Comments regarding Forestfarm

A+ I only wish I had learned about this company sooner. I was a little skeptical when I first found them because I had never heard of them, but since they were in Oregon here not far from me I thought I would take a chance. I've never seen such great specimens, packed so well. They always send such great stuff and totally stand behind their product. This is absolutely the best company across the board. I've ordered a half dozen or so things from them so far and all were shipped with such amazing care and all were perfect specimens. This company is very impressive.

I placed an order almost two weeks ago, and received the order Friday evening. I am really amazed at the plants as this is a mail order! :) I am extremally happy with the plants, and the packaging. They went above and beyond, and part of the packaging was newspaper. They took extreme care, and the plants are doing well. I ordered: Brunnera macrophylla Silver Heart Siberian Bugloss, Symphoricarpos chenaultii Blade of Sun Dwarf Yellow-lf. Snowb, Bolax glabra Nana (Azorella), Trillium albidum Westrn Sweet Trillium,
Lamium maculatum Purple Dragon Lamium, Dryopteris tokyoensis Tokyo Wood Fern, and Athyrium Ghost Ghost Fern. I am very pleased with my order, and would recommend them to anyone. Thanks!

I've probably ordered 20 times or more from these guys and I highly recommend them of the dozens of trees and plants I've ordered and every plant except one has been in fantastic condition.

The one slight exception was a larch that was rootbound and should have been potted up. No biggie. It's doing well now.

They do an expert job in packing the trees too. There is no way they could get damaged in shipping.

A+
10 out of 10

I've ordered from Forestfarm for many years now, and I've never had a bad experience with them. I placed another order earlier this year for 3 blue blossom Ceanothus. The plants arrived quickly, were very well packed, and looked great. They've only been in the ground for 2 weeks, but there is already new growth budding out on the tips. Thank you, Forestfarm!

No other way to say it-FORESTFARM ROCKS!!! We visited there in person when we went to Oregon last year and we stuffed two carry-on suitcases with plants to take back home with us! Super amazing selection, super courteous and knowledgeable staff, great shipping quality, and very efficient in rectifying any issues that come up. We have ordered from them many times and we had just one plant-a Serviceberry--that didn't make it. Contacted them and received a credit with no problem! Love them sooo much :)

First order from this company; they called me immediately for a plant that wasn't ready to ship yet; I asked them to send it when it became available but send the rest of the order now, and they agreed to do this without an extra shipping charge. The plants when they arrived were packaged with EXTREME care; the dichondra, just barely out of dormancy, picked its head up and looked around within hours. Their prices might be a little on the "quality" side, but that's ok with me, especially because they support local community organizations. Their catalog seems very strong in trees and shrubs, and the plants they had that I'm familiar with came in many varieties I've not heard of.

Vewry very happy about this company:
last year (april 2014) I ordered the following plants:
1)Clematis terniflora
2)Vitex agnus-castus
3)Ostrich Fern
4)Ceanothus delilianus Gloire de Versailes
5)Sambucus nigra Black Lace
6)Crape Myrtle Pink Velour
All of them grew very, very well I had zero loss , not only but with exception of Clematis ternifolia (that grew very well as well) and of course ostrich fern, all the plant bloom the same year that I receive...that is really nice considering that I ordered tube size plant (except for the black elderberry).
The Black elderberry really astonish me : it passed from be a 1-2 foot plant to 7 foot plant in a growing season!!! I will definitively order some more plants this year!!

I ordered 5 plants from ForestFarm. The plants arrived in two days here in No. Cal. I was very pleased with the packing, plant size and health. I started to unpack the box from the top, but then noticed the super-handy pull tag at the bottom of the box. This made unpacking very easy. From beginning to end, I am so very happy with the experience I had. And I will certainly look to order from them again in the near future- especially since they have so many varieties of plants you simply cannot get anywhere else. I want to extend my thanks to the ForestFarm team and share it with others in the community!!

I ordered two trees from Forest Farm , Korean Mtn Ash and a Tall Winter King Hawthorn .
They arrived today in a very lge,tall box Packed Very well !! Shipping was a bit high but UPS chges extra for such a large box

the folks there , were Very accomadating with a fone call and couple of e mails .

