Raintree Nursery from Washington, USA

This thread is about Raintree Nursery



Raintree Nursery sells a wide selection of edible/fruiting vines, shrubs, groundcovers, tubers, mushrooms, trees and herbs. Many of these are hard to find. They also sell ornamentals, rootstocks, and books and supplies.

Since 1972, we have been supplying flavorful, disease resistant fruit varieties to backyard gardeners like you.

Raintree selects fruit varieties for flavor and ease of growing, with you the backyard gardener in mind. We have searched the world to collect the best backyard fruit varieties for you, the American gardener, as you will see as you enjoy our catalog. Check our Raintree's Plant Grower's Guide for a guide to the best choices for your region.

Most mail order fruit nurseries choose their varieties for the commercial grower and since they grow many thousands of each variety, they then offer those same varieties to you.

Commercial fruit varieties, the same ones you find in the supermarkets, are grown for their uniformity of shape and color, their ability to keep in controlled storage and their high production. We frankly don't care how bright and shiny the fruit is or how well it can ship across the country. We care about how flavorful the fruit is and how easy it is for you, the backyard grower to grow.

https://raintreenursery.com/

I give this nursery 7 out of 10 acorns.

Raintree Nursery is a nursery in western Washington State. They sell a wide array of edible (and some non-edible, but often still useful) plants and associated supplies.

The good:
--I love Raintree. They have a huge variety of plants and they have exciting pictures and descriptions. The website itself has been very educational for me about fruit and nut trees, and about edibles I never would have thought about growing (lingonberries, horseradish, hardy ginger, etc).

--I absolutely love that this kind of work is being done, that people are going to the effort of preserving, cataloguing, and selling plant varieties that are so useful. Without entities like this resources like these could be lost.

--They have a really wonderfulselection of seconds. These plants are usually around $5, and with some careful doctoring can often become fully productive.

--They have a very helpful horticulturist who you can email with questions. The answers have always been detailed for me.
--Bulk discounts are usually offered

--I've never had to get a replacement, but I have heard that they are really good about replacing damaged trees. If anyone has had a different experiences I invite you to share

The bad:
--Raintree can be expensive if buying at full price. It's not uncommon for their prices to be significantly higher than competitors.

--I have friends who have experienced issues with failed grafts or plants not making it. The latter could be a number of factors including error in planting or handling by the friend.

--Not all varieties sold at Raintree will necessarily ripen in western Washington, where the nursery is located. Some plants need special treatment or protection. In some cases the plant might live but not be able to fully mature its fruit here. It's not always clear what will do well here, so I'm always sure to ask the horticulturist about what will do well here (probably wise in any case).

I've shopped through  Raintree's catalog over the years.  They carry unusual plants, food plants that permie type people tend to want,as well as the apples plums peaches pears nectarines...  

When I am looking through their offerings, I have to pay special attention to frost hardiness, since I live where it gets MUCH colder and is dryer, also warmer in the summer.

Not everything I bought from them survived,but I attributed it to the conditionsat my place at the time I planted.  Their shipping and packaging was adequate to the plants survival in transit, but I did not have "soil" at the time, just fine sand with a bit of clay.  The organic component was less than 1 % carbon, both the organic and inorganic carbon, and it occupied a layer less than 1/8 inch thick at the surface.  I was delighted that as many plants survived as did.  but it is important to know what you are looking for  in a plant, and what the plant is going to need for growing conditions.

I'd just like to mention that raintree has a new owner. He's a young man who seems to making some good changes and is dedicated to being a part of the local community.  

About 12 years back I bought a lattarula fig and a Saskatoon berry.
When they arrived I was a tad surprised at how very tiny they were,  literally the size of pencils.

Over the next few years those plants popped! While we moved and left the Saskatoon berry behind (sadly), it produced quite well and was delicious.
The fig came with as it's in a pot and wow is it delicious.  Took about 5 years for it to grow and produce though.

I have coveted their yellow schoolhouse plum for years and a damson.
Now if only I could find them a tad cheaper.

I love browsing their catalog and if I had all the money I would have all the plants!