Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions we hear most often from our customers. We've written them the way customers actually ask them, and answered them the way we'd talk to you in person — honestly and helpfully.

1. What USDA hardiness zone am I in?

The easiest way to find your zone is to enter your zip code at the top of any page in the Greenwood Nursery web store, and it'll tell you exactly where you fall. Zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature in your area and are the primary guide for whether a perennial plant will survive your winters. For reference, we're located in McMinnville, TN, which sits right on the Zone 6b/7a boundary — a great sweet spot for a huge range of plants.

2. Will this plant survive winter in my zone?

Every product page on our site lists the USDA hardiness zone range the plant is rated for. If your zone falls within that range, the plant should be winter-hardy in your area. That said, hardiness zones are a starting point, not a guarantee — microclimates, planting location, soil drainage, and mulching all affect how well a plant handles winter. If you're on the edge of a zone, planting in a sheltered spot and applying a generous layer of mulch before winter goes a long way toward improving cold hardiness. When in doubt, reach out — we're happy to give you an honest assessment for your specific situation.

3. Can I grow this plant in a container?

Many of the plants we carry do wonderfully in containers — and container growing is a great option for gardeners who are renting, dealing with poor native soil, or want to move plants indoors for winter. The key things to know: containers dry out much faster than in-ground beds, so you'll need to water more frequently, and most woody plants in containers are 1–2 zones less cold-hardy than their in-ground equivalents because the roots are more exposed. If you want to know whether a specific plant is a good container candidate, just ask us on the product page or through our chat — we'll be straight with you.

4. My plant arrived wilted — is it dead?

Almost certainly not. Wilting after shipping is one of the most common things we see, and it's a normal stress response — not a death sentence. Unbox your plant right away, water it thoroughly, and set it in bright indirect light. Check back in 24–48 hours; the improvement is often dramatic. If after a week of good care the plant still looks declining rather than recovering, reach out to us with photos and we'll assess the situation together. Give it a chance first — plants are more resilient than they look.

5. What do I do if my plant arrives damaged?

Contact us within 48 hours of delivery — that's our window for documenting and addressing shipping damage claims. Take clear photos of the plant, the packaging, and any damage before you do anything else. Email those photos along with your order number to our support team and we'll get back to you quickly. Depending on the severity of the damage, we'll offer a replacement or a refund. We stand behind every plant we ship, and we'll make it right.

6. Do you offer a guarantee on your plants?

Yes — we offer a 30-day plant 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, reach out with photos and we'll replace it or issue a refund at our discretion. We don't accept physical returns of live plants (for both practical and biosecurity reasons), but we take our guarantee seriously. See Section 5 for full details.

7. How do I know when to water?

The best tool you have is your finger — push it about an inch into the soil near the root zone. If it feels dry at that depth, it's time to water. If it still feels moist, wait. This simple test beats any watering schedule because it accounts for actual soil conditions rather than the calendar. For newly shipped plants, keep soil consistently moist (not wet) through the first couple of weeks. After planting out, shift to deep, infrequent watering to encourage deeper root growth.

8. Can I plant right away, or do I need to wait?

We recommend giving your plant 1–2 weeks to recover from shipping before transplanting it into the ground. A plant that's still showing shipping stress isn't ready for the additional challenge of being transplanted — let it settle in first. Once it's perked up and ideally showing some new growth, it's ready to go in the ground. Also pay attention to current weather conditions — avoid planting during extreme heat (above 90°F) or if frost is in the forecast.

9. What's the difference between bare-root and potted plants?

Bare-root plants are shipped without soil — the roots are exposed (and moist-packed for shipping). This is a traditional and highly effective way to ship trees and shrubs during their dormant season, when they've naturally stopped growing and their energy is stored in the roots. Bare-root plants are often larger, more affordable, and actually establish faster than potted plants because they transition directly into your native soil without having to bridge a container medium. Potted plants are shipped actively growing in their container and are typically available year-round. We'll always tell you clearly on the product page how a plant ships.

10. Do you ship year-round?

Yes! Greenwood Nursery is proud to be one of the few mail-order plant nurseries that ships year-round. We grow and ship a wide variety of plants across all seasons, including container-grown plants, bare-root ground covers, and bare-root trees and shrubs.

Our container-grown plants ship reliably throughout the year and arrive ready for immediate planting. Bare-root ground covers are carefully packaged to retain moisture in transit so they settle in quickly once planted.

For our bare-root trees and shrubs, their appearance upon arrival will naturally vary depending on the season:

• During the dormant season (typically late fall through early spring): Plants travel fully dormant without active foliage or flowers. Dormant bare-root shipping is ideal because the plants experience minimal transit stress and establish root systems rapidly once planted in early spring.
• During the active growing season (late spring through summer): Bare-root trees and shrubs are actively growing and leafed out in transit. As a result, they may show temporary transit stress upon arrival, such as leaf wilt, foliage yellowing, or leaf drop. This is a completely normal, temporary reaction and does not mean the plant is dead or damaged. When planted in soil at the proper depth (at the root collar) and watered thoroughly, the plant will focus its energy on root establishment and quickly produce fresh new foliage.

