The scoop on 'Stokes Tropicals'

i ordered a plumeria, banana, sansevia, and alocasia. i received my order within a week from ordering. everything arrived packed well. the size of the plants were very generous. great company to order from.

I have ordered two varieties of bamboo from Stokes Tropicals and was pleased with each. Both large healthy plants are still thriving.

Hi,

I live about 30 minutes north of Stokes. I bought my first house 1 1/2 years ago and have been steadily buying from Stokes since then as I decorate my yard. My experiences with them have always been the very best. Sometimes I order over the net when I'm just too busy to make it there, other times I stop by and try to limit my exploring to an half hour or less before making my purchases. Plants are always full and healthy.

Sondra is definitely there and great. One time last fall there was only 1 specimen of a bromeliad left and it looked a little less than good. I was willing to take it as is, and she reduced it to half price unsolicited because she felt it did not warrant full price. It's a alive and well and split into 2.

She and all the staff know their business and will answer any questions. They'll also ask you questions, to learn about how the plants fared for you and in your environment.

Kudos to them.

I ordered an Australian Tree Fern from Stokes. Stokes was fast and friendly in answering my questions beforehand, and I couldn't be more happy with the tree fern that I received. It was healthy and reasonably priced, and it looked great.

I ordered one Erythrina herbacea and was surprised to find three in the package. A handwritten note was included that said they sent three because the plants were small! All three are doing well.

I went and visited their location in Louisiana. They have a greenhouse but not everything is in it; don't expect to order a plumeria in January and get it in a week. Their web store is GREAT but it didn't seem to know whether something is in stock or will take a while to supply; a phone call is a good idea. Good plants, including some hard-to-find varieties, at competitive prices. Nice job Glenn. If you decide to visit, 1) call ahead as they aren't always open for Sat. visits; 2) It's a haul from New Orleans so get a hotel room; and 3) You can make a day of it by also visiting the Tabasco factory nearby.

Wow! With trepidation, I orderd luna moth and another ginger from Stokes Tropicals via ebay. I was pretty worried as the ratings here on GW were so low. WOW! I was shocked to receive incredibly wonderful clumps - not measly rhizomes! The packages were huge! I also ordered from GingersRUs - the difference between what I got from Stokes and what I go from GingersRUs was so incredibly dramatic. Had I not already unwrapped everything from GingersRUs, I might have considered returning some of the plants for comparable specimens from Stokes - - where GingersRUs sent one rhizome, Stokes sent a dozen. Don't know if the website orders would produce the same result as ebay orders, but I am now planning a large Stokes order. Thank you, Stokes!

One request, though. NO packing peanuts, please! My two boxes from Stokes had so many peanuts, I couldn't add any more to my trash cans. The peanuts that got away took hours to clean up. Plus, they are SO bad for the environment. I am sure you at Stokes could figure out a way to pack plants WITHOUT styrofoam. Also, the wet shredded paper that was also in the box was also messy and hard to take off the plants.

placed an order online for a SPRENGII FERN (ASPARAGUS).it was advertised for 14.95 very full plant in a 1 gallon container.when in received it,it came with dead and dying fronds,roots and soil wrapped in a paper towell with white duct tape.the plant had been divided and i had only received about a four inch pot size.i called and complained and was told i would have to return it and of course they were not going to pay for return shipping so i just kept it.i'll never order from them again.

Very good experiences at Stokes Tropicals. Helpful customer service, healthy plants and very careful shipping. I've purchased colocasia, alocasia, ginger & hibiscus and never once been disappointed.

Ordered a white bird of paradise from this company. I was pleasantly surprised by delivery, packaging and care taken for it's travel. I would highly recommend. I believe you get what you pay for. You may spend a little more for Stokes Tropicals but it's well worth it. AAA++++

I have bought from Stokes several times, they were not perfect on two occations --but when I contacted them ,they went out of their way to make it right, --I just recieved a 2 foot tall banana in the mail from them, for no charge, after sending them a picture of a banana I had bought 2 years ago, that was not the one I had asked for.--This is far more than I had expected, --I am very happy with them, and plan on using them in the future, --Michael Porter

A friend introduced me to Stokes and she has released the monster in me! Dented my credit card quite a bit. I have placed quite a few orders and received my plants the next day [we live in the same state]. The quality of plants were excellent. I've sent e-mail questions and received replies the same day. Can't speak highly enough about them.

