Comments regarding Greer Gardens

Many years ago (15 to 16) I purchased a fig tree from Greer Gardens nursery; in their catalog they referred to it as a "Celeste" fig tree; Italian variety if I recall. Fast forward now to 2022; this tree is a huge tree! Container grow all these years. When I shared this tree with other fig enthusiasts they confirm it is not Celeste variety; shape; color of figs and the completely different leaf pattern. I know Greer Gardens closed (too bad) but was hoping someone might have a PDF copy of their old plant catalog. I would like to see how the tree was described. They did not offer many fig varieties if I recall. Thanks for you help. Tom

Alert! Although they are now closed, buyers should be aware that an investigator with USDA will be coming to my house this week to photograph a tree I bought from Greer. The USDA and some state agriculture agencies across the country are investigating Greer for selling plant material infected with Sudden Oak Death disease. From what he has said, trees, etc., with SOD have been shipped across the country. An inspector will be back in the spring, when the tree has leaves, to be sure it isn't infected.

"On Jan 4, 2016 4:15 PM, Greer Gardens responded with:

This is an unfair review, because while SOD has been found on plants from our suppliers, The magnolia she received is NOT on the SOD list and may be shipped. The problem is that the USDA does not understand their own lists and often give out misinformation and also change their stories. We have never shipped any magnolias with SOD, and while there are some magnolias on the SOD list, as I said before the magnolia she received is not, and the USDA is wrong in contacting her.

It is true that we have retired after 50 years and are developing our land in the city into retirement village, we did not close because of SOD. We thank our many fine customers we have had though these 50 years. Gardeners are the best!"

Posted on May 1, 2015, updated June 12, 2015
Terrible quality of stock. Ordered three conifer trees. All three died in the first season. I have ordered from dozens of online nurseries and never seen such stock.
I sent them an email with photo evidence of the state of the plants. Never heard back.

"On May 1, 2015 7:20 PM, Greer Gardens responded with:

I am very sorry that this customer is unhappy. We try very hard to send quality stock, though rarely a mistake happens. We do respond to all contacts, and we have never received the email he states he sent. It is possible it never came. We can't identify this customer by his user name, but we will gladly correct anything wrong, if we only know. It means a lot to use to treat customers right, and we do when we know of a problem. Harold Greer "

Posted on March 25, 2014, updated January 19, 2015
I ordered 4 deciduous Azaleas recently and received them a few days ago. Immediately, I unpacked them and it took me about 10 minutes to do so because the plants were so meticulously packaged! I was really impressed how they packed them. All of the plants were in excellent shape and were of superior quality. I had to pot them up for now since they broke dormancy and we're still in the low 20s overnight this week. I look forward to planting them and enjoying their flowers in the garden!

I ordered a variety of Azaleas from Greer this spring. I was incredibly disappointed. 2/3 of them died before the end of August. Of the 20 other Azaleas I planted this year, none died. Everything from Greer looked pretty average when it got out of the box, but the test is that it they were so weak they couldn't survive 10 days in the ground. Greer Customer service said they were not responsible at that point.

Of incredibly surprise was when Maryland Agriculture inspectors came to my house to take samples of everything in my gardens. They told me that Greer had a major problem in their gardens last year, and they were monitoring every plant brought into the state. If any infection was found they would have destroyed every plant on my property.

The thought of losing 100's of specimens freaked me out. I won't buy from Greer again.

I found Greer very helpful and informative. When you call them you are greeted by a real person! I bought some kiwi plants from them and they got hung up in customs for a few weeks and when they arrived a couple of them looked a little stressed(which was no fault of Greer) I called them and they replaced the plants free of charge all I paid was the cost of a new phytosanitary certificate which was more than I could ask for as it was not their fault customs took so long. Great company very happy with the service.

I will have to rate the plants, buying experience, and shipping experience separately.

Plants (Positive) - I ordered a Stewartia and a Magnolia. Both plants were sized as advertised. The 6 foot Stewartia was in full bloom! I am very happy with the quality and the value.

Buying experience (Positive) - Due to a severe winter, Greer apparently lost much of their stock. I ordered a bit late and so several items were understandably out of stock, not available, or available in different sizes. Their email communication was excellent and they did a very good job of finding plants by outsourcing.

