Have: Rare tropicals, orchids, houseplants, etc. in PNW US!

[I am in the process of editting and updating the list of plants below, please bear with me. Maybe I should use some of the other functionality of the site to list these :)]

I have a new job (good) in a new town (good) which will require me to sell my home ASAP and thus I will lose the space for maintaining my extensive tropicals collection (bad!).

If you are in the Pacific Northwest it would be easiest to trade these since I travel around the area a lot, but I'm worried about the damage they'd take traveling by mail.
I could use hardier plants (to zone 7) in trade, but many other arrangements are possible (seeds, computer equipment/software, greenhouse equipment, cash, etc.)
Many of these are quite rare, since this is my special collection, but some of them are very common.

Here is a partial listing of what I need to get rid of:

Orchids:
Vanilla Planifolia, various length vines
Dendrobium Veeravuith Brush, large specimen, currently in bloom
Colm. Wildcat 'Carmela' mature specimen
Dendrobium 'Hona Hona', very large overgrown specimen
Bardendrum Barkerii x Epidendrum, very large specimen
Gongora Galeata, mature specimen
Stanhopea species "#10" large, overgrown clump
C. forbesii var aurea 'C.Y.' x Sc. Beaufort 'Elmwood' var. 'Great', large clump
Masd. Mary Sugiyama (Angel Frost x tonduzii), small clump
Zygopetalum Warringal Wonder 'Sapphire' x Zox. Gumeracha 'Midnight', overgrown specimen
Paphiopedalum Zeus 'Red Swan' x Maudiae 'Pinot Noir' unbloomed, mature, single division
Paph Juno (fairrieanum x callosum), prev. bloomed parent with one mature unbloomed division
Blc. Destiny 'Sun Drop', small
Pot. Hisako Akatsuka 'VQ' AM/AOS PURPLE x Blc. Jeremy Island 'Carmela', two mature divisions
Zygopetalum, large specimen, unknown name
Paphiopedalum, mature unbloomed single division, unknown name
Zygo. Mackayi 'Robusta' x Self, small seedling
Dendrobium kingianum, large specimen
various other large, unnamed varieties, various genera

Epiphyllums, various named varieties

Monstera Deliciosa 'Alba' -very rare
Plumeria slips, recently rooted, various colors
Plumeria seedlings, about 9 months old
Nepenthe divisions, semi-small
Sanseveria, various
Adenium obesum, various
Euphorbia tirucalli (pencil cactus)
Ficus benjamina, many varieties (variegated, contorted, etc.)
Pony-tail palms
Streptocarpella, variegated and non-variegated
African Violets, named and unnamed varieties
Strelitzia nicolai, 1 year old seedlings
Many palm seedlings, phoenix, chamaedora, etc.
Birds nest ferns, large
Staghorn fern, large
Large peperomias (~3 feet)
Atemoya seedlings
Malabar? (formerly guyana) Chestnut (various sizes)

No longer available (traded, gave away, or died):
Venus flytrap, red variety (currently green, though)
Gardenia jasminoides radicans 'Variegatum'
Passifloras, various
Lemon guava seedlings


Much more to come -- I had two greenhouses blow down this year and still haven't figured out what all survived and what didn't.

I also have some houseplants which I could give away to anyone in the Puget Sound or Tri-Cities, WA area: spiders, wandering jewel, ordinary ficus benjamina, etc.

I will clarify the et al lists as I have time to catalog and enumerate them. In the mean time, please inquire if interested and let me know what you can do in exchange!

If you're interested in something in particular, I can also post digital pictures.

My time is very limited and I need to get rid of these ASAP; sorry for not listing these in my trades page or something more formal. Also, please excuse the spelling errors.

Thanks.

This message was edited Apr 9, 2004 5:25 PM

Do you have any Marginata? If yes, pls. respond. If not, a response is not necessary. Thanks...Steve

Steve-
Marginata of what plant?
All I can say is "maybe".

Let me know.

I'm going to display my ignorance here. I'm new to this tree. It is the Marginata tree from Madascar. It is sometimes called the Dracena. It is very expensive as far as plants go.

