Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co. Reviews 93

TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

2.3

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 56 reviews, most reviewers were unhappy with their experience overall. Many people were dissatisfied with the delivery service, citing frequent delays and a lack of communication regarding updated shipping dates. Customers also reported issues with orders, including items not arriving as expected or being canceled without proper notification. The customer service was often described as unhelpful and difficult to reach, with some people experiencing long hold times and unfulfilled promises. While some customers received products in good condition, others found the quality of the plants to be poor, with items arriving damaged or not surviving after planting. A few people also noted that the company continued to sell products aggressively despite struggling to fulfill existing orders, leading to frustration among those waiting for their purchases.

What people talk about most

Order

Consumers find the ordering process to be ambiguous, with many experiencing significant delays and changes to... See more

Product

Customers consistently note ambiguous experiences with product. While many reviewers praise the quality of... See more

Delivery service

Users describe negative interactions with delivery service, frequently reporting significant delays and... See more

Customer service

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about customer service. Many customers praise the excellent customer... See more

Quality

Clients share ambiguous opinions on quality. Some customers received plants in good condition, noting good... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

I ordered a Blueray Blueberry plant, 1 Gallon, not easy to find. The plant arrived 2 weeks later than promised. That caused a problem because we were leaving for vacation in a few days and I had to... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

We'll see how the plants look if/when they arrive. Order placed 09/27/25 with estimate delivery 10/06/25 sent after order placed. As of 10/10/25 and smiling the company , tracking says the plants are... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

2 stars awarded for having an email system and a record of purchase. 3 stars deducted for everything else. Ordered 4/15 with their estimated delivery being 5/4. 1. Estimated delivery week o... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Plant Nursery
  2. Garden Center
  3. Wholesale Plant Nursery

Information provided by various external sources

Stark Bro's offers quality nursery products, and helpful advice, for the growing enthusiast. Order trees, plants, and supplies online now or request a catalog.


Contact info

2.3

Poor

TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

93 reviews

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Still waiting on delivery

Still waiting on delivery! It's been scheduled and rescheduled for the past two months. But they did take my money promptly.
Edit: The order was supposed to be delivered in February and they blame weather issues in March for the delay. April 16th delivery is two months after it should have been delivered. It's now too late to plant outdoors.

April 2, 2025
Unprompted review
Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co. logo

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

Thank you for your review. We sincerely apologize for the delays with your order. The shipping issues were due to the severe weather conditions that affected much of the Northeast during February and March, and we truly regret the inconvenience this caused.

According to the FedEx tracking information, your package was delivered on April 16th at approximately 4:15 PM. We hope it arrived safely and in the quality you expect and deserve.

If there’s anything at all that didn’t meet your expectations, please don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Where is my order?

I placed an order on 3/20/25 and was notified it would be delivered on 3/30/25. Delivery was later updated to 4/3/25. On 4/4/25 order status is "processing." Customer service could not confirm when order will be shipped and stated they could not cancel my order.
Update: My order finally arrived on 4/9/25 However, approximately 1/2 of the plants were in poor condition. They were very dry with no green foliage I will have see if they survive

April 3, 2025
Unprompted review
Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co. logo

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

Thank you for your feedback, and we’re very sorry for the frustration this experience has caused.

We understand how important it is to receive timely and clear updates when placing an order, especially when it comes to live plants. I’ve reviewed your order and can confirm it was delivered on 4/9. However, I completely understand your concern given the delays and uncertainty you experienced leading up to that point.

This season brought unusually frigid temperatures and weather challenges throughout February and March, which impacted our ability to harvest and prepare orders as quickly as we would have liked. While we always aim to meet the estimated delivery windows provided at the time of ordering, environmental factors can sometimes cause delays beyond our control.

We truly regret the confusion and concern this caused and appreciate your patience during this busy and unpredictable shipping season. If there’s anything more we can do for you or if you have concerns about the plants you received, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help and want to ensure you're satisfied.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Proceed with Caution.

Ordered a total of six persimmon trees. Planted as directed. They failed to grow. Sent pictures back to the company and now they claim they have no info on my claim. Only bought from them due to radio host recommendation and the fact it is a veteran owned business. I was hoping one veteran would not screw over another veteran.
Read the response from Stark Bros. They want to "try" to resolve this issue. I sent them pictures like they asked for, then they "Lost" the information. I guess I should have just sent them back the dead trees. I have raised persimmons for several years and thought I would try another species of persimmons (Maekawa Jiro Asian Persimmon). They said it would grow great in this area. Dead. All of them. But, please, just reach out to them and they will "try" to resolve the issue.

May 30, 2024
Unprompted review
Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co. logo

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

We're truly sorry to hear about the disappointment you've experienced with your persimmon trees and the trouble you've had with your claim. We understand how frustrating it is to invest time, effort, and hope into planting, only to have things not go as expected.

