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On Oct 20, 2009, chocolate_roses Pleasant Hill, CA wrote:
I sent the company an e-mail before I ordered as I had a few questions and the response was very prompt. I got my order right away and packed good. I would order again from them.
I called the company before I ordered as I had a few questions. Many times the phone was not manned, but I persisted. I ordered 2 tropicals from them, one gardenia and one orchid. Plants arrived in good condition although very small in size.
The orchid ended up giving me x2 baby orchids plants and the gardenia at the moment have many buds, though still small in size. I ordered the same gardenia species from a different vendor, much bigger plant, but it is producing much less flower buds.
If there is something I want that they have, yes I would order from them again.
I have read about a lot of bad experiences with Aloha Tropicals from forums online. And for years, I stayed away from this company. Then all of a sudden, I wanted this one plant really badly. Turns out they were the only online mail order that had a white Calotropis gigantea available which I just had to have (you would understand if you are crazy about plants). I emailed them if they had it in stock and I promptly received an email about that, although another email I sent after I made the order was not answered yet. I received my plant in under two weeks and it was very well packaged. The bad thing is how expensive they are for what you get. The plant I got was not a picture of health, but it looked okay and I believe it is going to survive. However, if this was a type of plant that was more finicky, then one might have some problems there. I ended up spending roughly $35 including shipping for a plant in a 4in pot. I will give an update if this turns out to be the wrong color, then I would really be mad. :D
In summary, this experience with Aloha, my first, was a very positive one all around. I ordered a Langsat (Lanzones) tree, a rare tropical fruit tree that I had become somewhat obsessed with after recently seeing them, eating their fruit, and attending a festival in their honor in the Philippines. (I had been searching for literally months online for a source since coming back, until finding Aloha). I also ordered a Costus speciosus ginger. I placed my order on April 2nd, 2009 and it arrived on the 15th via USPS Priority Mail. Plants were very well-packed and in own soil in 3" (trade size) square pots. The pots were wrapped in plastic bags and had shredded moist newspaper topdressing to retain the soil and moisture. I'm very happy they were not barerooted. Both arrived in good condition, the Lanzones tree about 4" tall with two character leaves and the Costus with a couple canes already growing (I was very happy it was not dormant because I was eager to get it planted and hoped that I wouldn't have to force it to break dormancy first).
The Lanzones tree will eventually be planted at my Florida (zone 10) residence when large enough, and the Costus will be planted in NJ, as they are reputedly root hardy to 0F (I've had multi-year success with Alpinia zerumbet, Philodendron bipinnatifidum, and many other supposedly "not for my zone" tropical plants grown as dieback perennials here). While some may say that larger plants can be obtained on Ebay, my experience with buying plants on the latter has generally been unsatisfactory, so I do not patronize it. I would definitely order from Aloha again (and I'm planning to, since they have a number of other unusual exotics I've been drooling over.)
i have made about 4 purchases from aloha tropicals over the past three years and i will continue to order from them - my last order was a rangoon creeper which i just planted this weeked. i have a beautiful thunbergia vine which has been growing for 2 years which is a show stopper in my yard now - there is not one single person who comes to the door who does not comment on it and ask what it is - it has been in constant bloom since this past november - yes, sometimes the plants take a bit of time to arrive due to availablity - but the waits have been worth it - obtaining plants i have not been able to get elsewhere
On Jul 10, 2008, DonnaB Vancleave, MS (Zone 8b) wrote:
This is second time I have ordered from them in about 2 years. Received 7 big beautiful healthy plants again. The only negative thing I could say about them is communication. If you don't contact them after ordering you don't hear back from them for what ever reason.
On Apr 7, 2008, Bec_No_Va DC metro, VA (Zone 7a) wrote:
Received my order today and wanted to post a VERY positive feedback about this vendor - I was apprehensive due to prior feedback - but, they had what I was looking for - received order confirmation immediately after ordering, order arrived in 9 days - I contacted them about delivery time because I will be out of town - received an immediate reply advising the order was already on its way! The plants look great, healthy and I will DEFINITELY order from them again with no hesitation!
I got my order right away and packed good. A little pricey for the size, but I figured that. It's worth the price, as there are no nurseries in this area that have any of the plants I ordered anyway. I'd order again from them.
On Jun 2, 2007, drdon Temecula, CA (Zone 8b) wrote:
I really like these guys! Yes the stock is somewhat small, but they've yet to send me any plants, and I've ordered large quantities of material from them, that was anything but viable and healthy.
I ordered a white sapote about a month ago. Well, it's relatively cheap and labeled "yellow sapote". I did communicate with them as to variety and to my pleasant surprise they told me "Suebelle". My only concern is after 4 weeks and not getting a confirmation or the order itself I had to email them. They assured me it would be sent out next week! Well, I finally got the item in about 5 weeks. Sapling is healthy enough and about a foot tall.
On Dec 17, 2006, plantophobe Scottsdale, AZ wrote:
I'm suprised at the negative ratings because I was very pleased with my recent order.
