Customer Service

We ship orders Monday through Wednesday only. This is intentional: it keeps your plants from sitting in a hot or cold distribution center over a weekend when no one is moving them forward.

Orders placed by Tuesday at noon CT are eligible for that same week’s shipping window. Orders placed after Tuesday noon will ship the following Monday–Wednesday window. You’ll receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as your order leaves our greenhouse.

Note: Orders placed Thursday through Sunday ship the following Monday–Wednesday. This isn’t a delay. It’s how we protect your plants in transit.

We ship to the contiguous 48 states. Standard transit time is 2–5 business days depending on your distance from McMinnville, TN.

• Southeast and Midwest: usually 2–3 days.
• Pacific Northwest and Northeast: usually 4–5 days.

We don’t currently ship to Alaska or Hawaii. Transit times are too long and conditions too unpredictable to guarantee plant health.

Every plant that leaves our facility is packed with care:

• Root balls are wrapped in moist growing medium and secured in plastic or breathable wrapping to hold moisture without causing rot.
• Stems and foliage are gently supported and cushioned to prevent breakage.
• Pots are secured to prevent tipping and soil loss.

Dormant season (late fall through early spring)

• Plant status: fully dormant, with no active foliage or flowers.
• Why it’s ideal: dormant bare-root plants travel exceptionally well, experience minimal transit stress, and establish roots faster once planted in early spring.

Active growing season (late spring through summer)

• Plant status: actively growing and leafed out during transit.
• On arrival: plants may show temporary transit stress, such as leaf wilt, yellowing or leaf drop.
• What it means: this is a normal, temporary stress reaction and doesn’t mean the plant is dead or damaged.
• Recovery: planted at the proper depth (at the root collar) and watered thoroughly, the plant will focus on root growth and push fresh new foliage.

Even a perfectly packed, perfectly shipped plant may look a little rough when it arrives. Wilted leaves, slight yellowing at the tips or a droopy appearance are normal responses to a few days in a box. This doesn’t mean your plant is dying.

Follow our after-delivery care steps and give your plant 1–2 weeks to bounce back. The vast majority of plants that arrive looking stressed recover fully and go on to thrive.

Tip: Think of it as jet lag for plants. A little rest, some water and indirect light, and they’re usually back to themselves within a week or two.

Once a package leaves our facility, it’s in the carrier’s hands. We aren’t responsible for delays caused by the carrier, weather or other circumstances outside our control.

That said, a delayed plant can mean a stressed or damaged plant, and we won’t leave you holding that bag. If your plant arrives in unacceptable condition that appears related to a transit delay, contact us within 48 hours of delivery with photos and we’ll make it right. See our return and replacement policy for details.

1. Unbox immediately. Don’t leave the plant in the box any longer than necessary. It needs air, light and water.
2. Water thoroughly. Give the root ball a deep drink right away, until water flows freely from the drainage holes.
3. Place in indirect light. Even full-sun plants should sit in bright, indirect light for the first few days. After days in the dark, direct sun adds stress.
4. Don’t fertilize yet. A freshly shipped plant has a stressed root system, and fertilizer can burn tender roots. Wait at least 3–4 weeks.

Don’t panic about wilting. If your plant looks wilted or sad on arrival, water it, give it indirect light and check again the next morning. Most plants look dramatically better within 24–48 hours.

Over the first one to two weeks, gradually introduce your plant to its intended sun exposure. For a full-sun spot, start with two to three hours of direct sun per day and increase from there. This prevents sunscald and transplant shock.

• Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Stick your finger an inch into the soil: if it’s dry, water; if it’s still moist, wait.
• Watch for new growth. Emerging leaves or buds are the clearest sign your plant has settled in.
• Don’t let the plant sit in standing water. Stressed roots are more prone to rot.

Wait until your plant looks stable and healthy before moving it into the ground or a permanent outdoor container. For most plants, that’s 1–2 weeks after arrival. A plant that’s still wilted or hasn’t shown new growth isn’t ready yet.

• Avoid extreme heat. If temperatures are consistently above 90°F, wait for a cooler stretch. Early morning on a mild day is ideal.
• Avoid frost. Don’t plant out if frost is expected within two weeks for tender plants.
• Plant at the right depth. Dig a hole 2–3 times as wide as the root ball and set the plant at the same depth it grew in the pot. Backfill with native soil, water deeply and mulch around the base, keeping mulch away from the stem.

Improper watering, usually too little or too frequent and shallow, is the number one killer of newly planted trees and shrubs. Follow this through the first full growing season:

• Water deeply and less often. Deep watering encourages roots to grow down and builds drought tolerance.
• New trees and shrubs need about 1 inch of water per week from rain, irrigation or both.
• Perennials and smaller plants need the same weekly inch through their first summer, then can often rely on rainfall once established.
• Mulch 2–3 inches deep around the planting, not touching the stem, to hold moisture.