I ordered 2 cordylines from ST on July 16 by phone (website was having difficulty). They arrived on the 19th. Beautiful plants, but they came bare-rooted; a fact not prominently displayed on the website (my one criticism). I contacted them right away since I could not plant immediately and was told that I could keep them moist in a bucket for 4 days. I planted them and have them on my patio; I see new leaves coming out already even though it's only been 4 days since I planted them.

I recently ordered two ginger rhysomes from Stokes. They arrived in fine condition. When the first one bloomed, I realized it was not the plant I had ordered. I called Stokes and explained and also e-mailed a picture of the bloom.
That same day they had two of the correct plants on their way to me. I kept the original plants and they paid for the shipping on the replacements. The people I spoke with were all very polite and knowledgeable. I would trade with them again any time.

I just ordered two super dwarf Cavendish banana plants from Stokes. I received them the very next day! Of course, I suppose living in Alexandria, Louisiana helped. Even so, I have never had a company deliver so fast. They were excellently packaged and in very good shape. I will definitely order from them again.

I've ordered plumerias from Stokes about 5 years ago and another one just recently. They certainly have stepped up their customer service over the years. Stokes Tropicals is one of the few mail order places that offer a good variety of plumerias. I got confirmation the day I order my Bali Whirl and it arrived within a week. It was more than what I had expected. The quality was definitely much better than what I got 5 years ago. I will definitely purchase from Stokes Tropicals again.

Stokes Tropicals - I just want to express the sentiment that i have lived in Florida(northern and southern) for over 12 years and regardless of some complaints lodged against ST i am very pleased to get some of the species they carry(i personally have not encountered problems) i've been to countless nurseries and am thrilled to get an unusual specimen even mailorder and small when a couple years down the road i can look at an interesting plant that i won't see in other yards since they come mostly from Home Depot or Target. Thank you ST for being here even if your not perfect- and remember folks its a difficult business even at the best of times.

First time I've ever ordered from a mail-order nursery. I was pleasantly surprised when I ordered a Musa Basjoo late on a Friday night, received confirmation Saturday morning and plant was on my doorstep Thursday when I got home from work (without getting gouged for shipping). Plant was nicely packed (and roots still moist) in sphagnum with newspaper over that and all protected with packing peanuts. Plant was good-sized and in as beautiful a condition as any I've bought at a nursery. I will buy from them again (impressive selection of gingers)!

I'm very pleased with this company. I just received my dwarf singapore plumeria and it is healthy, leafed out, and rooted in a one gallon pot. I received a conformation of my order the same day, and received my plant exactly one week from placing my order. Nice job Stokes. Will be ordering from them again.
Linda,
San Diego

Placed a first order with these folks for 2 super dwarf bananas, a Heliconia and a desert rose. Items showed up next day via FedEx which was a surprise based on the low shipping cost I was charged. Well packed, good sized, nice looking plants. Will definitely be buying from them again soon.

I have made several purchases from this company and have found their staff to be knowledgeable and friendly, their plants have arrived healthy and bug free, and their delivery is really fast. - Jobee in San Jose, California

I had heard things were a lot better at Stokes so I placed an order. Got to say, they were especially quick and i got a great plant and some hard to find fertilizers for bananas and tropicals. I am cosidering ordering some more plants in the future.

I have nothing but high praise for this company. Their website is easy to navigate. I ordered 2 hibiscus online Sunday night. I recieved an email acknowledging the order. The plants were delivered priority mail on Friday. They were very well packaged and not even droopy. The roots were wrapped with spagnam moss, then newspaper. One of the hibiscus had a bloom and several buds on it! Very impressed. I am going back on there now to order more.

I have nothing but high ranks for Stokes Tropicals. I have dealt with them for a few years, and I must say anytime there is the slightest problem with something I have purchased it is handled promptly. The service could not more friendly, and I always get a quick return phone call from them if I leave a message. They recently updated to a new website, and have streamlinted things on it. Salutations to the gang at Stokes.