I ordered a Traveller's palm, Cyperus Papyrus plant and a Strobilanthes and was very happy with how healthy they looked (the Strobilanthes is gorgeous, even being so young) and they were also packaged very well with no shipping damage to the plants.
On Aug 21, 2006, GardenFL Merritt Island, FL wrote:
The plants arrived quickly and in perfect condition. It was clear that much care had been taken in packing and shipping. I will definitely order from this company again.
I am very pleased with Aloha Tropicals. My first order was for several plants. 2 rooted Plumerias, 2 Gingers, 1 Pakalana Vine, 1 Sego Palm & 1 Pikaki plant. ALL are doing very very well currently indoors. I have all plants potted in pots and they get 5- 6 hours of afternoon west sunlight in my living-room window area. I have had the plants about 5 weeks and all are flouishing. Plumerias have many new shoots, Pikaki bloomed already, Gingers have new shoots and are already 4 feet high. The Pakalana Vine has new shoots and may produce flowers in a month or so. I must say the Sego Palm is a bit iffy but I believe only due to not enough light. I am moving it outdoors to my west facing deck. I have experience with Plumerias, as I have grown 3 from cuttings that I brought from Hawaii, which bloom every 2 years, so am aware of their needs. This is my first experience with all the other plants. But so far all is well.
All plants arrived within 2 weeks as stated on website and packed in damp newspaper with roots in plastic bags to preserve moisture.
Due to my excellent experience, I will continue to recommend and purchase from Aloha Tropicals.
On May 10, 2006, tyler70006 New Orleans, LA wrote:
I just received my order from them. The plants I got were very well packaged every thing was taped up and packed in newpaper and they were the size I expected. The palm tree was about 14" high and the banana plant was about 8" high. They appear health and I just repotted them. The delevery took 2 weeks which was what they said it would take. I would buy from them again.
On May 15, 2005, Liila Lantana, FL (Zone 10a) wrote:
I had searched high and low for jade vine, and Aloha Tropicals had it for sale on their website. I took a chance and went for it. My confirmation email stated delivery would occur within 2-3 weeks, and it did. The baby jade vine they sent is small but healthy and has a decent root system, too. It'll do nicely. All in all I'm very pleased with my order from this company.
I ordered 3 tropical vines and 3 passifloras. All 6 arrived in good shape (larger than I expected...but I didn't really know what to expect) 2-3 weeks later. One of the passifloras was the wrong one so I emailed them and a week later received the correct one. Pretty easy to deal with!
On Dec 26, 2004, MikeyToo Cypress, CA (Zone 10a) wrote:
I live about 1 1/2 hours from Aloha Tropicals and decided to drive down to save on shipping. Andy runs a nice, clean operation and has several greenhouses full of tropicals. I purchased several gingers which were in great condition and transplanted well.
Upon getting home I worked my way through Aloha's catalogue which Andy had given me. I then found two more plants that I decided I wanted. I ordered them on-line and received them a short time later. The plants, both tropicals, arrived in excellent condition.
On Aug 3, 2004, Missyinbama Louisville, KY (Zone 6b) wrote:
Order placed July 11, order arrived August 2. They were not the fastest, but absolutely not the slowest in shipping my plants. The plants were healthy, well packed, and they did not bill me until they actually shipped (a practice that makes me very happy with a nursery!)
I ordered a pepino plant, a grand nain banana, and a miracle fruit from Aloha Tropicals. I must say they did come small, but they all took OFF! The pepino is atleast 2 feet high and full of purple flowers! Very good service too!
Talk about helpful! I had written them several times prior to placing my order and they responded as if I were their only customer. Because of a small glitch in their site, I could not access the "more info" links under each plant, so I wrote and asked for guidance. The response was overnight and they gave me a great list of recommendations for my NYC terrace and indoor plants.
I placed an order for 10 plants today. If their plants are as great as their service, I will be thrilled. Will add to this when the plants arrive.
On May 14th, 2004, Ramnyc added the following:
UPDATE: A few items in original order did not take. I suspect it was due to the sudden and unexpected drop in temperature during shipping. So I wrote a note to Aloha Tropicals.
Tonight, a package arrived with perfect replacements. This was unexpected. They did it without question. No one could ask for better service, better plants, or better people. On May 23rd, 2005, Ramnyc added the following:
May 23, 2005... through no fault of their own (as I can see), the most expensive plant of my order collapsed after a few days. I wrote to A.T. and asked about a replacement... today it arrived without question. Making good on my order easily wiped out the profit on my order, but A.T. did so. They are great. All of my plants from previous years are doing well and I look forward to adding more in future years as space allows. Thank you A.T.
On Nov 20, 2003, tropicaldane Corinth, TX (Zone 7b) wrote:
About four months ago I ordered a Triple Pikake Jasmine, A White Hibiscus, and an Awapuhi (Shampoo) Ginger from Aloha Tropicals. All of the plants I ordered arrived exactly when Andy had told me they would. My order was complicated by the fact that I had to have them delivered to my workplace and wouldn't be able to use a normal address or shipping method. My specific needs were no problem for them.
