P.O. Box 19425
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49019-0425 (United States)
(269) 624-6233
(269) 624-4019

Notes

This nursery is permanently closed. (May 24th, 2021) Seeds will be harvested and sold in bulk on the website along with the many different varietals I have created at my farm. Hopefully other nurseries will offer these in the future. Although I will still remain active in plant breeding and seed exchange, there will no longer be a nursery that produces plants. My farm will remain in my family and will remain a germplasm repository for edible plant species. Thank you everyone for your support and kindness.
Kenneth Asmus
PS There is no phone or fax number anymore. Make sure to check out my instagram account #oikostreecrops where I post images of the many wonderful harvests and discoveries at my farm.

posted on November 4, 2014

Reviews:

positives
neutrals
negatives

Displaying the 50 most recent reviews

RatingContent
Positive
On May 28, 2021, KCClark (2 reviews) from Hilliard, OH (Zone 6a)

Recently emailed them to recommend that they start carrying hoptrees again. Was very surprised to get a reply saying they were closing forever on May 24th. I scrounged their website for things I wanted that they still had. Unfortunately for me, it was slim pickings. I ended up getting 3 English walnuts. They arrived quickly and I got a bonus tree. I'm going to miss Oikos. :(


Company representative comment on May 29, 2021:
On May 29, 2021 7:50 AM, OIKOS Tree Crops responded with:

Very nice. Thank you.

Positive
On May 25, 2021, mylittletrees (21 reviews) from Corning, OH

My first tree order with this company arrived in the spring in good condition. The young trees were well packed and marked. Based on availability and everything I ordered, I was satisfied with what I received. I like the the diverse products they carry, and the detailed descriptions on the website. Ken and his staff seem like true plantsmen. I appreciate their work and knowledge and attention to detail. Hoping my order stays alive and well for years to come! Would like to buy from them again. Thanks!

Positive
On May 19, 2019, grieptr (1 reviews) from Dubuque, IA

I ordered 25 pawpaws from Oikos. With the order I indicated that they should not be delivered before 15 May as it would be too cold and I would not be around to plant them. Unfortunately, they sent the bare root seedlings a month early. As there was no one to plant to pawpaws, I told them that I would be glad to send them back when I finally got home. After a brief exchange of emails they indicated that they would send another 25 at no additional cost. They did so. The trees arrived 16 May in good condition and appear to be doing well. I've ordered from this company in the past and have always been pleased with their service and plants. I'm also pleased with how they have rectified their mistake.

Positive
On Oct 22, 2017, bagpiper8 (8 reviews) from Weldona, CO

I teach high school Life Skills to moderate and severely intellectually disabled kids, and we started our own little nursery to sell farmers and gardeners in our NE Colorado area plants. I called Oikos to see if we could get trees from them at wholesale because I liked what I saw in the website, and the owner was nice enough to talk with me. Even though there wasn't a wholesale pricing given, we were sent several awesome trees to try out in my own yard along with some extras. We also were given some free seed to try in our little greenhouse. I was impressed with the care and precision the plants were packed in, nothing was bent or broken and the roots intact in the tubes they came in. Just could not have been happier. Most of the time when I get plants in tubes with soil its a mess, these were primo. Anyhow, not sure what the other negatives were about on here but I sure can't say anything that would preclude buying many many more plants from them. Thank you again. Mr. Mark Shaver, Life Skills Instructor and co-operator of the Seedling Shop Life Skills Nursery

Positive
On Jul 14, 2017, RobThomas (20 reviews) from Readyville, TN

I recently placed an order for various oak trees. I placed the order on a Sunday night, and they shipped the very next day. The trees arrived healthy, and well packaged. It's mid-July with temps in the 90's, but all the root balls were still very moist. As others have noted, the trees are small. However, all the trees were within the range of the sizes noted on the website. They were out of stock of one of the trees I ordered, but advised they would ship that tree in October - which I'm fine with. I was very satisfied with the what I received, and I like the they offer a variety of oak trees at good prices. I'll definitely be ordering from Oikos Tree Crops again.

Positive
On May 15, 2017, Eigen (2 reviews) from Brunswick, ME

I ordered three Wild Raisin shrubs, and they came carefully packaged and still moist. Into the ground they went!

Neutral
On Apr 15, 2017, kilahace (1 reviews) from Toms River, NJ

Did really want to like this nursery because their selection of plants is very interesting and seems like they would work well for a permaculture garden. The website is attractive and seems easy to us with good descriptions for plants and their care. Their employees and customer support sound like nice people. I have ordered from Burnt Ridge, Raintree, Rolling River nursery, and Nourse farms so am using those for comparison. First, although their prices are good, their plants are very small as has been echoed by other reviewers. Second, they regularly offer plants on their website which show as available which are actually out of stock. Customer support was decent at times and non existent at other times, especially if you try calling instead of emailing. We'll see how the plants do in the soil, they'll definitely need a lot of protection in their first year but they look alive and the shipping was timely.

