Comments regarding Musser Forests, Inc.

I ordered ten bald cypress trees from Musser this spring, following the advice of a professional nurseryman. I made the mistake of ordering the larger plants (4 year, 3-5 ft.) - these arrived bareroot as expected, but these plants had already developed long taproots which were ruthlessly chopped off on digging, leaving no more than ten inches of root. Musser shipped eleven plants, and these were well-packaged with moist roots upon arrival. I planted these immediately in 3 or 5 gal. containers and kept them well-watered all summer. By late September, I had just four plants worth planting out into the landscape - in effect, these were rooted "cuttings" with new roots sprouting from the severed taproots. Two more had died to the ground but resprouted and were under ten inches tall - they may be salvageable for next season. The rest have not broken dormancy at all and were discarded. Am I disappointed? Perhaps yes, but the prices charged by Musser are so reasonable that I can hardly complain. I have not contacted the company as I don't really want to repeat the experience with larger plants. I would definitely recommend ordering smaller bald cypress stock from them which might be dug with more root.

I've been ordering from these folks for about 7 years, twice a year, since we have a large/barren lot that we are attempting to resurrect. Usually their bareroot arrives moist, and the potted are invariably in good shape, size is always generous to what is promised. One ongoing problem is that often I have to call to ensure that my order actually gets shipped - one year it was it was end-November and snowing when the order arrived! This spring's order was disappointing; the bareroot were dried out and many didn't survive (these are hardy standbys such as Lynnwood Gold and Rosa Rugosa), I had to contact regarding incorrect/missed items, and there were mislabelled items.

I've ordered from this company many times over the last 10 years, while living in three different states (military moves). They are my first choice for trees and shrubs, period. I usually order items in multiples of 5, and almost invariably, they send 6. Most things I've gotten are bare-root, which arrive with the roots wrapped in wet newspaper and then in plastic. I've never gotten a plant with dry roots, or which appeared damaged. The rare times I've had a problem with a plant, they sent a replacement or gave me a credit, with no hesitation or questions asked. I'm working on trying to establish a coniferous tree screen along one of my lot borders, which is very shady; a tough spot to start trees. Musser's small trees are so cheap, I can experiment with several varieties to see which will establish themselves. The "losers" I can afford to throw away after they've died. This spring's order arrived, as usual, in perfect condition with every plant healthy and viable. I've dealt with many mail order nurseries over the years, and these guys get my top rating.

Was in Indiana on Saturday, so I had to stop. Excellent selections including perrenials,very knowledgeable help. Great shopping experience. For those of you who say, I could have bought a bigger plant locally, why didn't you? I use mailorder only for odd hard to find items, that I can not get locally.

I've ordered from them twice. The first order was for
some potted deciduous trees. They arrived in great
shape and are still doing great [cherry birch, alder
and arrowood]. I then ordered a two batches of
evergreens (hemlocks and arborvitae). I choose 2 day
air being that it was getting into May. They arrived in
great shape. The young arbs looked better initially, due
to the more regular growth habit. However, the young
hemlocks new growth is now lengthening and filling
them out. They look like they'll pull through the summer
heat [with plenty of watering]. Planting 10 bareroots
takes awhile, so I heeled them in (5 per pot) in large well
drained containers of pine bark fines and kept the mix
moist and in a shady spot. This worked so well that they
showed new growth while I was getting the various holes
prepped. I've ordered bare root from other places where
dieback and stump sprouting from dormant buds seems
to be more the norm. I will definitely order from Musser again.
PS Don't skimp on shipping. Be there and be ready when the trees arrive.

Ordered from Musser for the first time this year with mixed results. The container grown trees and shrubs were great and are growing as expected. However, the " 2-3 year old
seedlings" were miniscule, dried out, and despite intensive care, promptly died. I don't understand why a company that sends out quality product would send such an embarrassingly poor product along with it.

I was going to rate this a negative but to be fair I have only had the trees a few days and did not end up contacting the company for a refund.

I ordered the white birch and received 6 rather than 5 trees. 3 had crunchy leaves, two had very pale almost white leaves due to a lack of light and one very small one had no sign of growth. I've planted them in pots and am watching them carefully. It looks like two may pull through, too early to tell if the other 4 will make it.

