Japanese maple: Beni shien

Winter Shipping

For most plants and most of the country, our shipping season ends December 15 and resumes March 15.

West Coast and other exceptions:

We will ship temperate zone (non-tropical) plants to the west coast all year. For our purposes, the west coast means those portions of Washington, Oregon, and California that lie west of the Cascades/Sierras in USDA Zone 8 or higher.We won't ship most zone 10 plants in the winter.

Folks who live in warm places like Florida or have greenhouses often wonder why we won't ship there in winter. The reason is that we can't teleport the plants: they have to pass through places like Denver and Chicago, where they may wait outside to change planes, or ride in unheated vans of mail trucks. We do make this concession to those who are certain the plants will arrive all right: we'll ship them if you'll waive our guarantee of arrival in viable condition.

If you ask, we'll ship deciduous trees that are hardy to USDA Zone 5 to places in Zone 5 or higher. This includes Japanese maples, but please read the section on maples, below, about why this might not be a good idea.

We may choose not to ship anything, anywhere, anytime, based on weather conditions at the destination or en route.

Maples

We're willing to ship maples during the winter when they're dormant, but that doesn't make it a good idea for everybody. Maples need a dormant period of several weeks with temperatures below 45F. However, they shouldn't be left outside in pots where the temperatures are significantly below freezing, since their roots are much more vulnerable in pots than in the ground. Planting them in the ground during the winter isn't usually practical, either. So, if you get them in the winter, what are you going to do with them? You can't keep them in the house; it's too warm. You can't put them outside in pots when it's 10 below; the roots will freeze. You can't plant them; the ground is frozen.

If you have an unheated basement or garage where the temperatures will stay below 45F but not too far below freezing, you can keep them there. They don't need light while dormant. A greenhouse, cold frame, or covered porch that stays in the right temperature range will work too, if the trees are protected from intense sun. If you live where the ground usually doesn't freeze much, zone 8, for example, you can safely leave trees in pots in a protected area or even plant them out. If you do have a place to keep them, and if we have the ones you want, winter is a good time to buy maples because trees are typically more developed than in the spring. There is less selection in winter, though.


Winter Shipping For most plants and most of the country, our shipping season ends December 15 and resumes March 15. West Coast and other exceptions: We will ship temperate zone (non-tropical) plants to the west coast all year. For our purposes, the west coast means those portions of Washington, Oregon, and California that lie west of the Cascades/Sierras in USDA Zone 8 or higher.We won't ship most zone 10 plants in the winter. Folks who live in warm places like Florida or have greenhouses often wonder why we won't ship there in winter. The reason is that we can't teleport the plants: they have to pass through places like Denver and Chicago, where they may wait outside to change planes, or ride in unheated vans of mail trucks. We do make this concession to those who are certain the plants will arrive all right: we'll ship them if you'll waive our guarantee of arrival in viable condition. If you ask, we'll ship deciduous trees that are hardy to USDA Zone 5 to places in Zone 5 or higher. This includes Japanese maples, but please read the section on maples, below, about why this might not be a good idea. *We may choose not to ship anything, anywhere, anytime, based on weather conditions at the destination or en route.* Maples We're willing to ship maples during the winter when they're dormant, but that doesn't make it a good idea for everybody. Maples need a dormant period of several weeks with temperatures below 45F. However, they shouldn't be left outside in pots where the temperatures are significantly below freezing, since their roots are much more vulnerable in pots than in the ground. Planting them in the ground during the winter isn't usually practical, either. So, if you get them in the winter, what are you going to do with them? You can't keep them in the house; it's too warm. You can't put them outside in pots when it's 10 below; the roots will freeze. You can't plant them; the ground is frozen. If you have an unheated basement or garage where the temperatures will stay below 45F but not too far below freezing, you can keep them there. They don't need light while dormant. A greenhouse, cold frame, or covered porch that stays in the right temperature range will work too, if the trees are protected from intense sun. If you live where the ground usually doesn't freeze much, zone 8, for example, you can safely leave trees in pots in a protected area or even plant them out. If you do have a place to keep them, and if we have the ones you want, winter is a good time to buy maples because trees are typically more developed than in the spring. There is less selection in winter, though.