Type Orchids.com in your browser, and you will go to Norman's Orchids in Montclair, California.
Norman Fang started his nursery in 1986, after graduating from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture. The nursery is located in a residential area on what used to be Black Walnut orchards. They have a delightful retail location; one of the lone survivors of evolving market trends in the orchid world and in California. They have outlasted some huge orchid nurseries, in business just a few years ago, that have either relocated away from California or gone out of business.
Norman had the foresight to obtain his website domain name early in the history of e-commerce. His company sells orchids all over the world.
Norman had the foresight to obtain his website domain name early in the history of e-commerce. His company sells orchids all over the world.
In addition to their e-commerce business, they still participate in many of the important orchid shows during the year. In fact, Norman shared with me that he had just returned from a show in Taiwan. He is also scheduled as a vendor in the upcoming Santa Barbara International Orchid Show this coming March, 2019.
I visited this nursery on November 23, 2018. To get there, I took a circuitous route to avoid Los Angeles traffic on the Thanksgiving weekend.
I got to enjoy the "beauty" of the desert!
One iconic place I passed was Charlie Brown's in Little Rock, California. In my haste to get to the nursery, I didn't stop there. I am sorry I didn't. My family and I last visited there in the mid 80s. This is a "must do" for a future trip.
The Mormon Rocks near the transition between highways 138 and 15.
On a very overcast day, I arrived at Norman's around noon.
The entryway to Norman's Orchids
Specimens of Platycerium and other tropical plants grace the entryway.
Retail sales area
The second greenhouse literally took my breath away. Even on a sunny day, pictures cannot do these scenes justice. Norman uses temperature controls to induce Phalaenopsis to bloom year round for the market.
Norman's has many other genera represented in the retail area, many of them fragrant.
My Haul
I came home with several plants from Norman's. One orchid I was seeking was the Mexican species Chysis Limminghei, shown on Norman's website. I have grown Chysis Brachtescens, another Mexican species successfully for many years. C. Limminghei is harder to find. I have never seen it at any other nursery.
A surprise find was the fragrant Mexican species Encyclia Radiata. I had been ambivalent about this orchid until I found a robust example of this plant at Norman's. When divided, it will make two respectable divisions and some back bulbs.
I love to grow Dendrobiums. They are upright growing, require little bench space, tolerate the Bakersfield heat and reward a little culture with flowers that last all summer. I found this Dendrobium Hsinying Frosty Maree ,which will join my growing collection.
Finally, a little orchid kept calling my name. I tried to ignore her, because she obviously had a lot of Sophrinitis Coccinea in her background. Coccinea is a notoriously touchy grower, being especially sensitive to water quality. Finally she said, "Daddy take me home!!!"
This is Sopholaeliocattleya Little Hazel. Her parents are tried and true old parents from the 70s and 80s. One of her grandparents is Slc. Jewel Box, an iconic hybrid. This little miniature will take up little greenhouse space and reward me with multiple flowers almost 3" across.
I enjoyed my trip to Norman's Orchids very much. Many thanks to Norman and his helpful staff!
