Comments regarding Just Fruits and Exotics

So, after my second purchase from Just Fruits and Exotics (forward referred to as "JF&E") I decided that I had enough info to at least give my opinion of the service and more importantly, the plants, that they sell and that I received.

First item on the list is their service. Both times they have been 2 days ahead of schedule with my deliveries. I'm assuming that their freight carrier is giving them the "Mr. Scott" estimate and they are passing it along. To let you guys know, I live in Bradenton, Florida. Whatever they are doing seems to be next day service to me from them according to their posted shipping date. BRAVO!!! No one could, with a straight face, ask for more. I have received two lovely trees from JF&E. One and beautiful leaves, all dark green and light green new growth going on. I received this tree during the "Spring-ish" time of Florida's growing year, early March maybe? Regardless, it was still subjectively cool for my yard. So, here I am with my new prize citrus tree of the Sumo variety (WOW! Those fruits are simply off the charts GOOD!!!). It's beautiful! I could not ask for more. I even have some little fruits on it, which I thought, beyond all hope, might give me one or two my first season??? Alas, that would be a NOPE. However, I would say that it's great looks were due to the simple reason that the tree didn't have the time to care about being in the box, it was such a short time! The tree never dropped a leaf or fruit. That is, until I chucked it into it's new dirt hole a couple weeks later (so it would acclimate slowly). Oh, it had a half dozen, almost ping pong ball sized, green fruit on it before that. Once In the hole, all bets were off, and down they fell out of my new tree. Oh well, there's always the next spring that is quickly approaching! I thought it would be smooth sailing until then, but some Leaf Miner's had different plants. ATTACK!!! Well, she suffered over then next couple of weeks. And I had to drown them in everything Organic, that said "Leaf Miners DIE!" on the label! GET OFF my new favorite tree, stop making the leaves curl up, you spawn of Satan! Yeah, a couple of other Mandarin citrus types had it bad too that I just got as well, but they were in "Tree Pots" and way smaller and weaker than my Sumo. They suffered more as a percentage of foliage than the much larger and leafier tree from JF&E. Enough about that one...

The second tree, which came just yesterday (1/3/24). It was a dormant Gulf Blaze Plum tree that I have been looking for since I learned about it's love for our specific climate from a Zone Buddy who has one. I've seen dormant deciduous trees before, so I wasn't the least bit surprised by it's nudity. Same shipping time, same great packaging and very well labeled to make sure that everything was on the up and up with Florida's Ag Center. I just have to point out how Radiant with LIFE this tree was, even dormant, it just dripped of health and vitality! I am trying to say enough to describe how THICK the JF&E plants are compared to ANY other online nursery I have purchased from. Others may match their speed of delivery. Some match the health of their plants, knowing that they are treated with an Organic lifestyle in the Florida sun. But, and it's crazy how it much it makes you FEEL good about your new plant, especially knowing that I'm the first person to generally go for the SMALLER (cheaper) plants that I know something about, simply because I know that the only difference is time. Time makes the plants bigger in my care. I can tell you that it's simple, no one matches the SIZE of the plants you will receive from JP&E. Not for the cost anyway. Sure, you can pay for a tree with one scrawny center leader that reaches 7 feet tall, A tree that you need to chop off half way to START to get it half right in the end. No, it's not a tree's height that makes it look VIBRANT! Height is so over rated, it shouldn't even be used in the industry as anything but a number that is secondary to the tree's THICKNESS. I'm talking about the structure of the tree itself, the branching, which is always well planned and executed by the JF&E's staff. I would expect that this 3 Gallon tree was about 3 years old, the caliper of the trunk was out of control for a plum (so maybe it was 4?) And the branches selected were of fruit bearing strength and thickness for sure.

