I don't know every Bonsai seller but I will tell you you'll have a hard time finding one better than Lou's Bonsai. I am a multiple buyer and as far as Price, Shipping and Customer Service you will find Lou's Bonsai hard to beat. Keep up the good work Lou....Wayne read more

Pay attention to the bad reviews! If you are impressed with the photo that I posted then ignore this review. It would appear that buying from this company is very hit or miss. This is an olive tree. Note the shape that is nothing like the artistic shapes you see on the website. Also note that the leaves are completely dried out and falling off. In the next day or so they will all be off. I called for perspective, and some reassurance. I spoke with Lou who has an incredibly pushy vibe and was not at all helpful. He could not tell me why the leaves were falling off. He suggested that it was because of my location, but my house is at 49% humidity, neither overly hot nor cold. In other words, it is much like any other location that he might be shipping to. If the leaves falling off is normal, then all he had to do was say so, but I suspect that is not the case. He had no interest in sorting this out or making sure I was happy or reassured. The plant just looks bad, and I have no idea whether it will survive or not. Packaging and shipping were good, and the weather has been OK the past few days that it would have been in transit. So I would assume that is not why the leaves are falling off. This was a gift to commemorate the life of a relative who recently passed away, a sweet gesture from my daughter, and I don't have the heart to tell her that her generous gift has these issues, or I would suggest that she ask for her money back or dispute the credit card charge. read more

Lou's Bonsai - Olive with leaves dried out and falling off. - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - venice, Florida

Shame on me for doubting you and your service. the tree was just delivered. The packing was so good, and the tree is just perfect. I read some of the bad reviews, don't know why they were disappointed. Give this man a break, he is knowable and has wonderful stock. If you are considering a purchase, you won't be sorry. Our dwarf cherry bonsai tree arrived in a real nice pot, with good instructions. Tree was alive and beautifully shaped still had moisture to the soil, we are so thrilled. read more

Lou goes above and beyond to make the customer happy at all times! He is generous and will work through any problems and fix them.

I wanted to learn more about how to care for and make bonsai trees so I took a lesson from Lou this past January at the nursery and he helped me create three beautiful bonsai trees. He was enthusiastic and clear in his teaching and answered my many questions! He made sure that I knew all I needed to know to be successful with my new trees. My experience that day was amazing! I would recommend Lou to any that loved plants and wanted to learn more about bonsai trees! The price of the lesson was a deal for all that I learned that day! read more

Bonsai hasn't arrived after 30 days. Trying to get a refund but very tough to get a hold of anyone at this number. Be careful spending too much money here. read more

As with the other reviews on this page. Did not get what I ordered and then have been put off ever since. Still no tree replacement. It's been 4 months. This guy knows nothing of customer service. Don't buy here. read more

Lou did try and fix the problem by contacting me to offer another tree free of charge. I accepted his offer and still had to wait over two months to get the tree. I've had the tree now for several weeks. The first time that he told me that he sent the tree it never came in the mail. So I was beginning to think that it was all a hoax because in between time lou was trying to get me to change my review. I refused to do it until I received the tree though. Then another few weeks passed by with me still waiting for the tree that he offered me. It was a little frustrating because every time I would contact him to ask him if he had shipped the tree yet... he would always reply with very small short answers like "I'm in a meeting "or "at lunch" or "busy" etc.., Again acting like I was bothering him. Lol. I could never get a straight answer. Finally, after I started to get upset about it, He told me that One of his employees was supposed to send it but forgot. So he had ano one of his employees call me to ask what tree was I supposed to be getting sent to me.. She had no Clue what kind a tree I was talking about, and I initially told Lou that I wanted the princess earrings bonsai, but he didn't send that one. He sent a Mimosa rainteer that was basically almost dying. Luckily I was able to save it , and now it's doing fine on my patio because it has grown a fresh new leaves. I think the moral of the story is that Lou definitely should get rid of his staff and hire people who are more knowledgeable about the bonsai that he is selling. Also, the staff doesn't respect Lou. There should be no way that u should tell a employee to send a tree out for shipment and then they never do it leaving the customer waiting months for a tree. Lou himself also needs to practice better customer service skills , he is a very difficult guy to deal with. I'm sure that he is a nice guy sometimes and means well, but he just doesn't have any customer service skills or people skills. You can't run a business like this. I will give them credit that he does have some pretty decent trees. read more