Negative
On May 5, 2016, JamesMoore (1 reviews) from Sandpoint, ID

Plants are sold strictly by height so you will get plants that are 1-2ft tall but with a 4 inch root system and stem diameter of 1/16th-1/8th of an inch max.So you're looking at leaves the size of peas when they are done opening up. Plants "2-3ft tall" can still have a stem diameter of 1/4th inch and a 5 inch root system. Every plant I ordered from Indiana berry this year had a root system 20 times the size of something from Oiko for practically the same price. I like Oiko’s selection but the plants are much too small. If you order from Oiko you’re going to need to keep your plants in a pot and baby them for at least a year or two till they are the size you would get from most other nurseries from the start. I’ve ordered from at least 10 nurseries over the last 8 years and Oiko’s plants have always been the smallest.


Company representative comment on May 9, 2016:
On May 9, 2016 4:04 PM, OIKOS Tree Crops responded with:

That is not entirely true. If the plants are grown in pots then you get all the root system there is. Yes, some plants have thinner stem diameter and are not the same at all compared to the grafted thick diameter root stocks that you get from other nurseries. It is not the same comparison. We sell completely different plants grown in a completely different way. What we are planning to do though is make a more precise image gallery of what to expect from Oikos Tree Crops so you are not surprised when you get our plants and say 'how wimpy!' Because they are not anything like that at all. Some of these species are kind of like that and you cannot expect them to look like those other nurseries. It really is not the same. And no, you should not baby them for a year. They need to be planted directly in their permanent site. That is the ideal way and the reason we grow them using the paper pot from seed method that we have refined over the years.

Negative
On Apr 20, 2016, Toddott (20 reviews) from Kentwood, MI (Zone 5b)

Not impressed with the quality or pricing. Ordered one PawPaw, 18-24" for about 20 dollars. The tree was actually a twig 10 1/2" long with a tiny branch at top. The measurement included the pot which was 7" tall. The total height... 17 1/2 inches. Won't be seeing fruit for many years. Ordered Jerusalem artichoke tubers, eight for 18 dollars. They were the size of marbles. Ordered two raspberry plants, about 9 dollars each. Pretty scrawny, but acceptable. Ordered Saskatoon, 1-2' for about 12 dollars. A tiny whip (twig with no branching), but was actually 2' excluding pot. Won't be seeing fruit for many years. Ordered Chufa, 20 pea-size tubers for 8 dollars. Shipping, 16 dollars for 6 lb box, reasonable. Ninety-eight dollars for 2 raspberry plants, one PawPaw, One Saskatoon, half a handful of Chufa tubers, and eight small artichokes. I have ordered each of these products from other companies, except for the Saskatoon. Products overpriced for their size, compared to most other companies. .


Company representative comment on May 9, 2016:
On May 9, 2016 4:18 PM, OIKOS Tree Crops responded with:

On the size of the plants-the pot is not included in the size, so from what you have written, you should have contacted us for either a replacement or a partial refund. I know we did run kind of 'short' on larger pawpaws this year. Sorry about that. The Jerusalem artichokes -if they were either Hypernova or Diversity- those are the smallest and will often be only a few nickel and dime sized tubers sometimes. However, often with those selections we give extra. I hope you got extra. This does not matter too much because each tuber will produce more full sized tubers in the first season. The other sunchokes can sometimes be cut from very large tubers or can be totally full tubers depending on the varieties. Almost always we give extra to make up for it.
On the plants-they are whips and possibly it is our fault for not letting our customers know they are getting whips with few side branches. Other complaints appear based around this critique. So for instance the raspberries are always whips and are 1-2 year roots depending on the species. They will fruit in 1-2 years. The same with some of the selections of saskatoons depending on which one you received. The chufa tubers are kind of teeny but soak them before planting and you will kind of get the idea of what they look like mature. Also we had a short season this last year so they came out smaller than normal.
I care about the quality of the plants I send out and have spent the last 30 years of my life refining these selections you are getting. For that reason, I purchase nursery stock from my competitors for my own yard and frequently look at what others charge for similar plants and products. I think I am pretty competitive but certainly I am not the cheapest. The prices for my plants are based on many factors, but for the money if you knew what it takes to collect the seeds, process them, sow them and plant them all by hand, then you would say-"Ken you fool-you are not charging enough." Or maybe not? I hope you can give us another chance.

Neutral
On Apr 11, 2016, RozenKruetz (13 reviews) from Canyon Lake, TX (Zone 9a)

Ordered plants in February, waited 2 weeks before emailing them to see when when my plants would ship and got a reply a couple days later saying that they were going to be shipped in 2-3 weeks. 5 weeks later and still nothing so I emailed them again saying If they weren't shipping this week I'd like a refund. Later that day I got a email saying it would be looked into. Nice reply time at least. The next day I got a shipping notice, yay! But they were sending them by ground shipping so the bareroot plants were in the mail for a week (not what I expect when paying for shipping on live plants.) The plants arrived looking a bit wilted but overall alright, they apparently ran out of two of the plants I had ordered and didn't notify me beforehand or anything but said on the invoice I could get a refund or wait till fall for them to ship... They did sent me a free sunchoke plant (a different variety than what the one I ordered that they ran out of.) Overall the plants seem to be good and as far as I know the shipping was a fluke, but it still makes me hesitant to order from them again.

