Prairie Nursery Inc.

Posted on May 12, 2022, updated May 14, 2022 Posted on January 13, 2022, updated May 12, 2022 I’ve ordered quite a number of plants from them. They’re small but healthy. I’ve yet to see how everything faired through a winter yet but I am expecting the plants to be fine. My frustration with Prairie Nursery is that randomly offer free shipping but won’t allow anybody that has existing orders to use it. It really upsets me that I spent a lot of money and more than 10% on shipping to suddenly see a free shipping order two weeks after I placed my order. This is just terrible marketing because it’s alienating good existing customers. I’m not sure I’m going to order from then again because I resent paying for shipping while other people get it for free. Either charge everyone shipping or don’t but don’t do it to just some of your customers.

I ordered some ferns from them in December, but was not notified until this week (when I was expecting delivery) that they would not be available. Although a refund was promptly issued, the late notice was not appreciated.

I ordered 3 plants back in March. Now, in late May (with the plants due to be shipped in early June), I realized that I ordered the wrong plants (it was 3 of the same thing and not something I wanted--I had gotten the name wrong). I called customer service and explained my problem and they very nicely let me pick 3 different plants to receive instead. I have never changed an order before and was surprised and pleased that they did it quickly and graciously.

After reviewing several companies that offer native ferns, I am so delighted that I ordered from Prairie nurseries. My order arrived at the time expected and their beautiful ostrich ferns exceeded my expectations for size and condition. The packaging was also super: not a bit of styrofoam! The ferns are for a difficult area of shade under a mix of maple and walnut trees. If this “test” order thrives, I will be placing a much larger order from Prairie nurseries next year.

Ordered 11 trout lily bulbs last January. A package came as promised in April. Really tiny. I found only 9, and one was damaged. It could've been my fault, although I didn't think so. Emailed the company on Sunday. Heard back a couple of hours later from a vice president. He was arranging for 3 more to be sent. They came this week, on schedule, in good condition.

Posted on May 16, 2019, updated May 16, 2019 Both of the plants in my order arrived shaken out of the little pots and damaged. I won't order from this "nursery" again.

I ordered three each of two plants, Leadplant (Amorpha canescens) and Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) and they arrived incredibly well packaged (in excelsior, no less) and healthy...not a leaf crushed. It was obvious they were shipped as to not spend more time than necessary in transit. Nice, healthy starter plants, I've already got them planted and now it's up to them and the Minnesota weather to see how they do. I came across the nursery late in my plant ordering this year and thought I try a 'test' order. Prairie Nursery passed the test with flying colors and I look forward to ordering more native plants for my garden from them next year. They look to have an amazing selection of hardy native plants, many of which I cannot find locally or anywhere else. Pricing is good, packaging and shipping is outstanding and the quality of the plants is amazing.

They did the best job of safely packing a large shipment of tender perennials that I've ever seen. Also, they're the only place I can find that has Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed) for clay soil.

Posted on April 19, 2016, updated May 18, 2016 Happy with the order. The plants I received are small but then they disclose the size up front and prices are in line with the sizes shipped. They had several plants that I could literally find nowhere else. Will order from them again. Recommended.

When I got the plants, I admit, I thought "This wasn't what I was expecting...hmm..."- and I contacted them and they immediately answered. They explained how they grow the plants and offered to replace or refund if I wasn't happy. I figured I would give it a shot. I planted everything and a few things sprung up soon after. This spring, I see everything is coming out and blooming/spreading VERY NICELY. I am now very comfortable in recommending this company. Their prices are quite cheap too. They have a very large selection of preplanned gardens, which is what I ordered (a few of them actually). Thank you!

Friendly, helpful phone service - informative website (had to call to order). I had a specific hard-to-find fern that I was looking for and they had it. Ordered 5 and they arrived on time a few days later, carefully packed in excelsior. Never shifted or budged - they were in excellent condition when they arrived and included planting instructions with helpful tips. Although going into dormancy (they are kept in unheated greenhouses in Wisc), they're healthy with good root systems. So unless that cottontail rabbit gets thru my fence this winter, they should transplant and survive nicely. I also wanted a copy of their current catalog (they are getting ready to mail their new one), so they searched for a copy and addressed it while on the phone with me, which I really appreciated. Yes, a little pricey, but that's what it takes to raise good quality plants. Nice people; great ferns.