Shipping experience (Negative) - They shipped on a Tuesday by FedEx Ground with an expected delivery on Saturday to Middle TN. I have all my packages delivered to Going Postal as I live out in the country and cannot have plants especially thrown over the fence and sitting in the sun waiting for me to come home. They tried to deliver late Saturday afternoon well after GP had closed. There was NO attempt at delivery on Monday. The plants were finally delivered late Tuesday.

The packaging was a mixed blessing. The plants survived because the box was well sealed and had a wooden structure inside to maintain structural integrity. BUT the 2 foot magnolia had been packed loosely and so was rattling around in the 4 foot long box. As a consequence the tips of the plant were either broken off or bent over so I lost much of this year's growth. How do you get a 6 foot Stewartia in a 4 foot box, you ask? You bend over the top 2 feet into a U shape. I am giving them the benefit of the doubt on this and hopefully the tree will straighten back out in a few days. Or maybe I will have the only weeping Stewartia around.

Summary - Love the plants but may hesitate to buy again due to the shipping drama. I would think long and hard about ordering from them if you live farther east than I. It was shocking to find that FedEx ground was less reliable this spring than either UPS or even USPS (gulp).

"On Jun 19, 2014 6:33 PM, Greer Gardens responded with:

I am sorry that FedEx let you down in the delivery. That should know that a business like Going Postal would close on Saturday evening, though you did not give us a business name just an address and we assumed it to be a residential address. Otherwise we could have given additional instructions. FedEx Home Delivery (which also delivers to businesses) works Tuesday through Saturday, hence the reason it was not redelivered on Monday.

We try very hard to pack the plants well so they cannot move in the box, but sometimes the boxes are damaged by the transportation company, but that happens very seldom.

Because of transportation costs we do bend the plants in the box sometimes, but it does not hurt the plant and they soon straighten up. Since the transportation companies charge by the size of the box, a 6 foot box could cost much more than a 4 foot box and we think transportation costs for our customers are high enough as is and we certainly do not make money on transportation, and we want to keep costs reasonable for you.

The transportation drama seldom happens, and we are sorry it did for you.

Harold Greer, President"

I ordered two rhododendrons and a mountain laurel this spring, which is the first time I had the opportunity to purchase something from Greer Gardens. One of the items that I ordered was damaged by the conditions they had at their nursery this past winter, but they contacted me promptly by email and asked if I wanted a substitution instead.

Last week, the plants I ordered arrived exactly within the date range I requested. Everything was extremely well packed and secured. All the plants were healthy and in very good condition. I would not hesitate to recommend Greer Gardens and I will be sure to use them again in the future.

What a fantastic company with whom to deal! The plants were superior and so professionally packaged. Their pride and enthusiasm for what they do shows from beginning to end of transaction. I highly recommend Greer Gardens. Would love to visit in person.

Posted on June 2, 2009, updated October 16, 2012
June 2, 2009
My first experience with Greer--obviously a "class act". I ordered 2 Nandina Harbor Belle. Plants arrived in absolute perfect condition even with 90 degree heat lately here in GA. Fed-Ex driver also deserves credit since he had the plants with him in the A/C part of the truck.
Packing was perfect, very clever brace held plants exactly in place.I am completely pleased and look forward to dealing with Greer again.

A month ago I received an enormous Crinodendron hookerIanum and a nce sized Embothrium coccineum.Neither of these plants is suitable to my climate but, so far, both are doing well in pots. Despite the three thousand mile journey, neither plant showed any sign of stress. I am very happy with the quality and service.Also a fascinating list of plants not available on the east coast.Order #75135

I hope it is helpful to know that Greer has been excellent for decades. My first order from their catalog was in 1989. The trees were impossible to find elsewhere, arrived beautifully packaged and are still thriving. The catalog was, and is, a bit "gushy" in praise of its selections--but hey, you can't blame them for loving plants too much.

I ordered a specimen tree for my daughter, it came promptly in incredible packaging...I do not think I have ever seen packaging as they do...not even remotely close. They respond quickly and wish I had an excuse to order again...they are the poshished plant company I have ever ordered from, though they seemed new to retail one could tell they had been wholesale and were accustomed to dealing fairly with people. They are probably one of the best out there. I would not hesitate to order from this company and highly recommend them.