Negative
On Jul 12, 2015, YvonneMal (14 reviews) from Waymart, PA (Zone 5b)

Posted on July 2, 2015, updated July 12, 2015 Pretty sure I checked here before making my purchase. Alas, care of Oikos' plants, for 2015 delivery, must have went downhill. My purchase and outcome: Panicum virgatum Northwind Switchgrass pot 2 - Very tiny, and while alive, not taking off at all. Ended up combining. Lake Huron Tansy pot 1 - Came with the stem of plant where it meets the soil rotted... died. Buartblack Walnut 12-18" pot 2 - One was dead before arrival... trunk where it meets root was rotted. The other did not bud at all. Husband wanted these so I ended making a second purchase that was combined for shipping. Soapweed Yucca 3 yr pot 2 - questionable on age as very tiny plants. Giant Miscanthus root cutting fg 2 - One healthy roots and little pieces all over... ended up combining them with hope for a healthy looking plant. Zolushka Potato Packet of 6 mini tubers 1 - Threw these out... didn't look health, I did not trust putting these in the garden with other potatoes for fear of transferring disease. Five Cacti Pads - one pretty scared... alive Adams Needle Yucca WI 2 yr pot 1... ok Black Russian Improved Scorzonera pot 1 - tiny plant rotted at soil line... regenerated


On July 12th, 2015, YvonneMal added the following: If you are game in replacing the Buartnuts... that would be appreciated. My husband wanted them and it was sad watching his hang-dogged face when no leaves appeared for months. I sent an email concurring to such on your site's contact page. As for the other plants... no biggy. Thanks.
Company representative comment on July 6, 2015:
On Jul 6, 2015 11:30 AM, OIKOS Tree Crops responded with:

Well that is definitely not a good success rate. I am not sure what happened. If you would like us to reship those plants then email us and we are willing to try again if you are. There have been few complaints about the plants you have except the buartblack walnut and Lake Huron tansy which for some reason winter damage prevailed here at the farm.
A couple of things: The Zoluskas: You may have gotten yours late so the tubers shrivel a bit, but that does not mean they are diseased. The Miscanthus- I cut the roots at the base of the bud. It is the bud you plant that creates the plant. I do not throw in pieces as those will not grow into plants. Each bud will produce one plant. It is possible your order may have been delayed or held in shipping too long, which would explain the condition of the other plants. I am not sure. But in the meantime, email us and we will send more vibrant plants now rather than wait until fall if you want. We do not want to see you go downhill with our plants.

Positive
On Jul 4, 2015, Skaander (1 reviews) from Staten Island, NY (Zone 7b)

The pride of my garden are two plums and thirteen hazelnuts and three schisandras I ordered from Oikos last winter. They arrived on time to plant in my zone and were in perfect order on arrival. I only ordered twelve hazelnuts and whether accidentally or not, I got a baker's dozen. I followed the included instructions and here we are on July 4th, 2015 the plants are thriving and I couldn't be happier. I can't answer for the others complaints only to say half of the criticism I reviewed seemed just as likely to be from poor treatment from shippers not necessarily from Oikos. I will certainly order again.


Company representative comment on July 6, 2015:
On Jul 6, 2015 11:21 AM, OIKOS Tree Crops responded with:

Thank you. Sometimes we send extras. Our shipping procedures are quite strict, yet we are not as vigilant sometimes as we should be. Hope we can help you out in the future of your edible forest.

Positive
On Apr 23, 2015, brianaucuba (22 reviews) from PEQUEA, PA (Zone 6b)

I never had a problem with Oikos. You cannot beat their pricing and quality. The one time that a plant I wanted was out of stock they happily substituted an alternate. Oikos is a good source of unusual, hard to find species and hybrids. If you want concierge service at ten times the price there are many overpriced nurseries that will be happy to take your money. For those of us that do not want or need overpriced plants Oikos is a great resource.

Negative
On Apr 21, 2015, breakfast (4 reviews) from Hardwick, VT

my trees came packed horribly! 3 of The crappy tags that they use instead of the ones that wrap around the tree and stay there were strewn about the bottom of the box. So basically I have three tiny trees that I have to guess what they are. Not that awesome. I really like the approach this company takes and i want to support them but this experience leaves me leary to be honest. Overall the stock I received was extremely poor compared to other nurseries I order from and I cant believe the bad packing job. Also, one of my nursery mail order pet peeves is when you order two of the same plant/tree and it only comes with one tag! Am I alone here? Is it that hard to put an extra marker? I would rather be charged the ten cents it costs to include another! Anyway, I will probably order again to give them a second chance but I am not expecting much


Company representative comment on May 21, 2015:
On May 21, 2015 8:37 AM, OIKOS Tree Crops responded with:

Thank you for your comments as it helps us improve our service. We did have some issues with packing this spring and you ended up on the receiving end of that. I apologize for that. If you can tell us by emailing or calling customer service we would normally send out new plants, rather than have you guess what the heck the plant is. The handling by UPS and our poor packing was enough to dislodge those tags which are normally stuck deep within the pot and wrapped in a plastic bag. I know we can add extra tags, however I always thought it was a waste of plastic. Possibly we can people the option of asking for additional tags at some point but it becomes a plastic tag mega- universe here with so many to print. I am hoping we can do better in the future. I am not sure what the issue is with the plants as I think the plants we grow are as good or better than other nurseries.