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I was on the search to find the perfect bonsai tree for my bf to give him for Valentine's Day. I found Lou's Bonsai and decided to contact him. I told him exactly what I wanted and he told me that I would have a variety of trees to choose from. My bf was very pleased with all of Lou's bonsais! We found the perfect tree that we were absolutely in love with. However our poor tree that we loved caught some type of fungal disease and died. I told Lou what has happened and he didn't even hesitate to replace our beloved tree. We had originally got our tree in Sarasota at the farmers market and we actually live in Windermere which is ways out, he had it shipped over to us to save us the trip! We had our tree replaced in just a few days. It's not the same tree we had originally fell in love with but we are also in love with our new tree. Lou is an amazing person and he definitely cares about his customers. 10/10 read more

Lou's Bonsai - This was the original tree we had purchased - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - venice, Florida

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My experience was over the top for the Cherry Bonsi Tree that I received. Lou was tremendous help from the start to the end. I live in California and I was so surprised how it made it all the way to me in amazing condition. Thanks to Lou for getting everything worked out for me and I can't wait to watch my Cherry Bonsai Tree grow and bloom each year. Thanks Lou read more

The braided bark money tree I ordered came damaged & (I thought dead). I didn't panic & called Lou, who gave me directions on "reanimation " of the tree, & said he"ll send another one regardless. His response was quick, informative, & very friendly. Thanks Lou! Much appreciated. read more

If I could write a review and leave negative stars, i most certainly would for this site. More specifically, Lou himself . I never received what I purchased, even after speaking with Lou personally on the phone and multiple times through email. I ordered one tree and got another kind, which has never been replaced. It wasn't even a similar tree. I also ordered a humidity tray and after several promises of sending me the tray, I never received that either. Now he just ignores my email because he knows what he's done is wrong. Don't buy anything from this site unless you're totally cool with not getting anything near what you ordered and if you're ok with not ever getting your full order fulfilled. This guy is a scam artist. I even threatened him with leaving a bad review on multiple occasions. I waited a full 4 months before writing this because I thought I'd give him the benefit if the doubt. So much for him proving me wrong... read more

I don't understand these people I've been waiting on a bonsai book for 5 months or how ever long and keep getting told it on the way .Who ever is reading this i hope you have better luck than I did cause they make their website look good and professional but far from that. read more

Bot a plant from Lou at the Farmers' Market in Sarasota, FL while on vacation on 4/23/15. Lou was to e email receipt, which I never got. Tried calling, texting, emailing...no response. Read negative reviews on his service so was very apprehensive about him not replying. My bank said to file a Police Report but since I live in Honolulu, they couldn't do anything. Was able to contact the Manager of the Market on 5/16 and Lou called same day. Requested a refund and canceled plant order. Lou insisted that he would back his product and I received the plant 2 days later. 5 days later, I received my refund. So what to make of my experience? I believe Lou means well, however, as a businessman, he doesn't follow thru on a timely basis. It took almost a month since my purchase to receive my plant and only because I hounded him with emails, threats, calls to the Rotonda Sheirff's dept. etc. The best result was from the Mgr of the Farmer's Market. Warning: Get an immediate receipt. Follow up to receive product!!! GOOD LUCK...MAYBE I WAS LUCKY OR PERSISTANT! read more

