Comments regarding Forestfarm

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.

Posted on June 11, 2012, updated December 10, 2012
Posted on May 12, 2012, updated June 11, 2012
I would love to order from Forest Farm again but can not afford to-everything they have sent has died!
When I asked if they had any gaurantee-they said no, always helpful with hints but that did not help me.
Everything I received I hardened off slowly and nothing survived..I was really dissapointed as had received plants as well from Brushwood Nursery in Geogia and they ALL did really well.
Ordered twice, both times plants did not make it, so even though they have species I would like I can't take the chance anymore.

"Thank you for posting. I only wish it could have been positive!

We're puzzled. We've checked in our computer for the orders which we think have gone to Mexico, and Baja in particular, and only find five orders that have been shipped to destinations in Texas. We've never shipped directly to Mexico. All of these orders were shipped during the winter months, when the plants would have been leafless and dormant, so there wouldn't have been any hardening involved. Lastly, we never tell anyone that there is no guarantee on our plants. If there is a problem, we try to work out a solution. If you would tell me what the problems were, I'd be glad to give my personal attention to trying to find a way to please you.

Please check to be sure it is Forestfarm that you have in mind, and let me know what we can do to resolve things for you. We never want an unhappy customer! Thanks, Ray (owner)
"

In a world of irresponsible, poorly-run businesses, Forestfarm is a breath of fresh air. I'm not surprised that they are a Watchdog 30 company, as they are one of my favorite companies in general.

I have ordered multiple trees and shrubs from Forestfarm over the past couple of years and all have arrived quickly, well-packaged, and in very good condition. Their inventory is also very extensive. If I can't find it locally, Forestfarm's web site is the first place that I go.

Their customer service is also outstanding. I've inquired about future availability a couple of times, and Ray has responded within a copule of hours. Very impressive.

After reading all the good reviews of this nursery I decided to give them a try so I ordered 4 cardinal plants(Lobelia cardinalis)
I recieved the plants on August 31st and I was very impressed on how very well packaged they were and I was really impressed with the quality and size of the plants that I recieved, I even took photos(If I don't get them posted here they are in my journal under periennials) . I did water them as soon as they came and put them in a bright area outside to acclimate them. I finally planted them all on September 5th,I am pretty excited to see how well they come back next year.

I have been using ForestFarm for 9 years, they are my main mail order source for small trees and shrubs. I usually place several orders a season, since I am an avid gardener. I have acquired two Young Lady smoke shrubs, six various Japanese maples, Hearts of Gold redbud, multiple cotoneasters, groundcovers and perennials. There has never been a time when an order was late. Plants always arrive in perfect condition, healthy, with well developed root system. I have not lost one plant that I received from them. Also, when a new cultivar seemed to be "behaving" not the way I expected, I emailed ForestFarm and we had a very nice and lively discussion sharing our observations. Very nice people who know their business. Highly recommend.

Posted on October 5, 2010, updated June 27, 2012
Posted on June 2, 2010, updated October 5, 2010
My order came promptly and in excellent condition. It took more tools to rescue them from their packing than it did to plant them. The plants are doing well and the aforementioned packing is now keeping drafts from my baby chicks. You did good.

Forest Farm REALLY takes great care of their customers. They go the extra mile to make sure that you are happy with their products and services -- they are not satisfied until you are. Buy their excellent plants with COMPLETE confidence!

I ordered two hardy fuchsias, an acacia and a cardiocrinum.The plants arrived securely packaged and in excellent condition. I place an order or two every year despite the high shipping to the east coast but it's worth it. They have plants you can find nowhere else and they are always great specimens.In response to those who complain about the difficulty of unpacking the shipment I must say I don;t mind;in fact, they should give the guy who does the stapling and the taping a raise.

WOW I was very impressed by the quality and size of the shrubs I received. The plants were all very large (larger than what I typically find in my local nursery!) and healthy. The packaging was a work of art. Took a bit of doing to get the box open, but the plants were really well-protected in there. The shipping prices are expensive, but definitely worth it. Best mail-order shrubs I've experienced so far.

