Frequently Asked Questions
We're making the world a better place… with plants!
Is your nursery open?
We are open for online orders with local delivery in the Austin area. Our onsite facility is a production area only and is currently closed for browsing. Unlike most retail nurseries, we grow everything we sell, so the greenhouses are full of plants in all life stages, many of which are not for sale. The seasonal weekend plant stand is CLOSED indefinitely due to construction - in-person retail store coming soon.
Are you certified organic?
We were certified organic by the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) and monitored by NICS Nature’s International Certification Services from 2012-2021. However, it has been a lifelong choice for us to grow using all certified organic inputs and OMRI approved fertilizers, and use only natural methods for our in-house integrated pest management program. We consider ourselves ecologically sound, chemical free, synthetic free, and responsibly grown. In 2021, for financial reasons, we have decided to withdraw our certificate and continue to grow the way we only know how to grow, 'uncertifiably organic'. A full statement on this choice and on our growing methods is available here for transparency.
Are your premises open to the public?
GREENHOUSE AND GROUNDS ARE TEMPORARILY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. During the spring/summer of 2022 we were open to the public on weekends with a limited special selection. We sometimes host special events as well. We are a working production facility and the greenhouses are not open for browsing at this time for your safety. Think forklifts, snakes, pirate swamp stuff... 🏴☠️ We are building a brick and mortar retail location on our property very soon. 🤫
When do you offer new inventory?
Website is restocked weekly, currently on Thursday afternoon. Check our social media and newsletter for first dibs on new items. Sold Out items will likely come available again. You can click "Notify when Available" to be emailed as soon as we get an item you covet back in stock.
Do you deliver to my area?
We deliver within 45 miles of our greenhouse in Manor, Texas at this time. This is most of the Austin, TX metropolitan area.
Above is a rough 45 mile radius of our delivery service area in Central Texas. We have a courtesy "as the crow flies" distance checker on our shopping cart. If you are on the outskirts of this area, please email hello@lonestarnursery.com before placing your order to make sure we can deliver to you. Orders are subject to cancellation and refund if your location is outside our range.
Example cities within our delivery range: Manor, Elgin, Austin, Pflugerville, Round Rock, Del Valle, Taylor, Bee Cave, Brushy Creek, Hornsby Bend, Cedar Creek, Cedar Park, Jollyville, Sunset Valley, Manchaca, McDade, Sunset Valley, Leander, Georgetown, Webberville.
Please keep in mind that 45 miles "as the crow flies" might be a much longer drive for our trucks. Tipping your driver is appreciated, especially towards the far regions of our range!
When will I get my order?
Delivery is currently at 2-7 business days from time of order, though at times items ship sooner. You will be grouped first come, first serve with other gardener deliveries in your area. As gardeners we understand the importance of a quick turnaround and that is our immediate goal as we adjust to our new model.
PLEASE BEAR WITH US! WE ARE A FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS, AND WE LOVE WHAT WE DO. Thanks for your patience, and keep on GROWING! We will text and send you an email when we are on our way!
Where will you leave the order on delivery?
Upon placing your order, please provide instructions for your preferred delivery location and specify the best place to put your plants to protect them from the elements.
What's the deal with curbside pickup?
Curbside pickup is currently closed due to construction.
Do you ship outside Central Texas?
Sorry, we are unable to ship at this time, but we may ship seasonally in the future!
I want to make a change to my recently placed order / I have an issue with an order recently delivered
Please send an email to hello@lonestarnursery.com and we can assist you with your order. We are happy to make additions or substitutions if we have your requested items in stock and your delivery has not yet left our greenhouse.
Do you still offer wholesale pricing?
As of March 25th 2020, we ceased our wholesale operation. We are no longer offering wholesale pricing, or bulk ordering/delivery. We had to make an emergency business pivot when all of our wholesale customers (retail nurseries) shuttered temporarily. The number of returning wholesale customers that have trickled back into needing plants is not sustainable for us at this time.
It's been a few days since my order and I haven't heard from you.
It takes 2-7 business days to process your order under current demand. We will contact you again on the date of shipment. Our shipping ETA begins the day after you order. We are getting closer every day to having a shorter turnaround time. If we fall behind 24 hours on an ETA, we will then reach out and inform you. You will receive a notification once it leaves our greenhouses, as well as a text from a driver when they’re on their way. If it has been 7 business days since your order or if you would like to add or substitute items please feel free to reach out to hello@lonestarnursery.com
Why do I see the "sleepy plant" or "password page"?