Fellow Yelpers: A bonsai retailer typically displays a photo of a tree from their past inventory. So the image you see on your device will not match the tree you receive. Often, you can request a photo but be nice about it. It'extra work and not always done. Also, if you want an inexpensive tree don't expect photos. And don't slam Lou for not providing the pictured tree, your preferred pot color of choice, and timing. Monday or Tuesday shipping is important to insure that the tree is not warehoused over a weekend (think of the tree). Lou has always been responsive and prompt with me in every way. Do not judge his business poorly because you, the buyer, are inexperienced in the operations of a bonsai nursery. To those considering Lou for your purchase, I hope you are able to overlook some of the low-star reviews posted here. The individuals in question are just inexperienced. As far as being slow, unfriendly, etc., perhaps he was operating differently several years ago. Still, this does not describe the Lou I've been ordering from for the past few years. Enough said ! For those with short attention spans let me be brief. Lou's Bonsai is the best place that you will be fortunate to have discovered and ordered your trees and supplies from. Quite simply he's excellent. There are very good reasons he has good ratings on his websites. I have a large bonsai gallery and Lou has been helpful in countless ways. He cares about his customers; he follows up with his customers and wants to ensure their complete satisfaction. How rare that is in today's marketplace. I've not been compensated nor promised products in exchange for this review. I just felt compelled to help my fellow bonsai enthusiasts navigate their way to his high quality inventory and service.I have been involved with the U.S marketplace for some years now and can honestly say Lou delivers a great customer experience. For instance, when I was shopping for a high quality black olive bonsai tree, of course I contacted Lou (and he really is immediately responsive). After describing the particulars I sought, he set out to see if he might have a tree that would make me happy. To quote Lou, he said "Yeah, I got some black olive trees - but I don't want to just sell you a tree just to sell you a tree." That's classic Lou speak right there. Other retailers would have shipped a package to me without any thought at all. (It's just a business to them). Lou told me to just wait a couple months and something would likely be available. I did not wait - and what a mistake that was ! Over the years I have purchased from nearly every vendor. The folks in southern California have a beautiful website but not much in the way of customer service and attention. (They're basically shippers). That's okay. They're not bad folks, and have some good trees. However, there is no personal attention, consideration or follow up. I've ordered from a well known supplier in New York and if they have what you're after they really are nice folks who do give you very good attention. They match the caliber of service that Lou can provides, just different inventory. Well, being obsessed with finding a black olive tree I gave a seller in Miami a try (my first and last by the way). As a public service message to the bonsai public I am compelled to strongly advise you to stay away from this seller. Period. They had a good assortment of black olive trees (displayed with young female models - flag !) and indicated that they would check their inventory to see if the one I had selected was still available. Good news - it was. They would even send a photo for me to view - so that sounded just fine. Well the photo was poorly done. The image was only sufficient to to see the silhouette of the tree as the picture was taken with intense backlighting. Still, I could determine the size, trunk, and branching. I just thought the kid taking the photo had no photography skill. Wrong. He had good photography skills and knew exactly what he was doing (a complete deception). The company offers an "Arrive Alive Guarantee" and indeed the tree was alive. But that's the best I can say about it. I have never, ever, seen such a mess. Leaves that are black, orange, and red. Little, if any green (hence the blacked-out photo). I was personally challenged to save the thing from the worst spider mite infestation I've ever seen in my life. I worked for months on the project and invested hundreds of dollars to eradicate the infestation. I rate myself pretty good at this stuff, but it was just too far gone. Probably wasted about $500 by now. I've repeated this story to the US vendors I know. Lou was absolutely shocked and sympathetic. He is now on a personal mission to locate a good replacement tree for me. Really guys, who would go out of their way to do that for you ? Lou would. And that's one of the many reasons I put the time in here read more

Wonderful customer service. My vase broke in transit. I emailed Louis and he quickly addressed the issue. I received a new case three days later. Amazing. The tree is beautiful, I am very happy with the product read more

Very happy with the help I received from them. A friend gave me a ficus bonsai that hadn't been taken care of at all...wrong soil, still in original green planting pot...etc. I called Lou, set up an appointment and 3 days later my bonsai is in a brand new pot with the proper media. Couldn't be happier with the results. Will definitely be using them again. read more

Lou's Bonsai - Here is the finished ficus bonsai. - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - venice, Florida

I bought a nepenthes (pitcher plant) from this place and love it! Due to transporting the initial plant had creases on the leaves and pitchers. Mr. Lou was very accommodating and quick to sincerely respond . I quickly got the replacement in perfect condition! read more