Did I mention these trees are in 3 gallon nursery pots, complete with all of their growing soil and a healthy bark mulch, both totally intact, skillfully wrapped up in a very heavy gauge clear plastic bag, sealed at the bottom of the trunk to keep all soil where it should be (in the pot) during shipping. It has two bamboo stakes in it that are slightly longer than the tree is tall (3'-4' ??? Really, this thing is 4.5' if it's an inch. OK, no more guessing, I stopped writing to measure the Plum tree and it's, from the bottom of the pot to top of it's highest branch, just shy of 4'8". By just shy, I mean approximately 1\16 of an inch, give or take. It has to be an approximation because the ruler that I am used, being one lime green, 30' El Cheapo, has 15 little tick marks between the full inch marks. So, I'm calling it 4' 7.0625" tall, or for the metrics among us, 1,398.588 millimeters. To be honest, the limbs that were pruned back were probably easily 3 foot long or longer judging from the diameter of the cut limb. Looks like JF&E took a 7' tree (anywhere else) and pruned it as it should be pruned when dormant. I can't say I have ever had a tree GO dormant here, but I do remove the leaves from them around this time (beginning of January). I have to do this so that they are encouraged to take the occasional slight dip into the high 30's, during what we laughingly call "Winter" here, to be the same as a normal sleepy time chill hour that more northern trees take for granted. The Tropic Beauty Peach tree I have decided to semi wake up about two weeks ago, and sprouted 3 pretty pink blossoms, and now it has 3 little tiny peaches set on it. Crazy thing. Anyway, JF&E's trees are better than you will expect as a new customer, and what you probably have come to learn to expect as "Normal" if you are an existing customer. They WILL take good care of you.

Now, to the Owner's and Workers at JF&E, you folks have set the bar for all online nurseries. You have set it stratospherically high. I would challenge all online nurseries to reach for this level, and particularly with the SIZE of your plants (NOTICE! I did not say HEIGHT of your plants!!!). Now, this is not to say I haven't been well satisfied by other online nursery's - I have and could name the few that met that level. However, I will not do so here. This is for our friends at JF&E. Enjoy if folks, chest thumping and all, because you have fully EARNED it. Plain and simple. Keep it up, or I WILL tell on you... :-)

Salex

I received an order that didn't meet my expectations - trees were smaller than described on the website - so I sent them a email expressing my disappointment. The following day I got a call back from what I think was the owner of JF&E, he was very humble and explained that the varieties I chose were of limited supply and they are working on trying to grow out these varieties more before the are sold and updating their product descriptions to be more accurate.

Most other nurseries would have just responded with a generic email from some customer support rep. The fact that I got this personal phone call from someone that knew what they were talking about speaks a lot about their commitment to their customers.

I just received the "Honey Jar Jujube tree" today. They shipped supper fast as they promised, usually on every Monday and arriving on Tuesday. Thank you very much!

The tree graft node looks so pretty. Branches were kept fully, undamaged. It was nicely packed. I hope it will thrive in my soil. So far so good!

I have purchased numerous trees from them over the years, and highly recommend them as friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. While I have always visited the nursery, I feel the few negative and neutral reviews posted on Dave's regarding the mail order side of their business are unfair. They clearly state their prices and shipping policies on their website, and the notion that they are "twice as expensive" as others is simply not true. Their pick-up prices are comparable to or better than the big box stores, for plants that are quite frankly better quality (quality rootstocks, properly pruned, often larger, etc...) and often just a bit better than other independent nurseries. Their mail order prices are very comparable to other places with equivalent plants (i.e. containerized plant of similar size) that I have used.

The Great Wall of China Persimmon I ordered from them is a nice size and will look great although truthfully it is nothing more than a leader now.

The 2 Dunstan Chestnuts were maybe 2 foot leaders and I'm sure they'll do fine.

All in all I knew what I was ordering but expected something more than leaders though in my experience, even buying well developed trees from local nurseries doesn't mean they'll necessarily develop faster - example my peach has gotten huge but it's done so via new branches off the leader not via the existing branches when I bought it.

So true, $150 for what seems like 3 sticks seems very expensive but in my little bit of 2 years experience these will develop just as fast and in a shape and branching more suited to the lighting for the spot it's planted in than a well developed discount store plant although admittedly those discount store plants are usually cheaper too.

Can't wait for the Great Wall of Chine Persimmon to bear.

Ordered a 'Smith' fig this fall. Arrived quickly and was about 3.5ft from soil line. A straight 1/2" trunk and some branching at about 3ft. It was clearly taller originally, but had to be pruned to fit in the box. This was sad, but this was one of the only sources for this fig. One concern was when I went to repot. The roots did not seem to fill to the bottom of the pot, but did reach to the edges. It looks very healthy. I will overwinter in the garage and hope for beautiful growth next year.

We have been buying from Just Fruits & Exotics for years. It's the best nursery I know of, great stock (most of it grown from seed onsite), excellent service and advice, and reasonable prices (not the lowest you can find, but given the quality a good buy).

They understand the local microclimates very well and can match plants to your needs pretty well. For example here in North Florida its a lot milder right on the coast than it is inland, more and harder freezes the further inland you go. They can pretty much tell you what citrus and other cold sensitive plants will do best in your specific neighborhood.