In February of 2005 my husband ordered 10 European White Birch trees from this company. The description said 2 year old 1-3 ft. trees. When we received them none of the trees were more than a foot long and they looked pretty dead. But we hoped that they were only dormant. To increase the trees’ survival rate we planted every one of them in separate containers with rich soil, made sure they got plenty of light and got watered regularly. Only one tree showed any signs of life and that was a sprout from a root. So in fact none of the original stems made it. Of course, this did not become obvious until months after we received our order. So we did not see much point in trying to get in touch with Musser Forests. Their instructions in regards to claims say “notify us in writing within 3 days after receipt of nursery stock”.
So 2 years later we have a young birch tree that is about 3 feet tall now. It still has a dark brown stock. So it is not clear yet if we actually have the white birch. The truth is that for the amount of money we paid for this order we could’ve gotten a tree of this size 2 years ago from one of local nurseries…..

I ordered 10 potted Green Giant Arborvitae, which arrived last week. The plants were robust, very well packed, and, something important to me, were uniform--all were nearly exactly the same size. This place seems like a good source for trees in bulk. Prices are very reasonable and at least in my experience, stock is good.

I ordered five Lynwood Gold Forsythia that were so inexpensive it's hard to believe. Were they small? Yes, but this cultivar grows fast. I have a lot of time and patience when it comes to gardening and saving money. Were they rootbound? Yes, I cut ends off the longer roots, untangled the rest and spread them out over a small mound like a bare-root rose. No problem, they are growing beautifully. Were they well packaged? Absolutely. The only better packaging I've seen is from Logee's and Marj Gossler (that lady runs an incredible nursery). Were these small plants well branched? Yes, all except one had multiple branches. Was it worth a little over $20.00 (including S & H) for five beautiful plants? Duh, I challenge you to find them for less. These were potted not bare-rooted. Would I buy from them again? Definitely.

Packaging was A++ the trees are healty and a generous size. I would not hesitate to order from this company again.

Ordered or the first time from Musser (5 bare root Hetz Wintergreen) and must say was quite impressed. The trees were all larger than ordered and had healthy root systems. They were packaged very well and arrived in VA healthy and moist. Planted them upon arrival yesterday and now it's just wait and see!

hi, i just joined and want to tell you that last spring i bought 10 rosa rugosa. when they got here i had to call them because they were 2ft long sticks. they were extremely friendly and advised me to just plant and wait i have to say by the time fall had crept up here in zone 7 they were HUGE! blooming and even full of hips. i am sold on them. do not be discouraged by the fact they are bareroot and look like twigs there are roses in there!! thanks musser my front yard will be gorgeous again this year im sure.

I worked at this company in the 70's before I left for college. In my opinion they have not changed that much in that they use those folks who earn minimum wage. (Nothing against the employees) I was personally treated as a second class citizen; watered down like cattle, yelled at, etc. (If I knew then what I know now.....) My vehicle broke down in front of their store a few years ago and they would not even let me use their phone! I have ordered trees from them, which in bulk are a pretty good buy-but I live nearby and can pick them up. I think they charge a bit over most though for trees and flowers at the store.

I have ordered many times from Musser over the years. While their upper PA climate has little in common with mine in the deep south the results have always been satisfactory. The best "deal" from them is the potted plants. I recently bought two potted bald cypress trees. Both had extremely healthy root systems. I also purchased two chinese dogwoods. Since we were in the middle of a drought I planted the trees in clay pots until conditions improved. When I finally got around to planting the trees, about three months later, their roots had filled the pots! Be more cautious about the bare root trees, but I would have no hesitation ordering any potted tree from them.

I had ordered from Mussers several times, many years ago, and the plants I received always were fine. But this spring I combined on an order with another person, and it was a disaster. Half the plants were dead or had such poor root systems that they couldn't be expected to live. Some of them were mislabeled (and not just a missed cultivar name -- spruces were called firs!). Replacements were sent, but the replacements were DOA. They looked like someone had carelessly pulled wild seedlings from a vacant lot and mailed them to us. I suspect this fine old company must be going under, and I will never order from them again.

I ordered Canadian hemlocks from Musser last year and they were in good shape when I received them. They were not huge, but were a reasonable size considering the cost and were packed well. I would order from them again.

I ordered 2 Bald Cyprus and 5 Catalpa trees in Spring of 2005. These trees survived the first year and are doing great this year. Musser's Forest is a company that I will use in the future for buying trees. I have had no problems with this company.

Just received the 25 Canadian hemlocks (3+3) I ordered and could not be more pleased. The trees have heavy, healthy root systems and well branched, full tops. There were at least 25 trees the size stated in the catalog as well as 4-5 smaller but very healthy trees in the package. Packing was excellent for bare root plants and included instructions for planting were explicit and easy to understand. I am quite impressed with the quality of the plants I received.