Even though a long journey from Oregon, they arrived just as if they were dug yesterday ..the only ones I could find on the east coast were VERY high in price which I thought was way unreasonable compared to Forest Farm . I would order again from them .
................te

Posted on November 5, 2014, updated November 6, 2014
I have just come across Dave's Garden and I thought the following experience with FF would be worth sharing. In March of this year I ordered 4 plants, 2 of which arrived wilted and one of which was completely misshapen (should have been cultivated staked). The wilting issue was clearly due to having spent a lot of time on a UPS truck, this after spending a fortune on shipping. The following 2 emails to a person with whom I had coordinated the order, were never answered. Clearly I would never order again from them except as a last resort. My emails:

Hi (name) ... I'm late writing about this but the 2 pseudolarix I ordered from you in March arrived partially wilted; one is still alive although not great looking, and the other died three or four weeks ago. The other 2 plants are healthy. I planted them all the day they arrived in an appropriate soil and location. It irritates me that it took 8 days for them to cross the country; in contrast an order of similar size and shipping cost from Dancing Oaks was sent 2-day shipping and arrived without incident. Is it possible for you to replace one of these plants?

Thank you....Bill

To (name):
I just looked at my invoice again - your shipping was actually $18 higher.

Well I ordered 2 trees this spring. I understand this company has a lot to offer and the trees are true to type. I am leaving only neutral feedback because the shipping has got to be the most outrageous of anywhere I've ever ordered trees from. I find that if you absolutely cannot live with out a tree variety Forrest Farm will more than likely have it but you will get butchered on shipping costs. My intent is not to discredit a legit company but to let consumers know that based on my opinion Forrest Farm shipping is too high. I understand the company may offer some excuse or rebuttal based on packaging and buy more save more and so on but even with their rates it is still very high. Most consumers enjoy what Forrest Farm has to offer as do I But I'm sure those who left positive comments would agree they paid a lot to have their plants and trees shipped to them. Lower shipping costs or offer a "buy so much and shipping is free" and this would truly be a five star company.

Have ordered a bunch of trees over the last the last three years from Forestfarm and other mail-order nurseries as I've re-plant my cleared yard. Forestfarm really stands out for their selection. They carry a ton of varieties and they support a lot of newer cultivars that are hard to find. So it's a good place to order from en masse. Their customer service is also good. I have had two plants not make it due to the crazy winter last year and FF did not hesitate to replace them.

I have had a few plants arrive not looking so hot, but have learned not to fret over that. Received 5' tall baldcypress and swamp white oak plants last year that looked like twigs. However, second year, they absolutely popped. The oak could be the most vigorous growing tree I have ever planted. So looks can be deceiving when it comes to mail order plants and patience can pay off.

The one thing that eastern customers need to consider is the transit time, though. It takes a good 3 days for UPS Ground just to get off the west coast and start moving eastward. In Cleveland, I've experienced transit times in the 7-8 day range. So if you are ordering small plants or plants that are somewhat fragile, you may want to buck up and do the air shipping.

Have been buying from them for many years, had more successful plants than from any nursery, including local ones. They have an amazing selection. Larger plants can have a very high shipping cost but is sometimes worth it. Plants are well packaged for shipping. They allow you to choose the arrival date and they are always spot on. They only ship during appropriate times of the year.

Posted on November 18, 2011, updated July 5, 2014
Absolutely wonderful experience! Had first ordered a pygmy Japanese Maple. Changed my mind on the first day and decided to order another since both would be Christmas gifts. Got an email from the owner that he would check the plants and if he had two that he would ship them. The next day there was a phone message about the plant--they had only one and they felt it was not the quality they would agree to ship so they suggested another pygmy maple. I researched it on the internet and it was prettier than the original plant that was ordered. I returned their call and agreed to accept the substitute maples. That was on Monday evening (I reside in Houston--FF is in Oregon). The plants arrived Friday afternoon. The packaging is the best I've seen and both maples are in excellent condition--full of colorful leaves, beautifully shaped, and expertly packed. I will remember them again for future orders.

