Frequently Asked Questions
Below we've provided answers to our most frequently asked questions. If you need information that is not addressed clearly in our website or in these FAQs, please contact us so that we can provide you with the information you need to make an informed purchase.Types, Sizes & Availability of Plants
Guarantee, Replacement & Refund Policy
Types, Sizes & Availability of Plants
- What are the differences between rhizomes, divisions, plants, etc?
- In our plant listings, we distinguish between the following types of plants:
- Rhizomes
These are root stock that may or may not have a viable stem or pseudo-stem. Rhizomes typically have one or more growing points (eyes) that, with care, will develop into viable plants. Under the right conditions, new growth appears from rhizomes in about 3 months. Plants grown from rhizomes will be identical to the parent plant. - Divisions
These are plants that have one or more viable stems or pseudo-stems. We create divisions by dividing root stock or taking stem cuttings. These divisions are then grown-out in pots until they are viable plants, complete with stems or pseudo-stems and well-developed root systems. These plants are ready to be planted in your garden. Plants from divisions will be identical to the parent plant. - Stem Cuttings
Some plants are so easy to grow from stem cuttings that we offer just the un-rooted cutting. If you purchase a stem cutting, you will get a "stick" that you will have to root yourself. The size of the stem cutting is noted in the plant description and varies with the type of plant. Plants grown from stem cuttings will be identical to the parent plant. - Plantlets
These are small plants that grow directly on the parent plant, either from the inflorescence (as is the case with some Gingers) or from runners sent out by the parent plant. We collect these small plants from the parent plant and grow them in containers until they reach a suitable size for sale. These are viable plants with well-developed root systems. These plants are ready to be planted in your garden. Plantlets will be identical to the parent plant. - Plants from Seed
Typically called "seedlings", these plants are germinated by us and then grown in contains until they reach a suitable size for sale. These plants are ready to be planted in your garden. Plants grown from seeds should be similar to the parent plant.
- Rhizomes
- Will plants grown from seed look exactly like the parent plant?
- Plants grown from seed are susceptible to natural hybridization. Therefore, the plant should look similar to the parent, but will not be identical. In some cases, you may end up with a one-of-a-kind hybrid!
- How big are the plants that you're selling?
- The size of the plants vary by the type of plant. The largest plant we can ship is 3' tall (including the rootball) because that's the biggest box we can get from the post office.
- I saw a plant on your website yesterday and today it says the plant is "unavailable". What's going on?
- All of our plant sales are subject to product availability. We are a small, family-run nursery and we propagate what we sell ourselves. Unfortunately, this sometimes means that if an item sells out, or we get hit by a storm or drought, we cannot just call our supplier and ask for another shipment. Plants take time to grow to an acceptable size, and they are on their own schedule ... not ours. Typically, we have a new crop in production ... it's just a matter of time until they're ready to ship.
- Some plants on the website are marked "Limited Quantity". What does that mean?
- Before we run out of a particular plant, we will try to indicate that supplies are running low. These plants are still available, but we may only have 1 or 2 left. We are trying to relieve the hassle (for both our customers and ourselves) of a customer buying a large number of the same plant when we don't have that many on-hand.
- Why can't I add a "Limited Quantity" plant to my shopping cart?
- We really don't have that many of our "Limited Quantity" plants available. We don't want someone coming to the website and buying 5 of them, and then we have to refund the money. It's a hassle for everyone. If you're interested in a "Limited Quantity" plant, please plant take a look at our ebay auctions.
- Why do you tell me to look at ebay for "Limited Quantity" plants?
- By offering the plants on ebay, we can control the quantity sold. Typically, our prices on ebay are the same, or lower, than the prices here on our website.
- What happens if I buy a large number of the same plant and you don't have enough on-hand to fulfill my order?
- When this happens, we will contact you, explain the situation, and typically offer you a refund. On occasion, we have plants on-hand but they may be a little smaller than what's described on our website. In this case, we may optionally offer these plants to you. In the end, how this situation gets resolved is up to the customer. We do not make a practice of substituting plants.
