The Ultimate Guide to PlantingTree: Reviews, Products, and Growing Tips

PlantingTree has earned its reputation as one of the premier online plant nurseries through quality products, great service, and resources to help your garden thrive. As an avid gardener myself, I was delighted to discover this company that elegantly combines convenience and healthy plants.

In this comprehensive guide, you‘ll find out if PlantingTree‘s offerings match your gardening needs and style after learning about:

• An in-depth look at PlantingTree as a company
• Spotlight on bestselling trees, shrubs, and herbs
• Real customer perspectives with pros and cons
• How PlantingTree guarantees work to protect your purchase
• Growing resources to turn anyone into a confident gardener
• Comparisons to competing nurseries
• Monthly care calendar for PlantingTree plants
• Answers to frequently asked customer questions
• Tips to pair PlantingTree plants with companion varieties

Let‘s start digging into the details!

About PlantingTree: A Gardener-Founded Company

PlantingTree was created for gardeners by gardeners, founded by experienced horticulturists who translate their expertise into a user-friendly ecommerce platform.

The PlantingTree team understands the frustrations of sourcing plants sight-unseen that are healthy and suited for local growing conditions. That‘s why they vet every plant for quality and partner with growers across the country to expand inventory based on regional climates.

While the headquarters is located in the Carolinas, PlantingTree will only sell plants that are confirmed to thrive in your area according to the USDA Hardiness Zone map. Read on for more about how zones work!

Spotlight: Bestselling Trees, Shrubs, and Herbs

PlantingTree offers an extensive selection of plants for yard, garden, patio and indoor spaces. I‘ll highlight some of their most popular outdoor plants that customers rave about below.

Green Mountain Boxwood

This hardy boxwood is beloved for good reason – attractive year-round foliage, deer resistance, and excellent hedging capabilities. Growing in a neat column, the Green Mountain Boxwood tops out around 5 ft tall and 2-3 ft wide. It‘s adaptable across a wide range of zones and soil pH levels.

• Ideal zones: 5-9
• Mature size: Up to 5 ft tall, 2-3 ft wide
• Deer resistance: Yes
• Unique features: Tight, upright growth perfect for hedges and privacy screens

Rosemary Plant

Rosemary‘s not just for cooking – it makes a beautiful landscape shrub in warm climates with needle-like fragrant foliage and pretty blue flowers. This Mediterranean herb thrives with lots of sun and well-drained soil. Grow it in garden beds or decorative containers.

• Ideal zones: 7-10
• Mature size: Up to 6 ft tall and wide
• Deer resistance: Yes
• Unique features: Extreme heat and drought tolerance once established

Cassian Fountain Grass

Add fabulous texture and movement to gardens with this clumping ornamental grass and its cascading smoky-pink plumes. Fast-growing cassian fountain grass makes an excellent accent plant and holds up well to wind, salt exposure, and drought when mature.

• Ideal zones: 6-10
• Mature size: 2-3 ft tall and wide
• Deer resistance: Yes
• Unique features: Airy pink blooms lasting late summer into fall

That covers a few PlantingTree bestsellers, but they offer hundreds more trees, shrubs, grasses, vines, herbs, and perennials to explore. Next let‘s see what actual customers think after ordering.

PlantingTree Reviews: Real Customers Weigh In

While PlantingTree shines on its own ecommerce site with nearly perfect ratings, I wanted to dig deeper into authentic customer perspectives from third-party review sites like Trustpilot.

Out of over 850 independent ratings, PlantingTree earns an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars. By far most experiences are strongly positive, but naturally a few areas for improvement exist.

Here‘s a summary of commonly cited pros from genuine customer reviews:

• Healthy, high-quality plants
• Generous return and guarantee policies
• Secure packaging during shipping
• Good value for money
• Helpful customer service team

However, a couple cons emerged that you should take note of:

• Rare shipping delays or damage
• Spotty communication on order status
• Slightly pricier for exotic varieties

Analyzing the feedback trends, PlantingTree absolutely delivers on the quality of plants and post-purchase protections. But order tracking and logistics seems to be an occasional weak spot.

As long as you account for possible hiccups getting plants to your door, PlantingTree earns its positive appraisal from shoppers overall.

Next let‘s explain how the guarantees and warranties work to safeguard your purchase.