All of the plants, with the exception of the Ginger, were in excellent condition and were actually quite lush and healthy. The Ginger looked a little weak, and didn't appear to have been very healthy to begin with. But lo and behold, inside the wrapping around the rootbal were bits of extra rhizomes. The original stem didn't make it, but started new growth on it's own. The other rhizomes they packed with it produced two new plants. I was a little concerned when I saw the condition of the Ginger (but was still very pleased with the service that Andy had provided), but quickly realized that they had made sure that success was assured. I'm actually happier with the outcome, since now I get to nourish the little guys from the start.
Andy and the folks there are very personable, easy to work with, and you can tell he is proud of his work. Since I prefer tropicals (they remind me of home) to most others, I'm sure that I'll be doing just about all of my business with Aloha Tropicals.
I placed my order Sept.13.I have e mailed them tree times in regard to my order,and have yet to recieve a reply.
On October 19th, 2003, suntzu added the following:
I finally recieved an e-mail reply from these peoplelThey do not have a record of my order.Isn't that neat !.When I first ordered from them they sent an e-mail confermation as to the total cost and order number.I have been billed for the charge from the credit card companyI sent thier own same e=mail back to them,but now they don't know me.Don't deal with this company.On October 23rd, 2003, suntzu changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following:
Andy,the owner of Aloha Tropicals called me Sunday the 19th.He assured me my Orange Champaca had been shipped.But because it had been so long a time it must have been lost in the mail.He said he would send another plant to replace it.He would see to it him self.Today the 23rd it arrived.And a fine plant it is.Large,and looks great.During our phone conversation I mentioned that it would be better if he or some one would answer e-mails from customers in a more timely manner.Who wants to be left in the dark,just hanging there, wodering about thier order ?.He's a nice fellow and does have plants that I have been unable to find elsewhere.I feel a lot better and will order from them again.
I bought alot of plants from them and they are so beautiful and bigger than I thought they would be, they grew alot and I'am very pleased with this Company
On Jul 3, 2003, Tim10 Desert Hot Springs, CA (Zone 10b) wrote:
I've ordered 3 times via the web. Communication leaves something to be desired, but when Andy did call me he was great! I will order from them again. Ask him about his new farm in Thailand.
I decided I had to take time and praise the owner of Aloha Tropicals. I had just come out of a bad experience with a FL company over sending me Cavendish banana plants when we ordered Basjoos. I was apprehensive about ordering from a website but Aloha's owner, Andy, happened to be the one that answered my call and took my order. Wow, does he know how to take care of a buyer! We ordered 5 basjoos on Thursday and they were in Tennessee by Monday morning! The plants are very nice, bigger than expected, and REALLY basjoos (all the right markings). This is not a paid advertisement (LOL) but just one person's desire to give credit where it is due.
I've ordered quite a lot over the past 1 1/2 years, Gingers, coffee plants and proteas and everything has gone smoothly... and I'll continue to order from them till they mess up
I ordered some plants from them in the summer of 2000. I ordered over the internet and forgot to include my complete credit card number. They were extremely nice, we e-mailed back and forth several times, the plants arrived in excellent condition and have done great. Nice people, good service, reasonable prices. I would highly recommend them.
A great big thank you to Andy Z. of Aloha Tropicals for his excellent service and immediate call-back on my questions. Please feel assured that in ordering from Aloha Tropicals you will get the finest, healthiest and most unusual plants from around the world! I've ordered some stunning Canna lilies, passion vine, gingers, and Birds of Paradise from Aloha Tropicals and have received top of the line stuff. Prices are very reasonable, and the selection is more than enough to make any greenhouse manager or gardener drool. Thanks again Andy!
I ordered an assortment of gingers from Aloha Tropicals. They were very nice, informative and a pleasure to do business with. My Plants arrived in excellent condition. The packing was very professional and apparently by people who take pride in their work. I would recommend them to anyone.
With living in Germany (Tuebingen) but still being interested in tropicals I picked the first company I came along - and I think I picked one of the best. At first, Aloha Tropicals has a very good web page with a picture of nearly every plant they have plus information about it. Second they have some plants you do not get anywhere else. So I ordered several plants from them (after a small e-mail conversation, if they do ship to Germany or not, because we always need a Phytosanitary certificate). But with having an abnormally strong winter, I had to cancel my order two times. They did it. Then I needed the air bill number. They send it. Then the plants arrived (after 3 days!!!) they were all strong and good looking and now, after a month, they are ALL growing well (with still being indoors!). So I think I can say that they are just great: they put an enormous energy in satisfying their customers information needs (they answered every e-mail I send them!) and have a sufficient internet order system. I do not know if this is normal in the states, but here in Germany it is not.
Upon seeing the deep purple Tibouchina, glory bush, I knew I had to have it. The only problem was its price, $125. It would have been the only plant in my garden. So I searched the web, and found it at Aloha Tropicals for $13. I never talked with anyone, but I did email back and forth with them (since they require a $20 minimum purchase, and I needed suggestions). I got a really neat dwarf ginger along with the glory bush, and they both arrived in good shape. (They were even willing to forget about the minimum purchase since I was about a dollar short.) I would certainly order from them again