Posted on June 5, 2014, updated June 14, 2014
I feel that I got healthy plants. I would shop here again. You can get a good price on a specific plant that you are looking for, specific cultivar you are looking for. My only drawback is that these are baby plants. I had not ever purchased online plants before, and I suppose with the pricing and ordering direct, that I would be getting a plant similar to the size of what I would see in home depot or something, and that is not the case. I was very disappointed at first because of the size of the plants because I was not expecting it. However, once I tried to find locally what I was looking for, no one had what I wanted, not home depot/lowes/kmart, or even local nurseries, and so I actually went back and placed another order for some more plants. Just be prepared to wait a year to have what you would normally buy in the store. All in all, I think it's worth it. I wanted specific things and I didn't have to go from here to there and everywhere. I love shopping from the convenience of my home and having it sent directly to me. The plants are very healthy after all, it's just that I will have to "nurse" them for a year. I fully understand now why plant places are called nurseries (i never quite got that until now!). And I think that I will be very glad to have the plants I wanted, rather than to take some consolation plant instead, since locally did not have (nor could they order) what I wanted. I thought that was strange. But in that case, when I want a particular thing, I would not hesitate at all to order again from forest farm.

I ordered a Hydrangea and some smaller plants - all arrived healthy and are thriving in the garden.
They warn you that it is expensive to do long distance shipping for small orders so do pay attention to that.

I ordered for a relative in another state. I requested a specific delivery date and the company delivered as requested. My mother said the plants were the best plants she had ever received. The packaging was superior.

I ordered a contorted mulberry last year and it is just now leafing out after a hard winter. It grew robustly last year and looks to repeat the same performance this year. It was so securely packaged I had a hard time breaking down the box. Healthy, big, vigorous specimen.

Posted on May 16, 2011, updated April 21, 2014
I ordered several different cultivars of Acer Palmatum, Magnolia, Helleborus, and Abuitillon, all in tubes. They shipped super fast, and I was impressed by how carefully they packaged the plants so that no leaf or branches were bent or torn off. You could shake the box upside down and still, nothing would fall out of place, not even soil. The plants were quite healthy. For plants in tubes, I was expecting something tiny, but to my pleasant surprise they were as big as #1 pot plants. Helleborus is the healthiest and biggest of all mail-ordered (Internet) Helleborus as I ordered them from other sites as well. I was so pleased, I made a second purchase, and that was just as good as the first one. I am definitely going to order from them in the future.

I ordered a Beach Plum (Prunus maritima) from ForestFarm, and although it took seven days for the package to arrive at my home in Philadelphia, I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box to find it was awash in white blossoms and packed so well that it suffered no damage whatsoever! This was my second order from ForestFarm and I highly recommend them and will be ordering again in the future.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. Their plants are wonderful. Always at the top end of their measurements and always healthy, happy, perky! I have ordered on three occasions and I can't wait to order again. My personal favorites are Japanese Maples but recently I ordered a Bristle cone pine and dwarf Japanese black pine. Gorgeous!

I can't say enough good things about this company! They send large,quality plants that grow extremely well. I've ordered from many online nurseries and have been disappointed most of the time, but ForestFarm has kept me very happy with their variety and high-quality plants. I will be ordering more.

Posted on January 12, 2014, updated January 15, 2014
I have purchased plants from Forestfarms for a number of years. My experience until recently has always been very positive. I understand that the company is under new management and as a result, somethings will change. Unfortunately, one of the things that has changed radically and for the worse has been their customer service.

Last year, I placed an order with ForestFarm worth approx. $300, not including shipping costs. When a couple of months later the plants had not arrived, I called them. I was told they were out of the plants. Needless to say, I was not pleased since at the time I placed the order, they told me that all the plants were in stock and in the ensuing months, no one called to let me know that they were no longer available.

Eventually, I was contacted by someone to tell me that it wasn't that they were out of stock, but rather that their plants had been guarantined and that once the guarantine was over if the plants I ordered were cleared, they would ship them.

The plants finally arrived, though a number of them showed slight burning around the edges of the leaves. I didn't make an issue of that because often times when plants are shipped and are in a box for many days, the leaf edges get dry.

Shortly after that, I was contacted by the US Department of Agriculture in my State to inquire about the plants. They told me that ForestFarms had been under quarantine for something called Sudden Oak Death. One of the sympthoms is that the edges of leaves will show signs of drying out and all of a sudden, the plant may die. I told the dept. about the condition of the plants I had recieved. They asked me to monitor them. Most of them did okay, but four or five either put out no new growth or died unexpectedly.