Super product, customer service and delivery. My order was delivered quickly and the ox-eye sunflowers looked great.

I bought their no-mow lawn seed from them in spring of 2010. Their customer service has been OUTSTANDING. I can tell they really believe in the no-mow grass and want me to succeed. I have asked SOOO many questions and they are very patient with me. I am excited about my lawn because it does not require watering or fertlizer, which is great for the environment. The no-mow feature is a bonus. It does grow long but it falls over, my friend calls it a "comb-over", but everyone agrees it looks really cool and unique. I have a small yard and had to have it all regraded with new dirt, so I have this lawn on the whole thing. I have put in a lot of time in to get rid of weeds (which was also due to the fact that I had to sow in the spring because of the regrading), but they tell me that after three years it will take very little work at all. The difference at the end of this second growing season to my first is much improved, so i imagine that is right. I am very happy with the product and the customer service. I just can't wait for it to all be set and I'm done weeding!

I ordered from this company for the first time this year. I was looking for some native asters that I have not been able to find anywhere else. I ordered in the winter and was given a spring shipping date, and the plants were shipped as promised with a reminder email preceeding the shipment. Plants were very cleverly packed, with environmentally friendly packaging, and arrived undamaged. They were small, but healthy, with good root systems. I was not expecting large specimens, and frankly, smaller ones are easier to put into the ground. Once planted they immediately began to grow very nicely. Just what I have been looking for and could not find elsewhere; and it is very nice that this company offers so much in way of natives and wildflowers.

Prairie Nursery has an excellent catalog of native plants and seeds with well-organized, useful information, as well as a good long-standing reputation as a native plant nursery. Unfortunately my plant order in Spring 2009 was badly mishandled by the delivery company; some plants were destroyed and promptly replaced by the nursery. Last fall when two plants bloomed they were a weedy Goldenrod, not the smooth aster and butterfly weed I ordered. In 30 years I've never had this weed (the plants were surrounded by chicken wire and I watched them grow from tiny pot size to bloom--they were definitely the plants in the pots sent to me). I did not follow up with the nursery about this but will not order individual plants again--you may want to carefully watch their potted plants to ensure you did not receive an unexpected surprise....

I attended a presentation Neil put on in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and since I've been trying to incorporate more native plants in my gardens, I placed an order of several varieties, ranging from one to four of each variety. I received prompt communication as to when my order would be shipped and it arrived as promised. The plants were all very nice and packed well. I'm very satisfied. Thanks Prairie Nursery! I'll be ordering again in the future!

I love Prairie Nursery's mission of using native plants. They use lovely organic packing materials. Customer service is tops, and they offer a generous replacement policy. Their variety for native plants is unmatched. The consulting and educational services they provide makes them a unique and valuable resource.

I actually went and picked up my plants in person to avoid the shipping charges (a hour and half drive). I was also told that the plants were dormant, but to me they also looked dead. I bought 15 plants, and of the 15 only 5 of them ever broke dormancy. The rest were dead as I suspected. I will stick with Bluestone next year, better value and better plants. Have never had a plant from Bluestone die.

The plants were shipped in pots that were much too small for them; they should have been repotted long before they were shipped to me. They were so small that there was almost no soil left in the pots, only roots; thus one variety was nearly completely dried out when it arrived--not enough soil to hold any moisture. When I called the company, the woman I spoke with kept repeating that the plants were dormant and would be fine. I finally got pretty irate and said that as an experienced gardener who had mail ordered for over 30 years, I knew what dormant plants were, and I wasn't talking about dormancy. I was talking about the need for the plants to have been potted up long before the shipping date. BTW, all the plants I ordered were priced around $7.00 each and were in tiny liner sized pots or smaller. This size from Bluestone Perennials would have run anywhere from $10-$12 for THREE plants. The $7.00 cost from, say Seneca Perennials, would have bought a plant in a quart sized pot.

Earlier this Spring, I ordered a Shade Garden from Prairie Nursery. The plants arrived on the date expected and were in excellent condition. They went into the ground the same day they arrived. I had a question about the viability of one of the plants and knew one was missing. I planted them anyway just to see what would happen. The one I was questioning did just fine after all, but the one I knew was missing proved to be not there. I called the company and had an excellent response. They agreed to reship on the next date available. Unfortunately, we were going to be out of town so in the Fall I will get a replacement. Since then all plants have done

WOW! First time ordering and they tried to hit me w/ a $10.00 shipping fee for an order of an 1/8 of an ounce of seed. The website does not calculate the shipping and they informed me in a confirmation email a day after ordering. I will not be ordering from them again.

