Norman's Orchids / Orchids.com

[Clawhammer]

I follow(ed) Norman on social media so I was excited to place an order with them, despite steep pricing, because of all the beautiful plants and genetics I see him post. He seemed like a friendly guy as well.

I placed a $550 order that contained 4 phals and 3 Phrags. These were all chosen from the "select plants" section of the website and I always chose the most expensive size option (in bud or premium size). The 3 phrags had zero roots when i went to repot. I messaged them to make them aware (didn't ask for new plants or a refund) and I didn't even get an apology. I expected them to at least care so they could address the issue with their supply chain but their response was very adversarial (despite not asking for compensation). After my experience I looked online and saw a lot of similar complaints.

Everything came in flimsy nursery pots and very old sphagnum moss despite the $75+ price tag. Even the premium phals had a large number of dead roots. The sphag was so old it stunk and the roots were being affected so I repotted even though I paid more for plants in bud.

Norman does not stand behind his products. I suspect much of what is sold through orchids.com are from sources in Asia, which of course is fine, but there is no quality control. I will not be ordering again and encourage others to shop elsewhere.