Below we've provided answers to our most frequently asked questions.
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.
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.
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.