- Do you accept orders for those things that are marked SOLD OUT?
- We don't like to take people's money for things that we do not have on-hand to ship. If you're looking for something that we are currently sold out of, drop us a note. There's the chance that we might have 1 or 2 available that are a good size. Just not enough stock to list on our website as generally available. If we really don't have any available, we do maintain a "waiting list" for plants. We can add your name to the list, and we'll notify you (first-come, first-served) when the plant becomes available. You would be under no obligation to purchase the plant once it's available. But you'll have the option before we make it generally available.
Artwork, Paintings & Prints
- If I buy artwork from your website, what exactly am I getting?
- That depends on the item you purchase. Take a look at the description. If it says "Original Painting" then that's what your buying -- an Original. The actual painting that the artist did. If the description says "Print" then you're buying of copy of an original work done by the artist.
- Are these works matted and/or framed?
- For the most part, these works are not framed. You should assume the piece is not framed unless the description says otherwise.
- Why is there writing across the middle of the painting?
- That writing (commonly called a watermark) is not on the actual piece of artwork. It was added to the image used on our website to prevent unauthorized use of the images.
- I have a photo of a favorite flower from my garden. Can I get a painting of it?
- Yes. Some of our artists can be commissioned to do custom paintings.
- How much does a custom painting cost?
- That will depend on the complexity of the painting, the medium used, and the overall size of the painting. All of those details will be worked out prior to commencing your painting.
- If I purchase artwork and plants at the same time, will they be shipped together?
- No. We will always ship artwork in a different package than your plants.
Guarantee, Replacement & Refund Policy
- What type of guarantee do you offer?
- We guarantee that our plants are healthy when they leave our nursery, and that they are properly packaged to minimize the shipping stress that the plant will suffer. After a couple of days without light and water, and possible exposure to temperature extremes, most plants will look a little "worse for wear" when you unpack them. However, given some extra care and time to recuperate, most plants will bounce back to a healthy state. We cannot assume responsibility for a plant after it leaves our direct care.
- I just unpacked my plant and it doesn't look too healthy. What should I do?
- As stated above, most plants will show some signs of stress due to being bare-rooted, packaged,
bounced around, and exposed to temperature extremes. Some plants travel better than others. The results
of stress that you see may include wilted leaves, yellow leaves, and/or dropped leaves.
Most of the plants we sell are fairly resilient and will make a quick comeback for you. We provide
general care instructions with each shipment to help in reconditioning your plants. Following those
instructions will typically get your plant on the road to recovery.
If you feel that your plant arrived in such poor condition that you think that it may die, please contact us within three days of receiving the plant. There are two reasons for this: (1) to give us a record of the state of the plant, and (2) so that we can help you through getting the plant "back on it's feet". We may ask that you email us photos of the plant so that we can assess the state of the plant from time to time.
- The plants arrived in a smashed box. What should I do?
- You should carefully unpack the plants and assess any damage that may have occurred. If the plants are severely damaged, you should contact the US Post Office immediately. If you purchased shipping insurance, you should consider filing a claim. The Post Office requires that you save all packing materials so you can show them the damage when you file a claim. We cannot assume responsibility for damages that occur in shipping.
- My plant looked great when I unpacked it, but now it is dead. What can you do for me?
- Success with plants depends on the individual environmental conditions in which you're growing them.
We sell tropical plants. As such, they typically need high humidity, warm temperatures, ample moisture,
and bright, diffuse sunlight. If you live outside of the tropics, you are going to have to provide these
conditions through artificial means.
Once you receive a plant it becomes yours. No guarantee, expressed or implied, is made for the successful growth in your environment. We cannot assume responsibility for plants which have died as a result of improper planting, care or environmental conditions.
- Can I get a refund or a replacement plant?