About the best service and selection you can find anywhere. The packaging is amazing- I do a lot of mail order and this is the finest that I have seen, not a broken leaf or loose soil to be seen. The rhodos were extremely nice and robust and almost looked like they came from someone's yard. This is the reason that they have been in business so long. A model other companies should take note of.

I placed an order in the spring with Greer Gardens. The plants arrived in very good condition. I ordered several Camellia and Daphne. I was a little concerned that the rootballs had been trimmed too much, but all plants seem to be thriving. The deer have started in on the camellia in the back, but Greer can hardly be faulted for that. Very good service and very good plants. A+. The only caveat I would add is that because there is some fungal or spore present in the western US region where Greer is located that has not made it east the RI Horticultural Dept took leaf cuttings to test before they would allow me to plant the Camellia. The samples came back negative, but it was a hassle. Again, no fault of Greer Gardens. Good plants, good people...

Posted on May 9, 2011, updated May 9, 2011
I am a Korean addicted to rhodies. I've been importing quite a few rhodo cultivars from the Greer Gardens in recent years. Harold Greer, the president of the company, has been fastidious in meeting the Korean plant quarantine requirements. All the necessary steps including barerooting/washing/packaging for the survival/well-being of the plants were meticulously followed. I was very much satisfied with the quality of his services and tecommend highly of his company for those who are interested in importing rhodies or other plants from the US.

Byoung Sup Ghill
an ARS/RSF/RHS member

First let me say that I do not represent myself as any kind of expert on rhododendrons and certainly not on other types of plants. I have been studying and planting rhododendrons for over thirty years. I am lucky enough to live just a few miles from the Rhododendron Species Foundation in Federal Way, Wa. I spent years as a volunteer helping tend the bushes there. I do read a lot.
I believe that Harold is a product of The University of Oregon in Eugene, Or. and graduated from there. His is a duck I guess. He is indeed a world authority on rhododendrons and has a rare eye for beauty in plants.
They have one of the most extensive collections of species rhododendrons and hybrids that I have come across. Any bush you bought there would be a superior addition to your collection. Greer Gardens has extensive offerings in trees, Magnolias, Camellias, Japanese Maples are one of my interests, vines, perennials etc. etc. If he only carried roses it would be too overwhelming. I am a private customer and I do not know Harold or his wife Nancy other than to recognize them when I am at their business.
My wife and I have been taken around to look at plants by, I believe, Margaret and she is so sweet and you can feel her love of plants in her voice and her touch. I am just thankful there are business like this. I wrote this because of self interest. I never want to be cheated of special businesses like this

I would like to put in a general good word for Greer Gardens.
They were one of the first mail-order companies I purchased from in the mid-90's, when I first began to garden seriously. (Ie. blow a lot of dough on plants).

Their "Justly Famous for the Rare and Unusual" very much stimulated my interest in plants.
Since then, I have ordered shrubs, Azalea, Rhodo, one of Harold Greer's books on Rhodos, Grasses, and perennials from them.
Their plants arrive in good order, at the as-advertised size, and in good shape.
They appreciate, but do not take advantage of, my requests for substitute items.
I don't any complaints about their product quality, and have spoken with them on the phone over the past...however many... years.
They are decidedly Family-Owned, and proud of what they offer.
Check out their website, do some research, order as you like, and enjoy their product.
Moosie

This fall, I placed three orders with Greer Gardens,, receiving a total of ten plants, all rhododendrons/azaleas. I found Greer Gardens originally through their website and was very impressed with their extensive inventory of rhododendrons, especially the species. Ordering by phone was a snap and the two people that I dealt with at various times were very pleasant and helpful. All of the plants were packed with great care and were in excellent condition. All are very lovely plants as well. Greer Gardens is an outstanding source for rare and unsual rhododendrons and I commend the staff for the quality of their service. I have already placed an order with them for the spring, having run out of planting time here in Rhode Island for the fall.

