Where to Obtain Species Bulbs

There are a number of small nurseries and seed companies that specialize in species bulbs, and also some specialist plant societies that offer seed exchanges. Like most small organizations, they are generally labors of love that afford to advertise themselves broadly or send free catalogs to millions of people.

So to increase their visibility, and help keep our favorite suppliers in business, the members of the Pacific Bulb Society discussion list compiled a directory of our favorite species bulb sources. Scroll down for the list. We excluded catalogs that resell bulbs and seeds grown by big mass-market firms (they are very capable of promoting themselves), companies that have recently generated a significant number of unresolved complaints among our members, and companies that are known to dig wild bulbs for sale (the only exception is rescue missions where bulbs are about to be destroyed by development).

Search the Suppliers
Suppliers of Seeds
Suppliers of Bulbs in Europe
Suppliers of Bulbs in North America
Suppliers of Bulbs in the Rest of the World
Seed Exchanges
Buying Seeds and Bulbs on eBay
Other Lists of Suppliers

Notes:

  • This list is provided as a public service, and you use it at your own risk. PBS is a nonprofit organization and does not endorse any private company. We are not responsible for, and cannot help you with, any problems you might have with a supplier.
  • If you want to order from a supplier outside your country, make sure you understand the regulations. Some countries require import permits, some require phytosanitary certificates (certifying that there is no disease present in the bulbs or seeds), and some ban certain genera from being imported. The rules are sometimes different for bulbs vs. seeds. If you have questions, join the PBS e-mail discussion list and we'll be glad to help you.


Search the Suppliers

If you're searching for a particular plant, you can use the custom search box below to look for it in our suppliers list. It searches the websites of all the suppliers that have websites. Note that this will return all references to that plant, even if they're just notes or pictures. But it should help to narrow down your search.

Type the common or scientific name of a plant (examples: daffodil, oxalis, calochortus splendens)



Seed Suppliers

Although seeds can take several years to turn into blooming-size bulbs, they're cheaper than bulbs, and in many cases they are the only way to obtain a particular species. You can find instructions on how to grow bulbs from seeds here. There are a fair number of companies supplying bulb seeds from the US, South Africa, and Eurasia. But it's extremely difficult to find seeds of bulbs from Mexico and most of Latin America, and even for California it's hard to find sources for seeds of many native bulbs. If you're aware of any dependable sources for those, please let us know.

Alplains
Kiowa, Colorado, USA
Specializes in plants native to the mountain west of the United States (the Great Basin and areas adjacent to it). Their list includes seed of a number of native bulbs, all of them cold-hardy.

Brazil Plants
Sao Paulo State, Brazil
The owner sells seeds of Brazilian plants, including many bulbs and tuberous species. He and also runs a club in which members pay an annual fee to support his collection and in return receive free seeds every year. It's like a seed subscription service.

Brian Duncan
(No website)
Email: Brisdee at tyrone-online.co.uk
Brian is a famous Narcissus hybridizer in the UK who also sells seeds of species (and some hybrids). E-mail him for a copy of his list.

Chile Flora
Talca, Chile
Sells seeds of Chilean plants, including a number of bulbs.

Kurt Vickery
(No website)
Email: kvickery67 at btinternet.com
Kurt collects seeds in Europe and Asia. E-mail him for a copy of his latest lists.

Lifestyle Seeds
Langenhovenpark, South Africa
Has a large list of South African bulb seeds, and a smaller selection of bulbs.

Nindethana Seed Service
Albany, Western Australia
There aren't many Australian native bulbs, but this very extensive seed list includes most of them.

Pavelka Alpines
Czech Republic
Has an extensive seed list of European alpine plants, including some bulbs.

rareplants.eu
Tenerife
Has a very extensive list of species plant seeds, including a large bulb selection. Generally acts as a reseller for seeds collected by others.

Seeds of Peace
Oron Peri's nursery offers a vast list of seeds and bulbs mainly from the Mediterranean and South Africa.

Sierra Seed Supply
Greenville, California, USA
Sells seed of California plants, including a moderate selection of bulbs.

Silverhill Seeds
Cape Town, South Africa
A massive catalog of South African native seeds, including numerous bulbs. (PBS list member)

Summerfields Indigenous Bulbs and Seed
South Africa
Email: gordonc.summerfield@gmail.com
Gordon Summerfield sells a large variety of South African bulb seeds, many identified by locality (so you can buy particular colors or forms). He also carries a smaller selection of bulbs. You can see photos of some of his bulbs on his Facebook page (linked above), but you must e-mail him to get his catalog.

Theodore Payne Foundation
Sun Valley, California, USA
Sells seeds of California native wildflowers, including a small number of bulbs.

Bulb Suppliers

Because there are a lot of bulb suppliers, we have divided them by region. You can order bulbs from outside your home country, but you may need a special permit or other paperwork. Know your local rules, or ask for advice on the PBS discussion list.