I once had a problem with some sea oats they ordered for me. Brandy herself came out to the house to see what was wrong, she apologized and provided bigger better replacements than what we had ordered. Years later she still remembers and asks about our sea oats. Service doesn't get much better than this.

I emailed JF&E in October 2012 to be put on the wait list for a Smith's Best and Great Wall persimmon. In July 2013 I received a phone call asking if I still wanted them. I was then sent an email with a pre-order invoice. In October 2013 I received a shipping reminder. I then emailed and asked to have a che tree added to the order. On October 18, 2013 my three trees arrived in awesome condition with awesome packaging.

This is how business is supposed to be run!!! I will most definitely order from them again.

Perhaps this review exceeds the ambit of "mail order." I ordered by telephone to reserve two trees for pickup. Being new to gardening at my present residence, I thought the price for the Persian and kaffir lime trees was high, until I picked up the trees. They were huge, had difficulty fitting them into the car. The Persian had fruit on it. Since bringing these trees home, both have begun to bear fruit even while still in their pots. No leaf loss experienced. The purchases were well worth the price. This company gave me a flier that explains how to care for citrus trees. Other companies in this part of the Deep South are rip-offs. In contrast,Just Fruits & Exotics is a reliable nursery devoted to our success as gardeners.

Hello,
I've ordered about 10 fruit plants from Just fruits. All arrived with healthy root systems and the first tier limbs already started at about 2.5 feet. The support staff at Just fruits is helpful and knowledgeable. Anything that I buy from them I know will grow and fruit well in my area. I've bought from many online nurseries and they are one of the best, an exceptionable company.

Just Fruits is a fantastic nursery for fruits, veggies, plants and flowers. The prices did not seem as high to me as some are complaining about, but I live close enough I can drive over instead of using mail order. They are higher than Lowes, but the difference in quality is no comparison. You get what you pay for. I have bought several apple trees, pear trees, pomegranates, an orange, a mulberry, blueberry bushes, elephant ears and angel trumpets from JF and all are doing well at 1.5 years post planting. I was very impressed with how helpful their staff is and how they ask questions to make sure what you are buying grows well in your zone. They will continue to help you along by phone or email if you run into snags down the road. They have a wide ranging selection, so they are definitely worth checking out if they are a drivable distance from you. I plan to go back soon.

This spectaular nursery is just a couple of miles from my home and since I have been trading there for 16 yrs or so, this review is long overdue. When I first moved to the area I began purchasing plants for my garden; in those days it was pretty much Brandy. Through the years the nursery grew and the plan they laid was fulfilled. I cannot think of a better group of people than Brandy, Ted and the others involved in this business. Their professionalism, knowledge and commitment to their customers is very evident. I most certainly am hooked!

Bought several plums and apples that I couldn't get anywhere else. Prices were above average, but the plants came well rooted and have done very well.

These guys are top notch. I ordered a Hachiya persimmon from them. Today it came, and it's extremely nice and healthy. The shipping was fabulous, and the customer service was outstanding. 5 stars for these guys.

Jeff

I ordered a Tropic Snow peach tree from Just Fruits and Exotics on February 24, 2011. I received the tree yesterday. WOW!!! What a beautiful, healthy, nice-sized peach tree! My husband and I were both blown away. I am thoroughly impressed, not only with the tree, but the customer service was excellent, as well as the secure (and eco-friendly) packaging and fast shipping. I should have ordered all my trees from them! I will definitely order from them again in the future.

Second time I've ordered from them and my experience both times has been positive.

They're not the cheapest place, but their stuff is healthy and their customer service is top notch. Plus they have an amazing selection of fruit. Each tree comes with a PDF on care and fertilization, and they are willing to guide you through what's best for your area. When I called in my order, the lady on the phone actually tried to discourage me from buying a particular variety of orange as it wasn't on a hardy rootstock, until she knew I lived in a zone that could support it. That's integrity!

Order was shipped exactly when they said it would be, and arrived the next day, well packed and in good condition. A tracking number was provided.

Like another commenter, my only complaint is that they're too far away for me to just drive to, otherwise, I have really nothing bad I can say about this company.

I purchased over 10 fruit trees this last summer, and all are very healthy. The assistance we received from their nursery staff was excellent. I had decided to pick up the plants because of the disasters we had purchasing from the south Georgia nurseries by mail order. I walked the nursery field with their staff and picked the plants that we wanted from their stock. I didn't see any poor stock or sick plants. All their plants are extremely well cared for and healthy. I wouldn't hesitate to order from them by mail order.