I ordered a Rhododendron and Chinese Witch Hazel from Greer Garden's about a week ago after looking at their catalogue all year long. First of all I have to say that their inventory is impressive with many varieties that I could not find at local nurseries. I received my plants a couple of days ago and they came exactly as described. Both plants were packed with extreme care (some of the best I've seen) and appear large and very healthy. I will have to wait and see how they do after planting and give an update.

My only complaint (a very slight one) is that their online catalogue is not quite up to date. There were a few sizes of plants that were listed as available and when I called I was told otherwise and had to adjust my order. Also they listed the Witch Hazel at $29.95 for a 5-6' which would have been a screaming deal but when I called to order it they said it was a mistake and could send me a 3-4' for $39.95. The website was updated shortly thereafter and in the end I am happy with what I received.

I have been toying with ordering Japanese Maples from Greer Gardens for a couple of years. I am glad I finally took the plunge! I received 4 beautiful Acer Japonicums and one minitature conifer. The packaging was done very well and the price was not bad considering one of the trees was over 8 feet tall. I am very impressed and plan on ordering again in the spring. I received an email confirmation to my fax order (as I requested) and an additional confirmation letting me know when the items would ship. Everything was perfect! Thanks Harold, Mike (salesman) and the rest of the Greer Gardens team!

Posted on May 23, 2006, updated September 28, 2010
My first order from Greer Gardens arrived yesterday. My reaction: WOW! The plants are healthy, well-rooted, & larger than expected. Packaging was quite impressive with obvious attention to maximizing protection of the plants while minimizing shipping costs. This is the first shipment of plants I've received from any vendor that had watering crystals placed around roots. What a great way to help plants survive a transcontinental trip, & what a neat thing to be able to add to the planting hole! I'll certainly order from Greer Gardens again.

New Bern, NC

Posted on March 19, 2008, updated June 1, 2010
I ordered 2 phormiums from Greer Gardens. Shipping was pretty fast and the plants that arrived were really beautiful... large and healthy. Really an ease to do business with. I have already placed a second order with them based on my experience.

"On Jun 7, 2010 10:18 PM, Greer Gardens responded with:

Dannygates,

I am sorry that we did not completely fill your order as desired. If you consider that the Baby Bonsai, which you will have to admit are well worth the price, were only incidental, you received two of the three you ordered. You only ordered two other plants, on of which was not available, so you can't say we only shipped the Baby Bonsai. Yes, you ordered a total of five plants including the Baby Bonsai and only received three and that is not what we ever want, but you did not receive only the Baby Bonsai as you state.

Now, let me say one other thing. In December we suddenly had three very cold nights which at the time did not seem too be bad, but when the plants started to grow at the time you ordered, we suddenly found that thousands of plants were not of the quality we will send, hence why you were told the computer inventory is not accurate. We may have shown 50 plants of something available and suddenly found we only had 10 or 5 or 1. We tried to adjust the inventory as we could, but we could just not keep up. If you had placed at email and we would have even pulled the plants for your order at one point, a week later as the plants leafed out we might have found we could not send them.

We care, but also know that sometimes things don't work as we wish. It really hurts to be kicked when we were already crying at the losses we had. I hope you will reconsider your rating.

But I will add that we still have lots of quality plants to sell, but all Northwest nurseries are hurting in someway this year.

Harold Greer
President Greer Gardens"

I love their catalogue, their knowledge of Rhododendrons, their selection, and the quality of their plants. Because I have ordered from them over at least 20 years, albeit infrequently, and have not been disappointed until this most recent order, I give them a positive.

This year, I received their catalogue and called, couldn't have been more than a week after receiving it, to order a Tree Peony 'Alhambra' plant. They have one listed at 5 gal. for $49.95 -- an incredible deal for a tree peony that big. I spoke with a very nice gentleman on the phone who was quite accommodating to my need to receive it by the end of the following week. On Monday of the week it was to ship, he called and left a message that there were no 5 gal. plants, and that he would ship a 1 gal plant (at $29.95) unless he heard from me to cancel the order. I went ahead with the order. The plant arrived well packed, on schedule, and in fine condition. You can't beat Greer for that. Their shipping was also reasonable on this plant (in the neighborhood of $10.00 from West to East Coast). My only disappointment was that it was a much smaller plant than what was listed (and is still listed) on their website, and not quite so much a bargain. Tree Peonies take time to grow, and I would have liked the head start a 5 gal. plant would have afforded.