Sources in Europe

Augis' Bulbs
Kaunas, Lithuania
Extensive list of Eurasian bulbs.

Bulb' Argence
Provence, France
A big selection of bulbs, many of them species that grow well in Mediterranean climates (in the process of closing down). (PBS list member)

Jacques Amand
Middlesex, UK
Also ships to the US from an office in New York.

Janis Ruksans Bulb Nursery
Website includes the catalogue of the renowned bulb grower.

Lithuanian Rare Bulb Garden
Vilnius, Lithuania
Mostly Eurasian bulbs. Large selection of Iris.

Miniature Bulbs
Knaresborough, UK
Focuses on low-growing bulbs, with an emphasis on Narcissus and Tulipa. Does not ship outside the EU.

Nerines.com
Southampton, UK
Hybrids of Nerine sarniensis. This is the sales outlet for the Exbury Nerines, a famous collection of Nerines.

Paul Christian Rare Plants
Wrexham, UK
Has a very extensive list of species bulbs.

Peony Shop
Lutjebroek, The Netherlands
Brothers Jeremy and Joshua Scholten's Dutch Peony Nursery with over 300 Peony varieties.

Pottertons Nursery
Lincolnshire, UK
Formerly known as Potterton & Martin. Has an extensive list of species bulbs, most of them hardy. Unfortunately, no longer ships bulbs to North America.

Terry Smale
Surrey, UK
Emphasizes Lachenalia, Massonia, Haemanthus, and Strumaria.

Sources in North America

Brent & Becky's
Gloucester, VI, USA
A wide variety of bulbs.

Bulbmeister
Gravette, Arkansas, USA
Mostly summer-growing bulbs, including a nice selection of Lycoris. (PBS list member)

David Burdick, Daffodils & More
P.O. Box 495
Dalton, MA 01227
413-443-1581
david@daffodilsandmore.com

Edgewood Gardens
Exton, Pennsylvania, USA
A private garden with a very impressive collection of hardy bulbs; periodically sells surplus bulbs.

Hansen Nursery
Coquille, Oregon, USA
Specializes in species cyclamen. (PBS list member)

Illahe Rare Bulbs
Salem, Oregon, USA
Has a relatively small but eclectic list of mostly US and Eurasian bulbs, including a number of Fritillaria.

McClure & Zimmerman
Randolph, WI, USA
A wide variety of bulbs, mostly selected forms.

Odyssey Bulbs
South Lancaster, Massachusetts, USA
Carries mostly hardy bulbs (USDA zones 5/6). (PBS list member)

Oregon Native Plant Nursery
(No website)
oregonnativeplant@yahoo.com
Offers Western North American bulbs (focus on Erythronium), rock plants and ornamental forbs. Electronic catalog available via email. (PBS list member)

Pacific Rim Native Plant Nursery
Chilliwack, BC, Canada
A mixed list of perennials and bulbs, centered on plants appropriate to the Pacific Northwest climate, but with some eclectic additions (not currently active). (PBS list member)

PHS Daffodils
Daffodils grown in Missouri; great variety of historical selections

Plant Delights
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Has an extensive selection of unusual summer-growing bulbs. (PBS list member)

Steven Hammer's Sphaeroid Institute
Vista, CA, USA
Sells succulents and bulbs. Strong in Albuca, Bulbine, and Massonia.

Southern Bulb Company
Golden, Texas, USA
Specializes in bulbs that will grow in the heat and humidity of the southern US. (PBS list member)

Telos Rare Bulbs
Ferndale, California, USA
A very broad selection of species bulbs from California, South Africa, and South America, many of them tender. (PBS list member)

University of California Berkeley Botanical Garden
Berkeley, California, USA
Offers surplus bulbs from the garden's nursery to visitors only. (PBS list member)

Sources in the rest of the world

Cape Flora Nursery
Sedgefield, South Africa
Specializes in Clivias

Seed Exchanges

Many of the world's plant societies run seed and bulb exchanges. Follow the link to a directory of some of the most prominent bulb-related societies.

Buying Seeds and Bulbs on eBay

eBay and other auction sites are rapidly emerging as a source for seeds and bulbs. Some growers prefer not to maintain a separate website, and just list bulbs or seeds whenever they are available. However, we encourage buyers to be cautious, especially if buying bulbs. If you don't know the seller, you might get material that was collected in the wild (which could endanger the species) or that is infected with viruses or pests.

One eBay vendor endorsed by several PBS list members is Dylan's Bulbs. To see if they have anything available, click the link. If they are not currently selling anything, the website will report zero matches.

Other Directories of Bulb Sources

Here are some other websites that list bulb sources.

American Daffodil Society generalist grower list - bulbs grown by merchants and others

American Daffodil Society specialty grower list - bulbs grown on site

Great Lakes Bulb Society Sources List
The most comprehensive list of bulb sources we've seen.

Page last modified on November 11, 2023, at 01:27 PM
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