Orders & Shipping
Orders AND Shipping
You can check your order status here. To look up your order, find your order number on your emailed or mailed receipt.
If you have an Arbor Day Foundation account, you can view your orders online by logging in to your account, clicking the Account icon, navigating to My Account, then selecting "Orders".
We send trees at the best time to plant according to your horticulture zone. Whether your trees ship in the spring or fall is determined by your order date.
If you are ordering from our tree nursery or receiving member trees, view our shipping schedule here.
We use a variety of carriers including USPS, UPS, and FedEx, depending on the size and origin of your tree(s). Your order might arrive in multiple shipments depending on species.
In the fall, we ship trees when they’re dormant (asleep), which means they are not actively growing. So, don’t be alarmed if your new tree is leafless or has yellow needles. They can be planted until the ground is frozen solid, even if there’s snow.
Trees shipped in the spring may also arrive dormant and can be planted as soon as the ground is thawed.
Membership trees: Our membership trees are year-old seedlings and are about 6–12 inches tall. They will come bundled together and secured inside of a clear plastic bag. Deciduous seedlings may be leafless; most (but not all!) conifers will have needles. You will receive planting instructions in your package. More planting information is also available here.
Nursery trees: Our nursery trees are packaged in a recyclable cardboard box. If you ordered bare-root seedlings, they will arrive bundled together and secured inside of a clear plastic bag covering the root ball. There should be a twist tie securing the clear plastic package to your seedling (just above the roots). If you ordered a potted tree, it will arrive in a plastic container ready to plant. You will receive planting instructions in your package. More planting information is also available here.
Distribution event trees: If you ordered a tree from a distribution event, they will either be available for in-person pickup or delivered to your house in an individual box. Check your confirmation email for your delivery details. You will receive planting instructions in emails about your distribution event or along with your tree. More planting information is also available here.
When you order trees from the Arbor Day Foundation nursery or receive trees through your membership, they are guaranteed to arrive in a good, healthy condition or we’ll replace them at no charge, Your trees will be shipped at a suitable time for planting in your region. Each membership and nursery tree is guaranteed to grow, or we’ll replace it within six months of shipment. This does not apply to trees reserved through a tree distribution that are either mailed directly to you or picked up in person from an event.
Your trees may arrive dormant, and not actively growing. Deciduous trees often arrive without leaves, while most conifers will have needles. To confirm that the trees are alive, lightly scratch the seedling with your thumbnail. This should reveal a living layer of green — meaning your seedlings are alive and ready to be planted.
The Arbor Day Foundation is happy to provide a one-time refund or replacement per order for nursery and membership trees under the following terms and conditions:
- Our trees and shrubs are living things. They need to be planted at the correct depth, watered and cared for in a way that is appropriate for the species, and protected from the elements and animals.
- We’re here to provide you with the resources you need to plant and grow healthy trees and shrubs. However, to initiate your one-time free replacement or refund, please contact us. We may ask you to send images or documentation with your submission. Please note, replacements must be the same root type as the original items ordered.
- Trees sent to planting locations outside the recommended horticulture zones will not be guaranteed.
- Promotional items included in nursery orders and trees picked up in person from distribution events are not eligible for replacement.
Trees received through direct mail from a tree distribution event that arrive damaged may be eligible for a replacement. Please contact us within 10 days of receiving your tree to get the process started. You may be asked to send photos of your order as well.
Once your order has been sent for processing, it cannot be cancelled. You can, however, refuse the order upon delivery. By doing so, you will be refunded the cost of the trees, but not the cost of shipping. If there is an error in the shipment (e.g., the wrong trees were shipped or the trees were dead on arrival), you will be refunded the cost of shipping as well.
Yes, for member trees and nursery orders, please contact our team at (888) 448-7337 as soon as possible and we will be happy to help make the necessary changes to your shipping address. For address changes for trees ordered for delivery through a tree distribution event, please call (855)-234-3801.
While we only ship nursery and member trees during our standard shipping windows in spring and fall, we can accommodate specific shipping dates if they fall within those windows for an additional $25.00 handling fee (plus applicable taxes). To request a specific date within your shipping window for nursery or membership trees, please contact Member Services.
Bare-root and potted plants come from different facilities and are shipped separately. That means that if you ordered both bare-root and potted trees, you may receive them on different dates in separate packages. If you only receive part of your order and the other part contains different types of trees, the rest may still be on their way.
You can check your order status here. To look up your order, find your order number on your emailed or mailed receipt.
Please inspect your order carefully and compare your trees to the included tree ID key or green and white packing slip.
Membership trees are bundled together and secured in a clear plastic bag with a twist tie. Please remove the twist tie and remove the trees from the clear plastic bag. Carefully separate your trees to make sure they’re all there.
Nursery trees are bundled together in a clear plastic bag covering the roots. Remove packaging and carefully separate trees to make sure they’re all there. You should see white paper tags above the roots indicating the species of tree. There will only be one paper label per species of tree ordered.
NOTE: If you order multiple trees of the same species they will arrive bundled together.
If you are missing any trees from your order, please contact Member Services and we will be happy to schedule a free replacement for the missing items.
Sometimes, trees will arrive with a harmless white substance caused by a build-up of condensation during shipping. Although it may have a smell, that doesn’t mean anything is wrong. Gently rinse it off and proceed with the planting instructions. Once your trees are outside in the sun and fresh air, the smell should dissipate.
This substance is a non-toxic gel that keeps your tree seedlings hydrated as they ship from our nursery to you. Soak your tree’s roots in water before planting according to the instructions included in your order.
Some state Departments of Agriculture require lengthy inspections for certain species, which makes it less likely that these trees will survive transportation. Some states, like Arizona, have very strict restrictions on any imported trees. Other states restrict only certain species. These restrictions are there to protect existing crops and trees within a state from disease or pests.
To find out what membership packages are available for your area, simply enter your zip code here. For more information on regulations and restrictions, please contact the Department of Agriculture in your state.