Frequently Asked Questions.
01. The order and shipment
Where we are right now?
Rare Root is growing in phases, on purpose. We’d rather do each stage well than rush into the next one before we’re ready.
Right now, we hand-deliver locally in Abilene, TX, twice a week. Every plant that goes out the door gets the same care we put into everything else here — nothing about that changes just because it’s headed a mile down the road instead of across the country.
Next, we’re expanding into shipping across Texas. Once local delivery is running smoothly and we’ve worked out exactly how to protect a plant well in transit, this is the next step.
After that, nationwide shipping. Same approach — we’ll only open this up once we’re confident a plant can travel that far and still arrive the way it should.
Which areas do we serve?
Abilene, TX: 79601, 79602, 79603, 79604, 79605, 79606, 79607, 79608, 79697, 79698, 79699, 79563.
Tuscola, TX: 79562
Potosi, TX: 79602
Winters, TX: 79567
Ballinger, TX: 76821
Clyde, TX: 79510
Merkel, TX: 79536
What to expect when Texas and nationwide shipping open up?
When a plant has to travel further, here’s what you can expect from us:
- Careful, protective packing — appropriate to the season and the distance, not a one-size-fits-all box
- Weather-aware shipping days — we won’t ship into conditions that put a plant at unnecessary risk in transit
- A little settling time after arrival is normal. Even a well-packed, healthy plant may look slightly tired for the first day or two after a trip — a leaf that droops a bit, or looks less perky than it did in the listing photo. That’s normal travel adjustment, not a sign something is wrong. Give it a few days in a stable spot before judging how it’s doing.
If something actually seems wrong,
We stand behind every plant we send out, however it travels to you. If something genuinely doesn’t look right after a reasonable settling period, reach out — we’d rather hear from you and make it right than have you quietly worry about it alone.
What happens after you order? (local delivery)
- We confirm your order and delivery day. Local deliveries go out twice a week, and we’ll let you know which day to expect yours.
- Your plant gets a final check before it leaves us. Not pulled straight off a shelf — checked, watered if needed, and packed carefully for the short trip to your door.
- We bring it to you. No box to open, no guessing what condition it traveled in — you’re getting the plant in person, the way it actually looks that day.
Away on Delivery Day?
If you’d like to purchase a plant now but won’t be available on our next delivery date, just let us know when you order (or reply to your confirmation email) and we’ll happily hold your plant until you’re ready – no extra charge. It stays right here in our care, healthy and looked after.
We’re glad to hold a plant for upto 2-3 delivery cycles. If your schedule changes or you need a bit longer, just keep us posted – we’re easy to work with.
02. Returns, exchanges and complaints
What to Expect When Your Plant Arrives?
Your new plants have arrived! Now what?
Carefully unwrap your new plants, taking care to not damage any foliage in the process.
It’s not uncommon for a plant to show signs of stress after its journey to its new home. You may notice a few yellow leaves, which are generally ok to be removed and will not harm your plant.
Feel the soil! If it’s dry or the pot is light, now is a great time to give your new plant a drink!
Place your plant in a brightly lit area, away from direct sun which can burn the foliage.
Certain species can take a little longer than others to acclimate to their new home, patience is key!
It is very important that you wait at least a week to repot your new plant(s)… resist the urge! Repotting immediately will cause unnecessary stress/shock to your plants and voids our guarantee.
Need Assistance?
We’re here to help! For questions regarding orders, plant availability, plant care, etc., please email hello@rarerootplantco.com
03. The plants
My variegated plant put out a solid green leaf. Is it reverting?
Not necessarily and one leaf alone usually isn’t a cause for concern.
Variegated plants like Monstera Mint carry two types of tissue in their growing point: some with chlorophyll (green) and some without (white or cream). Because those two tissue types share one growing tip, which one shows up more on any given leaf has some natural unpredictability built in, especially with marbled or blotchy variegation patterns, which are the least predictable of all. A single all-green leaf appearing between two heavily variegated ones is a completely normal part of how these plants grow, not a sign that something has gone wrong.
True reversion is a trend, not a single event. It shows up gradually, each new leaf a little greener than the one before it, as the plant favors its more efficient, chlorophyll-rich tissue over time. One green leaf doesn’t tell you that story yet.
What we’d suggest: let the next leaf or two unfurl before deciding anything. If variegation returns, this leaf was simply doing what marbled plants naturally do. If you see a clear pattern of each leaf becoming greener than the last, that’s when it’s reverting, and that’s the point where pruning back to the last well-variegated growth point actually helps.
One more thing worth knowing: cutting the green leaf doesn’t undo anything on its own. Variegation lives in the growing tip, not in any individual leaf, so removing a leaf doesn’t reverse a trend even if one is happening; it just removes a leaf that was still feeding the plant through photosynthesis. Patience, not the pruners, is usually the right first move.
My plant has spots or bumps on the leaves. Is it pests?
Not always and it’s worth slowing down to look closely before treating anything. A few common causes get mixed up constantly:
Oedema (the most commonly mistaken for pests). This shows up as small, raised, corky, tan-to-brown bumps scattered across a leaf, and it’s especially common on glossy-leaved philodendrons like Rojo Congo. It happens when a plant takes up water faster than it can release it through transpiration, often from some mix of consistently moist soil, cooler temperatures, or a stretch of lower light or humidity. The water pressure builds up inside individual leaf cells until some of them rupture, leaving a permanent mark behind. It’s a physiological response to a watering/environment mismatch, not a pest and not a disease. The spots themselves won’t go away once they’ve formed, but they also won’t spread or worsen once the underlying watering or environment is adjusted; easing up slightly on watering frequency or improving airflow around the plant is usually all that’s needed.
