Refund policy

We grow and ship living plants, so our policy works a little differently than it would for most online stores. Please read this before you order.

Our Dead Plant Guarantee

We guarantee that your plant will leaf out the year you plant it. If a plant never breaks dormancy and never buds out during the growing season it was planted, we will make it right.

What this covers: a plant that arrives and never leafs out that first season.

What this does not cover: a plant that leafed out, grew, and then failed to return the following spring. That is winter loss, and it comes down to site conditions, planting depth, water, rodent and deer pressure, and the weather, none of which we control once the tree leaves us. If that happens to you, get in touch anyway. We will often offer a goodwill credit toward a future order, subject to an order minimum. We would rather keep you growing than win an argument.

How Claims Are Settled

Approved claims are settled with store credit rather than a cash refund, and we do not ship standalone replacement plants. Every plant that leaves here has to move through our order system so our packers can see it and pull it, which means a replacement has to come through as a real order. Store credit is how we make that work.

Credit is calculated on what you actually paid: the line price of the plant net of any discount applied to that order, plus that item's prorated share of the shipping you paid. If you bought a bundle and one plant failed, the credit is the per-plant share. If the whole bundle failed, we credit the whole bundle.

Credits are issued as single-use discount codes. They do not expire.

Filing a Claim

Email us at office@montanafruittrees.com with your order number and a photo or two of the plant in the ground. Get in touch during the growing season the plant was planted, once it is clear the plant is not going to break dormancy.

Give it time. Bare root trees, and especially nut trees and pawpaws, are often slow to wake up, and some will not show growth until well into June.

Returns

We do not accept returns of plants. Once a bare root tree ships it is out of our dormancy storage and we cannot resell it. This is standard for bare root nursery stock.

Seeds, gift cards and digital downloads are also non-returnable.

Order Changes and Cancellations

Reach out as early as you can. Before February 1 we can usually change or cancel your order and refund you in full.

We cannot cancel orders after February 1. This applies regardless of when your order is scheduled to ship or be picked up.

Damaged or Wrong Shipments

Open your box the day it arrives and check what is inside. If plants arrived damaged in transit, or if we sent the wrong variety, email office@montanafruittrees.com within 5 days of delivery with photos and your order number. We will make it right.

Bare root plants often look rough on arrival. Dry-looking roots, no leaves and bare stems are all normal. If you are not sure what you are looking at, send us a photo and we will tell you.

Local Pickup

Local pickup orders need to be collected during your scheduled window. If you cannot make it, contact us to reschedule. Plants left unclaimed past the end of our pickup season cannot be held and are not refundable, because they break dormancy and cannot be stored.