Ordered Angraecum sesquipedale, worried.
 

Hey guys!

My boyfriend was super sweet and ordered me an Angraecum sesquipedale var. bosseri from Seattle orchids for my birthday, he added a 72 hour heat pack to the order and they insulated the box, however, it shipped out on Monday and it's slated to arrive on Friday. It was in spike, I've given up hope on seeing the flower this time around but what are the chances of the orchid surviving? Our temperatures here have definitely been at or below freezing.

Also, what should I do as far as care when it arrives to best save it?

Thanks for any info!

where is here? what state are you at?

---------- Post added at 08:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:52 PM ----------

sweet boyfriend though any way that you look at it..

Oh sorry, I'm in Eugene, OR!

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I definitely agree, it was very sweet and he tried to get me one in bloom/spike too haha

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That is a really nice gift!

Seattle Orchids packs beautifully, and the cartons are taped tightly enough that there will be little exchange with outside air. Those heat packs work very well with that kind of packing, but they are rated at 72 hours. I suspect the riskiest part of the trip will be in the delivery truck from the final facility to your house. I don't think the trucks are heated, and you don't know whether they go to your house first or last. If you're not home, where will they leave it?

4 days for the 175 miles / 280km Seattle to Portland? Ummmm... tell boyfriend an older man said not to scrimp on shipping next time. He could have called them and discussed the safest way to do things. Faster shipping method? He picking it up at the facility instead of waiting for the truck to deliver it? I think you're worth it....

That's a nice gift from an obviously good guy.

Heat packs are great, and I'm sure the box is well-insulated. Chances are you'll receive a good plant. It may or may not bloom, but I suspect the plant will be fine.

Some years ago I ordered three Psychopsis orchids. On the shipping label my Zip Code got transposed, which utterly blew the minds of the Post Office. They "lost" the package for well over two weeks (I want to say longer). In February. When the box finally arrived I knew I was going to be upset - it even felt cold. But when I opened it the plants were fine, and within three months each one was blooming.

Seattle Orchid packages arrive in the bay area in 3 days! Not expedited, their standard shipment.

Redefines snail mail.

It takes about four days to get a package from the West Coast to Ohio by snail mail. I was amazed when I ordered orchids from Exotic Orchids of Maui to receive my orchids in two days! They don't use snail mail but, still, that it can be done is impressive.

Most good vendors won't ship if the temperatures are too cold and, even when the temperatures are suitable, they pack the orchids in many layers of paper to protect them from the outside temperatures.

Good luck with the sesquipedale! It is a really wonderful orchid! Mine is still not mature enough to bloom so I look forward to seeing pictures of your blooms! :)

Thank you everyone for the encouragement/positivity! I was out and about when USPS decided to let me know that it would be here a day early, which would be fantastic except when I rushed home to receive the package, the carrier left a redelivery slip and no package. Oiy, USPS come on! I'm going to literally go out and find the mail man and follow him to the post office, is that illegal?

I'll go to jail for you, Angraecum <3

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Downer Debbie does it again!
I have lost orchids to frost bite, so I no longer ever order from between say, late October to late March.

The problem with my loss was that the roads got so bad for trucks (far away from me) so that the package was held in a warehouse and there, the plant froze. It had nothing to do with where I am. It was sunny and fair where I was, but not in the rest of the country.

Sorry, but that is just telling it straight from my experience. I sure hope your orchid arrives without injury.