Very pleased with the of value of well wrapped plants received from Musser. Ordered both bareroot and potted. Yes, looked like a stick and tiny. But with proper planting and care have been pleasantly surprised with the results especially given my New Jersey clay, heat and drought. When buying any plants mail order or local, highly recommend similar growing climate. Local nursery tried to sell me established evergreens grown in Oregon-don't see how that would work for my garden. Mussers customer service representatives treated me professionally on the telephone and that is how I treat them.

I have ordered from this company and so has my Father. All the trees have arrived packaged in damp paper mulch with plastic wrapped around the roots. There has been no breakage in shipment at all, and the trees all took so far. I ordered several potted Red Japanese Maples from them this year and they were much larger than I expected. The stock seems to be of good quality.

I've ordered numerous trees from Musser Nursery: Corkbark Fir, Pitch Pine, Mugo Pine, Douglas Fir, Japanese Black Pine, and Austrian Pine; the quality of the aforesaid orders have been excellent. Musser is very accomodating when It comes to shipping: I changed my delivery date 4 times and they followed my instructions accordingly. I plan buying from Musser in the immediate future.

Yours truly,
Kriss Schrandt Michigan

I have placed two really large orders with Musser Forests and been well-pleased with every aspect of the transaction.

The first order had a few 'duds,' which I would expect when I'm paying so little for things. They replaced them quickly and courteously. After the initial glitches, I am pleased to report that these plants have all grown and thrived for several years...through bad winters and droughts (and truly awful soil in some cases).

This year, I placed another huge order. I was amazed at the quality of the plants they sent! The root systems were huge and the plants were well-developed.

There are 'bargains' out there, and there are rip-offs. I would definitely place Musser in the bargain category. Their plants are priced very cheaply. So their 'experts' aren't really knowledgeable. Buy a book! I've found very few mail order nurseries who can tell me how to handle my plants when they are located in different growing areas from mine. Don't expect that! If you receive nice plants...well rooted...alive!...haven't they lived up to their end of the deal? Even some breakage is to be expected. They probably needed to be trimmed back a bit anyway, to ensure successful transplant.

I like them and will continue to do lots of business with them.

we ordered some persimmons and some bald cypress this time. last time we orded jap black pine and bristle cone pine which all died and we got credit for . the bald cypress was bent and broken to fit in the box and the persimmons were very small and had no buds. all i can say is they do stand up to their guarantee and will give replacements or credits but quality is low and packaging is poor compared to other companies like oikos and university of idaho forest research nursery.

I ordered 10 winterberry hollies early this month. They were listed as 4 year old seedlings at 2-3 feet. The total, with shipping and handling, came to just a shade over $30. Okay, the price was very reasonable, but what about the timeliness and quality of the shipment? Well, in less than two weeks, a long cardboard box arrives on my porch. Inside are the specimens bundled together ratherly tightly, with the roots well wrapped in plastic with a finely shredded paper material covering them for moisture retainment. I lightly watered the roots and waited several days to plant. To date, all are doing well. The plants all fell into the advertised size range, and they even shipped me one extra. They are well rooted, vigorous plants. Based on my initial experience, I couldn't discourage anyone from buying from them.

Last spring we ordered several dogwood, sourwood, and osage orange trees, as well as some crownvetch. All of the trees arrived in standard "stick" form. We planted some and gave others away to friends. With good light, water, and fertilizer, only two dogwood and two sourwood trees showed minimal leafing. Nothing else greened up at all. The only reason that this is not a negative is that we did not attempt to contact the company to see whether they would replace or refund the entire order.

I love Musser forests - in fact, if there ever was something to get me to drive "east" it would be to visit their nursery in person.

Over the years I have ordered many different trees and shrubs. And they all arrive very well packed, very healthy looking - as if they were just dug from the ground. I have tried all their different options - from bare root to the different ways of being potted and each time the plants are very well shipped and arrive in good condition. I only had one disappointment in that I lost all of my shipment a few years back but that was due to very severe drought conditions and a personal illness (I wasn't able to haul water to the transplants) so I do not blame the company. I have never had to ask for replacements.

I haven't had as much success when speaking to the horticulturists though. My impression is that they are reading rote responses listed in some "FAQ" manual and not listening to the specific concerns brought up. Maybe I just hit them on a bad day, we all have them.

I absolutely recommend this company based on my experiences....I am probably known there as the "sky rocket" queen as I order a dozen or so every year. But they are so quick growing, so cute when they are little and I have never lost one due to shipping or handling.