Extrafloral nectaries – These are small glands, natural to many Philodendrons, located specifically where the leaf blade meets the petiole, not scattered across the leaf surface. They’re often visibly glistening with a droplet of nectar. If you see something in that exact junction spot, that’s very likely what it is, and it needs no treatment; it’s just part of the plant.
Actual Pests – True pest damage usually comes with more than just spots; look for stippling or a dusty, silvery texture (spider mites), sticky honeydew residue, fine webbing, visible small moving specks (best confirmed with a phone macro lens or a loupe), or damage concentrated on new growth and along veins rather than scattered randomly across a mature leaf. If you see those signs together, that’s the point where treatment makes sense.
Why we don’t recommend treating “just to be safe”: it’s tempting to spray a plant with neem oil or insecticidal soap the moment something looks off, on the theory that it can’t hurt. It can, though. A few real costs of treating a plant that doesn’t actually have pests:
- Neem, soap sprays, and systemic pesticides are stressors in their own right. Applied in bright light or heat, they can cause leaf burn or phytotoxicity, real damage caused by the “treatment,” not by anything that was wrong beforehand.
- These products can disrupt the leaf’s natural protective cuticle and interfere with gas exchange through the stomata, temporarily reducing the plant’s ability to photosynthesize normally.
- Systemic pesticides are taken up through the roots, adding stress to a root system that wasn’t the problem to begin with.
- If your plant is potted in a living soil with beneficial mycorrhizae, some treatments can harm those beneficial fungi too, undoing something that was actually helping the plant.
- And most importantly: if the real cause was environmental (like oedema), spraying does nothing to fix it. The actual issue goes unaddressed while the plant absorbs an unnecessary chemical stress on top of it.
The better first step is almost always the same: look closely, compare to what’s described above, and give it a few days of simple observation before reaching for a treatment. Most of the time, the plant was never sick to begin with.
04. Plant Myths v. Reality
Do I need rocks in the bottom of my pot for drainage?
No — and this one is backwards. Water doesn’t move freely between layers of different particle sizes the way most people assume. Instead of draining down and out, water saturates the soil sitting just above the rock layer first, creating what’s called a “perched water table.” Rather than pulling excess water away from the roots, the rocks just relocate where that saturated zone sits, often right where the roots are. A well-draining potting mix and a pot with a drainage hole do the actual work here. Rocks in the bottom don’t help, and can quietly work against you.
Are leaf shine products good for my plant?
We’d skip them. Leaf shine products and home remedies like mayonnaise, milk, or banana peels used for the same effect coat the leaf surface and clog the stomata, the tiny pores plants use to breathe and regulate moisture. That coating can also attract dust and, in the case of oil- or sugar-based remedies, pests. A healthy leaf already has a natural shine. If a leaf looks dull, that’s usually just dust; a soft, damp cloth does the job without any product at all.
Should I treat my plants with neem oil or other “natural” products just as routine prevention?
Being plant-derived doesn’t mean a product is harmless. Applied on a routine schedule to a plant that has no pest problem, neem oil and similar treatments are an unnecessary stressor; they can cause leaf burn in bright light or heat, same as any other pesticide. Save these treatments for when there’s an actual, confirmed issue, not as a “just in case” habit.
My plant has yellow leaves — does that always mean I’m overwatering?
Not always, and this is one of the most common misdiagnoses out there. Yellowing can mean overwatering, but it’s just as often completely normal age-related leaf drop (older, lower leaves naturally yellow and shed as a plant redirects energy into new growth), a nitrogen deficiency, or even underwatering. Treating every yellow leaf as an overwatering emergency can lead to cutting back water on a plant that actually needed more of it. Look at the whole plant, which leaves are yellowing, how many, and how the soil actually feels, before deciding what it means.
My leaf tips are turning brown. Does my plant need more water?
Usually not. Brown, crispy tips are more often a sign of low humidity, or a buildup of mineral salts from tap water and fertilizer accumulating at the leaf’s edge, where the plant pushes excess minerals it can’t use. This is especially common in Dracaena and Calathea. Flushing the soil occasionally with plain water and keeping humidity a bit higher usually helps more than simply watering more often.
If a little fertilizer helps, will more fertilizer help my plant grow faster?
No — and this one can actively hurt the plant. Fertilizer past what the plant can use builds up as salts around the roots, which can burn root tissue and damage the very growth someone’s trying to encourage. More is not better once you’re past a fairly low ceiling. A light, consistent feeding schedule at the recommended (or even half) strength beats an occasional heavy dose every time.
Should I size up to a much bigger pot so my plant grows faster?
It’s better to size up gradually. A pot that’s too large relative to the root system holds onto excess moisture the roots aren’t yet established enough to use, which increases the risk of root rot. Moving up one size at a time, once roots have filled the current pot, keeps the soil-to-root ratio in balance and supports steadier, healthier growth than a dramatic jump ever will.
Is it fine to keep a plant in just a clear nursery pot, with no outer pot?
We’d recommend an outer pot, cover, or opaque planter. Roots evolved underground, in the dark — a clear plastic nursery pot exposes them to direct light they were never meant to receive. Over time this can stress the root system and even encourage algae growth on the inside of the pot. Clear pots are genuinely useful for keeping an eye on root health and watering needs, but they’re best used as a liner inside a solid outer pot, not as the plant’s permanent, only home.
Are self-watering pots a safe choice for any plant?
Not universally. Self-watering pots work well for plants that like consistent moisture, but for species that need their soil to dry out between waterings – many aroids and succulents among them – a self-watering system can keep the root zone too consistently damp, raising the risk of root rot. Whether a self-watering pot helps or harms really depends on the specific plant’s natural watering needs, not a one-size-fits-all upgrade.