Comments regarding McClure & Zimmerman Quality Flowerbulb Brokers

I have always been intrigued by McClure and Zimmerman's catalogs - both the beautiful illustrations and the information provided, so I decided to give them a try and am so glad I did! They carry a number of bulbs that I haven't been able to find lately, plus everything I received was even better than expected. As one who has often been less than impressed with some of the "top" companies' products, it was refreshing to get what I wanted at good prices and reasonable shipping rates. M & Z is my new go-to!

I ordered species tulips online last year. I called the next day to add two more items to my order. Then, later in the day, I'd changed my mind about the items I had added and emailed them to change it! :) It could all have gone south but customer service handled all of this with alacrity and most importantly, got it right.

The bulbs were excellent and all of them grew and bloomed. All. However, one of the varieties was not true to name. I took photos and emailed customer service immediately. I didn't receive a response. On checking the order receipt again, I found that I was to report problems via snail mail. So I did. That was back in June or July. Today, I got my replacement bulb package, and again, they got it right.

I couldn't be happier about the service and the bulbs. Thank you.

Best place I found to Purchase Canna Stuttgart. Two good size bulbs and great price.

ordered 3 Itoh peonies -- 8 to 12 inch root clumps each with multiple eyes --$40 each. several Siberian iris with large root clusters . Daylilies -- 3 fans each and large tubers. Well timed shipment date of complete order. GREAT BUY!

Posted on December 21, 2015, updated December 8, 2017
First time ordering. Placed a fall bulb order of mostly tulips. Most of the bulbs looked good. Although the bulbs are listed at 12cm+, I did find that the size of bulbs were not uniform. I found many varieties of bulbs that were still available late in the season, sold out elsewhere. Shipping was also next day, and shipping cost was reasonable. I will update in spring if I have any issues.

Posted on August 12, 2017, updated November 11, 2017
Posted on August 9, 2017, updated August 12, 2017
I have ordered bulbs from this company for years and have always been very happy with my orders. However there are only a couple of mail order nurseries that I order live plants from, so I'd not had them from McClure before.
Ordered two hard to find clematis hybrids with fingers crossed.
They arrived yesterday in the most remarkable packaging...a clear plastic clam shell that fastened up to 3 4" pots, had a flat bottom and several inches of head space for each plant. Wish I could post a picture but it's an awesome shipping solution.
And, of course, the plants....very plump, well rooted and UNCRUSHED by shipping.
A very good experience all around.
By the way their customer service has always responded to me when I have contacted them. No problem there.

I have, with great satisfaction, ordered hundreds of bulbs from this company over the last 10 years. They have an enormous selection of unusual bulbs I have not found elsewhere. My shipments have been prompt and arrived in good condition. The prices and shipping are reasonable. I have very rarely gotten a bulb that was shriveled or mildewed . I do plant so many bulbs that I can't comment on just how many come up, but certainly the vast majority. I especially like their specie varieties of common bulbs, like tulips. The catalog colors are accurate. I will continue to buy bulbs from them. I do not have experience with their live plants. I buy live plants from my local nursery or Bluestone

Ordered some fall bulbs, and within a few days received my order. Very fast delivery, and the bulbs appeared to be top quality and ready to go. I appreciate the invoice within the box and instructions. I love mzbulb selection and variety. Their prices and shipping costs are reasonable too. I would definitely recommend!

Posted on October 26, 2010, updated November 4, 2015
Posted on June 15, 2003, updated October 26, 2010
I ordered a few bulbs from McClure and Zimmerman last year, since they had such a nice selection of fall blooming crocuses and some other things that are hard to find. Admit I was cautious and a bit skeptical, since I've had poor experiences with their sister company, Jung's, lately. But the bulbs were all VERY large (including some of the biggest daffodil bulbs I've seen in a long time) and healthy, and everything did quite nicely this spring. They even sent some nice little species tulips as an unexpected bonus. This company seems a little pricier than John Scheepers, which is my favorite bulb company, but a very good experience overall.