I ordered 7 plants from Prairie Nursery. 6 arrived dormant (as I expected). 1 had broken dormancy and looked wilted. I followed all instructions on planting and care and now, almost 3 months later, none of the plants look anything other then dormant/dead. I've written the company (twice - once when they didn't send an email confirmation of my order and the second time to ask whether it was normal to have them dormant for so long) and I still haven't heard back. Very, very disappointing. I've had good experiences with other nurseries recommended here (I love Forestfarm!), but my experience with Prarie Nursery has been wholly unsatisfactory.

This as an excellent nursery that specializes in wildflowers (which are hard to find at traditional nurseries). I ordered a dozen plants. Although they were small, they were healthy and have all settled in nicely in my garden in North Carolina. Their catalog is very detailed, making it easy to choose the right wildflower for your location. (I was seeking plants that thrive in the shade.) Plants were packed very carefully for shipment, and they even let you pick a ship date on the order form. Customer service is friendly and helpful, with a 1-800 number for your convenience. I highly recommend this nursery.

Excellent, well grown, strong plants that thrive on my rocky, well drained New Jersey hillside. Beautiful shipping technique using wooden "excelsior". The catalog is exceptionally informative on hoe to "plant a prairie. I am preparing this year's order.

And yet another A+ company to deal with. Am already working on placing yet another order with Prairie Nursery.

I had the opportunity to visit Prairie Nursery for the first time this year. The grounds were very well kept, and the greenhouse that had plants for the public was well organized by type of plant (i.e., shade, sun, wet). My only comment would be that there wasn't anyone easily available to ask questions. We would have had to walk to the office to find someone. But it was storming when we went and aside from one other couple, we were the only ones there. The woman in the office who rang up our order was very nice. If you decide to make the trip, go early as they do sell out of some plants.

This place is great - plants with strong roots, good service, good packing, sent on time. It is true that some prairie plants take some time (for an impatient person) to get going. Last year I ordered 10 butterfly weeds for clay and they looked like dead sticks for the longest time. Prairie Nursery told me to be patient, and they finally got started. This year they are going like gangbusters. P.N. has great bird-friendly plants that you certainly won't find in your local garden center.

My first order to PN was a good experience. I wanted potted plants because I was going to be putting most of them in cat litter for water gardening. These were just the right size and there was no mistake about planting them too shallow or deep. They took off almost right away and all have doubled in size.

Fast, friendly, helpful service. The plants came quickly in excellent condition. This company provides everything one could ask for in a mail order company! I highly recommend!

I can see why this company has a 100% postive.My first order and the whole experience was a good one.Emails promply answered,healthy plants,great cultural information,and really friendly customer service.Tamarava

I have ordered plants from Prairie Nursery for a few years. Last fall I ordered some shooting stars from them and they bloomed beautifully this past spring. They have wonderful assortment of native plants. Their website is very helpful and has a great on-line ordering. I would highly recommend Prairie Nursery for a source of ornamental grasses and wildflowers.

This company has more than 100 different prairie flowers and grasses. They are shipped at the correct planting time, mostly well rooted plants in individual pots, each with a label giving moisture and light requirements, common and scientific name, and height. The color catalog has sections for soil type, moisture, and light requirements. Both seed and plants are available.

I have been dealing with this company for about 2 years. They have given me good advice for planting situations, sent high quality well packed plants, and always in a timely manner. I had a few plants that did not transplant successfully. They were all replaced without question and again in a timely manner. Their customer service is top notch. Their technical staff are highly qualified and knowledgeable. In short, this is an excellent and well run company that cares deeply about the products they sell. I am very pleased to Highly Recommend Prairie Nursery!

Excellent customer service has been given to me from Prairie Nursery. As a new gardener at a local University, I have inherited 2 prairie gardens, content unknown and indiscernible to me while in their wintering state. Prairie Nursery readily and speedily faxed me the order lists of the 2 seed mixes purchased and planted by my predecessor. Most helpful and appreciated.

They offer a full color catalog that is very informative on native prairie plants. They offer seed and plant material. I have bought large amounts of both in the past and continue to buy plants to this day. The quality of both seed and plants is great. I recommend the company.