I placed the order by internet on Nov. 17. It was shipped Nov. 19. Yesterday, Nov. 24, two bananas arrived in perfect condition. They were neatly wrapped and well -protected for the shipment from Louisiana to Brownsville, Texas. I have dealt with Stokes in the past for bananas - the living plants (not corms) have all arrived in very good condition.

I do not understand why all the negative reviews for Stokes Tropicals.

I have never had a problem with Stokes...I have ordered everything from Bananas to plumerias and caladiums and gingers...all were always perfect and came in perfect time. Nothing has ever died. I am sure people have had bad experiences, but in all my orders, everything was perfect! I have ordered from them somewhere around 5 time...the only complaint is that they have suddenly become a little pricey.

I have email stokes about their Bougainvilleas. I written Stokes Tropicals about all the bad experiences that I heard (read) about (via a friend).

I received an apologetic reply from Sondra. [e-mail:sondra@stokestropicals.com] She let me know that she had been gone from the business for two years and during that time they had a different managment. She said that she would be happy to discuss issues. Also that there is a 100% satisfaction guarantee on how the plants have arrived.

Hey, maybe ya'll can see what she can do for you from ya'lls bad experience.

I placed an online order in 2001and added to it by telephone. It took seemingly forever to receive the plants, and even then I did not get all of them. Finally gave up on the Musa basjoo (hardy banana) plants I'd ordered. Every time I called I was given a different answer about when to expect them & finally in frustration I canceled that part of the order. They charge for their print catalog and allegedly you get the cost refunded on your first order. Had to call & complain about this because they didn't do it. I was happy about the Hibiscus & Banana fertilizers I ordered, though, and the Ginger plant is hardy in zone 7 & finally flowered last fall. Not worth the hassle & I won't order from them again. I discovered plantsbymail.net shortly after this experience.

The cannas I ordered over the internet arrived in 3 days .They were large heathy plants packed in spanish moss.I will order from them again.

Plants ordered by mail were beautiful and of much better quality than plants ordered over the Internet. Our results over the long term with the plants has been mixed. We can't get plumerias to live more than about a year. The banana trees grow well but have never produced fruit. The hedychium ginger has never bloomed. The curcuma ginger performed well but but only lived for three years. The variegated alpina ginger has been a wonderful plant. I will order from this company again, but by mail order, not over the Internet.

I have received two orders from them this spring. In both cases, the plants were in good shape. On one order, they were out of one item and they called me personally to suggest and receive approval for a substitution.

last year i order from them ,received my order of bananas plants, were small but ok. somethings were back order, but did not let me know when would rec them,,so i canceled, this year i want to try again , but i have read a lot of negative comments elsewhere on them. they have a great catalog ,many items, and i hate to find out that about the negative things for i am trying to be positive about them..they also have not answered my e mail of 3 times.
so go figure.

WL

On the 14th December 2001 I placed and order for one of Stokes Tropicals advertised 'specials' which was in their catalogue and on the net. A Ylang Ylang tree for the price of $ll.86, item 83251 in their catalogue. I placed the order and gave my credit card to pay for the delivery. At the time of the order, Ashley told me that they would only be available in April. I called about my order and was told that - despite my having given her all my ordering details - I had never placed an order with them, as there were no records of my order with Stokes Tropicals. After much discussion they offered me a re-order. Certainly not at the price of $11.86. But at $50 dollars. This was for a slightly larger tree. To mollify me she promised to send it out within ONE WEEK. Since I can't wait any longer as I am in transit I placed the order with the understanding it would be shipped out IMMEDIATELY. That was on the 11 April. It is now the 14th. No Ylang Ylang Tree delivered as yet. I am totally disgusted, frustrated, angered and after this horrible experience with you I WILL NEVER PLACE AN ORDER WITH STOKES AGAIN, WHAT'S MORE, I WILL TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO PASS ON MY EXPERIENCE TO ALL THE GARDENERS I KNOW, ON AND OFF THE WEB.

I am adding my two cents to all the negative comments about Stokes Tropicals. I had experiences similar to the others listed as 2000 and 2001. I ordered over $125 worth of tropicals and received them in FOUR shipments. After complaining that it was not my fault that they didn't HAVE the plants, they reduced the shipping amount somewhat. The hibiscus were PATHETIC and all died after waiting 9 months to get them. They were teeny little sticks. Their customer non-service is also vicious. They guarantee NOTHING, even if it arrives in awful shape.

