I am always skeptical buying plants to be delivered in the mail, but I decided to put my toe in the water and get a few. Great description of each tree and it's needs. A lot of big box stores sell plants that won't grow in my zone and how would you know? They are overpriced IMO. I planted them within the afternoon they were delivered. I am pleased to report that they all have new growth and look like happy trees. The local extension office won't be selling me trees anymore! Thanks Chief River! read more

I ordered a dozen blue spruce 2 years ago. They looked good when they got here (moist) and I got them in the ground the same day I received them. NONE of them survived. I didn't hassle the company, but all my future purchases will be big block stores. read more

Their system auto fills city and state after entry of street address. Their system auto filled a town in SC after entry of my street address(I live in NC). I did not notice this. Trees were delivered to SC. I called customer service and they said it was my fault and that for 14.95 they could have UPS reroute package to correct address. (Already out over $100.00 for trees). Days went by with no delivery update. Just called them and they said they were unable to retrieve package and that they would not refund any monies. Will be reporting them to WI attorney general. read more

So, I planted over 480 trees this year and the Chief River Nursery plugs are doing great. I bought the Eastern Red Cedar Forestry Plugs, and every tree has thrived. This may not sound like a big deal, but I live near Meriden Wyoming home of 90 mph winds and 12 inches of rainfall. The only hiccup I have is with UPS but that's a Wyoming thing. UPS in Wyoming will hang onto your order for three or four days. I lost my domestic apples because of the delay. I would highly recommend Chief River Nursery for your forestry plugs. read more

Purchased in past but people need to know. The $12.95 UPS mailing charge is out of line, as is the minimum $35 sale price. But the outlandish $14.95 for picking up your own product is just ridiculous. CRN is looking to retire on peoples orders. Found without hesitation Walmart sells from nurseries, credible shrubs, seedlings and more for a lot less, with full warranty. Larger sizes and arrive in 2-3 days. I believe in supporting local businesses, but The outlandish business practice of surcharging to pickup and transport your own goods is bait and switch while stabbing you in the back while shaking your hand. Also the simple task of getting delivery times is likened to pulling teeth. Horrible communications. read more

I've ordered the last 4 years in december, they deliver in April (appropriate time to plant bare root for my zone 8B)-.... I am located in high desert, the trees/plants arrive packaged with moss protecting the roots.... I usually transplant into 3 gallon pots over the next few days. Great success in growing into full size plants. My nursery for the 3 gallon pots is an extra chicken coop fenced run, easy to water, safe from deer. In the desert it's easier to start small and keep plants alive, then plant the following year, with a cage. I really appreciate the zone specific "filter", I have resident turkeys and have purchased plants based on their needs. read more

Their products are superb. I have never had a single issue with ANY purchase however "IF" I did, I am positive that their AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE department (I'm at YOU, Riley!) wI'll resolve it immediately and with zero drama. This is my "go to" source for nursery stock. They are OUTSTANDING! read more

Great place to work. The trees are of top quality. The trees are inspected before shipping and throughout the shipping season. They are shipped throughout the country based on planting zones. All the workers pack their orders carefully. The owners are terrific people to work for. read more

Horrible people to deal with. Shipped the wrong product, 25 trees were shipped in an 8" x 8" x 3' foot box and were in horrible condition when I received them. Took three weeks to get an acknowledgement that they would refund me and then the refund never showed up on my account. Do not order from these people. read more

I was looking for amelanchier laevis (Allegheny service berry) which wasn't easy to find and get shipped. This nursery had it but I had to fill in my order to get them shipped. I had a hard time deciding and thought I knew what I wanted but decided to call them for some advice. The woman who I spoke with was so knowledgeable and prevented me from making a huge mistake! The shrub I was thinking of needed acidic soil and I missed that part, they would not have done well here. She helped me figure out a shrub to fit my needs that I liked and I ordered. She was very informative on about when they would arrive. Fast forward and they are here. The box was taped well and sturdy. Inside the bare root plants were in great condition and fully budded. They used moss to help with keeping the roots moist during transit unlike other companies that use gel or newspaper and the smell! It smelled like a forest! Would recommend, would visit if I lived closer! read more

I ordered Norway Spruce plugs that were suppose to range in size 6"-14". Over 50% of the trees were under 6", closer to the 4" range and the remaining were between 6-8". I'm very disappointed with the size range I received. I did get compensated for the difference in the size range, but had I wanted that size range (4-6"), I would have ordered it accordingly. read more

