Welcome at Tropical Centre B.V.
for growers, garden centre, retailers and private persons

 

Tropical Centre Ltd worldwide

The headquarters of Tropical Centre Ltd in The Netherlands consists of 15.000 m2 of greenhouses, located in Helden-Panningen in the province of Limburg. A second department of 4000 m2 of greenhouses is located in Rijnsburg, in the province of South-Holland, and serves mainly as nursery and stock up.
With a third department in the United States and close cooperation with a number of international nurseries, we can offer you a large collection of high quality and exclusive plants.

We are specialized in the import and export of a variety of stem forming yucca's from Mexico and Texas that we grow up in our own nursery.

In addition we have a large collection of agaves, tree ferns, musa, palms and other very exotic plants, among which succulents and xerophytes, that we import from all over the world to let them acclimatize and reroot in our own nursery. Afterwards they will find their way to the wholesaler, garden centres, interior decorators, gardeners, botanical gardens and private persons throughout the world. Our average stock consists of over 10,000 full grown plants up to 5m high. In our reference collection you will find very rare and beautiful yucca's, agaves, dasylirions, nolina's, fouquiria's and many other species.

 

Tropical Centre, its origin and background

Tropical Centre was founded in December 2000, but already started the set up in 1996. Through an extensive network of international contacts, many years of experience in the nursing and sales of sub-tropical plants and a keen understanding of the market, in short time Tropical Centre has developed into one of the main providers of sub-tropical plants in Europe. Meanwhile they have an international name in the field of Mexican and USA stem forming yucca species and other succulents. Many full size species have been brought into the market by Tropical Centre in larger numbers and made available for the average collector and nursery men.

In 2001 the founder of Tropical Centre in Panningen (Limburg), Roland Smeets, started collaboration with Drs. Nico Klijn, leading importer of cacti and succulents and founder of Winco Cactushandel, Klijn Horticultural Imports and American Desert Plants.

Mr. Klijn visited many cacti biotopes in the Unites States, Mexico, Guatamala, Belize and other countries in Latin America. He collected for major botanical gardens in Europe and Asia and wrote a book on cacti. He is also a known expert of the flora of Madagascar and managed the production of a book on this mystical island. (Madagascar, the Red Island).

Since the 1980's he is mainly involved in the import of yucca's, agaves and palm trees. He was the first to import the popular Yucca rostrata and to offer Yucca linearifolia for sale in Europe. He pioneered in grand scale nursing of yucca's on a farm in Texas. So Tropical Centre can offer a wonderful collection of cultivated yucca's with almost perfect heads and well developed roots.

Mr. Klijn visited all federal states in Mexico to localize a variety of yucca's, agaves and rare xerophytes. As a result he developed an extensive reference collection in his greenhouses in Rijnsburg.

Since his withdrawal from Winco Cactushandel and American Desert Plants, Klijn works with Tropical Centre and is as such responsible for the enormous variety of yucca's, agaves, dasylirions, nolina's and other desert plants.

Mr. Klijn runs a stock up annex warehouse in Mexico in order to transfer plants. He runs a steady crew that is working exclusively for Tropical Centre. In addition Mr. Klijn has a basis in western Texas, Arizona and Nevada.

The cooperation with this traveling expert (our man in the field) has helped us to develop a successful formula where a thorough knowledge and experience has been coupled with a large expertise in the field of display and sales of exotic plants and objects. As such we do not only offer a highly varied and spectacular collection of yucca's, agaves, and other xerophytes and exotic products, but also the assurance of quality, expertise and good after sales.

Since 2006 Tropical Centre has become a Limited Company, run by Roland and Sandra Smeets. They were one of the first in 2000 to run a business focused on exotic outdoor gardening in The Netherlands. They were founders of Balinese and Mexican style outdoor gardens for private persons in The Netherlands.

Because of Roland's interest in yucca's and treeferns he became well known on the European markt for his website with all the information about planting, maintenance and availability about these plants. It is well known because of its fantastic lay-out and quality. Sandra Smeets became a visible force in the company, is dealing with the administration and is the face and voice for Tropical Centre to all customers.

Visitors may walk through the three exotic gardens with their specific collection of plants, measuring in total a 2000 m2. A must for any lover or collector of exotic plants. You will find a jungle garden and a Mexican garden, both indoors, and a Mexican outdoor garden.

They also offer a large collection of mounted animals and skeletons through the special Wildlife Centre, and special garden objects such as sculptures, lamps, sofas, patio heaters, longhorns etc. through Decoration Centre.

 

Opening hours:
Privat persons: every Friday and Saturday, opening hours 9.00 am - 5.00 pm.
Companies: Monday till Saturday, opening hours 9.00 am - 5.00 pm.

 

Visit us:
Nobisstraat 11
5981 PE Panningen
the Netherlands

 

 

On the left photograph our friend drs. Nico Klijn who does most of the travelling,
left below Roland Smeets and right below Sandra Smeets.

 

 

 

We are looking forward to your visit at Tropical Centre,
Roland en Sandra Smeets and the Tropical Centre Team!.