I may be interested in some of your other plants. Can you ship them?? I'm really interested in unusual plants/trees that can be propogated. I'm very new to this and am usually intimidated when I go on this list because there are so many people, like yourself, who really know what they are talking about and I am just a beginner.

Later.SS

I certainly wouldn't mind helping you out with the orchids and maybe some others, but like you said, shipping would probably kill them, unless you send them express and packed really well. Let me know if you don't get any takers in the PNW and I'll work with you on a few.
Molly

Oh how I wish I lived closer to you tropicalaria! I wish I could help. Ive wanted to try Monstera Deliciosa, and could always use more AVs! :o)

This message was edited Dec 28, 2003 9:04 PM

Steve-
Dracaena Marginata isn't really that expensive or rare, unless you're looking for some rare cultivar of it or a very large specimen.
As far as ignorance goes, don't sweat it. This is a great place to learn and there are many very nice people to help you until one day you're the expert helping others.

Molly-
It is mainly the orchids that I'm worried about getting rid of since they can't go in a cool greenhouse and generally prefer lots of light. I'm not sure how to get rid of them so fast when I can't ship them (they could even go on eBay if they were shippable!)
If you've got any ideas on how they can be shipped, I'm all ears!

Thanks. I'm going to check my local retailer in the morning. They have a good stock of tropicals.

Wish we could help each other, but as you say, maybe the Wisconsin winter is defeating the effort.

Very, very good luck with your move and your new job. Maybe you can come to Wisconsin and root for the Packers. :)

Steve

also, apologies for misspelling Madagascar!! :)

SS

Monstera Deliciosa isn't that hard to get a hold of either. Both it and the Dracaena marginata can be found at normal department stores and hardware stores. The Alba form, which is splashed with white variegation, is still very rare, however. I do have both, but if you're looking for the regular form I'd encourage you to look in Lowe's, Fred Meyer's, etc. or whatever your equivalent stores are.

Best of luck.

do you have any variegated african violets? do you think they would travel well to nc? plmk i live in zone 7 so i could get you some plants in the zone youre moving too plmk moretz

I would be interested in your Epiphyllums, various named varieties. I am not concerned about whether they are namedor not. I have white and traded for pink. Just mainly loking for day or night bloomers of various colors. Maybe even some large cuttings? LMK what you think. I have various seeds. I live in Zone 9 so I should have something you would like. Then maybe not.
Also Plumerias of different colors.
These 2 plants are only for my enjoyment as I am not interested in hybridizing (if spelled right) Just love these plants. I have enough to do taking care of them without trying to make other colors.
Thanks
Sandy

I would be interested in some of your plants. Do you think they could survive in the house with sufficient light? I will come up with a list of the perennials that I could dig up for you. I live in The Dalles, Oregon but I have a sister-in-law, that I visit often, in Gig Harbor. I would love the house plants too. Do you think your greenhouses are salvagable?
Angela
lehman@gorge.net

Everyone:
Thanks for all of the responses.
I specified the area I was in because I was worried that these plants couldn't be shipped due to the cold weather, and I have to get rid of them before it warms up. If you know otherwise about them, or are willing to help me come up with a way to safely transport them, I will gladly send them to you out of the Pacific Northwest area, though I would appreciate some kind of trade or compensation.

If all else fails, they will be locally donated.

Moretz:
Again, I'm worried that they would be damaged by the cold in transit. African Violets are very sensitive. I do have several variegates, though.

Sandy:
I have no idea what the hardiness of the epiphyllums is or how well they would transport to Texas. All of them are either named and I know the color of most of these, or unnamed and they haven't bloomed yet, so I don't know anything about what color they will be.
As far as plumeria go, they are a little hardier, but a chill of 20 degrees would definately do them in if experienced in transit. The seedlings will probably not bloom this year, and though they are from a pink ruffled form they could be any color. The slips will bloom if treated well.