Negative
On Feb 27, 2015, shaneatwell (1 reviews) from Carlsbad, CA

Oikos has some nice oaks. I ordered one and added some Pawpaw just for fun. Went away for Christmas and when I returned had an OIKOS receipt in the mail with a handwritten explanation on top that there was an issue with my credit card. This is now a month after I placed the order. No e-mail, no phone call, either of which I could have answered weeks prior. So I call and straighten out that issue and arrange things for the pawpaw. Turns out its too early for the size I ordered, so he's going to send more of a smaller size. No problem. Some weeks pass and I receive the pawpaws, but no oak. There's another handwritten note on the receipt saying that he cant legally ship oak to California and that he's refunded that portion. So here I am months later with no oak and some pawpaws which I wouldn't have ordered on their own in the first place. My main beef with OIKOS is the handwritten notes. Just give me a call or send me e-mail. Its much faster and considerate.


Company representative comment on February 27, 2015:
On Feb 27, 2015 4:49 PM, OIKOS Tree Crops responded with:

Good point. Communication is the key. I did double the order of pawpaws sent as kind of a consolation prize.

Positive
On Dec 5, 2014, paulobessa (6 reviews) from Porto,
Portugal (Zone 9a)

They have good and rare stuff. Usually viable, though I already got some seeds which didn't germinate, but that's the exception not the rule. Overall a good service for this company. Haven't tried communication with them.

Negative
On Oct 14, 2014, FOOB (1 reviews) from Manchester, NH

I have been ordering from Oikos for a few years and each year have been fine until this year. 90% of the plants arrived brown and dead. They replaced some plants but will not replace the wild beans claiming that they are still in dormancy and asked me to wait and see. They request for me to contact them in August 25 to let them know and will replace them if they still have not grow. I forgot about it until later and they say sorry we cannot replace them because you miss the date. Hello Oikos, I contacted you when the plants are DOA. Delay tactic? I would understand if they are out of stock but they have stock according to their web site but refuse to replace plants that I told them were dead on arrival. What happen to the Oikos that use to sell quality plants and have reasonable customer service. Is negative experience the trend with Oikos?


Company representative comment on November 4, 2014:
On Nov 4, 2014 4:24 PM, OIKOS Tree Crops responded with:

Yes. It is true if you go past the warranty period of 90 days then you will not receive replacements. In your case we mentioned in an email in early summer to check the plants first (let them go for a while) and then contact us before August 15. You did not do that in a timely fashion. That is why you did not receive the replacements. However you did receive a refund for $12.75 when we issued the refunds sometime in October. It is also true we adhere much more closely about the replacement policy on plants than we use to in the past. That is because it became an issue about accommodating as many people as possible in a timely fashion.

Positive
On Sep 7, 2014, Raisetrees (1 reviews) from Spencerville, OH

This is a long overdue hugely positive experience with Oikos...My father and I have ordered thousands of trees and saplings from a variety of Midwestern nurseries over the past twenty years, only to be generally disappointed even with "premium" choices as advertised from other nurseries...We ordered seventy oaks of several varieties from Oikos over a half decade ago...All of those oaks arrived in pristine condition and thrived despite the severe drought conditions of 2011-2013 and the brutal winter of 2014...Out of the 70 oaks planted only 4 died in the past year due to personal neglect and poor situs choice...Many of those oaks are now bearing acorns and stand over 18 feet tall, again despite being planted in Midwestern clay...I will never order from another nursery...Personal respect to the nursery owner for extreme personal service in response to emailed questions...

Positive
On May 22, 2013, Zafak (10 reviews) from Oakbrook, KY

I placed an order for various native edibles. The prices were fair for what I received. Every plant was labeled and packaged carefully. Im looking forward to the nuts, berries, and plums ill have in a few years.

Negative
On May 1, 2013, forgottenman (2 reviews) from Pennsbury Village, PA

I placed an order for several plants, and upon receiving the package, found that one type of plant was not included. The reason for this was mentioned on the invoice -- the plant was out of stock (though this was not indicated on the website when I placed the order, or in the order confirmation email I received). Thankfully I was not charged for the unshipped items. However, I was not given any prior notice of this out-of-stock status prior to receiving the package. No email (including spam folder) and no phone call. I thus had no chance to modify my order to include other items to make the high shipping cost worthwhile. Instead of shipping making up a quarter of the total cost of my order, it became nearly half. When I called about this, I was given few options; unless I limited my plant selection to items that could be shipped USPS, placing a new order would incur additional shipping costs. The people at Oikos seem nice. Their shipping rates for small orders are high but understandably so. In this scenario they are probably just a victim of their website not being sufficiently advanced to send out-of-stock notifications. But based on this experience I am hesitant to do business with them again, as it seems likely that the same thing may happen to me again.


Company representative comment on May 2, 2013:
On May 2, 2013 4:37 PM, OIKOS Tree Crops responded with:

Since you did not supply us with the details of your order and I do not know who or what your order was, I cannot comment specifically on the plants.
There are no options for sold out items. We do not backorder usually and refund right away. You should definitely not order from us again should you want a 100 percent guarantee that you will always get what you want. My farm is different in that I do not buy and sell plants and the inventory is not in a box on a shelf in a cooler.
Here is what happened this year : We ended up with a large population of ground voles this winter that seriously destroyed our sunchokes. It was not apparent until it was too late. Those people who ordered in the winter had to be cancelled. This too is part of my farming operation and I have to live with it. Like it or not our customers have to live with it too. Luckily it doesn't happen often. Calling and emailing people for possible substitutes ends up slowing orders further and often brings even more cancellations while we are waiting for a response. We do frequently offer shipments via USPS in the fall for tubers and seeds. Prices run around $6.00 for that depending on the order. A website in the works for this fall will have a seed-tuber section for just this purpose. As the owner of Oikos Tree Crops, people say I am nice, but not really.