Our website reflects live inventory in real time, so anything you can add to your cart is ready for us to safely pack and ship directly to your door.

11. Why did my plant lose all its leaves after I received it?

This is called "transplant shock" and it's more common than you'd think — and more survivable than it looks. Deciduous plants (ones that naturally lose their leaves in winter) sometimes drop their leaves entirely in response to shipping stress, even in the middle of the growing season. It's the plant's way of conserving energy. Don't give up on it. Keep the soil moist, place the plant in moderate light, and check the stems — if they're still green and pliable when you scratch the surface lightly, the plant is alive. New leaves should emerge within a few weeks.

12. What plants do well in full shade?

Quite a few beautiful ones! For shade-loving perennials, hostas, astilbes, bleeding hearts, and ferns are hard to beat. For shrubs, oakleaf hydrangea, mountain laurel, and Virginia sweetspire thrive with limited direct sun. For ground cover under trees, native ginger and pachysandra are excellent choices. When you're shopping on our site, use the "Light Requirements" filter to sort by full shade — it'll pull up everything we currently carry that's suited for those conditions.

13. What plants are native to Tennessee?

Tennessee has a wonderfully rich native flora, and native plants are always our first recommendation for low-maintenance, wildlife-friendly landscapes. Some of our favorite Tennessee natives include Eastern redbud, black-eyed Susan, purple coneflower (echinacea), Virginia sweetspire, native azaleas (Rhododendron canescens and R. periclymenoides), wild blue indigo, and river oats. Native plants are adapted to our soils and rainfall patterns, support local pollinators, and generally require far less fuss once established. Filter by "Native" on our site to browse our full native plant selection.

14. How do I choose a plant for deer-prone areas?

Deer pressure is a real challenge across much of the country, and there's no such thing as a 100% deer-proof plant — a hungry deer will eat almost anything. That said, deer tend to strongly avoid plants with aromatic foliage (lavender, catmint, Russian sage), fuzzy or prickly textures (lamb's ear, barberries), and toxic properties (daffodils, foxglove, native ferns). Look for the "Deer Resistant" tag on our product pages to filter for your best options. In heavy deer areas, we'd also recommend pairing deer-resistant plants with temporary fencing around any new plantings until they're established.

15. Do your plants come with planting instructions?

Yes — every shipment includes a care card with basic planting and care instructions for the plants in your order. You'll also find detailed care information on each product page on our website. And if you ever have questions specific to your situation — your soil type, your zone, your yard's particular conditions — just reach out. We genuinely love these questions.

16. Can I return a plant I'm not happy with?

We don't accept physical returns of live plants — once a plant has been shipped and received, returning it isn't practical or safe (for either the plant or our other inventory). But "not happy" covers a lot of ground, and we want to make it right regardless. If your plant arrived in poor condition, if it declined despite proper care, or if you received something different from 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.

17. How do I care for a plant that just arrived in summer heat?

Summer arrivals need a little extra TLC. Unbox immediately — don't let the plant sit in a hot vehicle or on a sunny porch. Water thoroughly right away. For the first week, keep the plant in the coolest, brightest indirect light spot you have (a shaded porch or a north-facing window works well). Avoid planting out during a heat wave — wait for a stretch of milder weather, ideally a cloudy day or the early morning of a cooler day. Once in the ground, shade cloth or a temporary shade structure for the first week can make a meaningful difference in heat survival.

18. What plants are good for pollinators and butterflies?

This is one of our favorite topics. For butterflies, milkweed is non-negotiable if you want to support monarchs — it's their only larval host plant. Beyond milkweed, purple coneflower, Joe Pye weed, ironweed, wild bergamot, and native asters are butterfly magnets. For bees and general pollinators, lavender, catmint, anise hyssop, and native salvias are excellent. For a long bloom season of continuous pollinator support, try layering early bloomers (redbud, wild columbine) with mid-season plants (coneflower, bee balm) and late-season bloomers (asters, goldenrod). Filter by "Pollinator Friendly" on our site for our full selection.

19. How long does shipping take?

Standard transit time is 2–5 business days after your order ships, depending on your distance from McMinnville, TN. Southeast and Midwest customers typically receive orders in 2–3 days. Northeast and Pacific Northwest customers should expect closer to 4–5 days. Remember that we ship Monday through Wednesday only, so your ship date may be a few days after your order date depending on when you placed your order. You'll receive a tracking number as soon as your package leaves our facility.

20. Can I track my order?

Yes — as soon as your order ships, you'll receive an email with a tracking number and a link to follow your package. You can also log into your account on our website and view tracking information under Order History. If you didn't receive a shipping confirmation email, check your spam folder first, then reach out to us with your order number and we'll get you the tracking info directly. We ship Monday through Wednesday, so if you ordered over the weekend you may see a brief gap before tracking activates.