Great company! Shipped my order when they said they would and did not charge my card until it was shipped.The plants were larger than I expected and very healthy and robust. Will order from them again!

I have bought over 15 Trees(citrus, peaches, plum, nectarines, pomegranates figs and persimmon) and a slew of blackberries and blueberries. They are always healthy trees and bushes, and they are all doing quite well. Whenever I had a question, they would take the time to answer via email or over the telephone. The different variaties can not be beat. The only problem I have is that it is over 3.5 hours away, but you can not find one that pays close attention to detail as this nursery.--Tim

Several months ago my wife and i drove 5 hrs for a pineapple pear and other trees. i had spoken with them on the phone and they were wonderful. the service we recd was outstanding as were the plants. planning another road trip for more.

Not only does this company have a fantastic variety of fruit trees, they sell the best performing vegetable plants I have ever purchased. I have bought some of the most unique varieties of eggplant there, as well as many herbs, tomatoes, peppers, etc. Their plants outperform all plants from other sources!
They are really nice folks!

I have to echo what all the other positive reviews have said -- the people at Just Fruits and Exotics are all dedicated and passionate gardeners in their own right who run a commercial specialty nursery with the same commitment. Incredibly friendly, super-knowlegeable and always ready to make an extra effort. After having so many bad mail-order experiences, it is wonderful to find a place that *really* packages their plants well for the rigors of shipping and they include the UPS shipping bill so you know you only paid for the actual shipping charge and nothing extra. They are constantly expanding their already wide collection of trees and plants and keep their prices reasonable. Not cheap, but reasonable for the quality and service and help you get. If you want cheap you should shop elsewhere -- but if you want real value for your money and know that it's the time and effort you put into growing the plant once you get it home that is the real cost, then you can't go wrong putting that effort into growing something you got from these folks.

Just wanted to comment about "Just Fruits and Exotics."

I contacted them about their hardiest varieties of Asian persimmons for a very marginal climate, where I'm trying to "push the zone." Through several e-mail conversations, they were extremely helpful. I finally ended up ordering 2 trees from them, which were shipped in early December.

The trees were by far the best quality persimmon trees I've ever received from a mail-order nursery, about 4 feet tall, very thick trunks, healthy looking. The packaging job was like Fort Knox to open, but it did a great job protecting the trees in shipment.

I'd highly recommend this company.

I went to check out this nursery today and it is very nice. The people were very friendly and everything was nicely organized and everything was marked clearly. The prices were decent too. I couldn't believe how many citrus trees they have. I can't wait to start gardening when I get a house soon.

I made an order by phone for pickup this fall from Just Fruits and Exotics. I have never had such excellent service and the person (Brandy) that I was making the order with even helped me pick out the type of fruit trees I would need for my zone and for depending on what I was using the tree for. When I went to pick up my order (they also ship) the nursery gardens were beautiful and full of butteryfly garden plants. Everything was neat and organized. Brandy, who had taken my order a couple months ago, also pruned my fruit trees for me while giving me a pruning lesson. I guess you can tell I was totally impressed by the service. The fruit trees were also very healthy and large. They will be having strawberry plants ready in a couple of weeks for your fall strawberry gardens in the south. I took home 50 of the strawberry plants also. This year the strawberry plants offered are the 'Festival' variety. It is a commerical type strawberry that has a high fruit yield. This nursery has many fruiting trees that are hybrids developed by the University of Florida for warm zone growing. Although some customers may feel that the price is a bit higher I am thrilled to even find an apple and pear tree that will grow and fruit in Central Florida. Yes, I will be returning to this lovely nursery.

Excellent customer service. Honest as the day is long. This company cares about its customers and will go the extra mile to prove it. Every time I have called, the person answering the phone has been friendly and helpful. The owner has taken the time to speak with me and answer my questions. She is extremely helpful. First class all the way. I am glad that I have found this company.

I love the fruit trees they sell, very good quality and good knowlegde of the trees they sell, will buy from them again

We decided to drive the 200+ miles from Navarre to Crawfordsville rather than mail order, and I am glad I did! Yes, it's a long way to drive for a peach tree, but the website offerings are only a sample of all of the wonderful things available at this place. They were gracious enough to help me pick a tree, and to give me a pruning lesson. Along with their fantastic selection of southern fruit trees and shrubs, they have a great selection of tropicals, lots of native trees and shrubs, a small but very unusual herb section and lots of gorgeous pots and garden art. The nursery has lots of small gardens which provide great ideas for design. Everything is clearly marked with great information about the cultivar, and reasonably priced. I'm already planning my next trip.