Ordered about 100 trees from Musser in 2005, both spring and fall. Thuja Green Giant, Beech, Red Oaks, Black Walnut, Cornus, Cercis... Only a couple didn't survive and not by fault of Musser. One or two succumbed to the summer drought (cornus kousa and black walnut) and one or two to my neighbor's well-intentioned, though ill-sighted, mowing efforts (was that a tree you planted there? oops). They were shipped quickly or when they needed to be, and always packed well. Yes, you have to untie them and sometimes the roots are a little tangled but I don't see that as anything unusual, you just pull them apart gently and they are fine. I have ordered mail order trees and plants from many companies and Musser has always been reliable for me.

I have Ordered from most of the major tree nurseries and now do most of my business with musser unless their is a species that they do not carry , I'm Sure if i contacted them they would contract grow them for me .
As for other nurseries for the most part the quality of their trees from a growers stand point is i have to toss 1/3 -1/2 because of poor form.Not with Musser.
P.S. I give their trees a workout growing most on in containers and they do fine,as well as ground grown which is healthier for a tree or most any other plants.

Just received ten potted Green Giant cedars, which arrived with beautiful, strong root systems and in excellent condition. The were larger than expected, especially considering the very reasonable price. Interestingly, this variety wasn't listed in the catalog--only on the Internet. What I really liked was that Musser waited to ship them until we had a cool window in the heat wave we've been experiencing. That kind of care is what I'm looking for in plant sources; I received my order a bit later, but the trees look wonderful. This was my first order from them, but it won't be my last!

This spring I ordered 12 each of their "hand selected" 5-year Canadian Hemlock and Norway Spruce transplants. On first inspection all of them looked wonderful, with extensive roots. 2 months after planting, 11 of the 12 Spruces are flourishing. However, 9 of the 12 hemlocks have lost their needles and are dead. I have no idea what caused this, as all 24 planting holes were in the same type of soil which has supported other hemlock transplants in the past.

I informed customer service of the situation and they promptly sent me a store-credit for the 9 dead trees. I will do business with them again but will avoid the heavy hemlock transplants.

Very nice stock, and great customer service.

Excellent in every way. Fast shipping, Large healthy trees, exceptional customer service. We order trees and shrubs every year from Musser . They offer many hard to find varieties and also a choice of sizes . I feel they are very reasonably priced as well.

I ordered 5 bristlecone pine trees, 5 japanese black pine trees and 1 threadleaf arborvitae. When they arrived the plants were all very dry. I emailed musser forest to tell them their plants were really dry and that i soaked them in water to try to rehydrate them. they emailed back that they dont recommend soaking because it drowns the roots and if in 90 days the plants show execssive losses to notify them and they would adjust my account. All of the Japanese black pines have failed to survive and i have emailed musser forest and gotten no replies. their plants arent that bad for the price but their packaging and customer service isnt all that good. i would say expect some losses if you order from musser forest.

I placed 2 large tree orders, one for Musser's and one for Cold Stream Farm, the difference was unbelievable. The musser trees arrived DRY and were not wrapped in any plastic to retain moisture. Crispy dry roots and leaves will probably mean little chance of survival.
Also there was no uniform size of the trees, some were as thin as toothpicks and other were large and these were in the same bundle.
The trees from Cold Stream Farm were gorgeous, fresh and superbly packed and moist. Great customer service with Craig. Already after a week the CSF trees are bursting out with fresh growth while the Musser trees look dead.
Got burned once by Musser, never again. All my business will go entirely to Cold Stream Farm.

This is a get what you pay for company. No frills. Mediocre customer service. So, I didn't expect big results ; however I was pleasantly surprised. I ordered some hemlocks, the largest they offer (5 year) . I rec'd very substantial and healthy trees. Having grown various sizes of hemlocks, I expect that in about two-three years, they'll be the size my local nurseries sell them for $50-$100 plus. I paid approximately $6.50 each for 30"-36plus" inch trees about 2" in diameter. Looking forward to a lush green hedge. (And yes I do know about wooly adelgid. I just use Dawn detergent and Canola oil. ) -Green Ox

I ordered 25 lilacs in the middle of winter. They charged my credit card on April 14th, and I still haven't seen the lilacs as of May 10th. Meanwhile, in our area lilacs have already bloomed and we're having 80 degree days. My email wasn't answered, so I called the company (not toll free), and still no lilacs. I've NEVER been billed before shipping by any company before--this is ridiculous.

Plants arrived in fantastic condition and on time. Most are bare root, but packed well for shipping. By far the best in quality in the east. I will make them my first source for new trees.

I highly recomend musser trees, expessially the potted little trees. They transplant easily and are alway nice trees which arive in great shape.