Specimens
Large and Mature Specimens
All mature and Specimen trees (larger than #10 sizes) ship on a freight truck. Most often, we ship the trees secured on pallets and wrapped in cardboard, but for very large specimen plants that are too large to fit within the footprint of a pallet, we must load on the floor of the semi-truck, and you will need to have your landscaping crew use equipment to remove the items from the truck.
Whichever shipping method is used, the trucking company will contact you to arrange delivery. If your items are on a pallet, we can arrange delivery with a trucking company that offers liftgate service. Specimen plants require freight shipping which varies widely based on your location and the height of the item(s) purchased.
If you are wanting a larger tree but have a smaller budget, we have a good assortment of Junior Specimen plants which can be sent in boxes via FedEx Home Delivery.
Specimen Shipping: How it Works
When purchasing a mature specimen tree on coniferkingdom.com it is normal to wonder how these impressive specimens could possibly be shipped hundreds or thousands of miles. The information compiled here is to give you peace of mind when making an investment in one of these stunning trees. We will discuss how to get the information you need to make an informed purchase decision; what to expect in the shipping process; and how your shipment will be delivered.
Finding Relevant Information and Making Your Selection
Specimen plants are those designated with a unique 4-digit code. These are typically offered from a #15 to a #200 container. These extraordinary trees can be purchased through our website just like smaller plants. The container size as well as the height, width, and estimated age of the specimens can be found by clicking on “Additional Information” on the product page under the photos.
If you need more information than what is provided on the website, you are welcome to reach out to us, and we are delighted to assist in your decision-making! Looking for a Japanese maple or conifer that is not shown on our website? Feel free to send us an email so we can check our inventory and see if there is something that will work for you.
Shipping Process
Delivery options and shipping costs vary widely based on a few factors:
- The size and shape of the particular tree(s)
- Your distance from our farm in Oregon
- The type of address where the delivery will be made
Our shipping calculator is not able to accurately quote freight shipments because there are so many factors to consider. One of our helpful team members will personally work to find you the best rate for your particular shipment and delivery scenario.
During the checkout process, you will see a note that the shipping cost is displayed as “Freight Cost TBD.” Usually within 2 days after placing your order, we will contact you at the email address provided to let you know the estimated cost of shipping the tree(s) you ordered to your shipping address
Please note: If your order will be held for more than a week, we may need to wait on finalizing the shipping costs. Checking again for freight options closer to your delivery time will ensure you are only paying the right amount.
If you wish to proceed with the order, once the shipping service is determined and costs are confirmed, we will either send you an invoice you can securely pay online, or you may call us to provide payment information for the additional shipping costs.
Shipping Methods
Smaller specimens or Palletized Specimens can be sent on a pallet along with any of our small-container mail-order items. Depending on the size of the specimens purchased, up to 3 specimens can be fit on a single shipping pallet! It is important to note that the shipping cost is approximately the same for one pallet with one specimen or one pallet with three specimens so purchasing more than one is typically preferable.
These smaller shipments are typically sent with a third-party company such as FedEx Freight, and a wooden frame is built around the trees to protect them during transit. The crate is then enclosed with cardboard as shown below.
If you have a business address where the trees will be delivered, this is typically a much lower cost than a residential delivery. However, if you do want them delivered directly to your home, FedEx Freight is usually the best way to complete the delivery, as they provide liftgate service to lower the pallet from the truck. If you have a landscaping company assist with unloading the pallet from the truck, the shipping cost is typically lower if the liftgate delivery is not needed.
Larger specimens or Floor-Loaded Specimens (those in excess of 6’ in height or width) would need to be shipped along with other plant material headed to your region. Because these taller trees are not able to be shipped while standing upright, they need to be loaded in a truck diagonally as shown below. In order to economically utilize all space in the truck, we need to combine multiple deliveries on the same truck.
During the summer, we only ship specimen trees on refrigerated trucks along with other plant material. These shipments require a bit more effort to coordinate and usually take 2 weeks or more to schedule. Trees that are too large to ship on a standard pallet will need to be unloaded from the truck by a landscape company. Customers typically choose to coordinate unloading with the same company that will be installing these mature specimens.