PlantingTree Guarantees Ensure Happy, Healthy Plants

I know buying plants sight unseen online feels risky, so PlantingTree crafted several guarantees to reassure shoppers. Here are the policies that protect your purchase:

5 Day Good to Grow Guarantee

All plants come with a 5 day arrival guarantee to cover any initial transportation shock. If plants show distress from shipping within 5 days of delivery, PlantingTree will provide a credit or replacement.

This guarantee is voided by planting the item or any customer negligence. But it offers peace of mind those first few days before you get plants settled.

30 Day Warranty

Every plant, shrub and tree also includes a standard 30 day warranty starting at delivery date. If anything fails to thrive due to genetic defects in that period, request a store credit or replacement.

This covers more long-term health issues originating from the nursery, rather than shipping stress.

1 Year Extended Warranty ($9 per plant)

For extra security after the initial 30 days, customers can add a 1 year extended warranty to any plant for $9. This supplements the 30 day coverage with protection for 11 more months against genetic defects causing poor health.

The 1 year warranty must be added at the original time of purchase for eligibility. It cannot be added retroactively if issues develop later. Consider the extra peace of mind worth $9!

Between these two guarantee options and extended warranty, PlantingTree really does stand behind the quality of their plants. Next you‘ll find growing resources to help your new plants flourish too.

Growing Guides Set You Up for Success

Ordering attractive plants is step one, but PlantingTree also equips customers with knowledge to nurture them for years to come. Their website features comprehensive support split into four sections:

• Planting Guides: Detailed instructions for planting every category – trees, shrubs, grasses, etc. Includes crucial steps like digging holes to proper depths, preparing soil, using fertilizer and managing watering.

• Care Guides: Specific tips tailored to individual plants to supplement the general planting directions. Since each plant has unique care needs, this information is invaluable.

• Zone Finder: Eliminates guessing which plants suit your region‘s climate. Just enter your zip code to reveal compatible plants for your verified hardiness zone.

• Blog: Horticulture expertise and inspiration with hundreds of articles about garden design ideas, pest solutions, plant spotlights and more.

As an obsessive researcher before buying any new plant, I‘m impressed by PlantingTree‘s attention to education. The articles tackle frequently asked questions so both novice and expert gardeners feel equipped to succeed.

Speaking of common questions, keep reading for tips to resolve the most popular plant problems.

Compare PlantingTree to Alternatives

How does PlantingTree stack up to competing online nurseries? I evaluated a few alternatives known for quality based on price, selection, and service. Here‘s an overview:

• Nature Hills Nursery – Nature Hills is comparable to PlantingTree in product range focused specifically on plants. Prices and quality are similarly excellent, but the website lacks PlantingTree‘s intuitive guides and growing resources.

• The Home Depot – As expected from a mega retailer, Home Depot has the most diverse inventory spanning plants, outdoor furniture, landscaping materials and garden decor. But plant quality is hit or miss, pricing less consistent, and knowledge resources far less robust compared to PlantingTree.

• Jackson & Perkins – Specializing in roses and specialty gardens, Jackson & Perkins has exceptional plant quality with luxury pricing to match and limited inventory. The refined selection is gorgeous but narrow.

• Walmart – Lastly, Walmart is convenient as a mass retailer but has the worst plant quality and highest reports of pests, disease and shipping damage. Steer clear of Walmart garden purchases and choose PlantingTree instead.

PlantingTree emerges as the winning blend of fair everyday pricing, stellar plants, and top-notch gardening education that slippery big box stores can rarely deliver.

Next up, a monthly care guide tailored specifically to align with popular PlantingTree finds.

Monthly Plant Care Calendar

Consistency is vital when caring for plants through the seasons. Use this calendar to remember key tasks aligned with what‘s available from PlantingTree.

🌿 Spring (March – May)

• Plant cold-tolerant trees, shrubs, grasses: Oak, maple, bush honeysuckle, switch grass

• Prune rosemary bushes to stimulate new growth

• Water evergreens like boxwoods deeply once a week

• Mulch gardens to conserve moisture and suppress weeds

🌿 Summer (June – August)

• Plant warm-season bloomers: Hydrangea, butterfly bushes, coneflower

• Prune spring-flowering plants once done blooming

• Water all containers and new plantings 1-2 times weekly

• Scout constantly for pests like Japanese beetles

🌿 Fall (September – November)

• Plant hardy trees, shrubs and grasses: Birch, hazelnut, cassian fountain grass

• Begin moving container plants to protected areas

• Gradually reduce watering as plants go dormant

• Stop deadheading faded blooms to encourage seed production

🌿 Winter (December – February)

• Plant extremely cold-hardy evergreens: Pine, spruce, juniper

• Water landscaping once monthly during winter thaws

• Leave dried seed heads and foliage for visual interest and wildlife food sources

• Shop end of year sales for head start on spring planting!