I have ordered bulbs from McClure and Zimmermann for years. Yes, I have had an occasional dessicated bulb in a batch, but never a whole batch dried up or moldy. On the contrary, I have found their bulbs to be large and healthy, true to type. There are 3 things I like about them: they do carry bulbs you won't find elsewhere, they sell only nursery cultivated bulbs, and often there is a surprise "extra" thrown in. This year I got a number of fall blooming bulbs -- they were amazing! Every one of them bloomed true to type and the neighbors were amazed at the display!

I appreciate a small company willing to take risks with unusual offerings. Mistakes are all too human. And e-mails can get lost, so keep at it until you get an answer. We need to support them -- and make sure they give us their best!

I ordered early in March for this fall not knowing what to expect, and just received my order without any problems.

I am very pleased with the 48 Iris latifolia I have. They are healthy, firm, large (about the size of tulip bulbs), and most are even double or triple "nosed". Sure, there is a little superficial mold here and there, but they are all viable.

This once loved species is seldom seen even in Europe and almost impossible to find in North America. The bulbs have a distinctive appearance resembling shallots, so I am certain I have received true stock.

It is also known as Iris xiphioides or as "English iris".

Posted on April 5, 2014, updated May 10, 2014
I have ordered bulbs and plants from M&Z for over 20 years without significant problems. A few bulbs are sometimes rotten, some plants are very small or dead, but the fact that they offer unusual native wildflower plants (especially recently) made up for that for me. But as they offered more of these native plants, I noticed that they sometimes noted "Cultivated stock" in a few of the descriptions; I was unable to find any statement about the source of their other plants in their catalog or on their web site. So I wondered about the sources of the rest of the species plants and bulbs; it is extremely important to me that species plants and bulbs I pay for be "nursery-propagated" (and not just "nursery grown" after having been collected.) I emailed them (through their own "Contact Us" page) and received no reply. A few weeks later I sent another email and still have received no reply. I am concerned that, given no information to the contrary, M&Z may offer plants and/or bulbs that have been collected from wild habitats. I hope this is not true but I cannot get them to respond to my concerns. After so many years, I hate to stop ordering from them, but I will have to do so if I cannot get a response from them. (Of course, my concerns do not apply to their many hybrid bulbs and plants, which are by definition almost always nursery-propagated.)

"On Apr 7, 2014 12:15 PM, McClure & Zimmerman Quality Flowerbulb Brokers responded with:

Mitchella,
We are very sorry to hear about the email. All of our plants and bulbs are indeed nursery propagated and absolutely none of our products are collected from the wild. We only purchase through reputable suppliers that only have nursery propagated plants and bulbs.
As for your emails I would like to look into this further. I have personally checked any past emails and I am not finding any in regards to this, but I also don't have your email address directly to search by. I want to make sure all of our customers' emails are answered and in a timely manner.
Please feel free to email me directly Aronh@jungseed.com as I would appreciate the opportunity to check into your concerns further, but as for our plants and bulbs I want to assure you they are nursery propagated and not collected from the wild.

Sincerely,

Aron Hill
M&Z Contact Center Manager
1.800.883.6998
"

I have ordered bulbs from many sources. I return to M&Z as they offer an excellent selection of varieties & competitive prices. I have placed 2 orders with M&Z this fall. Both orders were delivered promptly & bulbs sent are of an excellent quality. I did order Spring Snowflakes, which have been back ordered. No other vendor that I am aware of even lists them. They seem to be difficult to get.

Just rec'd my fall shipment of bulbs and was very satisfied with the bulbs all around. Customer Service was also very pleasant!! A++

I was leery about ordering from this company after reading the negative comments posted here. However, my experience was fantastic! The bulbs were healthy and well labeled and they even sent large lily bulbs as a bonus. MZ carries difficult-to find bulbs, including new cultivars from Terra Nova, at a great price. I will definitely order from them again.

When i see the negative comments, I think it is only fair that I add my positive experience.
I ordered some Thai caladiums last year and was disappointed that one was missing from my order. I called them, and within one week they sent the missing variety and actually sent 2 plants to replace the one missing plant.

I have ordered from M&Z for years now, and never had a problem, so I'm really surprised to read some of these comments. I have not ordered live plants, and mostly I order more "common" bulbs. But I've always been pleased by bulb size and quality, price and service. I've been fascinated by their selection of exotic or uncommon items, and I'd be curious to know if those are the items people have had problems with.

