Stark Bro's offers quality nursery products, and helpful advice, for the growing enthusiast. Order trees, plants, and supplies online now or request a catalog.
Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co. (starkbros.com) has 183 customer reviews on Five Star Index, with an average rating of 3.0 out of 5.
Also known as
Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards, starkbros.com
Website
starkbros.com
Category
Home & Garden Services
Location
Louisiana, Missouri
Listed on Five Star Index
2026
About these reviews
Replies
The company replied to 83% of reviews.
Latest
Most recent review: October 2026.
Edits
Reviews are shown as their authors wrote them. The company can reply, but cannot edit them.
Score
This company cannot pay to remove reviews or change its score.
Where the estimates are made up and the ship dates don't matter.
2 stars awarded for having an email system and a record of purchase. 3 stars deducted for everything else.
Ordered 4/15 with their estimated delivery being 5/4.
1. Estimated delivery week of May 4.
2. 4/18, estimated delivery week of May 11.
3. 4/25, estimated delivery May 18.
4. 4/30, estimated delivery early-mid June.
5. 5/21, estimated delivery early-mid June.
Zone 4. Order elsewhere. Their customer service representative (must be singular) is likely assigned to responding to negative reviews.
Response from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.May 22, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. My name is Tiffany and I’m the Support Manager here at Stark Bro’s. I personally read and respond to each review, and I want to sincerely apologize for the frustration and disappointment you’ve experienced.
We understand how important timely delivery is—especially for bare root plants and especially in a short-season Zone 4 growing area. While we provide estimated shipping windows based on your zone and product availability, this season presented a number of unexpected delays in certain zones and varieties. I know that’s no excuse, but I do want to be transparent that we are actively working to improve these timelines and communications.
Regarding your comment about customer service—I assure you we are a team, not a single individual. However, your comment is noted and appreciated. We know how it feels when you don’t get the response or resolution you expect, and it’s something we take seriously.
we would be happy to review your order and situation to ensure you're taken care of going forward. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly through our Contact Us page or by replying to your order confirmation email.
We truly appreciate your past and present support, and while we may have missed the mark this time, we’d love the opportunity to make it right.
DP
Dan P.
You get what you pay for! Avoid!
Last year I ordered a variety of plants from stark brown. Here's the breakdown of what survived. Only 1 out of 4 apple trees, 0 of two lemon trees, 0 of two banana trees, 4 of 25 strawberry plants, 10 of 20 asparagus crowns, 0 of 2 grape vines and 1 of 2 raspberry. The downside is that the replace or refund is an onerous process because they require pictures which means I would have to send a dozen emails since the file sizes are to big to send more than a couple of pictures in an email attachment. I know, I tried and couldn't get them to go through even with reduced resolution. In the end I just cut my losses and will deal locally going forward. Poor customer service and a difficult warranty process. Buy at your own risk. Remember, you get what you pay for.
Response from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.May 19, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience — we're truly sorry to hear that so many of your plants struggled. That’s never the outcome we want for our customers, and we understand how disappointing it can be.
We’d also like to clarify that our warranty process is designed to be as simple and fair as possible. While we do ask for photo verification, we do not require pictures of every individual plant — especially in the case of items like strawberry crowns or asparagus. A general photo of the affected planting area or a sample image is usually sufficient.
Once you send in your initial email to our team, you’re connected with an agent through a ticket system that allows multiple photos to be uploaded to the same conversation thread — you don’t have to send separate emails. Most people find it pretty straightforward, but we’re always happy to assist if someone runs into technical issues.
We do need some form of proof the plants did not survive — much like returning a product to a store — because, without it, unfortunately, it leaves the process vulnerable to abuse. We do our best to be generous while also keeping things fair for all customers.
That said, we’re truly sorry you didn’t take advantage of the warranty, and we understand your frustration. If you ever decide to give us another chance, we’d love the opportunity to do better and help make your experience a positive one.
LF
Leah F.
Delivery date changed 7 times
I purchased 8 fruit trees, blackberries, raspberries at the end if a February, totaling over $300. Since then, my delivery date changed several times. I realize the weather made an impact which was out of their control, but my dates went from 4/15 to 4/27 to 5/8 to 5/15 to 5/1 to 5/25 then sometime in early June. During this time, I spoke with several customer service reps who gave mixed answers: the blackberries were holding up the order and they were going to do a courtesy split to ship my other plants without the blackberries. I was fine with that. When that delivery date came and went, I checked the website and the date was changed without notifying me. I called back, now one of the pears was delaying. Another date came and went. Now a pear and apple tree were delaying. I had spoken with multiple people that I would be out of town for nearly 3 weeks and delivery at the end of May would result in all of my trees dying by the time I got back. Then the delivery was early June. I intentionally ordered early knowing I would have to get the plants in the ground by late April/early May in order to have everything established before being out of town. I had to cancel my order at this point. Now I'm to the point in the year where it is too late to order elsewhere because they delayed and delayed with promises of delivery dates.