I ordered 12 lilac seedlings from chief river nursery. I was nervous at first considering these are dormant plants and I am fairly new to landscaping and gardening. I planting these along my rear fence on my property per the included instructions and everyone of them has new growth and look great. I would highly recommend chief river if you dont mind starting from a seedling. I would say in about 4 or 5 years I will have a beautiful hedge row of lilacs thanks to chief river. read more

Tip of the hat to Chief River Nursery for their client-focused service. As per usual, my travel schedule this spring is an unpredictable mess, yet Dean and team worked closely with me to ship plants around my availability resulting in everything getting into the ground in a timely and healthy manner. And speaking of healthy, I've got to note that I was very impressed by the constitution of my order, and particularly the robust roots which will give my seedlings a solid start. Thanks, Chief River Nursery! read more

I can't say enough good things about this company! We have ordered a few times and their trees are great. I also want to call out that their customer service as it is top notch! They are responsive and so helpful. Would not hesitate to order from them again - great company! read more

My husband and I highly recommend this company if you are looking for good starter trees. The package arrived with the seedlings carefully packed in moss and all in excellent condition and ready to plant. Also would like to say thank you to customer service for quick response to my emails requesting a status of our order. read more

My experience with Chief River Nursery is totally different from that described by the other reviews present at this time. I am very pleased with my relationship with them and strongly recommend them. Service: I am renewing a small forest parcel in WI. Not having much experience, I had several detailed phone calls discussing options with the nursery staff. Several of them spent long periods of time giving me their thoughts on how their seedlings could fit in my location. Their advice was a good fit with my arborist's. Once I had purchased the stock, I ran into some family emergencies, and the nursery bent over backwards to help me, in more ways than one. They could not have been more helpful. I feel strongly about this, because I feel they went above and beyond the expectations I had. They really went the extra mile to help me. Product: I researched several nurseries in the Midwest prior to getting in touch with Chief River Nursery. I found them to have significantly more choice that the other nurseries I was investigating. They had almost all of what I was looking for (I was looking for native seedlings), whereas all the other nurseries i talked to had only a few different species I needed. Their seedlings were of very good quality, at least comparable to the WI DNR seedlings I got, often significantly better. The seedlings were all very well packed (better than WI DNR) and in excellent condition. The nursery on the list of approved nurseries by WI DNR. Price: I found their price very competitive. I read a comment in a forum mentioning that their prices seemed a little high. I did not find this to be true when I compared them to other Midwest nurseries: I think they compete well on price. I really find them to be a great combination: good prices, high quality seedlings, a lot of choice in their stock, and truly exceptional service. I have appreciated doing business with them and I expect to continue doing so every year. I particularly recommend them for sourcing Midwestern native trees and understory. read more

Two years ago my family and I purchased a small farm with very few trees and large fields that taper into lower lands. We have purchased from many nurseries to try out the quality of what is being provided. Chief River Nursery has provided us with by far the best trees and bushes, all the roots were elongated webs that were insanely strong and ALL trees are still doing well through this second winter on our farm. I have to note that the website is really well put together from the layout to the description provided for each type of plant. Personally, I have minimal background in planting and depicting where to plant what. With basic knowledge, the website makes it easy through the filters for those like myself to plant more like a professional even though I have not been educated in this area. Examples: It was particularly interesting to see how well our tamaracks are doing, along one side of a field, each spring and fall, the area floods for weeks. These tamaracks are so resilient and exceeded my expectation for growth and even staying alive. Another plant that sticks out is the butterfly bush, I had planted them with hopes of getting to see flowers in the next 3-5 years, in the first summer after planting, there were already elongated blossoms attracting bees and butterflies. I literally looked the plant over amazed at the growth rate and how it had taken off so well. Overall, I am VERY pleased and will continue to recommend and purchase from Chief River Nursery. read more

I bought from Chief River last year and was pleased with the trees and shrubs that were delivered, with the exception of missing some of my order. The missing shrubs were delivered the following day and were in good condition. This year the plants and trees sent were small and many broken. There were also mislabeled plants. I contacted Chief River and they sent new stock out the following day and did everything they could to make it right. read more

Just completed my 2017 order online. Offerings are always well presented and fairly priced. Service has been amazing! As a customer of many years, I can say that when you are dealing with a business that sells live nursery stock, there will be occasions when stock is not perfect. Having said that, the one time there was a problem it was corrected immediately and professionally, with a sincere apology. I will not purchase bare root stock anywhere else. Thank you CRN! read more

If we could award zero stars, we would. Trees not up to par, not packaged correctly, not shipped as discussed on the phone and as documented in email. HORRIBLE "it's not our problem, it's yours" attitude. A ZERO for service. Will not buy from or recommend this business. Check BBB! read more