Have been ordering from them, mostly small orders of species and standard tulips and unusuals like camassia, for over 10 years. I don't think I have ever had to throw out a dried or moldy bulb, even after my refrigerating them too long. I gave up on some other firms because they mislabeled/represented their products.

I've only had to call once because my shipment wasn't arriving as quickly as usual. An order from another company was also late; both arrived soon after. I think you do have to consider that the weather where you are is not the same as the states being shipped through. I avoid ordering when temps elsewhere are extreme.

I just received my first order of 5 amaryllis bulbs from M&Z, and am more than satisfied with the plants I received. All 5 bulbs are top-size with healthy roots and new growth starting after they appear to have been in storage. I also received a gift of 6 iris bulbs, though I've yet to research if they are a variety that will grow in FL. As a first-time customer, I am very pleased, and plan to use this company again (though much of their variety are items that will not grow in this sub-tropical climate).

I have been searching for some very dark Agapanthus for a long time locally. I found some on sale for a very decent price with this company. I tested the waters with them and only ordered 2 Agapanthus, Mood Indigo and Back in Black and a bag of Ranunculus. One of the Agapanthus was potted and so much bigger than I expected-I am SUPER pleased with it. The other was bare root in a plastic bag and looked a little anemic, but that's OK because I know Agapanthus and they can grow from almost nothing-it was more of what I expected via mailorder. The ranunculus were pretty good sized I guess. I've never grown them from bulb, so I don't have anything to compare them to. I followed planting instructions from Sunset Western Garden book, so I'll see what happens. Definitely will give this company another try with a larger order. I am very pleased so far and am almost hyperventilating over the potted Agapanthus. I think it may bloom within a year and I'm soooo excited to have found it! Pretty fast shipping too.

When I spotted the Japanese iris, 'Lady in Waiting', I quickly ordered it (April 30, 2011) along with another JI and a Melittis. They were shipped within just a few days and they sent bonus Asiatic lily bulbs. I put both JI's in water to start them off right and simply am very impressed and wish I could post a photo here to show how extremely well they are doing. 'Lady in Waiting' has turned into a clump of five fans and the other one has six fans - that's much more than I've received in the past from the big named JI companies! I planted the Melittis immediately and it's been green for over a week now.

Great plants, excellent packaging and fast shipping - who could ask for more? Thank you, M & Z. I'm very pleased.

pirl/Arlene Z. Ryan, Southold, NY

Ordered some lily bulbs (Silk Road and Triumphator) and Crocosmia (Limpopo). MZ was the only place I could find both of these lily types I wanted. Crocosmia were on the small side but MZ was absolutely the only place I could find this cultivar. All lilium were fat, moist and healthy with no mushy or moldy spots. Shipping was timely and rates were fair. Shipping doesn't seem to be a profit center for them like it is for others. I will never pay as much or more for shipping than I did for the plants themselves! Last but not least I got three fat, healthy asiatic lily bulbs (London) free! I can't remember ever getting anything free from any m.o. nursery! Will use them again.

I have had nearly all good experiences with McClure and Zimmerman and have ordered bulbs and roots from them for at least 15 years. I only had one problem a couple of years ago with one item and they replaced it. I especially love the detail that they go to in the catalog. and there is a wide variety of offerings. Having lived in TX for years, I found many bulbs for the south that grow well without the extended cool dormant period. All in all, I love McClure and Zimmerman.

Hello!