Now let me get started on the customer service. When I did finally speak with someone, they were (for the most part) fantastic. I did speak with someone who promised a call the next day regarding splitting the shipping (the 3rd time) who would get back to me the next day. 3 days later, no call back. My complaint is trying to actually speak to someone. When you call and request to speak to a rep, you are placed on hold with music for 10 minutes before being asked to leave a message. I did that twice, no return call despite waiting days. So my next option? I called 6 times, waiting 10 minutes of hold music, before calling again. 6 times, 60 minutes before getting to talk to someone.
I understand the challenges of shipping, not having enough employees, etc., but my confusion comes from getting numerous emails regarding sales and free shipping specials but you can't manage the orders you already have. Prioritize your current customers and providing good service to those rather than bringing in more and more orders that you can't fulfill.
I, and multiple family members, have purchased thousands of dollars of plants over the years from Stark Brothers and have generally had good luck with them, but I am incredibly hesitant about ever ordering from them again. I am now going to be a year behind on establishing fruit trees on my new farm because I could never get a straight answer on delivery dates. I would have cancelled and ordered elsewhere had they not strung me along for nearly 3 months.
Response from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.May 19, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed and honest review. First and foremost, I want to sincerely apologize for the frustration, confusion, and delay you've experienced — not just with your order but also in trying to reach us for clear and consistent support. This is not the level of service we aim to provide, especially for a longtime customer like yourself.
You're absolutely right that weather has played a significant role in our delays this season, particularly with certain varieties like blackberries and select fruit trees. But regardless of the circumstances, the shifting ship dates and mixed messages you received are unacceptable and understandably left you feeling strung along. You should never have had to make repeated calls or chase down answers. We recognize how valuable your time is and how important proper planting windows are — especially with the level of planning you clearly put into establishing your new orchard.
While some team members were helpful, it’s clear there was a breakdown in communication on our end, and we deeply regret that it left you in such a difficult position. Your feedback on our phone system and our prioritization is valid, and it’s something we are actively working to improve. We are currently addressing staffing and scheduling to better support both our long-standing customers and incoming orders — because, as you rightly pointed out, existing customers should always be a top priority.
We’re truly sorry we let you down this season. While it doesn't undo the delay or the missed opportunity this spring, please know your feedback is being shared directly with leadership so that it drives the kind of improvements our customers deserve.
Thank you again for your past support, Leah. We do hope you'll consider giving us another chance in the future so we can prove to you that your trust wasn’t misplaced.
JF
Jody F.
Order #2926854
Order #2926854. Ordered from them on 2.11.25 every month since they have pushed back my delivery date. Now it's listed for June. Noone will answer a phone call or respond to an email. They took my money with no problem but have given nothing in return. I have left voucemaiks asking g for a refund and Noone has reached out or refunded anything. This is stealing plain and simple. You took money and provided nothing in return but a lie. I have read your other reviews and you can cry weather patterns or plant issues. At the end of the day if you don't have the product to sell you do not take someone's money and FYI it's been over 40 for months so I'm not buying your shipping issues either. This place is a scam! Shop elsewhere that has a moral value to their existence!
Response from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.May 16, 2025
We're truly sorry for the frustration and inconvenience this experience has caused. We understand how upsetting it is to feel ignored or misled, and we appreciate you giving us the opportunity to respond.
In the plant world, things work a bit differently than with manufactured goods. We sell living products that are grown to order, and shipping windows are based on the optimal time for each item to survive and thrive once planted. This means we often cannot confirm a specific ship date far in advance — it’s dependent on the plant’s readiness and quality at the time. That’s not an excuse, just a reality of working with nature and living inventory.
That said, we acknowledge that our communication this season has not been up to the standards you or we expect. We’ve experienced serious operational delays that put us behind on emails and voicemails, and unfortunately, your refund request was caught in that backlog. We sincerely apologize.
After reviewing your order (#2926854), I’ve processed a full refund to your original payment method. Please allow 3–5 business days for it to reflect. Additionally, although your strawberries were the cause of the delay, your lemon tree is ready to ship — and as a gesture of goodwill, we’re sending it to you free of charge early next week.