All plants are covered by our 30-day guarantee from the date of delivery. If something goes wrong within that window, we want to know about it.

Contact us within 48 hours of delivery with clear photos of the plant and the packaging. We’ll offer a replacement or a full refund.

Please keep the packaging until you’ve contacted us. It may be needed for a carrier claim.

If your plant was alive on arrival, you followed our care instructions, and it still declined and died within 30 days of delivery, contact us with photos and a brief description of the care you provided. We’ll review it and offer a replacement or refund at our discretion. We’ll always give you the benefit of the doubt when the evidence supports it.

We don’t accept physical returns of live plants. Please don’t ship a plant back to us. We can’t accept, restock or use returned live plant material.

Replacements ship in the next available Monday–Wednesday shipping window after your claim is approved. We’ll email you to confirm it’s on its way.

Refunds are processed within 5–7 business days to your original payment method. Your bank or card issuer may take a few extra days to show it on your statement.

Email hello@greenwoodplants.com with:

• your order number,
• photos of the plant (and packaging, if it arrived damaged), and
• a brief description of what happened.

The more context you give us, the faster we can help. We aim to respond to all claims within one business day.

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map divides the United States into 13 zones, with half-zones labeled “a” and “b,” based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature. Each full zone covers a 10°F range and each half-zone 5°F. Zone 1 is the coldest (northern Alaska) and Zone 13 the warmest (tropical Hawaii and Puerto Rico). Most of the continental U.S. falls between Zones 4 and 9.

Zones don’t tell you everything about heat, humidity, soil or summer conditions, but they’re the most widely used and reliable starting point for choosing plants.

Many plants are hardy across several zones. Check each product page for its full rated range.

Zone 4 (−30°F to −20°F)

Northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Montana, parts of New England and high-elevation Rockies. Good choices: highbush blueberry, hardy prairie roses, purple coneflower, native serviceberry (Amelanchier), spirea and native asters.

Zone 5 (−20°F to −10°F)

Southern Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, coastal New England, Denver and the northern Plains. Good choices: Eastern redbud, native black-eyed Susan, witch hazel, oakleaf hydrangea, wild blue indigo and heritage apple varieties.

Zone 6 (−10°F to 0°F)

Missouri, Kansas, Virginia, North Carolina, much of Tennessee, Kentucky, New Jersey and Maryland. Good choices: panicle hydrangea, Virginia sweetspire, American beautyberry, native azaleas, Joe Pye weed and pawpaw trees.

Zone 7 (0°F to 10°F)

Middle Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, northern Texas, the Virginia coast, Pacific Northwest lowlands and parts of New Mexico. Good choices: gardenia, crape myrtle, anise hyssop, butterfly bush, native passion vine and cold-hardy camellias.

Zone 8 (10°F to 20°F)

Southern Texas, coastal Georgia and South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi and most of the Pacific Coast from Portland to San Francisco. Good choices: Southern magnolia, loropetalum, native muhly grass, yaupon holly, perennial lantana and banana shrub.

Zone 9 (20°F to 30°F)

Central and coastal California, most of Florida, parts of the Texas Gulf Coast and the coastal Pacific Northwest. Good choices: dwarf bottlebrush, Texas sage (Leucophyllum), society garlic, cape plumbago, native coral honeysuckle and hardy hibiscus.

Zones are a starting point. A Zone 6 garden in humid Tennessee grows very differently from a Zone 6 garden in dry Colorado. If you’re unsure whether a plant suits your location, ask us. We’ll give you an honest answer based on how the plant actually performs.

Enter your zip code at the top of any page on our site and it will show your zone. Zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature in your area and are the main guide to whether a perennial will survive your winters. For reference, we’re in McMinnville, TN, right on the Zone 6b/7a boundary, which suits a huge range of plants.

Every product page lists the USDA zone range the plant is rated for. If your zone falls within that range, the plant should be winter-hardy in your area.

Zones are a starting point, not a guarantee. Microclimates, planting location, soil drainage and mulching all affect how a plant handles winter. If you’re on the edge of a zone, a sheltered spot and a generous layer of mulch before winter go a long way. When in doubt, ask us.

Many of our plants do wonderfully in containers, which is a great option if you’re renting, have poor native soil or want to move plants indoors for winter. Keep in mind that containers dry out much faster than garden beds, so you’ll water more often, and most woody plants in containers are 1–2 zones less cold-hardy because their roots are more exposed. Ask us on the product page or through chat if you’re unsure about a specific plant.

For perennials, hostas, astilbes, bleeding hearts and ferns are hard to beat. For shrubs, oakleaf hydrangea, mountain laurel and Virginia sweetspire thrive with limited sun. For groundcover under trees, native ginger and pachysandra are excellent. Use the “Light Requirements” filter on our site and choose full shade to see everything we carry for those conditions.

