I had the opportunity to visit myself and actually got lost in the expansive shadehouses, as if that were a bad thing!
There's also a great selection of other rare plants too, like succulents and even a tropical rainforest dwelling blueberry!
The reason I'm just now sharing this link is because they now have a fully functional website. They used to sell mostly by mail order and their monthly "cargo report" which was fun, but not very accessible to newcomers like myself. Now you succulent nuts can browse through pages of sought after species and forms, and bromeliad crazyheads can peruse through the list of bromeliad genera and intergeneric hybrids you didn't even know existed!
Of course you can visit their shadehouses too, which struck me as a Disneyworld for tropical gardeners. They are open to the public and sell retail to individuals. Based outside of Sarasota at 3530 Tallevast Rd, there are over 7000 plants in their collection and they are all grown and propagated on site! I highly recommend reading the Our History page, as Dennis' success story is very inspiring to any gardener. They even send their rarities to botanical gardens and zoos around the world now!
Just to get you guys worked up about the selection, there are carnivorous plants, epiphytic cacti succulent ficus, rainforest ferns, terrestrial bromeliads, caudiciforms, ant plants, aloes, agaves, and best of all, many many more bromeliads!
One more thing, there's plenty of supplies, and some educational materials such as this excellent list of cold hardy bromeliads! Be sure to visit their fall festival from October 1st-3rd 2010 too!
For some of my posts on bromeliads:
Bromeliad Garden is Oblivious to the Season!
Hardiness List and Damage Report
Aechmea "Blue Cones"
Very nice! Thank you for the tip...this looks like one I will have to hunt down and talk to about 'plant lust' we would LOVE to have such an excellent nursery on our site.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link! Wow, they sure have lots of bromeliads in their collection. I wish I live near by sarasota so that I can visit that place more often. Hmmm, maybe it is not too bad, since I don't have a fat pocket to support my anyway :)
ReplyDeleteRainforest, that is very nice! What an amazing collection and catalogued very nicely! I am wary of mail-order...been stung one too many times. Is this open to the public or did you arrange a special tour? Is it wholesale only or is it a retail nursery? Just trying to see if it would be worth a drive. It does look like an enormous place, with a lot of staff, which makes me think wholesale.
ReplyDeleteI've heard this is a great source to purchase bromeliads from. My neighbor got a couple of really unique one from there awhile back. What did you buy?
ReplyDeleteDanger Garden:
ReplyDeleteI don't wanna hear about it! We both KNOW you have plenty of great nurseries to visit over there! heehee! Actually Tropiflora is about 4 hours from me, but now I'll be sure to shop online.
Ami:
Yeah, I think its a good thing that most of my brom purchases are limited to annual plant sales and trips down south. I'd be even more broke than I already am!
Floridagirl:
Its totally open to the public and you can get however many you want with no appointment. The hours are posted on their webpage, so you'l have to visit sometime! Neos seem to be their specialty and we both know how you like those!
Susan:
I bought a Vriesea Philippo-Coburgii and a "blue crisp" golden polypody fern. I think I only spent about ten dollars, but I'll be purchasing some online when I can!
Steve,
ReplyDeleteI went to the fall festival last year and found some amazing buys on broms. That's where I got my first Aechmea Blanchetianas and some neos that are out of this world bright this summer. The October event is very well worth the drive. Get there early though. That shade house is overwhelming but glorious.
Thanks for sharing the information.
Meems
September 10, 2010 5:24 PM
Steve,
I went to the fall festival last year and found some amazing buys on broms. That's where I got my first Aechmea Blanchetianas and some neos that are out of this world bright this summer. The October event is very well worth the drive. Get there early though. That shade house is overwhelming but glorious.
Thanks for sharing the information.
Meems
Thanks for the tip, I’m traveling to Tampa next month and will make sure to stop by
ReplyDelete