- If your plant arrived in poor condition AND you contacted us within three days of receiving the plant AND we can't help you get the plant healthy again, then we can offer you a refund of the price of the plant or a replacement plant (inventory permitting). Shipping costs on the original plant are not refundable. Replacement plants will be included with your next order, or you may choose to pay the shipping charges associated with the replacement plant. We will provide only one replacement plant per originally purchased plant.
- Are there any special considerations for Mexican Bird of Paradise, Ylang-Ylang, or Flamboyant trees?
- None of these trees travel well. The Ylang-Ylang tree does not like to have its roots disturbed.
The Mexican Bird of Paradise and Flamboyant trees drop leaves very easily when transplanted, denied regular
watering, or when exposed to temperature extremes.
Each of these trees may look less than ideal when they arrive. We do everything we can to ensure the delivery of a healthy plant, including shipping them with soilless potting medium and packaging them at the last minute. We include special instructions with each of these plants. Following those instructions will help speed up the recovery of your tree. Typically, these plants take three or more weeks to recover from their shipping stress and start putting out new growth.
- Do you guarantee that the plant is correctly identified/named?
- We make every attempt to correctly identify all of the plants we ship. To the best of our knowledge, our plants are true-to-name. Please be advised, however, that due to natural hybridization and variations, plants grown from seed (seedlings) may not be identical to their parents.
Shopping Cart, Checkout & Payment
- How do I pay for my purchase?
- Our payment processing is handled by PayPal. That means that you can pay with any form of payment that PayPal accepts: your PayPal balace, instant transfer from your bank account, or credit card.
- Can I pay for my purchase using my Visa, MasterCard or American Express card?
- Yes. All of those cards can be processed by PayPal.
- Do I need to have a PayPal account in order to make a purchase from you?
- No. PayPal will process your transaction without requiring you to sign up for a PayPal account.
- If I pay by credit card, what name will be used for the transaction on my credit card statement?
- The name that will appear on your credit card statement will be PAYPAL*TROPFLOFARM.
- Can I pay for my purchase with a check or money order?
- We do not accept personal checks. If you want to pay with a money order, please contact us before placing your order so that we can work out the details.
- Why does my shopping cart contain stuff from a few days ago?
- Items that you've placed in your shopping cart remain in your shopping cart for about 7 days, or until you checkout and pay for the items, or you manually remove items from the cart. So if you have added items to your cart but did not complete the checkout process, those items will still be in your cart tomorrow.
Coupons & Discounts
- How do I use my Coupon Code?
- During the check-out process, you will see a Note to Seller / Coupon Code box. Simply enter your Coupon Code into that box.
- I've entered my Coupon Code, but I do not see the discount reflected in my shopping cart total. What happened?
- The way we handle the coupon discounts is to refund the discount amount. This is because we have no way of calculating the discount with the PayPal shopping cart we use. You will have to pay the total amount, and we will issue a refund through PayPal for the amount of the discount. It's a bit of an inconvenience, but it's the best we can do right now. Your discount will be refunded within 24 hours of your purchase.
- Will the discount be applied to the shipping charges?
- Sorry, but no. Shipping costs are constant, and we can't change that. Your coupon discount will be applied to plant purchases only.
- I see that some plants have "sale" prices. Will my coupon discount apply to those plants?
- Yes. Coupon discounts apply to all plants, and in addition to other sale prices.
- Can I use my discount Coupon Code more than once?
- Yes. You can use your coupon code as many times as you want up until the expiration date.
- What happens if I use my Coupon Code after the expiration date?
- Nothing. You simply will not receive the discount.
- I have two different discount Coupon Codes. Can I use them both and get a double discount?
- Sorry, but no. Only one Coupon Code will be honored per order.
- Can I use my discount Coupon Code to get a discount on Gift Certificate?
- Sorry, but no. Coupon discounts can be applied to the purchase of Gift Certificates. However, if you're using a Gift Certificate to pay for your purchase, you can use your discount Coupon Code.
- Can I use my discount Coupon Code to get a discount on a prior purchase?