That said, they are a very good company, and I would not hesitate to order from them again, 'though I might ask them to check for sure to see if a plant is in stock when I'm on the phone with them.

Wonderful company. One of my old standbys. Plants are excellent and service is excellent. Selection is awesome. I turn to Greer first, especially for rhododendrons.

This is a wonderful company to do business with. They have an extensive inventory of shrubs not easily found in my area. Of particular interest to me are the cold hardy Ackerman Hybrid Camellias.

I have purchased shrubs from them several times over the years and have never been disappointed. Once, one of the Camellias died within a short time of planting. Greer Gardens happily replaced it without any unpleasantness and offered good planting tips to insure future success. I will be sure to return to them for more nice shrubs.

Fantastic Company!
I have purchased rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias from Greers about five times since early spring 2009, approx thirty plants total. Just placed an order for eight more.
All plants have been at a minimum the listed size, all healthy, well budded, well branched.
Harold Greer and his staff take the time to discuss plants with me, even communicating with me on weekends.
Perhaps of most importance, when you call, a real, live, person answers the phone!
Greers was the end of my search; I no longer buy rhododendrons elsewhere, neither nursery nor mail order.

I fell in love with an uncommon tree (toona sinensis flamingo) while spending time on DG. I looked everywhere locally, and searched several on line nurserys, but was unable to find one. I was referred to Greer by a fellow DG'r, and not only did they have the tree I was looking for, they were wonderful to deal with. I ordered the tree and within three days had a wonderfully healthy and perfectly packaged tree at my doorstep. I would highly recommend them to anyone!

I ordered a Actinidia kolomikta ‘September Sun’ by telephone. The plant arrived timely, packaged well, healthy and on the large end of the advertised size range. I'm pleased.

I have known Greer Gardens for a long time, having shopped in person when I used to live in Eugene and also during periodic visits to Eugene. I have long been aware of their great selection and absolutely superb quality. I recently mail ordered from them for the first time and the experience was equally positive. Plant was exactly as described, shipped promptly and securely packaged. You can't go wrong with them.

I inquired about a - Pinus aristata - Bristlecone Pine and Harold personally returned my email and actually took the time to take a couple of pictures of the tree since it was a special project (potentianl bonsai stock).
I am pleased with the service and the very nice tree they sent me...
Thanks Harold !!

Gratefully,
Streve B

Their collection of dwarf rhododendrons was very extensive, so I decided to give them a try. I ordered 12 plants with a very courteous sales person. I thought the shipping was pricey, but felt it was well worth it after receiving the plants so quickly. They were shipped to PA from WA in 2 days. One of the plants was wilted and never did recover. After several phone calls and advice received, they shipped a replacement which was larger than the original plant. Customer service and communication was great. I highly recommend this company.

I purchased three Japanese Maples from Greer Gardens and was more than impressed. The tree I received were healthy, well-branched and arrived quickly in the mail.

With the huge selection and quality of trees/grafts, I wouldn't hesitate to buy more from them in the future. Thanks! Christian

I have been relying on Greer Gardens for 10 years now and am shocked upon reading negative comments.The plant material they have supplied me with has consistently exceeded my expectations. When I have had occasion to contact customer service, they have been more than obliging and I have come away feeling very assured that they do indeed care about customer satisfaction. I have done extensive landscaping in 13 years in New York State and am now beginning to landscape my new yard in North Carolina.
I wouldn't hesitate to place further orders!

I ordered two Japanese maples from Greer Gardens this past year. Given that I spent over $500, I was dismayed at the small root systems on each. One survived, but the other didn't live out the week.

I called and was promised that Mr. Greer would respond to me. Instead a replacement arrived a couple of weeks later. It was great that they sent a replacement, but it would have been nice to have a heads-up that it was being shipped, and it would have been even nicer if there had been a root system on the replacement (if anything, there were less roots this time).

I called and was again promised that Mr. Greer would need to respond to me. After not hearing back I called again and was told that a replacement would be shipped in the fall. I did indeed receive another replacement, again without any shipping notification but this time with a healthy root system.