Negative
On Apr 29, 2013, ChestnutBob (1 reviews) from Cherry Grove, OH

Posted on April 16, 2013, updated April 29, 2013 Ordered 10 trees. None of them were even close to the minimum 6" advertised size. 5 showed signs of life, but the rest were lifeless sticks. I planted them anyway because I had worked so hard to prepare their locations and didn't want to lose another year. I sent them an email, but have not heard back from them. When you buy a seedling, you expect the thing to at least have a chance at survival. I am guessing that I got the bottom of the genetic barrel and don't expect much from these trees. It is a shame. I really enjoyed the catalog and web site.


On April 29th, 2013, ChestnutBob added the following: Oikos did get back with me and encouraged me to give them time because it had been a long cold winter. I would love to be wrong and have to change this rating.
Company representative comment on April 16, 2013:
On Apr 16, 2013 5:03 PM, OIKOS Tree Crops responded with:

I would say you are right about the size. This year most are under the 6 inches. For this plant, it was one of the years where the sizes ran short. If you received the potted trees most of those ended up being 4- 8 inches in some cases. If you received the field grown trees then they ran from 5 inches to 18 inches on average. The plants are all grown from the same 5-6 seed trees and it has no bearing on the genetics so no it is not the bottom of the genetic barrel. They are lifeless sticks when you order trees from us. They are dormant and few if any buds will be showing, but rest assured they are alive and I did not send you dead trees. It may take longer than a single day for us to respond to emails this time of year. I hope your trees will flourish with time and maybe someday you will order from us again.

Positive
On Nov 22, 2012, gambelii (6 reviews) from Pocatello, ID

ordered many times before always packed well. This company gets it.

Positive
On May 26, 2012, JohnfromAlabam (3 reviews) from Heflin, AL

I ordered several plants from Oikos and they arrived in a timely manner and in good shape. My dog destroyed one so I ordered a replacement. I hated to place an order for just one plant so I ordered a couple more. A few days later the dog ruined another plant so I ordered a replacement and a couple of additional plants. Oikos combined the orders, a good thing, and the plants arrived again in a timely manner. All plants appear healthy and meet or exceed their stated sizes. I will be ordering from these folks again.

Positive
On May 16, 2012, quntmphscs (3 reviews) from Falcon, MO

All I can say is Wow!!! I ordered from many online companies this year and their packaging was the best. Their plants were green and healthy and are still doing well. I'm giving a presentation on permaculture this weekend and this is the only company I am going out of my way to recommend. We will be ordering from them from now on.

Positive
On Mar 24, 2012, Eric_OH (55 reviews) from Columbus, OH (Zone 6a)

It's been a few years since I ordered from them, but every tree has done well (including a white oak and paper-bark birch). The catalog continues to offer a varied selection of (mainly) native trees with good wildlife-supporting potential and there's good value if you don't mind starting with relatively young stock.

Positive
On Mar 24, 2012, Old_Gardener (38 reviews) from Calabasas, CA

Posted on March 24, 2012, updated March 24, 2012 Posted on March 16, 2012, updated March 24, 2012 I received my 2nd order from Oikos yesterday (my first is on hold as it includes field-grown trees) and wow! Having received similar type trees and large shrubs from other vendors, all I can say is that the order from Oikos looks the best by far. There may be no fancy packaging but the plants were secure and in great shape even though one box was partially crushed in transport. Also, the prices are considerably lower than a prior vendor I tried and the soil they use is incredible. I ordered 25 Bur Oak, 25 Red Autumnberry, 2 Chinese Honeylocust, 3 Wild Honeylocust, 3 Catalpa, and 1 set of (4) Yellow Strawberry and am impressed with the quality of the plants shipped. Although several of these were listed as 3-6" seedlings, they are all consistently on the large end (6" minimum) with full, healthy root structures. Oikos has become my top "go to" nursey for trees.


On March 24th, 2012, Old_Gardener added the following: I received my field dug trees yesterday (25 Sawtooth Oaks (6-12"), 25 Chestnutleaf Oaks (6-12"), 24 Russian Hawthorne (3-6"), 3 White Russian Mulberry (paper pots - 4 -12") and 25 each of the field grown wild leeks and wild strawberries). I could not be more pleased!!! The 6-12" oaks are actually 8-20" with the majority 12-16" tall, the Mulberry are 6-7", and the Russian Hawthorne range from 4-20" (most are 6-8" and all are very sturdy). All of the trees have well developed root systems and Oikos even sent me extras! The strawberries are quality bare root and the leek look particularly nice (6-8" tall and healthy). As I stated before, they may not have the fancy packaging but it is effective as everything arrived in great shape. The shipping costs are definitely on the lower end - about 10% for each order. I will definitely order from Oikos again and I hope that their name gets out there. Most definitely a reliable tree farm and nursery providing high quality stock at very low prices. Thank you, Oikos!! You have a customer for life.
On March 24th, 2012, Old_Gardener added the following: 'Just wanted to add that 55 of the 58 trees/shrubs from the prior order have broken dormancy (leafing out) and the yellow strawberries have sent out new leaves - and all were planted just 8 days ago! I am sure that the 3 Wild Honeylocust will soon follow suit...

