Sansevieria Resources

#1

International Sansevieria Society
Sanseverix
Arid Lands
Bob Smoley's Gardenworld

Brooksphilly · #2

I don't think most of you guys need to use ebay to find sans out west, but just in case...Greenplants2017 always has some offerings of sans (and of course, he specializes in agaves). James is an amazing person and grower...integrity ++++. Check out his literally thousands of positive reviews. Someone just bought 5 or 6 of his sans, but he has up now ehrenbergii i believe and a couple other rare types. Ehrenbergii is only $14.99. I've ordered from him 15-20 times in the last 3 years, always 100% amazing and plants reestablish quickly despite bareroot shipping. Brooks

#3

Arid Lands has more than they list. For example, they have pinguicula and rorida, but neither is listed online. And while their 3-4 pinguiculas were nice, none were quite as nice as Azul's pick-up.

BTW, all Sans fans take note: You would have to be out of your mind to not pay Arid Lands a visit if you're anywhere near the Tucson area. I doubt there is a similar collection anywhere in the US. This entire aisle, both sides -- and there are still more.

Spination · #4

For me, my only source I'm interested in is necessarily Ebay. My reason is that I just don't really want any non-variegated specimens, and what I want comes out of SE Asia. On Ebay, the SE Asian sellers who offer Phytos are very reliable and trustworthy, or that has been my experience, 100%. My rationale is if I'm going to put in the effort to grow a not easy to grow plant (that part is because I have to heat them in the winter, and make sure not to water them)... then I'm going to invest that energy on plants I really, really like, and not the run of the mill easy to get plants offered here in the USA.

Not being a snob, but I like what I like, and there's really only one good source for them.

I did start out with a couple of non-variegated species to learn the ropes, but after that, it was and is now variegates only!

#5

I'll say this FWIW (I know, not much), I like Sans variegates far more than Agave variegates, which are frequently less attractive than their non-variegate counterparts. The difference is that variegation seems to enhance the natural coloring of Sans, as opposed to replacing attractive Agave banding/coloration with the same ho-hum green/yellow color scheme.

Anyway, good to know these SE Asian eBay vendors are reliable. Those variegates are tempting.

jayhouseplant · #6

A note about Bob Smokey's Gardenworld is that the inventory they have listed on the website is not up to date. I've tried to order about 6 species of Sansevierias and they ended up not having all of them. I've also tried to contact them via phone with no luck. I eventually got a handwritten mail a month after telling me they're out of stock of the ones I wanted to order.

#7

^ Yikes! That's pretty discouraging.

Spination · #8

http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/1695/#b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The situation there might be in a state of reorganization and flux and some uncertain times due to the passing of Bob Smoley last year. All considered, the reviews really aren't that bad.

Spination · #9

I've used the Sanseverix website as a resource, to help confirm or support IDs coming with plants, for a few years now. I like it a lot due to the way it's set up - easy links on a single page to check species info.

DesertDweller · #10

Hmm. The last one, e-monocot, doesn't seem to be working anymore and returns "unreachable" errors for me.

Also worth noting, some time back, I tried to do a large order to the tune of a few hundred bucks with Glasshouse Works. Absolutely zero communication about the order, nobody answered calls, or replied to numerous emails over several days. As soon as I got PayPal to cancel the payment, suddenly they were communicative, but only to condescendingly tell me about their policy of only answering emails/phones a couple days a week.

No attempt to salvage the order, and I never did get any confirmation if their stock was accurate or what shipping lead times would have been. Their nursery 'business' seems more like a hobby, one that they either lost interest in or never took seriously to begin with. Perhaps others have had luck, but for me, never again.

#11

If you've caught the Sans bug, you should drive on down to Arid Lands, rather than engage mail order. You won't believe your eyes.

Saw a Few Sans Today

DesertDweller · #12

Gee.S wrote:If you've caught the Sans bug, you should drive on down to Arid Lands, rather than engage mail order. You won't believe your eyes.

Saw a Few Sans Today

Yep, it's on my list for the next time I make it out that way. I just don't have any idea when that will be, but I will certainly stop in if the opportunity presents itself.

#13

You just get in your car and go. That's what weekends are for. It's about a 2-hour drive. Nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon. And you might want to rent a trailer for all the Sans you bring home.

DesertDweller · #14

Gee.S wrote:You just get in your car and go. That's what weekends are for. It's about a 2-hour drive. Nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Ha ha. If only I had the time.

Spination · #15

I'd do it, even if only to see all they have. Google maps tells me using the fastest route, it's only a 13 hour drive. Hmmm - tough decision, but I guess I'll have to pass.

#16

^ Next time you're in LA, it's only a little further!

But seriously, you would have the time of your life kicking around Tucson for a couple days visiting nurseries. Trust me.

Agaveville