We deeply value the trust our customers place in us—especially our fellow veterans—and we would never intentionally overlook or dismiss a claim. If your photos or correspondence were somehow misplaced or not properly linked to your order, we sincerely apologize. That’s not the standard of care we strive to uphold.

Please know that we are committed to standing behind our plants and doing right by our customers. If you're willing, we’d appreciate the opportunity to review this again and make things right. Kindly reach out to us at info@starkbros.com or call 800-325-4180, and mention this review so we can prioritize your case and locate your original claim details. If needed, we're happy to reassess your photos or assist you with our warranty process.

We truly appreciate your service and your business, and we’re very sorry this experience left you feeling let down.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Buyer beware

I live in the south. Ordered a fruit tree from Stark Bros and one from a competitor this winter. Competitor shipped dormant tree about a month back. It came out of dormancy naturally and is growing great.

Tree from Stark Bros shows it won't ship until mid-april to arrive later in April. It is supposed to ship dormant. Trees in my area will be well over a month out of dormancy when it arrives. Chance of survival will be slim.

To make matters worse, I received an email from Stark Bros stating it shipped early (last week) and it would arrive by March 30th. Waited all weekend for my tree. Received another email on April 1st stating it didn't ship and would be shipped mid-late April.

I asked for an explanation, they denied I received an email that it shipped in March. I finally sent them a screen shot but still waiting for an explanation.

Bottom line. Very poor customer service and trees don't arrive at the appropriate planting season down South. 2nd order from Stark Bros. Second failed order. Won't happen again.

March 29, 2025
Unprompted review
Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co. logo

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I truly apologize for the confusion and frustration this experience has caused—especially after you’ve already placed your trust in us more than once.

I completely understand your concern about timing and how important it is for trees to arrive dormant and ready to thrive in your planting zone. You're absolutely right that in the South, things wake up much earlier than in the North, and delays can impact how a plant performs. While we strive to ship our trees at the optimal time for your zone, unexpected challenges—like frigid and inconsistent weather in February and March—set our harvesting and processing back this season, impacting our ability to meet our originally estimated ship dates.

Regarding the conflicting emails, I sincerely apologize for the confusion. After looking into this, it seems a system-generated update went out prematurely indicating your order had shipped, when in fact it had not. Thank you for providing the screenshot to help us track this issue down. We take this seriously and have already brought this to our technical team to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

I realize this has left a negative impression, and I am truly sorry this has been your experience. It’s never our intent to disappoint or cause uncertainty, and I’d love the opportunity to make this right if you’ll allow us. Please feel free to reach out directly to me directly and I’ll personally make sure your concerns are addressed quickly.

Thank you again for your honest feedback, and we’re very sorry to have let you down.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Poor customer service

ordered early harvest raspberry dec 17th today is march 17th and no shipping in sight although they did promptly take my money - email gets excuses as a response - what an outfit!

March 17, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

BEWARE: STARK BRO'S We bought 4 fruit trees/bushes we thought…

We bought 4 fruit trees/bushes from Stark Bro's that we thought would be container friendly, as their website depicted. The fig and orange trees arrived much larger than the pictures shown, and did not grow or thrive at all. Even the blueberry and lemon bushes died shortly after we received them, despite following all the instructions on their website and my own additional research. Customer service is a joke. When you complain via email about your purchase, they send you a generated response with MORE instructions, as if you're an idiot and it's your fault. I have certainly learned an expensive lesson. This business is a scam and they do not stand behind their products at all. Don't waste your time reading the fabricated reviews on their website, go straight to Google for true reviews. I've come to realize - sadly, after the fact - you can find container friendly fruit trees and bushes at Tractor Supply, Home Depot and Lowes, and even Walmart now, for much less money and no shipping costs, and have a better shot at successfully growing them.

September 30, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Stark’s does not deserve your business

Ordered a tree on August 13. Was given information it would be delivered in a week. That became two weeks, then three, then four and now five weeks and no delivery. Further, I talked to customer service last week and was told the tree would arrive this Sunday. Called customer service again and was told the tree has not shipped yet. I don’t like dealing with customer service people who lie. I also think the company’s service is terrible.

September 18, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Well I will get them one day i guessplaced my order for some…

Well I placed my order for some trees..when I ordered them the delivery date was in august...then it got changed to beginning of September..now it is saying Oct or november..if it was going to be that long it is what it should have said in the beginning..I could have bought them locally and probably paid a few more dollars per tree..but had them when I paid for them not 3 months later...soo not sure what quality they will be..that is if I ever get them..but trust and believe they did not wait until they shipped them to charge my card for the purchase...and I have called them on 3 different days ..and have gotten no answer by phone on any of them..it always says we care about you but we are busy right now ..yeah busy counting money that you haven't earned yet ..I will never buy from these people again..customer service these days is crap..all they care about is bottom line not the consumers...am very dissatisfied with them so far...