I placed an online order for a heliconia and fertilizer to go with it from Stokes in January. I was careful to order a plant that was listedas being in stock, as it was to be a birthday gift. Stokes contacted me a few days later to say that they would not guarantee that the plantwould arrive in good condition if they shipped it right away due to cold weather. Although the plant was shipping from south Louisiana to southFlorida, I figured they knew what they were talking about and told them it was ok to wait and ship it when they felt it was safe. Several weeks later, I inquired about the order and was told they would be getting more of that item in soon and would ship it then. After another month or so, I inquired again and was given adate (a few weeks later) that the plant would supposedly ship. Still no plant. I sent another e-mail inquiry a couple of weeks ago but got no reply. I phoned today (June 4) to ask about the order status and was told, again, that they would be getting more heliconias in soon and that my order would probably go out in about two weeks! I finally cancelled the order.

I ordered some banana plants from Stokes back in October and was told they would ship out in about 4 weeks. Well, 4 weeks passed and I did not see the plants. I e-mailed them and got a response two weeks later stating that the plants would ship out in 4 to 6 weeks! 4 weeks later, I receive an e-mail stating that they would not ship until March 2001 because of the weather.Well, I live in California and these are shipped from a climate that is similar to mine, plus the banana plants I ordered are cold hardy to belowzero. I sent them a reply plus at least 4 other messages (once a week) and have not heard back from them. I will also report them to the Better Business Bureau. This was in the net, LOL! These people have no idea what customer service is!! "The Stokes Tropicals Web site at [HYPERLINK@www.stokestropicals.com] has received Lycos Point's Top 5% of the Web award that is given to those sites that best epitomize the best of the Internet. Besides allowing Internet visitors the ability to order over 300 varieties of tropical plants on-line, the StokesTropicals Web site offers growing tips for a variety of tropical plant groups including Bananas, Bromeliads, Plumerias, Gingers, and Heliconias."

There was once a time when Stokes Tropicals were considered on of the best mail order nurseries. NOT ANYMORE! I have placed three orders with them this year (2 in the spring, 1 in Summer) I never heard from them after that. I tried calling several times to straighten out my orders, all I get is the run around. Several of my online friends have had the same experiences with them. The general consensus is that they put out a wonderful catalog but they don't have enough stock or man power to cover the orders. I will never buy from them again!

I ordered 2 Tacca plants from Stokes many months ago. Neither plant lasted but a few weeks, they were root rotted upon arrival. I've been trying to get a refund with no success. They don't answer their email promptly, if at all. Each email is from a different person who has no idea what is going on. I will never order from this company again. The owner emailed me once stating he stands behind his company's reputation and I haven't heard from him since.

I've had a negative experience with this nursery and won't do business with them again. I placed an order in April through their online service and by mid-June I still hadn't received my plants or any sort of explanation. They were unresponsive to e-mails, and I phoned on numerous occasions. The general response was that they would look into it and get back with me. I never received a return call. Eventually I learned that my order had been recorded in their computer as sent, but I never received anything and the payment was never debited from my credit card. After approximately 5 calls, I cancelled and placed another order elsewhere.

I recently ordered six different bananas from them. They sent me 3 within the week, along with an invoice for all six. It indicated that only the three I received had been sent, and it billed me only for the three. But it did not tell me where the other three were, or if they had been back-ordered. I emailed them many times, asking what happened to the other half of my order, and they never sent me anything back. I'm going to have my credit card company withhold payment to them for what I did get until they resolve this dispute. Their shipping charges depend on how much money you spend. And if something gets back ordered, they charge you shipping twice if you want it sent separately from the rest of your order. The three bananas I got cost together $25.33, so I'm guessing they decided to back order the other 3 bananas so they could bill me shipping twice. But the problem is that one of the bananas I didn't receieve was a musa basjoo, the most common hardy banana in the country. There's no way they could have honestly put it on back order. I have just reported them to the better business bureau, and hopefully I can get the other half of my order without paying any extra for shipping. I have asked them many times in the past few weeks what happened to the rest of myorder, and they won't say anything. The thing is, there's a box you have to check on the order form to get them to ship your order in two parts if anything is backordered, and I didn't check it. I just want the rest of my order.