So at the end of the day, I have two fine Japanese maples, but it took quite a bit of doing to arrive at this point, and each time I had to initiate contact (I never have heard from Mr. Greer). I'm glad that the company did the right thing and sent two replacements (I have no doubt that they made little if any money on this transaction), but it also wouldn't have been necessary if the root systems hadn't been treated so harshly in the packaging process.

Called to order 2 dwarf maple fjellheims in early September, and was told they would go out shortly. I explicitly explained (and they had it in their order info) that they needed to arrive before September 21, when we would be leaving town for 10 days. I was assured (this being September 5) that they would go out in "a couple of days" and would arrive "well before the 21st." When I called on September 20th, I was told "we don't know why they didn't go out - we still have the trees sitting here. Do you still want them?" These were supposed to be an anniversary present to my husband. No offer was made to ship them overnight (I was told they couldn't ship them on a Thursday or Friday) or to in any way compensate/fix the situation, even after I explained that these were an anniversary present. Nothing. So in essence, I was left to scramble to find them and pay overnight shipping from someone else.

"

I can only say we made an honest mistake. For some unknown reason the paperwork just slipped through the cracks and did not get back to the office so the plants could be shipped.

And, yes we should have offered to send the plants next day air. I certainly would have done that, but since we seldom ship next day air the employee she talked to did not realize that was possible, though he does know better.

My apologies for this error. It is not the way we want to run our business. Sorry also I was not around to immediately answer this, as I was out of town chairing the very successful Western Regional Rhododendron Conference.

Thanks to all for being understanding that even in the best of situtations, mistakes do happen."

Excellent company!

Here's the story: I ordered 1 Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus Cembra) at the 5-6 ft size. After about 2 weeks the owner (I think) contacted me and said the shipment was bouncing around because Fedex couldn't deliver (I live in an apartment). Now this person sounded genuinly concerned for me (as I paid a lot in shipping) and for the well being of the tree (almost as if it were an animal). Thanks to his timely warning I quickly went to their office and obtained the item.

What an impressive specimen! It's about 5'5" tall and didn't have a hint of wilting or browning despite it's long stay in the box. It was very well packed with a wooden frame to prevent it being crushed.

I've had great difficulty obtaining Swiss Stone Pine in any decent size. I highly recommend this company if you want hard to find conifers at a respectable size.

"

Thanks for the kind words. We were concerned both for you and the plant.

Harold Greer"

1. Saturday May 26,2007 I e-mailed Greer gardens asking about a Rhodie which I did not see in the catalog and that I would call in an order for R. citriniflorum. The telephone order was made shortly afterwards.

2. On Saturday June 9th Dianne Johnson e-mailed me saying they were sorry but they did not have R. kawakamii.

3. On Thursday June 14th I received my package from Greer Gardens. It was a Lavender rather than a Rhodie so I immediately e-mailed them and stated the problem. (the Lavender was a very nice specimen of L. X intermedia grosso 'Dilly Dilly' and very well packaged).

4. This afternoon, Sunday June 17th (Father's Day) I received a phone call from Mr. Greer stating sometimes there are mix-ups, and probably someone in the mid-west now has a Rhodie instead of a Lavender. He said my citriniflorum would be replaced and to keep the lavender.

Mix-ups are to be expected now and then, unpleasant though they may be, but the response from this company has been very encouraging and I anticipate dealing with them more in the future.
I ordered from them based upon the reviews in the Garden Watchdog and have been satisfied with the results.

For the last several months I've been looking for a Nyssa Sylvatica (Black Tupelo) which is difficult to find in this part of the country. I've even asked some of the prominent Portland area nurseries to order one for me at great expense and have had no luck.

Then I discovered Greer. Not only did they have the Tupelo, they also had several Japanese Maples I'd been looking for. So I decided to make the two hour drive down to Greer Gardens and see the place in person. Greer's employees were very pleasant and drove us around the 14 acre nursery in a golf cart helping us find the specific trees we were seeking. The prices were quite reasonable and the Tupelo was actually taller than advertised by at least 18 inches.

All in all, a delightful family owned nursery with great trees and shrubs. Definitely worth the trip if you live in Oregon. I'll be back next year for the backyard re-landscape.