. (It's an ugly story.)

Jeff, as mentioned, you *could*, feasibly, get a rorida for .99, doubtful. Rocksmith222 is, indeed, the correct handle, I think. the hallii search will do it for sure.

Michael

Mike,
I use Excel spreadsheet for all my sans. I can copy and paste pictures for web sites and from 'Paint' feature found in windows. With Paint, you could downsize and print all your info right into the picture. Also I include all the info for each plant I own. I was able to get Excel at a discount due to my emplement.

In my past life, I was an electrician foreman.

We use Excel at work and I like it. I think I have it at home. While the computer isn't on line, it's still working. I don't have telephone, cable, wireless, television, or satellite at the farm. The lines don't go out that far AND it's too expensive. How would I but all those plants?

Getting ALL the plants onto the database is definitely a winter project, but a necessary one...

Mike do you have electricty and running water at your farm. Just kidding with you. It is beginning to sound like my uncle's farm. When we visit him, it was like going back in time 100 years. Old farm house with 2 bedrooms and a path behind the barn. They couldn't believe we had bathrooms inside our houses.
We might have to nickname you Amishmike

That's funny. All my closest neighbors are Amish, but I have electricity and running water. Fortunately, the well is spring fed and didn't run dry during last summer's drought. The house sits on a corner, one dirt road, one paved.

While I lived in the city for the past 20 odd years, I grew up in the country. I tell people it felt like I was sort of raised Amish, but my father liked new cars and power tools. Mom not only baked our bread, Papa ground the flour. We DID have an indoor bathroom!

Just want to mention i had great experience with rocksmith222. He send healthy quality plants. Very good price. i got S. Cobra, S. kirkii var. pulchra "Coppertone" and S. sp. - Field Collected in Lobal, Kenya (MB-21)

Inna

Inna, that's wonderful. I was certain he would come through. He's a very decent guy. I'm getting a shipment from him next week.

I should mention, I also have had great success with Arid Lands Nursery. The shipments have been very nice. The plants were not as perfectly grown as Rocksmith's but still VERY good with reasonable prices. They carry quite a few species in various sizes. You can do business completely on line. They are communicative and send updates to let you know that your order is being processed. It took less than a week to get plants and they were bigger than expected, not little offsets or simple divisions.

Anyone else had good experiences with growers?

Not-so-Amish Mike

Inna,

I know I'm revealing myself as a dinosaur (retired velociraptor), but I can't find that seller. I can find those plants that you suggested, but I can't find him. He's in the US, right, and not in Canada? Not that that makes much difference, but I can find the plants you suggested, I just can't find him.

Miles2go has some Sans, I think, and his service is excellent, as is his plants and prices for them. Yes, a new one, too, along with the one I got from him (S. hallii).

Here is a link that might be useful: Miles To Go

Jeff,

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sansevieria-pearsonii-HUGE-and-RARE-/320889845344?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0amp;hash=item4ab6867660

or

Just copy paste this on ebay search:

Sansevieria pearsonii - HUGE and RARE!!!

He is in California.
I will definitely check out Miles2go. i fact I did some time ago looking for Euphorbia Stellata,but no luck;(
Inna

Inna,

If you're still looking for that Euphorbia, you might try Out of Africa, Mike Massara. He's on line but if it's not listed, it may be worth a call. He often has species not listed.

Aridlands has LOTS of Euphorbia, but not stellata. I checked for you.

Michael

I just got an order from Rocksmith222. It was REALLY nice. He sent me a few pictures of his greenhouse and it's full of all these wonderful plants - quite impressive. He has really been a dependable grower with a fine selection of plants. Even in the winter, the plants made it to NY in good condition. Only once did a plant not survive the cold and he immediately replaced it.

Next month, maybe I'll try Aridlands again. There are ALWAYS more plants to grow.

Michael
NY Zone 6

Michael,

So I've, thanks to Inna's persistent help, got to Rocksmith222. Say I want to contact him outside of Ebay - I didn't see a method to do that, so is that something I'm overlooking?

I have simply got to order from him the next time I'm in the States - his plants are so nice.

Thanks,

Jeff

And you're too right about AL - I could spend a lottery winnings there fairly easily - well, between there and Tropiflora.

Tropiflora may be a bum steer for Sans (I haven't yet looked) but if you are looking for 5' (that is not a mistake) Operculycarias, that's the place - and its other plants are muy fantastico, too.

Jeff, there's a button for "contact seller." You can select "other" from a group of options and send a message about an item. From there, you may be able to contact him via outside email.

Tropiflora has some Sansevieria, but the selection from AL is better. Rocksmith has knockout selection too. You just have to watch on line.

Loving my new plants... having too much fun this spring indoors... the outside garden is a wretched mess from heavy late snow and frost. The Sansevieria have been great consolation. My new (VERY old) house has provided me with a nice growing room.

Michael