I am torn as to how I should rate M & Z, for I have come to respect the opinions of my fellow gardeners. I have, however, read the negative ratings, and cannot relate my own experiences to them. For the several times that I have ordered Fall planted bulbs, each Spring I find myself as satisfied with M & Z as with two of the "Top 30" companies with which I also have done business. In fact, one of those two has managed to disappoint me more often than M & Z and I have still not reconciled in my mind how I should rate that particular company. To put things in perspective, my average Fall order with M & Z has run between $200 and $400. I will often spend the same with other companies for Fall planting and it is not unusual for me to spend more than $2,000 when all purchases are combined. I enjoy Spring blooming bulbs VERY much! You might, thus, infer that my dealings with M & Z are not my major primary experience in purchasing bulbs. Of course, as an home gardener, I do not claim any expertise resulting from my experience. All I can report are my experiences. I must say that I am very disappointed with the recent obvious attempt to bolster ratings. For whatever reason M & Z felt the need to do this, it has backfired and that singular "neutral" rating probably hurts more than any negative. That being the case, I do not feel it necessary to include that in how I rate a company (If one studies the ratings, it becomes obvious that many companies, even some in the "Top 30" have resorted to this [or other such] attempts to help themselves....They just have not been caught.). As for my experiences with M & Z, I have always received a good quality product for a better than fair price. Shipping has not been a rip off and items have been sent on time and without problem. I typically do not purchase items from with in my state's borders, for the taxes combined with the shipping costs negate any savings that the merchant might offer (plus my state already taxes way to high for even living here). So, it says a lot that I continue to order Fall planted bulbs from M & Z . One particular thing that draws me to do business with M & Z is the large variety of the harder to find bulbs. Each year, I will spend a great deal with two or three companies that sell hard to find species priced per bulb. This gets very expensive. M & Z, quite frequently, offers larger quantities of these same bulbs at much more affordable prices. I cannot comment on their Spring planted material, for I have not ordered any from M & Z. Neither can I comment on their customer service when dealing with a problem, for there have been no problems. In summary, despite the experiences reported by others, I find otherwise, and I will continue to order from McClure & Zimmerman.

May the sun shine brightly as you walk your path.

boru

I have ordered a variety of spring bulbs for the last few years from McClure and Zimmerman. I have been most pleased with the quality and service. They have all thrived in my garden.

I did have a group of Hyacinth bulbs come up the wrong color this spring. But a quick email from me was answered immediately by them with the promise of a refund check . The check arrived a few days later, so I got great Customer Service from Linda.

I am always impressed with their selection of unusual Narcissus and Tulips and have found a couple of very special crocus through them. I now want an army of them. I will be placing with pleasure and confidence, my fall bulb order very soon with them this year Patti

Received my order today and was really pleased with the size and quality of the bulbs. The dafs "little gem" were all very large and all were double nosed. What a surprise!

McClure and Zimmerman are probably my FAVORITE company to order bulbs from. They deal in wholesale quantities, so I frequently order and then split with my gardening buddies.

I find their prices extremely reasonable, their bulbs have always been top quality and in good condition. I have never had a problem finding out when things are going to come, but I also have never had to deal with their customer service people because I send an order, they acknowledge it and tell me when it will come, it comes and I plant it.

I have over 80 varieties of daffodils, hundreds of crocuses in my lawn, snow drops, oriental lilies, species tulips, asiatic lilies, turks cap lilies, iris reticulata, hyacinths -- all from M&Z, all returning year after year. The miniature daffodils and species tulips I ordered last year are up now, the early tulips are blooming.

I couldn't be happier with this company and have turned several people on to them.

I've ordered many times over the years from this company without problem. I tend to order bulbs rather than bare root plants and typically order fall bulbs rather than spring bulbs. However, I've been thrilled to find a number of Pleione species through the years and all have arrived while dormant (best time to ship Pleiones) and have increased well over the years. Thanks McClure & Zimmerman!

McClure and Zimmerman is another bulb resource I use every year. This year I ordered some Callas and 2 Monkey Puzzle trees. They were shipped on time for my area, and the trees were in wonderful, healthy shape. Out of the many bulbs, one was a little moldy, which usually isn't a problem, but it was also very soft.
I meant to email them right away (you should let a company know of any problems immediately), but a week or two slipped by until I finally emailed them. I received a quick apologetic email, and a fresh bulb shipped to me the next day. Great customer service in my book!
McClure and Zimmerman have a very good selection, often offering bulbs and plants no one else carries.
I recommend them strongly. I also recommend that you follow their advice on shipping- it's best if they ship the plants or bulbs to you when it is time to plant in your area. Don't try to jump the gun regarding the planting season!