Posted on February 13, 2012, updated May 5, 2012
Posted on February 10, 2012, updated February 13, 2012
I ordered too late in the season I suppose. I got a large, oversized limber pine (columnar) in Late December. Initially it appeared okay, tall, but sparse, very thin. I know well the requirements of these plants, need for good drainage, etc. The rootball was so, so so girdled and tight, I didn't know what I was going to do. Roots also seemed too....dark (rot??), but I just prayed.... this cost a LOT plus the shipping..

I decided to store it dormant in unheated garage (good air circulaton) as I have many other plants over the years and wait until spring to try to ungirdle the roots. I figured waiting until the soil was warm would encourage quicker root growth though there would be a setback. Less than a month, with very minimal water (but not dry, stick poked down to bottom was used).

I started seeing resinous spots on the tree. Confused, I did a lot of research. It was still dormant (?), but then I noticed various little holes to the tree stem itself. Unsure of cause, unsure if there when it was delivered (I was ill at the time). I kept the ventilation going, dormant, and the tree started yellowing, dropping it's needles. Understandable, maybe, in that it was stressed... too tight rootmass, whatever, but I couldn't figure out what was happening so fast. Finally, I gave up on it, after examining it's roots once again. The resin was increasing, I didn't understand the tiny holes in the bark, and I lost a lot of money.... bigger isn't better, end of season is stupid on my part.

I did email them about 2-3 weeks ago, just to let them know. I won't purchase from them again.

I have another plant, oversized, I also got from them. Again, quite expensive, 5 gallon. Arborvitae, sunkist. It's very very skinny, and puny for the price. A tall stick with some foliage. It too is so rootbound, I'll try to deal in spring. It's been heeled in outside in protected location, it's already had spider mites, scale, aphids, and a few branches are cankered.

I ordered 15 European Hornbeam Fastigiatas from Forest Farm, 2-3 feet tall in March. Most of them were at least 3 feet and some were actually 4 feet. They ALL had one thing in common: They were EXTREMELY healthy. Their root systems were unbelievable. Some of them had roots as long as 3 feet. It was funny having to dig these hugely wide holes for these tiny trees just so that the root systems could fit in easily and be stretched out comfortably.

Forest Farm takes pride in their product, no two ways about it. When you call them, you actually reach someone the first time, and they take the time to answer every one of your questions.

The leaves on these trees are stunning. NO transplant shock whatsoever. They have gone through frosts and freezes every other night, temps down to as low as 19, and yes, while we covered them with 2 warm blankets each, I honestly attest their coming through all of the stress of the freezes is more because they were extremely healthy to begin with. Not one leaf turned brown, not one leaf wilted.

I am just ecstatic. I paid over $500 for these trees between their price and the shipping and I have gotten a full return on my investment.

Their packaging is the best of any online nursery that I have experienced. It will take forever to get the trees out, but it's that protection that has your trees arrive without incident.

I could go on and on. Bottom line, is if there was a star rating on here and you were allowed 5 stars, I would give them 10.

Thank you Forest Farm for giving us trees more healthy than we ever imagined and for being so nice to deal with on the telephone.

I ordered 4 trees, size 1, and some smaller plants in tubes (goji berry and Rosa webbiana) last fall. They arrived quickly and were wonderfully packed, healthy, and large (at the upper end of the size range when compared to what others send out). The packaging was well-designed too so it was easy for me to get the plants out without damaging them. The trees were nicely staked. Planting instructions were detailed *and* easy to understand. I am very pleased with how my plants are doing (R. webbiana, for example, has a new basal about 5' high now) and plan on ordering from Forestfarm again.

I just received my 2012 order from Forrest Farm. Plants were in excellect condition to to extroardinary packaging. The plants are all tubes and an excellect value. The shipping is a bit high but worth it when your see the effort made to insure their safe arrival.