Anne
Tree Not As Described
6/7/26 Upfront I will alert you that Wilson Brothers Gardens will likely issue a rebuttal to my statements. I have been a serious plant collector beginning in 1991. I specialize in the unusual, mostly shrubs and trees. I was invited to write an article for the Rhododendron, Camellia and Magnolia Group (England) Journal, which I did, and it was published in January 2025. I ordered a 3-gallon Magnolia grandiflora ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ from Wilson Brothers Gardens on 5/8/23. The tree arrived on 5/12/23 p.m. with a label on the side of the container identifying the tree as “Bracken’s Brown Beauty Magnolia 3g.” On 5/13/23 I contacted Wilson Brothers Gardens via email because the backs of the leaves on this tree were not brown – an identifying characteristic of ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ and the ONLY reason I ordered this tree. My email included photos of my tree and a screenshot of the description of this variety from the Wilson Brothers Gardens website, as well as screenshots from the websites of Missouri Botanical Garden, The Tree Center and Monrovia, all specifically mentioning the brown backs on the leaves. Additionally, I have four other specimens of ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ in my collection, all displaying the brown backs on the leaves. Those four specimens are of varying ages, some younger and some older than the tree from Wilson Brothers Gardens. Wilson Brothers Gardens replied via email on 5/13/23 and offered many “reasons” for why my tree did not (and still does not) have brown backs on the leaves. They suggested that it could take 2 -3 years for the brown backs to develop. They said the shape of the leaves indicates that it is ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty.’ They said the tree may not be getting adequate sunlight (my other four specimens all get the same amount of sunlight as the tree from Wilson Brothers Gardens). I contacted Wilson Brothers Gardens on 5/14/26, now the suggested 3 years since I received my tree. The email exchanges continued until 5/21/26, before which they even suggested that I wait until mid- to late-summer 2026 for the brown backs to develop. Their final email on 5/21/26 stated that they had done all they could do, and that they are convinced that my tree is ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty.’ On 5/20/26 I contacted US Bank (the credit card I used for this purchase) and disputed the purchase. I handled my dispute via chat with US Bank because I could provide details in writing that may not have been grasped in a phone conversation. US Bank initiated a case to investigate the dispute. On 6/2/26 US Bank sent me a letter (received 6/6/26) stating that my purchase was outside their “60 days from statement date” policy to initiate a dispute. I did explain during my chat with US Bank that Wilson Brothers Gardens instructed me to wait 2 -3 years for the brown backs to be visible. If I had initiated a dispute when I first received this tree from Wilson Brothers Gardens, US Bank would have contacted them and probably would have been given the information about waiting 2 – 3 years for the brown backs to develop. The tree I received from Wilson Brothers Gardens is NOT Magnolia grandiflora ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty.’ It is more likely the straight species Magnolia grandiflora, which is not what I ordered. All the intended “helpful” explanations from Wilson Brothers Gardens do not convince me that this is anything other than a case of a mislabeled tree. The delay incurred while I waited the 2- 3 years suggested by Wilson Brothers Gardens resulted in my financial loss and a tree in my collection that I did not order. On another note, I have placed two prior orders with Wilson Brothers Gardens, and both of those items arrived in good condition and are as described.