Angela:
Many of these will do well in a house, especially in a window. What are you interested in?
The destroyed greenhouses are a total loss. They were secured to the ground, but the high winds and heavy rainfall of a couple severe storms literally twisted the (steel!) frames out of shape. I was very upset.

ooh.. do you still have some of that vanilla? i've read that vanilla orchids are okay to ship as long as they're packaged carefully
and..is that a variegated gardenia?
i dont think i've ever seen a variegated one.. i've got a huge plain green leafed one in my yard, though..
i'd definitely be interested in that, if you dont mind just taking postage for them
i dont think i've really got a lot to trade that you would be interested in
if you really dont want to ship them.. that's okay too
i've been trying to find some vanilla orchids, though... lol
got all excited when i saw them listed here :)

Kim


This message was edited Dec 29, 2004 2:01 AM

I am wondering about these plants for me or my friends. I could care for them for you till you get settled OR do a trade for some of my plants. I also have access to an orchid greenhouse to keep them in so they would be well protected. If you don't come this far east I could possibly meet you somewhere in your eastern range.

Colm. Wildcat 'Carmela'
Dendrobium Veeravuith Brush
Dendrobium 'Hona Hona'
Gongora Galeata
Blc. Destiny 'Sun Drop'
Gardenia jasminoides radicans 'Variegatum'
Monstera Deliciosa 'Alba'
contorted ficus


Thanks, Lani

Tropi, I had 4 orchids shipped in from Hawaii this month. This was after they had 2 cold snaps up in New England. She packed all 4 of them in 1 box, with newspapers and styro peanuts. She shipped them FedEx. They came to my house in 3 days. From the mainland, they could be shipped overnight express. Marked perishable/plants so they are treated better. The zygo is the only one with a problem and that was only the buds falling off, the plant is fine.

So ultimately, you could probably sell them on ebay and charge more for shipping with overnight express. If you decide to do that, you may email me to tell me your ebay name so I may bid on them? Thank you and good luck.
Molly

OOHHH me too!
If not I'd be willing to trade for some and reimburse you for shipping overnite....

I have hardy perennials,though they may be hard to get at right now......though they are not frozen yet

edited to add that we are having mild weather and they expect it to continue for a week or so,and take a look at my tradelist to see if there are some things you're interested in,I also have things not listed yet.....

This message was edited Dec 29, 2004 8:21 AM

I"d love some of the epiphyllum. i know they ship well, even if you have to break it into smaller pieces. I"ve been dying for a few since I had to leave my babies in Texas. Would also like Gardenia jasminoides radicans 'Variegatum'
Sanseveria, various. Let me know. I live in Zone 7 Georgia, and just moved away and had to leave my 1000's of plants behind. Would love some new babies.

Congrats on the new job, but sad that you have to give up such a great plant collection. I would be interested in the adenium, passiflora, and lemon guava, if able to ship.
Right now our weather is very mild in NE Texas. I have plants suitable to zone 7 and also some computer equip. you might be interested in. PLMK Pam

tropicalaria
cant you get a heat pad or something like that at the PO to put in with the plants to keep them warm i think it is like 2.00 extra for them,i have seen people offer them on ebay with their plants they are saling. i dont know if you can but i have seen them offered i am willing to pay you for the plants,how much would you like for them? and the "heatpad" or i can send you some plants in spring to you if you like either way i live in zone 7 like you will be. just plmk ok
moretz
p.s. i want the variegated african violets if possable but if not i understand.

You have mail..

You have mail.

Just a little addendum. Thanks to all of you for your input. I went to my local Home Depot today and found several 3' 4' marginata...madagascar dragon for, get this, $29.95 marked down to "x" and then marked down again. I ended up paying $6.95 ea. I bought 3 of them. I think I will go back tomorrow and get some more.

Thanks again.......Steve

I am interested in the Monstera Deliciosa 'Alba', Birds nest fern, Staghorn fern, large, and the contorted ficus. Let me know what you have left and we can work on the particulars.

You have mail

you have mail.

Again,
Thanks for the input on the Madagascar dragon tree. I did end up going back to Home Depot and buying more plants. They had one 5' variety for $16.95. (There were actually 5 trees in the pot.) I divided the trees and so far have sold 2 pots (3 trees) for $45. I've made $28 profit so far and still have 2 left to sell. I will make almost $95 profit off of ONE stupid little pot of trees. Plus, I still have 5 pots of multiple trees that I got for $6.95/pot. I know I will sell these for $25/EA. Nothing wrong with 300+% profit.