We may periodically close for website maintenance. Please check back soon for new items added to the website!
Do you charge sales tax?
We charge Travis County sales tax (8.25%) on plants that are not considered edible as their primary purpose, as well as on perennial plants and gardening supplies. In Texas, while the sale of an annual plant or seedling that is used for human consumption, such as a tomato, corn, lettuce, and pea plant, is exempt from sales tax, the sale of perennial plants, including plants that produce food for humans, are subject to sales tax.
Exceptions include tax free weekends, such as the annual Texas Water-Efficient Products Sales Tax Holiday.
I have more questions about the use of medicinal plants.
Our unique plant offerings and their descriptions are provided for educational, ethnobotanical, and entertainment use only. We are plant growers, not medical professionals! Please do your own research and consult a medical professional before attempting to ingest or use any plant for medicinal purposes.
The plant I received doesn't look like the picture.
We provide representative pictures and you may not receive that exact plant. We are adding more pictures every week along with our new inventory. For our annual vegetables, we do not have the space currently to grow them all to fruiting stage, so some of those pictures are from our seed sources or from growing that variety in our staff trial gardens. Depending on the size of the plant you order, you may receive a plant at an earlier life stage, and some plants can take years to fruit. Please contact us at hello@lonestarnursery.com if you have questions about a plant you received.
Are plant nurseries considered essential businesses?
Yes! *PLANT NURSERIES ARE ESSENTIAL*
Get your neighbors together and plan your revolution garden. The earth needs your hands, and you need her more now than ever! In the "National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) Food and Agriculture Sector-Specific Plan", nurseries like ours are defined as essential businesses as follows:
Agriculture and Food > Supply
1.1.1 111 Crop Production These facilities comprise establishments, such as farms, orchards, groves, greenhouses, and nurseries, primarily engaged in growing crops, plants, vines, or trees and their seeds.
1.1.1.4 1114 Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Facilities Facilities primarily engaged in growing crops of any kind under cover and/or growing nursery stock and flowers. "Under cover" is generally defined as greenhouses, cold frames, cloth houses, and lath houses. The crops grown are removed at various stages of maturity and have annual and perennial life cycles. The nursery stock includes short rotation woody crops that have growth cycles of ten years or less.
Garden myths: transplant shock
99% of the time if you see something that does not like to be transplanted, it’s because the grower does not understand what is actually killing the plant after transplantation. Very few plants and I mean VERY few “don’t like to be transplanted”. In all cases there is some other factor that causes a plant to be weakened or die after transplanting.
Root bound plants are a myth. We like to call them pot challenged. Put them in a bigger pot or in the ground and watch them explode!!
Lone Star Nursery statement on strawberries, common fruit trees, and citrus.
We receive lots of requests for the above. We love them all but most commercially sold fruit trees are rarely organic. In fact in Texas, because of strict regulation it’s impossible to grow organic citrus trees. We strongly feel that the conventional practices of fruit tree growing over the last century or more is precisely why so many are devastated by pests and disease. Until diversity through pollination is alive again, specifically in citrus, but also peach and apple, and until those breeding priorities are no longer size and taste, instead vigor and defense, the monoculture will continue to allow the ever evolving pests and disease to win. In saying this, as the plant pirates that we are, we have a few tricks up our sleeves.
Living Soil
Every pot is packed with a punch! Our soil is prepped with mycorrhizae, our water steeped with Yucca extract and seaweed. In turn our growing medium is perfectly alive. Every plant that goes into your garden brings this life with it.
What should I do when I get my plants?
Our plants are sold in starter pots and are not meant to be kept in them. As most of our plants are meant to go in the ground, the sooner you can do that, the better off we’ll all be. Alternately, you can plant into a larger container upon receipt, so your plant can continue to grow. One of our many mottos is 'if we can grow it, so can you!'
Do you have Discounts?
Sign up for our newsletter and we will send you a code for 15% off* your order to welcome you! Limitations apply. Sale items on our website are not eligible for further discounts. *Certain specimens are excluded from discounts due to their rarity and difficulty of propagation. We have live sales, specials, and plant shows several times a year. Follow our social media for up to date surprises!