We’re actively working on improving every aspect of our customer service and operations, and we’re genuinely sorry that we fell short in your case. We hope this resolution offers some peace of mind and a small step toward rebuilding your trust.
Thank you again for your past business, and for giving us the chance to make things right.
LO
Lori
A once good company gone bad
I placed and order for 75 bareroot strawberries on April 17, 2025. They keep pushing back my estimated week of delivery, now saying I will see them the week of May 18th. I think I will be lucky if I get my June bearing berries by June...next year. Communication has been abysmal, and I feel like what was once a great company has now turned into a scam operation. I have ordered from other nurseries this season and none of them have had issues getting their orders to me, so I don't buy all the excuses Stark's is putting out on Trust Pilot. I also question why they are still aggressively selling plants on Facebook when they can't even fulfill the paid orders they have already received. Every time an ad comes up on my Facebook, I share it with all my followers and friends and relay to them what a horrible experience I have had with Stark Bro's Nursery. I have been shocked by how many people respond that they have had the same bad service this year.
Response from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.May 16, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience — we truly understand your frustration and disappointment, and we want to offer a sincere apology.
This season, we encountered unexpected and very serious shipping issues that significantly disrupted our operations. These challenges have affected not only delivery timelines but also our ability to respond to the unusually high volume of calls and emails. This is not an excuse, but the reality of what we've been facing behind the scenes. We’ve been transparent with our customers because we believe you deserve honesty — and while we couldn’t control the situation, we are doing everything we can now to make it right.
Regarding ongoing sales and promotions: we understand how frustrating it must be to see ads when you're still waiting for your own order. But as a nursery with live inventory that must be planted or shipped within narrow time windows, we can’t simply stop selling. We are, however, actively prioritizing fulfillment of all backorders — shipping over 15,000 orders just last week alone.
Please know your order is important to us and not forgotten. We’re committed to restoring your trust.
If you still need assistance or would like to discuss your order directly, please don’t hesitate to reach out — we're here and ready to help.
JF
J from O.
Their one year guarantee is a lie
Their one year guarantee is a lie. Customer service will ignore you.
Response from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.May 16, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review — we’re truly sorry to hear you feel this way.
We want to assure you that this is not a true statement. We absolutely honor our 1-Year Guarantee, and we do not intentionally ignore any customer. Since 1816, Stark Bro’s has stood behind our promise to provide customers with the very best fruit trees and plants.
If your trees or plants don’t survive, just let us know within one year of delivery. We’re happy to offer a one-time free replacement, with only a nominal $9.99 shipping fee. If the item is no longer available, we’ll issue a one-time credit or refund equal to the original product purchase price.
If you’ve had trouble reaching us, please know that we’re currently in our peak season and experiencing higher call volumes than usual — but we absolutely want to help. We encourage you to give us a call, and we’ll be glad to take care of you.
DM
Darla M.
Poor Customer service!
I have called 4 separate times now, been put on music wait for 15 minutes and than get the same message to leave a phone number and message and they will get back to me. Hire some phone help! Answer the customer issues ! late shipment, dead tree, and one from last year that did not come back.
Response from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.May 16, 2025
Thank you for your review, and we sincerely apologize for the frustration and delays you’ve experienced.
This season has been particularly challenging due to unpredictable weather and shipping logistics issues, which unfortunately caused delays in both order fulfillment and customer response times. Please know that we do have customer service agents actively answering calls, but the call volume during peak season has been far higher than usual — and not something we typically experience year to year. We understand how upsetting this is and truly regret the inconvenience it’s caused.
I do see that our Support Assistant Manager connected with you via Facebook on 5/15, and we appreciate you reaching out there. If there are any remaining issues, we want to ensure they’re fully addressed — whether it’s the late shipment, a tree that didn’t survive, or a concern from last season.
We’re here to help and appreciate your patience as we work to take care of every customer as quickly as possible.
SK
Sherry K.
Still haven’t received a shipping…
Still haven’t received a shipping notification! I was told I would receive my order by the end of the week. Is this company a scam? I would like my order but I’m getting nervous about them having my money! Tired of the excuses they’re giving me!
Response from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.May 16, 2025
Please know that we’re not offering excuses, but rather doing our best to communicate openly and honestly about the situation with your order.
That said, your order has shipped and is on its way! The tracking number is 458816654828, and according to the carrier, it’s scheduled to be delivered today (5/16).
We appreciate your patience, and we truly hope once you receive your order, you’ll be pleased with your plants. If you need anything further, we’re here to help.