Tennessee has a rich native flora, and native plants are always our first recommendation for low-maintenance, wildlife-friendly gardens. Favorites include Eastern redbud, black-eyed Susan, purple coneflower, Virginia sweetspire, native azaleas (Rhododendron canescens and R. periclymenoides), wild blue indigo and river oats. Natives are adapted to local soils and rainfall, support pollinators and need far less fuss once established. Filter by “Native” to browse our full selection.

No plant is 100% deer-proof, since a hungry deer will eat almost anything. Deer do tend to avoid plants with aromatic foliage (lavender, catmint, Russian sage), fuzzy or prickly textures (lamb’s ear, barberries) and toxic plants (daffodils, foxglove, native ferns). Look for the “Deer Resistant” tag on product pages. In heavy deer areas, add temporary fencing around new plantings until they’re established.

For monarchs, milkweed is essential. It’s their only larval host plant. Purple coneflower, Joe Pye weed, ironweed, wild bergamot and native asters are also butterfly magnets. For bees, try lavender, catmint, anise hyssop and native salvias. For season-long support, combine early bloomers (redbud, wild columbine), mid-season plants (coneflower, bee balm) and late bloomers (asters, goldenrod). Filter by “Pollinator Friendly” to see our full selection.

Transit takes 2–5 business days after your order ships. Southeast and Midwest customers usually receive orders in 2–3 days; Northeast and Pacific Northwest customers should expect 4–5 days. Because we ship Monday through Wednesday only, your ship date may be a few days after your order date. You’ll get a tracking number as soon as your package leaves our facility.

Yes. Greenwood Nursery is one of the few mail-order nurseries that ships year-round, including container-grown plants, bare-root groundcovers and bare-root trees and shrubs.

Container-grown plants ship reliably all year and arrive ready to plant. Bare-root groundcovers are packed to hold moisture so they settle in quickly. Bare-root trees and shrubs look different depending on the season: fully dormant from late fall through early spring, and leafed out (sometimes with temporary wilt or leaf drop) from late spring through summer. See what to expect by season.

Our website reflects live inventory, so anything you can add to your cart is ready to pack and ship.

Bare-root plants ship without soil, with roots moist-packed for travel. It’s a traditional, highly effective way to ship trees and shrubs while dormant. Bare-root plants are often larger and more affordable, and they establish quickly because they go straight into your native soil. Potted plants ship actively growing in their containers and are usually available year-round. Each product page states how the plant ships.

Yes. When your order ships, you’ll receive an email with a tracking number and link. You can also log in to your account and view tracking under Order History. If you didn’t get a shipping confirmation, check your spam folder, then email us your order number. Since we ship Monday–Wednesday, weekend orders may show a short gap before tracking activates.

Almost certainly not. Wilting after shipping is a normal stress response. Unbox your plant right away, water it thoroughly and place it in bright, indirect light. Check again in 24–48 hours; the improvement is often dramatic. If it still looks like it’s declining after a week of good care, contact us with photos and we’ll assess it together.

This is transplant shock, and it’s more survivable than it looks. Deciduous plants sometimes drop their leaves in response to shipping stress, even mid-season, to conserve energy. Keep the soil moist, place the plant in moderate light and check the stems: if they’re green and pliable when you lightly scratch the surface, the plant is alive. New leaves should appear within a few weeks.

Push your finger about an inch into the soil near the roots. If it’s dry, water; if it’s still moist, wait. This beats any fixed schedule. Keep newly shipped plants consistently moist (not wet) for the first couple of weeks, then switch to deep, less frequent watering once planted out.

Give your plant 1–2 weeks to recover from shipping before transplanting it. Once it has perked up and ideally shows new growth, it’s ready. Avoid planting during extreme heat (above 90°F) or when frost is forecast.

Unbox it immediately rather than leaving it in a hot car or on a sunny porch, and water it right away. For the first week, keep it in the coolest bright spot you have, such as a shaded porch or a north-facing window. Don’t plant out during a heat wave; wait for milder weather, ideally a cloudy day or a cool morning. Shade cloth for the first week after planting can make a real difference.

Yes. Every shipment includes a care card with basic planting and care instructions, and each product page has detailed care information. For questions about your soil, zone or yard, just reach out.

Contact us within 48 hours of delivery. Before doing anything else, take clear photos of the plant, the packaging and any damage, then email them with your order number. Depending on the damage, we’ll offer a replacement or a refund.

Yes, a 30-day guarantee from the date of delivery. If your plant arrives dead or severely damaged, contact us within 48 hours with photos. If it declines and dies within 30 days despite following our care instructions, send photos and we’ll replace it or refund you at our discretion. We don’t accept physical returns of live plants. See our full return and replacement policy.

We don’t accept physical returns of live plants, since returning a plant isn’t practical or safe for the plant or our other stock. But if your plant arrived in poor condition, declined despite proper care, or isn’t what you ordered, contact us with photos and your order number. We’ll work with you on a replacement or refund within the terms of our 30-day guarantee.