Where to Buy

Perhaps OOAB has tempted you into getting into the exotic houseplants game, and you sorely need somewhere to get your fix? Here's a list of places I know of (but haven't necessarily used) that sell various things online (and offline).

Online (and usually offline too!) Orchids in .za:
Orchid specialists, alphabetical order:
  • Afri Orchids - I have only just discovered they sell plants; no personal experience with them yet, but the owner is well known in South Africa (and beyond) and has a massive photo library. Not to mention a lot of very tempting plants. 
  • Exotic Plant Company - best to visit their nursery in Franschhoek, Sadly much diminished when they left Franschoek, but in theory you can order online, and visit them at their branch at the Cape Garden Centre.
  • Ferntide Orchids - Mainly Cymbidiums, but other plants available too. Yet to use.
  • Formosa Orchids - Offline shop once a month; I imagine they'll do postal deliveries. 
  • Plantae - Email ordering, pdf catalogues and postal delivery; really great packing and helpful, friendly service. Now have an online catalogue and shopping cart. 
  • Stephward Estates - Online order and postal delivery. Nepenthes don't do so well in the post :( Flasked stuff should be fine; orchids delivered bare root. Howard is very friendly and helpful, and you'll get lots of updates on how your order is doing - and some helpful culture notes, if you need them.
  • Orchidology - Have not ordered; PDF catalogues available at their site. 
  • Van Rooyen - Email ordering; online catalogue and postal delivery; fairly good packing; plants generally bare root.
Other sources:

Offline
Orchid Specialist
  • Your local SAOC-affiliated orchid club and its members will often be a good source of plants (and advice).
  • Caro-Lin Orchids, Port Elizabeth (Cymbidiums) E: caro-lin@global.co.za; T: 041 367 3478.
  • Duckitt Nurseries, Darling. http://www.duckittnurseries.co.za/ There's an interesting article here about another business in Darling, which supplies a lot of orchid places in .za, including Duckitt, Exotic Plant Company and La Motte with tissue culture products.
  • Inhle Orchids, Ballito. E: inhleorchids@gmail.com  T: 083 228 2413 or 032 946 3004 facebook flickr.
  • La Motte (Disas, others) - As far as I know, don't generally sell direct to the public other than some Disa available at the shop. Their orchids are sold extensively throughout South Africa at Woolworths. Disa hybrids are not labelled with their parentage in my experience.
  • Outeniqua Orchids, The Ark Farm, Upper Maitland Street, Blanco, George. E: stellrsa@mweb.co.za T: +27 44 870 8150 F: +27 44 870 8915. They are the South African agents for Carter & Holmes and are happy to add things they don't currently stock to their next order from there.Their packing is very good!
  • Serendipity Orchids, 81 2nd Avenue, Edenvale, Gauteng  T: +27-(0)11 452 0600 E: mikeandtessa@mweb.co.za; seem to specialise in Cymbidiums.
Non-Specialist


Most garden centres, supermarkets and florists usually have the odd orchid or two available; whilst this can be an initially easy way into the game, you end up wondering exactly what hybrid you've ended up buying; such plants are often not labelled beyond their genus, which is not particularly helpful if you ever intend to show your plants (whereupon a reasonably accurate identification of the plant or hybrid is a necessity). They also tend only to stock more "common" things. When the bug truly bites, I imagine you'll search high and low to get what you want!

I've bought orchids from:

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