I contacted ForestFarms and told them what happened. I was told that their guarantee only extends until the plants arrive. If I didn't file a complaint at the time, they were not responsible. I told them what the dept of ag had told me and sent them pictures of the plants. The woman I spoke with took a very belligerent stance and said that they are only responsible for the plants until I receive them. I told her that in light of the quarantine I had hoped that they would replace those four plants. She said that they would not replace the plants but would reimburse me. I declined the offer because I wanted those specific plants and as I told the women, if she genuinely believed that the problem they had had at the nursery was not the cause, then I felt accepting a reimbursement was inappropriate since their catalog clearly states that they are only responsible for the plants until they arrive.

I decided to wait for the next catalog and reorder those plants. When the catalog arrived, I noticed that their prices had gone up by 30% on most of their plants. I called ForestFarm to ask if they would be putting out a sales catalog later in the year? Michelle, the woman I spoke to said that they had raised the prices on their plants because the cost of shipping had gone up.

I asked why they hadn't simply raised the price fo the shipping, since it usually is less than the price of the plants? As it is, ForestFarms usually charges almost 50% of the cost of the plant to ship, which is exhorbitant by any standards.

Michelle, then asked for my customer ID and when I gave it to her, she said, "Fine, I have inactivated your account."

Whatever happened to the days of customer service?

Santa was very good to me with the beautiful maple I received. Perfectly packaged, perfectly pruned, perfectly grown. Thanks friends.

I have expansive gardens and constantly order new and delightful plants I discover. Honestly, I was overjoyed at the plants I received from Forest Farm. Not only were they rare and wonderful, but the plants they sent me were very large and already budding, more so than any other site I've ordered from. It was as if I had discovered a place where I can get plants the size of ones at Home Depot or Lowes, but at a price just as inexpensive, and more wonderfully unique. Check out their strawberry tree (bush) if you want something truly lovely. I will definitely be ordering more from this quality site. THANKS!

My single experience with Forestfarm was great. I ordered a 6-foot state street maple tree in late winter, specified that I'd like it shipped toward the end of March, and they did exactly that.

The communication was good, the tree arrived on the date expected, looked absolutely healthy, was packed perfectly and contained helpful planting instructions. The tree leafed out and has done extremely well over the summer.

I have their website bookmarked and am already planning some orders for next spring. I hope they go just as well. From my single experience, Forestfarms seems like a responsive nursery that ships healthy plants.

i've been ordering from Forestfarm for several years now, and i have had the occasional sickly plant. this is to be expected. living things don't like being shuttled round in dark boxes. dozens have exceeded expectations, and a few have done poorly. without exception, when the poor ones were brought to their attention, the Forestfarm folk have have made things right. the point is simple. if you're here to decide whether you can trust these folks, you can stop worrying about that. you can - all you have to do is explain what's wrong. in most cases, though, you'll be thrilled with your purchase. this is my first stop, always.

Posted on June 11, 2013, updated June 17, 2013
I am desiring to purchase additional plants from you, but I am so disappointed in my last order from you!!

I kept one plant and gave the other as a gift. Both plants followed the same path. They kept putting on one new leaf, that new leaf would then die, then another would come up. After 4 times of doing this the entire plant quit/died. Both of us ladies are not new at gardening. We are both Master Gardeners with the Escambia County Extension Office.

Thanks!

Mary Ann Matzer
850-479-7349


On Thu, Dec 20, 2012 at 6:57 AM, wrote:
ForestFarm Order

Thank you for your ForestFarm order.

Your order number is #26086, please keep track of it for your records.

If you have any questions on this order, please contact plants@forestfarm.com.



Billing Address:
Mary Ann Matzer
9732 Hollowbrook Dr
Pensacola, FL 32514

Username: thematzers@gmail.com
Shipping Address:
Mary Ann Matzer
9732 Hollowbrook Dr
Pensacola, FL 32514

Shipping Method: Surface

ForestFarm Products
item name qty price total
Gunnera manicata
Gunnera
guma035 Tube $8.95
2 $8.95 $17.90


Totals
Subtotal: $17.90
Shipping: $13.90
Tax: $0.00
Total Amount: $31.80

Thank you for your ForestFarm order.

