Rose (closed, reference only) Nursery  

Listing last updated on Wed Aug 2024

14441 Washington Avenue
San Leandro, California 94578
United States

Henry Avansino

[From Directory of California Nurserymen and Florists 1936-1937, p. 7:] Avansino Mortensen & Co. (H. A. Avansino, P. D. Mortensen, A. Dettmer), Wholesale florists, 175 5th St., San Francisco

[From the American Rose Annual 1950, p. 187:] Avansino-Mortenson & Company, 14441 Washington Avenue, San Leandro, California.

[From Modern Roses V, 1958, p. 20:] Avansino, Mortensen & Co., 175-177 Fifth St., San Francisco, Calif.

[From the San Mateo Daily Journal, by David Fredericks, January 16, 2012:] In the late 1920s, there developed a large market for maidenhair ferns for use in lawn and the home decoration. The cool, wet climate of the San Bruno area made this an ideal growing location for this type of plant, so in 1929, the San Leandro-based Avansino-Mortensen Nursery bought property and begin plant-growing operations on the former Maria Tanforan farm property that was along Sneath Lane and west of Tanforan race track.
This continued for 45 years, first growing ferns, then later roses, gardenias, and carnations. The company absorbed much of the property previously owned and operated by smaller flower and vegetable growers in the area such as William Ottoboni and Rose Delfino. From Junipero Serra Boulevard to the future Navy base on El Camino Real (former Silva Ranch), and bordering Sneath Lane, the nursery spread out and utilized 68 acres of land for this huge business.