This checklist keeps key tasks top of mind season by season when caring for PlantingTree plants. Next let‘s get answers to frequently asked customer questions.

Frequently Asked PlantingTree Questions

Combing through reviews and analyzing customer questions reveals helpful insights about ordering plants online. Here are answers to the top 8 FAQs about PlantingTree:

How long does shipping take?

• Most plants ship within 1-3 business days from the nursery after the order is processed. Transit time ranges between 2 days up to 7 days for distant regions.

What are plant hardiness zones?

• The zones indicate the average coldest winter temperatures that plants can withstand, ranging from 1-13 (higher zones are warmer climates). Always choose plants suited for your zone.

Why do leaves or needles turn yellow?

• Yellowing typically signals overwatering or under watering. Check soil moisture levels regularly to determine if the plant needs more or less frequent hydration.

How often do I need to fertilize?

• Most plants only need fertilizer a couple times per year during the active growing season – early spring and midsummer. Never fertilize late in summer or fall.

What if my plant arrives damaged?

• Notify PlantingTree customer service within 5 days of delivery if any plants show shipping stress. Photos are helpful but not required for replacement or refund eligibility.

My plant died – can I get a refund?

• If plants die from genetic defects within 30 days of receipt, and you followed all planting recommendations, PlantingTree will issue a store credit or replacement plant for that value.

Are there any hidden fees?

• No hidden fees! But the optional 1 year extended warranty that provides 11 months of coverage beyond the standard 30 day warranty costs $9 per plant. Add it during original checkout for future security.

Do you have any deals or discounts?

• Check the Today‘s Deals section and also look for seasonal sales around major holidays for the best prices. First-time shopper savings pop up periodically too.

Got another question about PlantingTree products or process? Reach their helpful customer service team easily 6 days a week at (980)444-2353 from 9 am – 7 pm EST.

Before wrapping up this guide, let‘s explore ideal companion plants to pair with popular PlantingTree picks.

Companion Planting Recommendations

Taking design cues from companion planting principles, where certain plant partners thrive alongside one another, here are suggestions for terrific PlantingTree pairings:

• Green Mountain Boxwood + Annuals – Surround boxwood foundation hedges with cheerful annuals like petunias, marigolds and zinnias for contrasting color and heights.

• Cassian Fountain Grass + Russian Sage – Let cassian grass mingle fluidly among the clouds of tiny lavender blooms and silvery foliage of Russian sage (zones 5-10).

• Rosemary + Sun Patiens – Give rosemary bushes pop with vigorous sun-loving spikes of red, coral and orchid patiens hybrids.

• Maple Tree + Daffodils – Highlight gorgeous fall color of maple trees with waves of golden spring daffodils (plant in drifts under the tree canopy).

• Butterfly Bush + Verbena – Accent airy butterfly bush blooms with Verbena ‘Homestead Purple‘, a hardy perennial herb that attracts butterflies.

Those combinations demonstrate some aesthetically pleasing and mutually beneficial partnerships. Consult PlantingTree‘s blog for more clever plant pairings too!

I hope this guide gave you a comprehensive introduction to PlantingTree answering every question about its products, guarantees, and growing resources.

Based on an in-depth analysis of offerings, customer experiences and policies, I confidently recommend PlantingTree as a premier choice to shop online for plants.

The convenience PlantingTree provides, backed by gardening expertise and quality assurance, will have your yard thriving in harmony together.

When you‘re ready to expand your garden palette, browse the full PlantingTree catalog using handy filters like:

• Sun exposure ➜ shade plants, partial sun, full sun
• Type ➜ trees, shrubs, perennials, etc.
• Flower color ➜ red, purple, yellow blooms
• Wildlife attraction ➜ butterflies, hummingbirds, songbirds
• Soil moisture ➜ average, dry, wet conditions

Discover beautiful plants suited for your unique growing needs with the support to make PlantingTree orders flourish!