McClure and Zimmerman has been a great company to deal with. I have been pleased with their bulbs. This past fall (07) I was missing a bulb in one package and another package had a rotten bulb. I called the company and they quickly replaced the bulbs. I will definitely order from them again

I love this company. They have beautiful bulbs. I had alot of trouble with getting on their website this year.--I don't know if it was on my end or theirs. I finally was able to and I placed on order, and in 3 days, I received my bulbs!! I could hardly beleive it !! They are all beautiful bulbs- top grade!!

I have ordered a lot from McClure and Zimmerman for five years or more. Each set of bulbs has come and been fruitful. Since I share my garden with a woodchuck family and roaming deer I have turned seriously to the Allium family of plants. This catalogue has a wide variety and is responsible ecologically about its sources. My garden is a (very local -- to my street) allium showplace. I recommend this source tops. I personally, like the hand drawn pictures of the flowers -- in fact I leave the catalogue in my office waiting room.

I have ordered small quantities of bulbs several times from McClure & Zimmerman. The bulbs have always been good quality. I recently ordered tulip bulbs to be shipped to my mother in another state. She just called to say that they had arrived and that the bulbs are enormous and healthy.

I ordered alot of WONDERFUL looking tulips and lilies. All the bulbs received are large and healthy looking. I even got a great free gift, which was tulips that I almost ordered. All is planted and I am SO excited for next year !!!! (They had the Rembrandt tulips that I had been looking for.) Their catalog is very interesting and different.

I will have been at my "new" house for 11 years this summer and I have ordered bulbs from them every fall but 1!!
My daffs have been specatular - both when received and when they bloomed!
And I think I have 20 or more bulbs of almost every species tulip they carry - and I can't see where even 1 bulb planted has failed to delight!
There have been very few mishaps - with 1000 or better ordered, I have called with a problem only 3 times. One of which was my fault(put in the wrong item #!) and when I called to order the correct item - they insisted on sending it at no charge!!
Can't ask for better than that ..............:)
In fact, I'm going to put a wish list together NOW for this fall!!!

I purchased some dinnerplate dahlias from this company and another. M&Z was less expensive, allowed me to choose the colors I wanted, and sent larger, healthier looking tubers. I did have less luck with some other varieties I purchased (tuberose, peruvian daffodil, and a couple of colors of spiderlily), but I cannot be sure that the company was at fault, because I waited too long to plant those, and also, Florida is tough on bulbs. In any case, the dahlias were so stunning in the yard this fall that it more than made up for those that were smaller than I would have liked or didn't come up.

I've ordered from McClure & Zimmerman for several years now, starting back in the late 90s when I had an extra fridge available to force species tulips and muscari for indoor bloom.

More recently I've ordered bulbs both in the spring and fall for container gardening and have had no problems with customer service or the shipments I received.

I've had occasional disappointments (bulbs here and there don't perform as expected), but overall the quality is consistently high. I always receive what I ordered or a refund for unavailable bulbs, since I specify 'no substitutions' on the comment line.

On the one occasion that I asked for a refund (one of my Eucharis amazonia bulbs did not sprout) they refunded money for the single bulb and apologized.

Amaryllis bulbs from M&Z are champs and consistently bloom twice a year, once after the dormant winter period and again in summer in a sunny location.

Last year I ordered four begonias and all of them overwintered and have put up new shoots for this summer.

I'm very satisfied with my experience and now that I'm moving to a house with a yard, I look forward to planting bulbs that require conditions my apartment wasn't able to provide.

I ordered from M&Z last fall for the first time. I was impressed with the size and quality of their bulbs.

My mail-order experience with this company has, I feel, set the standard by which all others will be judged. Two orders of lilies were sent quickly (within a week) and well packaged. Of 18 bulbs ordered, two were unusable. I contacted Customer Service and was promptly told replacements would be shipped as soon as possible. They, too, arrived within a week, were larger and more plump than the bulbs I had ordered previously. I even had a stowaway bulb that wanted to live in my garden! Cheerful, friendly staff, excellent quality product, followed by quick delivery goes a long way in building a loyal clientele. I will definitely be ordering from McClure and Zimmerman in the future.