Golly, I love this business. I grow Wandering Jews (some people call them Wandering Jewels)...They grow like a weed...you can't kill them. I pot them up and sell them for $15/basket. Cost? Less than $1/basket. I also grow other things...won't bore you with the details...but this is a GREAT business and Dave's website is a wonderful place to get information/education.

Thanks again..........Steve

All:
Sorry about the great delay, and not getting back to everyone who has posted here or sent me email. I was a bit ill just before I had to go out of town to start my new job and my computer access has been somewhat limited since then.

Looks like it is going to be quite a chore to sort through all of this in terms of who asked for what and when. I will see what I can do about organizing and getting back to you. I do need to get rid of the orchids right away, though, since they are no longer under plant lights (as of yesterday) and will start to suffer soon.

So anyone wanting orchids and within a certain radius of the Tri-Cities will be attended to first.

Thanks for your patience.

I would be happy to take any orchid or epi off your hands-I live in zone 7b, so check out my list. lemme know if you'd like anything! Would you like outside z7 plants?

Do you happen to have a Bismarck palm?

tropicalaria, I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your greenhouse space. That's such a shame and I know you're worried about your babies. Is there not a local orchid group that could help you overwinter these? If you want to try shipping you might want to contact an orchid grower such as Hausermann's and ask them what you might could do in cold conditions. They don't generally start their shipping until March, but they might be able to give you an idea. Look up www.orchidsbyhausermann.com and try to call them. If you figure out a way to ship them, then keep me in mind for what you might could send. I'd be willing to compensate you with seeds or even a little bonus SASE so to speak. I hope you find a home for you babies. :)

It must be so difficult to have to give up such beloved plants! I wish I could help! I'm not too far away but unfortunately I don't have a greenhouse, I hope you find good homes for them, or maybe you will find someone to care for them for you until you get settled into your new home. congrats on the new job!!

Tropicalaria, I'd be willing to drive over your way and take whatever you'd like to give me off your hands....I promise to give them a good loving home here in Seattle. :-)

RikerBear

>>

Hi,
Sorry you have to give up a life's worth of plants. I'm in the opposite situation. I had to give up gardening for almost 10 yrs when my husband transferred to NYC. We moved quite a bit because housing was so expensive. Finally we bought and moved into a house this past summer. YAY!!!

I'm not brave enough for orchids yet. But I am interested in the following: Epiphyllums, various named varieties
Plumeria slips, recently rooted, various colors
Plumeria seedlings, about 6 months old
Venus flytrap, red variety (currently green, though)

Adenium obesum, various
Passifloras, various

I'm not sure what I would have that you would be interested in. I would be happy to send postage or some type of compensation. If you do Ebay, I would be happy to bid on especially the plumeria.

May your move be smoother than mine was!

Sheila K!

Just wanted to let you know that you can buy hot pads that are full of some sort of crystals that heat up and can send tender plants that way. The hot pads I think can last up to 60 hours. I know that tropical fish are shipped that way. I had some shipped to me last year & they survived the trip from Georgia to PA. just fine. Thinking of doing that again this year. Would love to take some of your shippable plants off your hands but the cost of shipping might be prohibitative. Maybe cuttings? Let me know & thanks. I would be glad to reimburse your postage. Do you accept paypal?

I would love some guttings of your epis and could give cuttings back when you get settled and cuttings have new growth.
Thanks
Sandy

just joined. my heart goes out to you for needing to relinquish your collection and for all the work involved in a move. i live in maine and have a budding interest in orchids. since they are mailed all the time, there must be ways. i'll do some research, e.g. calling a nursery that specializes and let you know.

Did anyone ever make any trades or purchases from/with Tropicalaria? I never got one single reply from any of my private emails or from my postings here on this thread.
Hope he found good homes for them all.....or better yet hope he was able to find a way of transporting them.

RikerBear

nope, nothing. I wonder if he's without computer?