FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

NSE Tropicals’ website will walk you through the ordering process from start to finish, figuring shipping charges as it goes. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our inventory constantly changes, with new plants being added all the time. It’s impossible for us to update a printed catalog, and the added expense makes it cost prohibitive.

We grow most of our more rare plants, there is no magical place where I can just order them from. (I wish!) I am constantly asking them to grow faster…they don’t listen. Or maybe they just choose to ignore me. Our inventory is constantly changing, and I am constantly putting plants back up, only to have them get ordered within minutes. Additionally I try not to restock too many plants at once so I can get them out to you within a week. We generally announce when the next restock will be on instagram, please follow us @nsetropicals

We accept Paypal, checks and money orders, and most major credit cards.

Yes, we are a California certified nursery. In fact we ship anywhere in the US.

No, I’m so sorry. Due to the time and expense of shipping internationally, we do not.

We normally use USPS to ship your plants. If you would prefer another method or faster shipping, please let us know so we can get you a shipping quote for your chosen carrier.

All plants are carefully wrapped with paper carefully taped over the pots, then wrapped in newsprint sheets and placed and carefully secured in their box. All plants are shipped intact in their pots.

We want you to be happy with your purchase, when your plants arrive, if you are not satisfied for any reason, please let us know right away. Since we cannot control the care the plants receive once they leave us, we cannot guarantee them once they have moved on to their new homes.

While I try to describe the size of the plant you will receive, sometimes they may be a little larger. Plants grow after all, and try as I might, they will just not conform. I always send the nicest, largest plant of the species you have ordered.

Unfortunately we are no longer open to the public and do not allow local pickup. Due to time constraints, we are just not able to be available. Thank you for your understanding.

The website will figure it automatically, but it works out to approximately $10 for the first plant and $2 for each additional plant for USPS Priority mail shipping.

Yes, weather permitting. Keep in mind it may be 85 degrees here in January, so it’s hard to wrap our tiny little minds around snowdrifts around your mailbox. We have heat packs and extra wrapping at no charge, please let us know if you need it. If you would like to place an order, but have it held until your weather warms up, please let us know.

All of our plants are tropical varieties, and while most are easy enough to grow without special care, most are simply either indoor, terrarium, or greenhouse plants outside of South Florida, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii. All can be grown outdoors in warmer weather, but then brought in to safely before the temperature drops. Our plants are grown in shadehouses and all appreciate bright shady conditions.

Most of our plants are grown in smaller containers to keep them a reasonable size for shipping and to keep the shipping costs down. We generally recommend carefully removing them from their wrapping and perhaps misting them to help them acclimate to life outside a box. As careful as we are, sometimes a leaf may have been bent or damaged, feel free to carefully remove it. Place them in a shady location with proper air movement and humidity to help them adjust.

We use Promix, which is a peat based potting mix, mixed with perlite for proper drainage, but any well –draining peat based mix will work.

Remember, less is more. We use time released fertilizers like Nutricote, (watch Osmocote, as it may burn or harm plants)