Do not succumb to his fast talking. Ordered a plant on 4/11 to be delivered by 5/15. I have supplied my mailing address three times and have been promised tracking information, which has never come. Today I filed a dispute with American Express and want nothing further to so with this shyster read more

Take your business elsewhere! I was highly dissatisfied with my experience at Lou's Bonsai and recommend that you take your business elsewhere. In August, I ordered a bonsai that I hoped to give as a gift. The only good thing I got out of this experience was a refund. I paid $70+ for the plant, pot, humidity tray and fertilizer. When the plant arrived, the box was dented and the bonsai was dead. The plant arrived in a plastic pot and did not include the humidify tray and fertilizer that I paid extra for. I spoke with Lou and he suggested that I let the tree re-grow for 1-2 weeks. When I explained that this was a gift, he promised to send another bonsai. That was August...it is now October 30th and I still have yet to receive a replacement. After 6 weeks of growing frustration, phone calls and emails, I requested a refund and was happy to receive it as I thought for sure at this point that I had been scammed and would have to cancel my credit card. After the refund, he promised to send the bonsai hoping that I would give him "another chance." To date, I have sent over 10 emails and numerous phone calls asking for updates and tracking numbers. Here is a list of some of the excuses I received from him via email as to why the new bonsai hadn't shipped (does not include excuses received over the phone): "A new worker sent it in the plastic training pot and then we dropped the ball" "First thing in morning. Computers down 5 days. We have tree shipping tomorrow" "Monday ships" "We will reship this week. We are redoing the entire nursery so things are all over the place. In a few days" "Monday its leafing out. Did not want to ship no leaves" Needless to say, there have been many Monday's since placing my order and yet no bonsai tree. I was patient and understanding throughout this process but this is no way to run a business. After giving me my refund, he should have never promised to resend the bonsai for free if he did not intend to do so. I'll never give this company another chance and hope that others take my review as a cautionary tale. read more

I received a pretty little bonsai as a gift. it came with a note urging me to call Lou's Bonsai as soon as it arrived to make sure it was in good shape. I received a call back fairly soon. By that time some leaves had been falling off. Lou asked me to send a message with a photo. He thought that the tree needed a couple of weeks to acclimatize (from Florida to its new home in the Pacific Northwest). He told me to keep it wet and send him another photo in two weeks. The tree is now thriving. I can't imagine a better place to go for healthy bonsai and excellent, over-the-top customer service! read more

I'm not sure what the other reviews are talking about I bought a juniper bonsai which was looked absolutely perfect exactly as described!! He is probably the nicest person I have ever meet and very easy to deal with! read more

DO NOT USE THIS SITE. I tried to order a tree for a gift from this website and got RIPPED OFF. I had ordered before Christmas and when I hadn't received my tree after two weeks, I figured it must be because of the holiday season. When I hadn't received my tree after a month, I got a little curious. I emailed them and asked about my order, they emailed me back saying someone would call the next day to fix my order. I waited two days....no phone call. I emailed them again inquiring about the phone call, they apologized and said someone would call first thing in the morning. So, the next day goes by....no call. I start to feel like I'm being ripped off, I email back, pretty frustrated at this point, and demand my purchase or I would dispute the claim. They emailed back, apologizing again saying they would sent out my order first thing the next day with a full refund. Another week goes by, no tree and no refund. I emailed the company one last time, saying I would be disputing my claim and received no answer. This company has the WORST customer service I have ever encountered. Furthermore, I'm not sure but this seems like a FRAUD business. STAY AWAY. I now have to go through the trouble of disputing my claim. I am posting this to warn people to NOT ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY. read more

I bought a large pitcher plant from their booth at the Englewood Farmers Market. It was to be shipped within 3 days of purchase. 12 Days later I had still not recieved it. I left and email and phone message...no response. I sent someone I know who lived in the area to remind them. They shipped out a pitcher plant half the size of the one I purchased (of which I had a picture). These people are horrible rip-off artists. Go somewhere else!! read more