Positive
On May 31, 2011, jtellerelsberg (11 reviews) from Norwich, VT (Zone 5a)

I placed my first order with Oikos this year, for two hazelnuts (one each of Ken's Select and Precocious) and some Manchurian violets. All arrived at a good time for planting in Vermont. All were in good condition and appear to have made the transition into the ground without trouble. (I planted them about one week ago, and all look healthy.)

Positive
On Apr 10, 2011, greenman115 (6 reviews) from Ringtown, PA

Placed my first ever order with this company, which included a variety of Burr Oaks, hybrid Chestnut, Heartnuts and Buartnuts, Hickories, as well as a few tubers. All items arrived promptly and in great condition - potted well, still dormant, and sized as described. One item could not be shipped (a variety of Jerusalem Artichoke), but I was notified ahead of time that they were out and I was refunded. I would definately do business with again.

Positive
On Apr 7, 2011, ChuckP (11 reviews) from Adrian, MI

I ordered two Morus rubra 6"-12" from them and some other things. I received the other items as ordered plus three Morus rubra, a little more than 12" tall. All the plants were with roots, in the tubes they had been growing in. They shipped on April 1, earlier than most people want but exactly what I requested. I have had similar experience ordering from them in the past, both punctual shipping and sometimes extra plants. They have an interesting mix of native and unusual plants. They provide e-mail notification when the order is received and when it is shipped. When I have had questions in the past, Ken has answered my e-mails.

Positive
On Sep 26, 2010, gsteinbe (20 reviews) from Trenton, NJ

Posted on December 12, 2008, updated September 26, 2010 I ordered chinquapin chestnuts, beach plums, hazelnuts, clove-scented currants, and huckleberry. I was really excited over what was for me a large order (since I usually raise my own plants from seed rather than buy plants). Everything arrived in good order. The currants had a little note attached that said they were dormant but still alive (and they did show signs of life later before going fully dormant again for the winter). I really like the company's commitment to the environment and to good food production. Their website gives tons of information about the various offerings they have (although occasionally info about whether you need a second plant for cross-pollination is absent or unclear). I do agree with one of the negative posters here that they don't always answer questions. I asked a question about the chinquapin chestnuts and got an ambiguous answer; then I emailed to ask another, unrelated question about them and never got an answer. But I figure they're busy and they may not have a lot of time to answer tons of questions, especially very specific, eccentric questions like mine. I look forward excitedly to all the fruit and nuts that I'll be getting in future years.


On September 26th, 2010, gsteinbe added the following: I still haven't gotten any fruit or nuts from the plants I bought at Oikos Tree Crops. The chinquapin chestnuts, hazelnuts, and currants are doing well enough (though growing slowly). All but two of the beach plums have died (but I may have them in soil that's too moisture-retentive for their liking). The huckleberry died; it deteriorated over a year. Since my first order, I've ordered from Oikos again. When my order arrived this time, several of the plants had been crammed into the box with too much packing material. Nothing was seriously damaged but one Green Gumbo Malva. It looked like it would survive, but its roots and crown were compressed. Its current top growth was all wilted by the next day. I emailed Oikos, and they promptly apologized and sent a replacement, which arrived very quickly and is already in the ground. I'm very happy with the service I've received and keep my rating at "Positive." I'm still looking forward excitedly to all the fruit and nuts (and now Malva leaves) that I'll be getting in future years. I hope I don't have much longer to wait.

Positive
On Apr 16, 2010, skinnejj (5 reviews) from Bellville, TX

Placed my order March 11. Received my order towards the beginning of April. The plants were all very well packed with plenty of cushioning to protect them from the delivery guy. Oh, and this is one of the few companies out there that *doesn't* ship bare-root. That's right, the plants come with soil - good soil - and, consequently, looked a good bit healthier and got going a lot quicker than the bare-root plants I've received from other online nurseries. Realize, though, that if you order tree stock, in most cases you are ordering *seedlings* - when they say 2"-3" they mean 2"-3"... so those little guys will probably need a 3-5 gallon pot to sit in for a few years. I ordered $77 worth of stuff and as of today, April 16, everything except my jerusalem artichokes and my Christmas wintergreen have "woken up" and put on new growth. The groundnuts are going like gangbusters. I expect the jerusalem artichokes I got will poke their heads through the dirt soon. As for the Christmas wintergreen, it looked fine when it arrived, but it's leaves have been, one by one, steadily turning brown and falling off ever since I received it. Maybe it just doesn't like the shady little flowerbed I put it in. Oh, well. Also, it would have been nice to get a confirmation email or something when my order shipped so I could have been looking for it. Bottom line, though, this was a pretty positive experience. Oikos has a lot of unique plants you can't find anywhere else and they're pretty inexpensive. If they had something I wanted, I wouldn't hesitate to order again.

Positive
On Mar 17, 2010, Loligo (6 reviews) from Murphysboro, IL (Zone 6b)

This was my first order from Oikos: I ordered five plants and some sunchoke tubers. All were nicely sized, well packed, and in good shape. Oikos carries a fantastic selection of useful and native plants, so if these plants grow well for me, I look forward to ordering from them again!


