Marketplace Guidelines

These guidelines set out what we expect from every vendor selling on our marketplace. They exist to protect the trees, the buyers, and your reputation as a grower. Read them before you list, and check back when we update them — the date at the foot of this page tells you when that last happened.

Selling live plants carries obligations that most marketplaces never face. A tree that arrives stressed, mislabelled, or carrying pests damages the buyer, you, and every other vendor here.

Who can sell

We accept established nurseries, independent growers, and specialist importers. Resellers are welcome provided the source is disclosed.

  • A complete shop profile with a real business or trading name
  • Verifiable contact details and a working email address
  • Any licences your country requires for selling or shipping live plants
  • Capacity to fulfil orders within the timeframes below

Hobbyists selling a handful of trees a year are welcome, but we ask that you list honestly rather than presenting a personal collection as nursery stock.

Listing standards

Every listing must let a buyer understand exactly what will arrive. At minimum, include:

  • Species — botanical name. “Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana'”, not “juniper”. Common names alone are not sufficient.
  • Approximate age or years in training, and say which. If you don’t know, say so rather than guessing.
  • Height and nebari width in centimetres, measured from the soil surface.
  • Pot. Whether the tree ships in the pot shown, a nursery container, or bare root.
  • Development stage. Pre-bonsai, in training, or refined. Do not describe raw nursery stock as a finished tree.
  • Known flaws. Scarring, reverse taper, dieback, healed wounds. Disclosure protects you from returns.

Indoor and outdoor suitability, plus a hardiness zone range, should appear on every listing. A buyer in a cold climate purchasing a tropical species without warning is a dispute waiting to happen.

Photography

Photographs must show the actual tree being sold. Stock images, images of a similar specimen, or renderings are not permitted for individual trees.

  • Minimum three photographs: front, side, and a close view of the nebari and lower trunk
  • Neutral, uncluttered background
  • Natural light, no heavy filters or colour correction that changes how foliage reads
  • A scale reference, or dimensions stated clearly in the description
  • Photographs taken within the last 60 days

For seedlings, cuttings, or bulk lots sold by grade rather than as individual specimens, a representative photograph is acceptable — but label it as such in the description.

Plant health and pest control

You may not ship a tree you would not accept yourself.

  • Inspect for scale, spider mite, root aphid, and fungal issues before dispatch
  • Do not ship a tree that is actively recovering from repotting, heavy pruning, or pest treatment
  • Do not ship during a species’ dormancy break or mid-heatwave if it puts the tree at risk — hold the order and tell the buyer why
  • Where your jurisdiction requires a phytosanitary certificate for the destination, obtain it before listing internationally

Holding an order for plant welfare is always acceptable and will never count against your fulfilment metrics. Tell the buyer, give a revised date, and note the reason on the order.

Packing and shipping

Most damage happens in transit and almost all of it is preventable.

  • Secure the root ball so it cannot shift; wrap and immobilise the pot separately from the canopy
  • Support branches against compression — do not let the box rest on foliage
  • Moisture-retaining wrap on bare roots, without waterlogging
  • Mark boxes as live plants and fragile, with orientation arrows
  • Dispatch early in the week so trees do not sit in a depot over a weekend

Ship within 3 business days of an order unless your listing states a longer handling window or you have agreed a delay with the buyer. Upload tracking the same day you dispatch.

Prohibited listings

The following may not be listed under any circumstances:

  • Yamadori collected without landowner permission or in breach of local collection law
  • CITES-listed species without the corresponding permits and documentation
  • Species classed as invasive in the destination market
  • Trees knowingly carrying pests or notifiable disease
  • Soil or field stock shipped into jurisdictions that prohibit it
  • Counterfeit tools or pots misrepresented as a known maker’s work

Import rules are the vendor’s responsibility. If you sell internationally, you are expected to know the requirements of the markets you ship to.

Orders, returns, and arrival condition

Respond to buyer messages within 2 business days.

Live plants are exempt from ordinary change-of-mind returns, and you may state that in your shop policy. You may not refuse a claim where the tree arrived dead, badly damaged, or materially different from the listing.

  • Buyers have 48 hours from delivery to report arrival condition, with photographs of the tree and the packaging as received
  • Respond to a claim within 3 business days with a replacement, a partial refund, or a full refund
  • Aftercare failures — a tree that declines weeks later — are not covered, though we encourage you to help

Include written aftercare notes with every tree: watering, light, and the first repot. It measurably reduces claims.

Reviews and conduct

Do not solicit, incentivise, or retaliate against reviews. Do not offer refunds in exchange for removing feedback. Do not contact buyers outside the marketplace to divert a sale.

Disagreements happen. Keep them in the order thread, keep them civil, and escalate to us rather than to the buyer.

Enforcement

We would rather correct a listing than remove a vendor. Most issues start with a message asking you to fix something.

  • First issue: notice and a window to correct it
  • Repeated issues: affected listings removed, shop visibility reduced
  • Serious or repeated breaches: account suspended, payouts held pending resolution of open orders

Prohibited listings, falsified documentation, and knowingly shipping diseased stock are grounds for immediate removal without a warning step.

Questions

If a guideline is unclear or your situation doesn’t fit neatly, ask before you list. We would much rather answer a question than reverse a sale.

Contact the vendor support team through your dashboard.

Last updated: September 2026