- Sorry, but no. Coupon discounts can be applied to new purchases only.
- Can I use my discount Coupon Code to get a discount on a purchase made through eBay™?
- Sorry, but no. Coupon discounts can only be applied to purchases made directly through this website.
- How do I get a discount Coupon Code?
- Discount coupon codes can be found in the newsletters that we send out to subscribers and prior customers. Sign up for our newsletter, and we'll add you to mailing list for our next newsletter.
Shipping
- How do you ship?
- If you are buying plants, we ship via USPS Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation. If you are buying only seeds, then we may choose to ship via USPS First Class Mail without Delivery Confirmation.
- When do you ship?
- We ship on Monday & Tuesday mornings (excluding holidays).
If we receive your payment before 12 noon AST on Monday, your plants will ship by the first Tuesday after we have received your payment. If we receive your payment after 12 noon AST on Monday, your plants will ship Monday or Tuesday of the following week. We need the extra time to properly prepare your plants for shipping.
If you pay by PayPal eCheck, your order will be held until the funds are deposited into our account. Once the eCheck funds are deposited, the "we ship on Mondays & Tuesdays" rule from above kicks in.
- When should I expect to receive my plants?
- USPS Priority Mail typically takes 2-3 business days. When we ship on Tuesdays, our clients typically get their plants by that weekend. Your delivery time may vary depending on your local PO and mail carrier.
- How will I get my Delivery Confirmation number?
- We create our shipping labels on-line and a delivery confirmation number is generated at that time. The delivery confirmation number will be emailed to you directly from the USPS when we create the shipping label.
- How can I track my package using the Delivery Confirmation number?
- You can track your package directly on the USPS web site. Just enter your delivery confirmation number in the Label Number field and click on Go.
- Where do you ship?
- We ship to the United States, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. We cannot ship to Arizona or California.
- Why don't you ship to Arizona or California?
- The state agriculture departments of AZ and CA have very strict regulations about shipping plant material into those states. We are not prepared to deal with those regulations at this time.
- Can you ship internationally?
- No. Not at this time.
- What do you charge for shipping?
- We charge $3.25 per order plus a per-plant charge. For example, if you buy 1 plant with a shipping cost of $2.00, the total shipping charges will be $3.25 + $2.00 = $5.25. If you buy 2 plants with shipping costs of $2.00 each, then the total shipping charges will be $3.25 + $2.00 + $2.00 = $7.25.
- Can I purchase Shipping Insurance for my package?
- Yes, you can. We offer optional shipping insurance as provided by the USPS. You need to add insurance to your cart
just like any other item. You can do that here:
Amount of Coverage Cost $0.01 - $50.00 $1.35 $50.01 - $100.00 $2.30 $100.01 - $200.00 $3.35 - How do you pack plants for shipping?
- We ship all plants bare-root to save on shipping costs. We remove the soil from the roots, and thoroughly wash the roots and plant. Then we spray the plant and roots with insecticidal soap. The roots are wrapped in plastic to keep them moist, and the stem/leaves are rolled in paper. Finally, everything is secured inside a cardboard shipping carton.
Subscriptions, Newsletters & Privacy
- Why would I want to subscribe to your newsletters?
- By subscribing to our newsletters you will find out about new plant introductions and special offers that we're having on our web site.
- How do I subscribe to your newsletters?
- Simply by providing your email address in the little form on the left hand side of this page and clicking on Subscribe. Also, you will be automatically subscribed if you make a purchase from us.
- If I subscribe to your newsletters, will I get a bunch of spam?
- No. We will not share your email address with anyone, and you can always easily unsubscribe. Please review our privacy policy for more information.
- How often do you send out newsletters or updates?
- We anticipate no more than one newsletter per month. They will probably be less frequent.
- How do I cancel my subscription?
- Send an email to unsubscribe@TropicalFlowerFarm.com from the email address that you used to subscribe and you will be promptly removed from our mailing list.