The scoop on 'Gossler Farms Nursery'

Placed my first order with Gossler this season. Despite the slow ground shipping from the West, the plant matter all arrived fresh and intact. Their packing was excellent. They are slow to respond to email - perhaps checking it only 1 or 2 times a week which I found out when I contacted them due to the following issue: 2 of the plants they sent would easily fit into a quart containers and just because they came from a gallon pots, doesn't make them gallon sized plant,s which is what I paid for. They acknowledged the issue and agreed to refund me for 1 of the 2 plants.

Gossler advertised Red Majestic Corylus. and I quote "This is one of the first offerings of C. 'Red Majectic' and these plants are layers so there will not be any understock to prune." So I ordered two as I don't want to fight suckers. when the plant arrived they were clearly grafted as well as very small, which I have come to expect from Gossler.

I called them and all they would offer is a 4 dollar per plant refund. I could have gotten the same larger grafted plant down the road at the nursery for cheaper. It is now two months later and they still haven't corrected their web ad for the same plant. So buyers beware this company knowingly misrepresents their nursery stock. I will certainly avoid them in the future as small plants plus false advertising plus poor customer service = 3 strikes you are out.

I sent these folks a simple email question about shipping for an order I intended to submit. I sent the email twice and they never bothered to answer either time. I figured if they don't think I'm important enough to answer an email they don't need my order and I never sent it.

My experience has been somewhat different than other folks...

I ordered plants late in the shipping season last Spring and without telling me they placed the order for Fall delivery and I quite forgot about it. The plants were shipped one Monday and arived nine days later. The Davidia was not dessicated and had fat buds but all the leaves were off and the Cornus alternifolia argentea, though of good size, had a dead leader that had been dead for some time so now I am forced to train a new leader. They did not respond to three emails and have yet to do so.

I just placed my first order with Gossler Farms and I was very pleased. They accidentally sent me the wrong plant at first, but I contacted them and they emailed me back right away saying they would fix it, and 3 days later the correct plant was waiting for me on my doorstep. The plant was also larger than I expected for the price, and was very healthy. I'll definitely add them to my list of places to shop for plants!

I ordered 2 shrubs and a tree from Gossler this spring. The shrubs were large for 1 gal plants and arrived in perfect shape. The tree was disappointing, but a phone call to Gossler's got a replacement shipped very quickly. The replacement was very satisfactory. Excellent customer service and plants, I would highly recommend this nursery.

I ordered two 1 gal trees from them and they arrived in perfect shape. Trees were a very nice size and the root balls were large and in great shape, especially considering that these were slower growing trees. I would not hesitate to order from them again. Great company.

Gossler Farms is a good source of unusual plants. I ordered from them back in the 1990's. Their quality was excellent then and it continues to be excellent. In a recent order I received very strong-looking plants that were packed with the utmost of care-some of the best packaging technique I have seen. I highly recommend them.

I ordered the package #1 from Gossler Farms. It was advertised as 17 plants for $250 and there were a couple of my favorites in there, like Magnolia denudata, a great Acer and a Stewartia. I expected small plants given their relative rarity and slow rate of growth. Wrong. All 17 plants were huge and healthy and well-packed.

In 15 years scouring and buying from U.S. suppliers, Gossler Farms is BY FAR the best mail order nursery I have ever used. Their plants are beautiful, they have very strong root systems, they are impeccably shipped and the place is run by really nice and honorable people.

Letter sent to Gossler Farms-Waiting for response**
email sent June 8 2006


Dear Marj,
I received my tree(ACER CAMPESTRE CARNIVAL) 2 days ago and planted it immediately upon receiving it.
80 percent of the tree had wilted leaves with the exception of two small leaves at the bottom which seemed to be ok. The roots seemed to be moist but am concerned about the tree as a whole. I've ordered maple trees from Greer Gardens on the west coast and the leaves were quite perky and lively. What are you best tips for me to revitalize this tree: Heavy watering, special fertilizer, etc. ????

Yours truly,
Kriss Schrandt

We live in New York State and Gossler is in Oregon. The tree and shrub we received from them two days ago and planted yesterday and today were as fresh as if we had purchased them from a local nursery, as opposed to having them shipped across the country. Their packaging system is excellent, and I firmly believe that these items are going to grow beautifully. We will order from them again next year.

Just got in my order, and I had to add a comment to GW-dawg! I was very pleasant surprised to see the size of the box; I thought it was my order from another company. The box was 3.5 feet high and contained a very green and thriving shrub. The packing was good. The plant was an usual species, so I was expecting a small mailorder plant. The tree was 2.5 feet high, well-rooted, and thriving...
I will order from these guys again.

I recently received this year's order from Gossler Farms and WOW !! I was really impressed! The trees and shrubs were huge - much larger than you would expect to receive from mail order - packed well and they were growing beautifully. Unique trees I have ordered in the past continue to do well in my garden. If you are looking for unusual, healthy plants, check out their listing.

This company has a great selection and prices.

However, I have so far been unable / unwilling to purchase from them - their last spring ship date is well before our last frost date of May 1.
I am unwilling to risk my plants sitting in a UPS truck overnight somewhere and freezing when Gossler Farms has no firm guarantee.

They really need to extend their ship dates a little bit to accomodate some of the colder areas of the country.

I ordered a small tree and shrub from this company the first summer we were hit with a bad drought. Both plants were much larger than I expected, were very carefully packed for shipping and were the only things I planted that year that survived. Despite two additional years of drought, they have thrived.

They have an unbelievable selection of magnolias, but also many other plants you won't find anywhere else and the prices for the size are very reasonable.

I just wish they had a website.

The premier nursery for magnolias. Service is exceptional. Large catalog is a wealth of horticulutral "gems."

I ordered two items from them last spring. Everything else I planted last spring died thanks to the severe drought. The Parrotia and false cypress I ordered from Gossler are doing fine. I checked the Parrotia today - it's budding out. The plants were beautifully packed for shipping. Arrived looking fresh as daisies and were larger than I expected. I will definitely order from them again.

Being a magnolia enthusiast, Gossler Farms is my continuous fall back catalog. Each Fall I'm delighted to receive their catalog. Prices are moderate and "deals" abound within their pages. Packaging is professional (and the one time UPS did a number on a box, the Gossslers immediately replaced the plants no questions asked). I have ordered from Gosslers for nine years and have been very pleased with the plants, exceptional root development, and accurate plant descriptions in the catalog. Mrs. Marj Gossler even called me once when she questioned me on an ordered plant that she thought would be too tender for my planting area. She was most right after I had done a bit more investigation about the said plant. An exceptionally nice site to work with.

I have ordered from them twice now. Found them to be very responsive, the plants were well packed, and of good quality.

My wife and I have been dealing with mail order nurseries for 35 years. We have ordered dozens of fruit trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals from companies all over the country. We have had generally positive experiences with the companies, except for a few. Gossler deals with trees and shrubs mainly, plus a few perennials. They lean toward the exotic or rare plants. Their list emphasizes magnolias, dogwoods, hydrangeas, and other "sophisticated" varieties. Prices are moderate. I have ordered from them for six years, and have always received outstanding plants (large, healthy, not destroyed in shipping).