Plant Delights Nursery, Inc.

I recently visited Plant Delights Nursery and the Jupiter Level Botanic Garden on a very hot humid day during one of its open gardens weekend. Hundreds of people were visiting. The number of people visiting stunned me considering the heat and humidity. Some people shopping for plants but not a lot. Lots of parking. But only four handicapped parking that I found. Gravel parking lot. One way access so you need to pay attention to the signage to find your way out. Not hard; just follow the signs. See my review for the botanic gardens. I stopped in to avoid the very high shipping costs when buying plants via mail order. Plant cost is high. But remember, these are rare and unique plants that are difficult or even impossible to find any where else including mail order. Most of their plants are not going to be found at a big box store or your local nursery. I walked around the several green houses with a huge selection of these rare and unique plants. Virtually every plant I saw were in excellent health. And they are mostly quite large for 3.5 inch pots for the most part. A few plants might be found in larger pots. So unlike most mail order operations who send 3.5 inch pots, these are well developed plants that are nearly root bound or are root bound. Very strong and healthy and complete root systems. Not starter plants with small and immature root systems that most mail order companies send. Being root bound is not necessarily a bad thing. When replanting, just spread the roots out. More roots is BETTER. I went to purchase a variety of Aspidistra plants that I want to plant in a very shady area. I purchased 8 plants. And it was great to purchase the best looking and largest of the plants using my discretion instead of some plant picker picking a mail order. Selection was difficult because they were all healthy. Plant trays and pull wagons are available to collect your plants. Check out mid day was quick and easy. 4 checkout stations with tables were available under a tent. The system was well designed. Also, a shout out to the volunteers manning the visitors tent. I was looking for a map of the gardens and where I could find Aspidistra. A volunteer stepped up and greeted me asking if I had any questions. He gave me a map and pointed me to the shady plants and the greenhouses. I asked if he knew which greenhouse contained Aspidistra and he quickly got a binder and told me to go to Greenhouse #6. Wish I remember his name to give him a shout-out. But there were lots of volunteers around to assist people. I also saw a food truck, Beer tent and a gift tent. Great place to buy rare and unique plants. Only four weekends a year to buy. I strongly encourage taking advantage of these buying weekends to avoid shipping costs and the freedom to pick the plants you want. Lots of staff to answer questions too.

I recently ordered six agaves from Plant Delights Nursery. All plants arrived in good condition upon visual inspection, packaged appropriately to ensure safe delivery. The agaves were shipped in 3.25-inch nursery bands, though it appears the bands had been cut down. One curious detail stood out, on two of the six agaves, the bottom-most leaves had been trimmed back to about 1/2-inch or less. I’m not sure what the reasoning behind this was. In all the nurseries I’ve visited across Arizona, California, and Nevada, I’ve only seen this type of pruning done by commercial landscaping crews, usually those that hire landscapers that know nothing about plants. I’m hopeful these two agaves will grow out naturally and not end up looking like trees with trunks.

Beautiful gardens to walk thru, plants labeled nicely. Great greenhouse plant shop. Watch for the little toads around water areas, so cute but hard to see. Also say hi to Jasper the kitty.

I’m always on the lookout to buy “native” plants for my garden. Not only are they more beneficial for the environment and critters that occupy it but they’re a lot easier to grow. Plant Delights has a treasure trove of plants to suit all needs. It carries exotic to native. Many years ago I visited the nursery and went a wee bit overboard. Ten years later, my purchases are still thriving. This year I picked out natives from their mail order catalogue and they arrived in wonderful condition! If you are purchasing native plants be sure to read because they sell exotic to native and everything in between. Their catalogue is very informative. The attention to detail in the packaging as well as the information on planting is crucial to the plants survival. Very happy with my purchase! BTW the shipping charge is a bit pricey but would definite do it again and again…so worth it!

I ordered seven plants last winter while I was on the hunt for a Musella Lasiocarpa, a golden lotus plant. Every nursery was sold out, so I ordered from plant delights nursery for the first time. I ended up purchasing five agave, one musa basjoo banana plant and the golden lotus. I am extremely pleased with the plants that arrived. The banana plant is 3 feet tall and has three pups lol. The golden lotus, which I was afraid I would be skimped on, as they were sold out everywhere, is HUGE. The big leaves on the banana plants are a little banged up from travel, but were extremely well wrapped. Whatever delivery company they used literally tossed them in the middle of my front lawn lol. I am new to agave plants and have already poked myself three times by accident, but these look really healthy to me with big fat succulent type leaves. Thank you to plant delights nursery. I am very happy with my order :-)