Costco's Orchid Vendor - Orchid Board

priz_m · #1 01-19-2009, 08:04 PM

Hello everyone!

One of the first orchids I got as a present was a Dtps Sogo Beach, my BF got it at Costco and since then I haven't been able to get a replacement (did I mention it went to orchid heaven?)

Anywho, I was wondering if any of you knew who the Costco orchid vendor is since I sort of misplaced the label and I haven't seen orchids in my last couple of visits, and their staff look at me weird when I ask. And the only online vendor I found that had it wont return my messages :'(

Thank you in advance guys!

WhiteRabbit · #2 01-19-2009, 09:46 PM

my cym I just got at costco is from Valley Tropicals in Sunol CA - haven't been able to find a web site for them
have the phone number I thinkk tho
I believe I have seen some from Nursery Man's Exchange ?
McLellan is another possibility
(most retail store plants around here, N Cal, come from these growers)

BikerDoc5968 · #3 01-20-2009, 08:30 AM

I have purchased chids from my local Costco store and now problems. The important thing is to understand that Costco buys from suppliers that can deliver on price/volume so they purchase from large wholesalers who produce large volumes of plants and really aren'e too interested in people like us as part of their mainstay business. So even if you could find the vendor for your plant, chances are they want no part of you. The other thing about Costco is that many of the "seasonal" items are there for a short time and when gone, they're GONE until the next go-around. They don't "restock" like a normal store.....but then you knew all of this. So you'll have to wait and see if your local store gets more in at some time or find it elsewhere...good luck because it is a very nice flower!

priz_m · #4 01-20-2009, 01:52 PM

Thank you so much guys! It has been a year trying to find another one of them, but Howard now that I look at the flower, I think they may have mislabeled it (see the pic attached)

I may have been chasing ghosts all along. does anyone know what it could be?

BUT I will still try to get me a real Sogo Beach because it IS a beautiful flower!

BikerDoc5968 · #5 01-20-2009, 02:54 PM

Like alot of Big Box stores, Costco isn't any different. They are in the market to sell a product and don't much care if it is labled correctly; and don't care if the vendor even puts a lable on the plant. most, if not all, the chids I've purchased there have no lable at all! As for making an ID, well, with sooooo many hbrids, it might me pretty much impossible, especially with a purple phal! I'll try to match to some of my purples when they open, which will be soon.....keep intouch.

priz_m · #6 01-23-2009, 08:17 PM

I would really appreciate it Doc. And you are right, I believe you have read Ethan's thread on mass producing orchid vendors and how little they care for their product.

I was just thinking to myself I should look for specific plants and leave the big box store orchids for whenever they have a blowout sale

Thank you again for the feedback!

rocketfarms · #7 05-13-2009, 12:22 AM

I work for Costcos primary Orchid vendor in California- Rocket Farms. The plant pictured came from our greenhouse in salinas, ca. (i can tell by the pot and the medium).

As for the exact variety... that is a very difficult thing to tell... Many varieties look very similar to other varieties.

You can contact us through our website, rocketfarms.com or call us at 877-237-7575.

If you let us know which costco store you shop at, we'll put whatever we have that is closest to your picture in there- who knows it might turn out to be the same variety!

priz_m · #8 05-13-2009, 01:11 PM

thank you rocketfarms I'll do that

Becky15349 · #9 05-13-2009, 01:21 PM

You can get a dtps sogo beach, or dtps sogo grape, almost anywhere - just search it on google. Here is a link from hausermanns, I think this dtps is similar: Phal. Sogo Grape 'Y-N' AM/AOS: Orchids By Hausermann