Dear Orchid Friends,

     We are deeply saddened to announce that Paul Gripp, Orchid Man, first employee and former owner of Santa Barbara Orchid Estate, has passed away after a brief illness at the age 93.   Your e-mail recollections of Paul are comforting and we will reply to them when we are able. Additional recollections are welcome.   With gratitude, The Gripp Family (January 2026)

    With Paul, we had been looking forward to an epic-blooming season of Dendrobium speciosum with Paul sharing his immense knowledge.  With the speciosums beginning to bloom, we are soldiering on and imagine Paul telling us to put on a really big show.  We have a speciosum display arranged geographically to help visitors understand the distribution and cultural requirements of this remarkable species that spans 1400 miles along the East Coast of Australia.

 We have also brought into the sales area in-spike speciosum seedlings, most blooming for the first time.

 

 

For the Presidents’ Holiday Weekend, SBOE will be open:
Friday February 13, 2026:  Open 10am-2pm 
Saturday February 14, 2026:  Open 9am-3:30pm: Valentine’s Day
Sunday February 15, 2026:  Open 10am-2pm 
Monday February 16, 2026:  Open 10am-2pm: Presidents’ Day

2026 SBOE Regular Open Days & Hours:
Fridays 10am-2pm 
Saturdays 9am-3:30pm
(Reservations are not required, but before travelling a long distance, we strongly recommend re-confirming by e-mail, on website, or by phone the day before visiting in case of unexpected closure.)

Lists, Lists, Lists: Use the links below to download pdfs of our most recent specialty plant lists:

UPDATED LIST!!! Specimen List June 2025:   Would you rather have ten small diamonds or one big diamond?  Recommended for expert growers only.  Plants for a variety of growing conditions.  Prices range from $200 to $5000.  List updated 6/24/25

UPDATED LIST!!! Epidendrum Pink Champagne Established Keiki List June 2025:  The “poor-man’s” orchid moves up in the world.  Beautiful sunset colors.  Prices range from $30 to $50.  List updated 6/24/25.

For updates, please join our email list HERE.

We try to answer the phone 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Saturday. If we don’t answer, please call later or e-mail us.  Plants may be ordered for pick-up outside the nursery gates if arranged 2-3 days in advance of pick-up date. Please phone or email if you have any questions.