Company representative comment on March 18, 2010:
On Mar 18, 2010 9:53 AM, OIKOS Tree Crops responded with:

Thank you, we are constantly on the lookout for different native plants to offer. Check out our web site for up-to-date selections http://www.oikostreecrops.com.

Positive
On Jan 24, 2010, killdawabbit (6 reviews) from Christiana, TN (Zone 6b)

I have ordered from them many times over the years. Always satisfied. Great nursery for an oak nerd like me.

Positive
On Nov 5, 2009, jujubetexas (7 reviews) from San Marcos, TX (Zone 8b)

Communication is a little lacking when it comes to order confirmation. I recommend just calling early on a weekday to confirm for that nice fuzzy warm feeling but sure enough the order was received and shipped fast. One plant was huge, two were normal and one was smallish. One was small but the price was pretty cheap to begin with so no biggie. I would order from them again for sure. Shipping was resonable too.


Company representative comment on December 23, 2009:
On Dec 23, 2009 1:11 PM, OIKOS Tree Crops responded with:

Order confirmations have been a problem we are addressing on both internet site and office. This spring (2010) we plan to update some of our old ways of doing things.

Positive
On May 12, 2009, icebear (5 reviews) from Lewiston, ME (Zone 5b)

I'm so glad i found this company. I got my first order from them a few weeks ago and was impressed with what they sent me. I can't wait to order from them again!

Positive
On Mar 23, 2009, PinetopPlanter (24 reviews) from Auburn Four Corners, PA (Zone 5a)

I love Oikos! I have ordered sporadically over the years from their mail order catalogue (I'm not that familiar with their website; yet), and always enjoy perusing the pages. Ken's dry wit provides a fun read, and I LEARN from his writings, especially about the many varieties of nut trees they offer. Selection on ornamentals vary from year to year, but they always have some interesting offerings. I can report on seedlings I purchased from them going back ten years or more. I have Hazelnut-Filbert crosses that have done VERY well in our cold, Zone 4 area in the mountains of NE Pennsylvania. They produce yearly, and are very close to the size and shape the catalogue description stated. A "Sweet Idaho Burr Oak" has become a lovely ornamental centerpiece in one part of our multi-acre lawn, and I'm looking forward to Magnolia seedlings (kobus x stellata) blooming for the first time this coming spring. I had no problems with Paw Paws ordered from them, which I hear can be challenging to plant/transplant. I will be searching for places to fit more of their trees into the landscape in the future! They provide a great service to the nut-growing community, as well as oak-tree lovers, with all of the hybrids and varieties they list. Hats off to 'em!

Positive
On Dec 12, 2008, Old_Farmer (7 reviews) from Napier, WV (Zone 5b)

I placed an order on Saturday last week and it was received in good order yesterday (Tuesday) of the following week. This company called me Monday morning saying that UPS could not find the address that I provided and I advised that I had been receiving UPS shipments at that address for at least 15 years. Enough for that, UPS found me and the order was well packed and dormant so they were in perfect condition. The cherry trees were as described and have already been planted. Having a small nursery of my own, I could see that they took every effort in providing the best product possible. Its good to say something positive about someone who cares about their product and their customer. I am well pleased with what I received and their effort to make sure it was shipped promptly and to the correct address.

Positive
On Oct 25, 2008, Shapeshft (1 reviews) from Binghamton, NY (Zone 5b)

I ordered 3 Diospyros virginiana, 1 Aesculus pavia, and 1 Amelanchier alnifolia 'Regent.' They all arrived well packed, as described, and in good shape for fall planting. The company had a special going on and so I received fruits of some Diospyros along with the plants, free. Yum!

Negative
On Oct 24, 2008, MzBubbly8621 (3 reviews) from Las Vegas, NV

I called Oikos earlier today during their business hours. Nobody picked up so I left a message asking questions regarding care of Dwarf Korean Chestnut trees or paw paw trees for Las Vegas, Nv (I forget which because at the last minute I placed another order since you have to spend at least $25 in products in order to ship). So, I waited an hour or two before deciding just to purchase since I did a research on the company and almost everyone seems happy. Not very smart of me to have waited for their response before placing an order, but I really was excited to get these plants/trees. I called many times after that (still business hours) and still no one answered. Left an e-mail message to their company just to add another paw paw tree since I found out in order for the tree to fruit you have to have atleast two trees. Waited some more and still no response... Communication definitely sucks with the company. Not sure about their products, but I decided to cancel them since they do not have good communication with their customers it seems... at least with me. Hope they got my cancelation notice.


Company representative comment on December 27, 2009:
On Dec 27, 2009 1:31 PM, OIKOS Tree Crops responded with:

It may take longer than 24 hours to respond to emails. During the busy season it may take longer than one day to return calls. We are trying to improve the ability for customers to get a hold of us in the spring via phone. I know it is not easy at times. Order confirmations are done immediately and a paper confirmation is sent in the mail. We do this especially if its going to be a few weeks or months before you get your order. If you are new to us, we will send a paper catalog too. Your credit card is run just prior to shipping. You have to buy 25 dollars worth of plants. This is our minimum order.