August 16, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Ordered a tree for my mom’s birthday

Ordered a tree for my mom’s birthday. Ordered in July. Says will ship in September. Here we are at end of August and I noticed a refund on my credit card from Stark Brothers. No email, no explanation. Just a refund. Poor business practice.

August 28, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Stark Bros Guarantee No Good!

I ordered half a dozen trees from Stark Bros, and one of them was dead on arrival. After a couple of months (to verify that it really was dead), I attempted to claim my 1 Year Survival Guarantee, but was not granted a replacement tree...or a similar product as a replacement... or, the purchase amount of a new tree, so that I could replace the tree myself. After multiple conversations with Stark Bros employees, I was still only sent a check for half the value of one tree! Terrible value for the amount of money that I spent, and terrible customer service!

May 15, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

ordered 200$ worth of items

ordered 200$ worth of items, they promised 2 weeks for delivery.

its has now been 1 month, i emailed 3 times, they keep saying its on its way, what a lie, they just had the shipping label created, 3 days later still has not shipped,

Thinking this would be a great place to order since it is only 3 hours from my house. Save your money, items i purchased from a different company in the USA Shipped faster and had better suppport.

support is the absolute worst here, would never purchase again.

May 18, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A true business lovers leave in USA for42 years long and so…

I leave in USA for42 years long and so far I’ve never had seen such a great nursery as this nursery. I am a manager of Dennys restaurant for 21 years and usually I don’t leave any reviews for publicity. Anyone can trust Stark Brothers Nursery with close eye. They are truly amazing, fast responding, friendly and generous. They will not sell you anything that will not grow or not high quality products. I bought a peach tree from them and the plant has buds everywhere like i am getting fruit in few days. I requested them on next week a pink apple tree if they have it in stock. Now, you guys can think how satisfied customer am I . God may bless them and I wish them for great success in business.

May 3, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Almost every item from over $900 order…

Almost every item from over $900 order died!! NOW, this LYING CHEATING company is STEALING money from us, but giving us LESS TAX ON THE REFUND THEN WHAT WE PAID!! I WONDER HOW MUCH TAX THEY PAID IN VERSUS WHAT THEY CHARGED US FOR AND COLLECTED???? Maybe our lousy government should investigate actual criminals - THESE PEOPLE!!!

May 1, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Bad Customer Service

My experience with Barbara in customer service at Stark Bro's Nursery was extremely disappointing. When I called to inquire about the status of a delayed shipment, Barbara's response was beyond unhelpful. Not only did she dismissively state that they were too busy for my business, but she also claimed she lacked the authority to assist me. Instead of addressing my concern, she went on to overwhelm me with internal operation processes and challenges, completely disregarding the issue at hand. This level of disregard for customer concerns and lack of accountability is unacceptable. I hope Stark Bro's Nursery takes steps to improve their customer service and ensure that other customers don't have to endure similar experiences

April 18, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Good & pretty marketing but poor on…

Good & pretty marketing but poor on actual delivery of nursery stock. Company contracts with growers to produce the trees. Apparently oversight is poor. As was my experience when twice (2ce) this year my 3 month pending order was canceled.
There are many smaller nurseries with great product waiting to wow us.

April 11, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The fruit trees are tiny

The fruit trees and blueberries came quickly in fall.
The issue the 3 $60 peach trees are tiny compared to the size trees I got years back.
Only God knows how many years It will take these trees to bear fruit.
Their customer service is good just a lot of money for tiny tiny trees they should specify size when ordering and i could have saved $150 by not ordering--Pat Fale 920.918.9801

November 3, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Abysmal Service

I ordered three trees from Stark Bros. I received an email giving me a delivery date.
shortly after noon on that date I received a phone call informing me that the order needed to be cancelled. I asked why and was informed that the order had not cleared customs (the trees are shipped from the USA.). I asked why, as in what was the issue. The representative would not say and just kept repeating that it did not clear customs and they 'could only apologise.'
I then asked if the issue could be cleared so the trees could cross the border. The response was a loud 'No, we're done for the year.' followed by 'We look forward to seeing you next year.'
If there was an issue at the border, surely it makes sense to sort it and have the trees continue on their merry way rather than paying an additional shipping fee. It simply seems suspect.
Alternatively, if there was an issue at the border which the company refused to disclose, that certainly raises the issue of the quality of the trees.
Stark Bros may wish (the arrogance of that is mind-boggling) to see me order from them next year, but that will not happen.
Abysmal service.

June 27, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

poor service

Problem was regarding a North Star Cherry tree; clearly stated in the subject line. This is 7 years old tree that does not retain its fruit and is still less than 6 feet tall. The answer they sent was about thinning fruit on an apple tree. Clearly they did not read my concerns about the possibility of bad root stock on a CHERRY TREE..

May 17, 2023
Unprompted review

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