Posted on October 8, 2009, updated May 22, 2013
For the most part, I was really satisfied with the plants I received (a fairly large order for me with six Goumi Berry plants, 2 Running Serviceberry, and 1 Dutchman's Pipe). The Dutchman's Pipe, however, looked weak and damaged on arrival. I planted it anyway, and it promptly seemed to die. I got busy, went on vacation, and forgot for a while all about it. So, several weeks later, when I saw an old email from Forestfarm in one of my email folders, I thought that I ought to write them about the Dutchman's Pipe, which, after all, cost me $19. But because of my delay (and the fact that I was a little fuzzy on the details of when the plants arrived and all), I wasn't very optimistic about getting a refund for it. I emailed Forestfarm with what details I could remember about when the plants arrived, when the Dutchman's Pipe died, etc. I got an email back almost right away that apologized for the poor quality of the plant and promised a refund. No arguments. No excuses. No smarmy rationalizations. I was very pleased. And it turns out that the Dutchman's Pipe isn't completely dead and may even come back. It has put up a couple new leaves and seems to be making an attempt to survive.

I have ordered from Forest Farm for many years, off and on. They have always delivered the plants in good size and more than excellent packing, even if I swear at the staples. The plants are great and the prices reasonable.

I would recommend this company with confidence for anyone. Also they have plants that are hard to find elsewhere. Where else would you find a variegated Pachysandra? I have a new shade garden and I am looking forward to receiving my next order.

Ordered flowering cherry Shogetsu and 4 dwarf japanese maples. They arrived today in great condition. Beautiful plants. Will order from this company again and highly recommend them.

Posted on May 4, 2009, updated April 17, 2013
I finally had the opportunity to purchase several plants from ForestFarm this year. While some of the larger plants can be a bit expensive to have shipped all the way from Oregon to Connecticut, buying several plants in the smaller tube sizes worked out just fine. Also, if not ordering during the hot summer months, ground shipping worked out fine and none of the plants seemed the least bit stressed. Plus, ForestFarm's selection is so vast and they have many items that no one else seems to have, so it was worth it for some of the larger plants too.

Everything arrived precisely when I requested them to be delivered and all the plants appear to be healthy. A very good source!

Probably the best source for rare woody plants. All plants are shipped in their original containers, allowing some leeway in terms of getting them in the ground. I recieved a shipment 2 weeks ago and was able to wait until this week to plant them to avoid the unusually cold weather that we've had recently. Definitely my go to source for rare woody plants!

I placed several orders with them last fall. The plants arrived nicely packaged and healthy looking. I like the large selection they offer and the ease of use of their website.

I ordered one plant but thought the price for shipping was probably too high. Once I received the plant, I understood the shipping price. That plant was packed so well, I dont think anything short of a truck running over the box could have damaged it. The plant was in pristine condition, healthy, green and undamaged in any way.

I ordered 8 shrubs from this company, in the dead of winter from my zone 5a. I said they 'could be sent early' as I dreamed of planting in April. Imagine my shock when they arrived, so very well packaged, budded, alive and ready for planting on the last week in February! Temp:12 degrees, snow falling, 18" on the ground. no end in sight. Having no garage to store the shrubs for 6 or more weeks, I contacted Forestfarm by phone and by email. Both of the personnel who advised me were terrific, and I have followed their directions, fully expecting success. These folks are a joy to work with!

I ordered a plant to be shipped in a "tube" for a friend in the Southeast USA. It is no mistake that this company is a DG Top Five. The plant was very well packed and in excellent condition and arrived ahead of schedule. Also, the business process and customer service are easy and responsive. I highly recommend this company.

Excellent service and excellent plants- Forestfarm will be around for a long time. Nowadays It is always nice to still be able to depend on a business, much too rare now. My order shipped during the cold of the year without mishap and I am very pleased. I order something almost every year and never have been disappointed. Wonderful way to conduct business when there are so many hacks out there ready to take your money and run. I hope they continue- and I will also continue to give them my business.

I recently ordered a selection of hollies from them. I am obviously one of the few people that collects hollies because it is hard to find different cultivars. I've ordered a wide variety of plants from them and I have mostly been really happy. Even their small plants are really well rooted. I did order one plant from them that said fragrant. ( It is fragrant but more in a skunky sort of way. At least I planted it at the back of the bed.) I do wish they could work on ways to decrease the shipping such as removing the plants from the pots. Then I would order from them more often.