Positive
On Sep 26, 2008, outdoorsman (1 reviews) from Elwell, MI

The company missed filling my order in spring 07, I contacted them wondrering why I never received it and it was then too late to ship. They apologized for their screwup and said they wouild have to ship in fall 07. I said cancel it and i would make a trip their in the fall to pick up some larger trees and maybe different varieties that Ken recommended. ken said he would keep my order for reference. In september 07 my spring order I had cancelled was shipped. I notified them I had cancelled and wasn't planning on coming down until late fall. I agreed to give the plants they shipped a try but expressed my concerns since it was above 80 degrees and the plants were very green. the company told me they would just drop the leaves and grow new leaves. I again called in Spring of 08 and told them there were no signs of buds or leaves. They said wait until Fall and see what happens. I was hesitant but decided I would give them every opportunity. none of my order ever survived but one from a Tennessee company did that was planted at a different time but in the same area. I called this fall and they said they couldn't help me because I waited so long. I explained they screwed up twice and I gave them the benefit of the doubt. The lady said to email them so I did and that was a week ago. I have heard nothing. This has got to be the worst customer service I have ever experineced. I hate to give any one bad feedback but these people simply act like they don't care!


On September 30th, 2008, outdoorsman changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following: Oikos has now contacted me and listened to my comments. They have offered to replace my order or refund which sounds very fair. I was hoping they would see I'm not trying to be difficult but simply wanted every opportunity like I had given them to have things succeed. I simply want my trees replaced and if they are, I would be glad to change my rating to a positive and gain back my initial respect for the company.
On October 30th, 2008, outdoorsman changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following: The company did eventually contact me. I'm sure they are very busy in the field in the fall. They did replace my order and the trees did look dorrmant this time. I am satisfied thye kept their end of the bargain and did what they could to satisfy me. Thanks

Positive
On Jul 28, 2008, mattinnh (2 reviews) from Somersworth, NH

Everything arrived in great condition and is doing well. I am planning on ordering more stock from this company.

Positive
On Jul 27, 2008, fwfarm (18 reviews) from Lebanon, OR (Zone 7b)

Ordered in 2006, the trees arrived in great shape and are thriving; wondeful and unique varieties. Very happy.

Positive
On Jun 20, 2008, lezurk (8 reviews) from Toledo, IL

Oikos is one of my favorite companies to deal with. They offer a product line that is unlike anything else on the internet. I have dealt with them for the last two years, most recently ordering three large persimmon trees, and everything has arrived in good shape and has grown superbly. Their customer support is top notch and you are never left wondering about the status of your order. I hate looking at their catalog because I always want to order something.

Positive
On Apr 29, 2008, autremike (20 reviews) from Ludlow, MA (Zone 5b)

Thanks Ken for your quick same day responses regarding my order - I thought that he forgot to ship my persimmons, but I found them packed perfectly along with my chestnuts. Well packed and excellent quality with quick customer service. One of my favorite companies.

Positive
On Apr 14, 2008, paolopietro (1 reviews) from West Chester, OH

First time shopper with your company ,, You have being very curtsies and the tree are magnificent. Hope the will be ok. I have planted and I am impress by the size, thank you. Peter Tomaino

Positive
On Feb 27, 2008, mingoman (1 reviews) from Blytheville, AR

I ordered 10 field grown Timburr Chestnuts. Ken shipped me the more expensive container grown, since the ground had allready frozen, at the lower field grown price! Thanks Ken!

Positive
On Jan 31, 2008, jqpublic (2 reviews) from Cary, NC (Zone 7b)

I love this place. My first order was great. I asked for some shagbark hickories and some pecans. I ordered 2 of each and b/c some were a little runty they gave me extras. I got 3 shagbarks instead of 2 and 4 pecans...and just to be nice they gave me a free lecont hican too. Great people...and you can tell they are ready to encourage anyone's green thumb. They were also very quick in their delivery. A+! By the way I planted the trees in October 2007 so this spring will be my first idea of how they fair, but I can tell they are still alive by scratching the bark :)

Positive
On Jan 15, 2008, Kertesz (4 reviews) from New Prague, MN

This has always been a good company to deal with, one of the best as far as customer service. They carry unusual varieties of many native plants that you won't find elsewhere. Also one of the funniest catalogs around, with comments like "this plant is so tasty, I caught my 80 year old neighbor climbing the fence to get them". Also great prices, if you are willing to start with small specimens. The one time I had a problem (dead tree) they promptly replaced it, no problem. I felt almost guilty for bringing it up in this forum as they are so determined to make sure their product will be satisfactory for their customers.

Positive
On Oct 24, 2007, medora66 (1 reviews) from Three Oaks, MI

I order from Ken and Oikos regularly and am routinely thrilled with what I get. Their stock is healthy and vigorous and the selection is really interesting -- you'll get alot of information just from reading the catalogue. Plus, the prices are good, and Ken is EXTREMELY patient with my questions (I'm learning alot from him). The one time I had a problem with something -- two shrubs -- they were replaced, and they even threw in an extra one to make up for the trouble. Great, great company.

Positive
On Mar 19, 2007, jimwil22 (2 reviews) from rhinelander, WI (Zone 4a)

this company has been pleasant to deal with for the last 9 years, they offer some deals and the selection is one of the best around, even people who have planted trees for years like oikos, giving an opportunity to add diversity to nature. there planting aids are helpful.

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