I bought a pomegranate (Wonderful), blackberry, and an olive by mail order last year and was completely happy with the plants. I live in Ocala, FL and the trees are growing very well. Have already placed another order for the fall. Great customer service!

i contacted them about blueberry plants / e mail. they helt back for me the 3 i wanted untill i could go down and pick them up. my fellow plant collector and i arrived, they got my plants, and we looked for round a hour or so. they are an excellent nursery to visit and purchase plants from.
i met brandy in '01' when the southern fruit fellowship stopped there as part of our meeting. they are very knowledgeable, and it is fun to shop there. i'm from grady co. (cairo), ga.

I live in Thomasville a little over an hour away from Crawfordville. We made it a family trip to check them out. We were greeted as we walked in and I told the person what we were looking for. They pointed us in the right direction and we browsed around for a while. Once we were ready to select our plants (2 apples and a satsuma) we had no trouble getting help. The employee answered our questions thoroughly and helped us select our plants. Prices were reasonable and the plants were healthy. We were given several pages of information on how to plant, care for and trim the trees. We'll be buying from them again!

I'm very happy to report all 3 trees we purchased are doing very, very well.

I live in Tallahassee, and try to stop by this nursery every time I pass through Crawfordville. They are very knowledgeable about what grows here (Zone 8B) and have many plants that I have been unable to find at other nurseries - jujube, cold-hardy citrus (Tiwanica lemon, Changsi orange, etc.), various kinds of kiwi vine, the list goes on and on. They also have a large selection of ornamentals and the plants are always in tip top shape.

Wow! What a great experience. I live in Jacksonville, Florida and decided to take the 3-hour road-trip to Just Fruits and Exotics to stock up on various exotic plants. I got lost and happened to arrive at the place with exactly two minutes to spare before closing time. I was expecting to be rushed out the door. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Brandy and her staff took all the time I needed to make my selections. Brandy was especially helpful and patient as I asked her question after question. In the end, I stayed there nearly 2-hours (which made her and her husband late for a dinner engagement) and I drove home with a van full of plants. Brandy and her husband and staff clearly love their plants and their customers. I can't say enough good things about this place.

I'm writing this several weeks after my trip to the place. Every single one of the 17 plants I bought are doing great and growing well! This is a remarkable feat in itself but, considering I don't have a green thumb, this is a true miracle.

I would recommend this place to anyone and everyone.

I'm not big on mail ordering plants so for four years running now I have made a 300 mile round trip to the Just Fruits folks to purchase from them. They are the single best source of Florida adapted fruit trees and vines that I have found to date. They've been very helpful about providing advice on culture and variety selection. They have a number of selections specific to them that were discovered on homestead of the surrounding Florida countryside some of which I am trialling now.

Like any nursery though call to be certain they have want you want actually in stock. Some times they sell out of given varieties.

I would not hesitate to purchase from them again and will be making my fifth annual trip to Crawfordville come January 2006.

.....Alan - Gainesville, FL area.

I've done business with Just Fruits several times, both in person and through a friend who also shops there. It's been a uniformly positive experience: very nice folks, good product, patient and informative service, and reasonable prices. I recommend them highly.

These folks couldn't be nicer. They didn't have a hard-to-find item I needed, but they hunted down a phone number for me of someone that did. Highly recommended!

I don't usually (have never) participate in these things, but I can't let the opportunity go by to let you know how positive my experience has been with these folks. Brandy is one of those rare "salt of the earth" people who communicate more effectively with plants, animals, and birds than to people. She's very shy until you get her talking about greatest love - her plants. She learned from a master - her Father. I've ordered from all over the south with mediocre results. I was thrilled to learn, quite by accident, these very dedicated and knowledgeable people are right in my back yard (I live in Tallahassee). Everything I bought from them has not just survived, but thrived, even under my brown thumb. You couldn't find a better friend when you need help with any variety of fruit plants.

A wonderfully pleasant experience. I live all the way in N.J. and received very helpful instructions. Love the catalog and now the web site--"//www.justfruitsandexotics.com" Check it out!
P.S. I grew up in Tallahassee and my niece designed the web site but I'm not partial--it really IS a good place.

Great nursery! Ordered four trees, they arrived in great shape and were of good size. Nice people to talk to, also.