How are your plants shipped?Updated a month ago

Potted Plants & Shrubs

Potted plants can be in different growth stages when they are shipped, depending on their life cycle and the time of year. Check out our page on shipping to see images of what to expect from various pot sizes.

You may receive potted plants or shrubs with fresh leafy growth.

• Plants are typically pruned before shipment to reduce damage in transportation, to encourage root growth, and to help encourage fresh new growth when planted in your garden.
• Plant these as soon as possible. These plants have already broken their dormancy and begun to grow.

You may receive dormant plants, with no top growth, or dried-out foliage.

• At the beginning of the spring season, some plant varieties, especially later-blooming perennial flowers and grasses, may be dormant.
• In the fall, you may also receive plants that have already begun their winter dormancy period.
• You will see a dormancy sticker on your plant pot, and find healthy white roots beneath the soil.
• Plant dormant plants right away, as they do best when they can wake up and establish in your garden. You don't need to wait until after the last frost date.
• Avoid overwatering until you see active growth. Take care not to damage any small emerging shoots.

Notes On Shrubs

You may receive shrubs with bare twigs. As with perennials, potted shrubs are generally pruned before shipping. In spring, it's common for shrubs to wake up slowly from winter dormancy. In fall, some plants may already have entered dormancy for the season, depending on their life cycle and the time of year.

When looking for signs of health, check for healthy roots. You may see green buds. If you make a very small scrape of the bark with your fingernail, green tissue under the bark is a sign that the plant is healthy.

Bareroot Plants & Woodland Wildflowers

Bags of bareroots arrive in moist peat moss packing material.

• Keep the peat moss moist and wrap the roots loosely to prevent them from drying out until you plant.
• You may see small buds at the crown (where the roots meet the top growth) or on the roots themselves.

Bulbs, Tubers & Rhizomes

Bags of bulbs, tubers, and rhizomes arrive in moist peat moss packing material or in paper bags.

• If packed in peat moss, keep moist and wrapped roots loosely to prevent them from drying out until you plant them. In general, before planting, bulbs should be stored where they will not freeze, at around 45°F. We recommend a garage or basement.
• Healthy bulbs are firm without soft or mushy spots. Some surface mold is normal and will not affect growth.
• You may see small buds at the crown of tubers (where the roots meet the top growth). Bulbs may sprout in the bag if temperatures are warm - just be careful not to damage the sprout when planting.