Comments regarding Arrowhead Alpines

Ordered 6 Thuja Occ. (Bowling ball), and a couple of other conifers. I received the order fairly quickly, and the packaging was good. The size of the Thuja Occ was a bit smaller than expected, but the roots were fine. The other 2 conifers were in good shape. Overall a good experience.

Excellent specialist nursery. Incredible selection, with many rare, challenging offerings not available elsewhere. Probably NOT a good choice for the beginner gardener, as the catalog assumes the reader has a certain amount of knowledge (which is okay in my book). Plants are often small (usually because they're small plants!), and many require special care to re-establish. Still, an amazing nursery and one of my absolute favorites.

I live only 30 minutes from Arrowhead Alpines and heard about it through H and H Botanicals owner John Hargrove. I have bought several plants from this nursery and have always been happy with the results. If you know anything about the plants and how rare they are, the sizes they offer are rather LARGE. I have never had a bad encounter with the owners mainly because I respect all of their rules, don't bombard them with useless questions that could easily be answered with a little investigation of my own, and by not getting easily offended by their jokes. You can't go to someone who knows nothing about you, tell them you would like to see your native plants, and expect him to compile a monsterous list of plants for you. The fact is, he doesn't know whether you are from just down the street or if you live in Arizona. I joke around with Bob and Brigetta and they have treated me fine. They have an amazing variety of plants most of which are very healthy. SHOP HERE ITS WORTH IT!

Ordered from them twice. Plants came healthy and in good condition. They have a very nice and large selection of rare plants. The catalog is very interesting to read and some very honest descriptions. I do wish they had a bit more info. for the hobby gardener like myself, however, when I called them, Bob patiently answered all my questions.

Even for a plantsperson, this catalogue list is overwhelming. I have an extensive library- and I couldn't find info on quite a few plants offered- so....It would be helpful if they gave a bit more info about the truly weird stuff. e.g. hardiness, exposure. Afterall, it is a challenge to order something if you can find no clue on how to grow it...On the other hand, everything I ordered was well grown and well packed, and I had a lot of fun playing with my new toys.

I consider myself very fortunate to live within 15 miles of Arrowhead Alpines. The selection is truly overwhelming, and I try to go over every 6 or 8 weeks to see what things look like. It always takes me 2 or 3 hours to look at everything.

Bob and Brigitta are very knowledgeable plantsmen (I have no patience for gender-neutral politically correct nonsense, and I won't apologise), but they have NEVER made me feel stupid when I ask stupid questions. Nor have they tried to blow smoke up my rear on the rare occasions when I asked something they didn't know the answer to.

I strongly advise downloading their catalogue and doing a bunch of research, much of what they have won't be found listed in the commonly available references.

I have no reservations at all in recommending them.

In fall 2001 I bought two native Philadelphus (mock orange) species from Arrowhead. I found them through a web search and called the nursery to check if they were available for immediate shipping. Arrowhead was able to send them within a week and the plants were in fine shape. They are now just breaking dormancy. It was good, fast service and the list of plants this nursery offers is huge. I would certainly buy from them again.

You'd think with the incredible selection of plants that they offer that the plants themselves might be small or unhealthy, but every plant I've ordered from them has arrived in good condition and most have survived for more than one season. Reading the catalog carefully and researching the plants before ordering is a must. Also, order early because they sell out of the rare and unusual.

I have read Arrowhead Alpines' catalogue and ordered from them. Since Bob is so long winded in the catalogue it is sometimes hard to find the information you're looking for if you have a question. If you call them you only get an answering machine. However, they do respond when they are able to faxes. What makes this all worthwhile is that they carry many difficult to find plants. In fact they carry more than you see in the catalogue. Example: I ordered some Soldanella and attached a note to my order form saying that I was looking for Synthiris. They actually had some on hand, but wrote that they generally saved them for collectors, but would sell me three. Bob also commented that he fully expected me to kill them. We'll see. I noticed that he has them listed now in the 2001 catalogue.

I am very pleased with my first order from Arrowhead Alpines. The order was filled promptly and arrived in excellent condition. This was a 'test' order of terrestrial orchids and I will be ordering a lot more in the future. This place is a real find!

I have ordered from them a couple of times and their catalog alone is worth the price for the reading, the humor is great. I've been well satisfied with the plants I've received. The hardiness zones aren't listed lots of times but the selection of unusual plants is worth the effort to learn about them. I have faith in them telling me a plant is a better selection and it being true. I've heard he is not a people person but I have met people that want a nursery to wait on them. What they offer in choice and unusual plants should make up for any curtness real or perceived.

I too have visited this nursery many times and have met the owners. I would say Bob is NOT a people person. He really should not deal with the customers. But they do know their stuff and I have always been very happy with plants and seeds from them. The nursery is not a walk thru a well-groomed park; one has to have on good walking shoes and be in good shape to shop this one well. I find it worth the 3-hour drive at least once a year besides ordering from the catalog.

Why is no one commenting on the catalog copy? It's a scream! Lively and opinionated. The note about one plant being the ugliest thing offered almost inspired me to order it. The proprietor also makes an effort to document the source of many of the interesting and unusual items. One small caveat: no hardiness zones are given. The catalog sometimes mentions if a plant survives at Arrowhead. Some of the species are new to cultivation and the hardiness is unknown. Since I am unable to find references to some of the more interesting plants in any of my many plant encyclopedias, I have to gamble on somethings. It's an adventure! P.S. I have ordered from Arrowhead Alpines for several years and have always been very pleased with the service and quality.

This catalog sparked my interest in butterfly plants. There are scattered references throughout to such and such plant being the larval food source for a species of butterfly. Also note his comment on high alkaline water supplies. After reading it, I called my local water department and was told that the city water is pH 9! I started using rainwater. I've ordered twice from this company and have had no problems.

They have a nice selection and deliver a decent plant for the price. I shop here in person so cannot report on delivery aspects. I do find them to be (the kindest way I can think of to say this about a knowledgeable plantsman/woman) WILDLY optimistic in their advice about plant hardiness. Many of the things they say are hardy in our area are only hardy with excellent siting and protection - tucked smack up against the east wall of the house, for example. That is not 'hardy' in MY book. Not a source to be overlooked, but definitely do your own thinking on the hardiness issue.

There are two catalogs offered-a plant list and a seed list-the seed list contains over 4000 varieties of conifers, trees, shrubs, vines and perennials-I have ordered from both catalogs-good plants, always true to type and they always seem to have that hard to find variety.