J
Justin Farrell
Guest
- Thread Author
- #1
Yellowing leaves, a few small spots, some leaf drop, and spent brown flower heads are typical on plants shipped from September to November, as long as there are no broken branches, no insects, and no mushy or rotten stems. This guide shows what that looks like on a plant that just arrived, explains why it happens, and names the signs that point to a real problem instead.
Between September and November, an order can look different from the spring photo on the product page. Older leaves turning yellow, a few small spots or a handful of small holes on scattered leaves, some leaves dropping onto the pot or the ground, and flower heads that have gone brown after blooming are all common changes this time of year.
Normal fall color change: pale yellow and green leaves on a shrub shipped in autumn.
Yellowing leaves with small brown edge spots and a few small holes, typical from September to November.
A plant that arrives smaller, thinner, or more compact than expected, with no broken branches, no insects, and no rot anywhere on it, can still be a typical shipment from September to November.
Leaves turning red and burgundy for fall, with a few small holes on scattered leaves.
As daylight shortens, deciduous trees and shrubs stop producing chlorophyll, the green pigment that does the work of photosynthesis. Once it breaks down, the yellow and orange pigments that were already in the leaf show through. That is the color change behind leaves turning yellow.
Before a leaf drops, the plant pulls nutrients out of it and moves them down into the root system, saving that energy rather than losing it. Leaf drop itself is part of dormancy, the way a deciduous plant protects its living tissue from the cold ahead.
Underneath, the root system keeps working. While the top of the plant looks like it is shutting down, the roots are storing the energy pulled down from the leaves, building reserves the plant will spend on new growth in spring.
Lower leaves brown and dropping while the top of the plant stays green: leaf drop from the bottom up is part of dormancy.
From September to November, the same as every month: We only ship healthy plants. We will not send any that have damaged or broken branches, signs of insects or disease, rooting trouble, or other health issues.
Yellowing leaves, small spots, a few holes, and some leaf drop meet that standard, because none of them are broken branches, insects, disease, or rooting trouble. A plant with any of those does not meet it, and that plant is covered by our 45-day Growing & Glowing Guarantee rather than by this article.
Spent, drying flower heads with some dark leaf spotting after the bloom season ends.
Some plants may be trimmed back before fall shipping. Trimming redirects a plant's energy into its roots instead of into leaves it is about to lose anyway, which can leave it with a stronger root system heading into winter.
This is not a rule for every plant we ship. It happens for some plants, in some seasons, at the grower's judgment, so a full, untrimmed plant and a trimmed one can both be a typical fall shipment, as long as neither has broken branches, insects, or rot.
A few signs point to a real problem instead of late season change, in any month:
If your plant shows any of these, that is a real problem rather than fall change, and it follows our guarantee process rather than this article. Send us a clear photo of the branch, stem, or leaf that concerns you through our support page and we will take a look.
What you might see on a plant shipped from September to November
Between September and November, an order can look different from the spring photo on the product page. Older leaves turning yellow, a few small spots or a handful of small holes on scattered leaves, some leaves dropping onto the pot or the ground, and flower heads that have gone brown after blooming are all common changes this time of year.
Normal fall color change: pale yellow and green leaves on a shrub shipped in autumn.
Yellowing leaves with small brown edge spots and a few small holes, typical from September to November.
A plant that arrives smaller, thinner, or more compact than expected, with no broken branches, no insects, and no rot anywhere on it, can still be a typical shipment from September to November.
Leaves turning red and burgundy for fall, with a few small holes on scattered leaves.
Why leaves turn yellow and drop in fall
As daylight shortens, deciduous trees and shrubs stop producing chlorophyll, the green pigment that does the work of photosynthesis. Once it breaks down, the yellow and orange pigments that were already in the leaf show through. That is the color change behind leaves turning yellow.
Before a leaf drops, the plant pulls nutrients out of it and moves them down into the root system, saving that energy rather than losing it. Leaf drop itself is part of dormancy, the way a deciduous plant protects its living tissue from the cold ahead.
Underneath, the root system keeps working. While the top of the plant looks like it is shutting down, the roots are storing the energy pulled down from the leaves, building reserves the plant will spend on new growth in spring.
Lower leaves brown and dropping while the top of the plant stays green: leaf drop from the bottom up is part of dormancy.
Our shipping standard
From September to November, the same as every month: We only ship healthy plants. We will not send any that have damaged or broken branches, signs of insects or disease, rooting trouble, or other health issues.
Yellowing leaves, small spots, a few holes, and some leaf drop meet that standard, because none of them are broken branches, insects, disease, or rooting trouble. A plant with any of those does not meet it, and that plant is covered by our 45-day Growing & Glowing Guarantee rather than by this article.
Spent, drying flower heads with some dark leaf spotting after the bloom season ends.
Why a plant may arrive trimmed back
Some plants may be trimmed back before fall shipping. Trimming redirects a plant's energy into its roots instead of into leaves it is about to lose anyway, which can leave it with a stronger root system heading into winter.
This is not a rule for every plant we ship. It happens for some plants, in some seasons, at the grower's judgment, so a full, untrimmed plant and a trimmed one can both be a typical fall shipment, as long as neither has broken branches, insects, or rot.
When it isn't fall change
A few signs point to a real problem instead of late season change, in any month:
- Broken or snapped branches
- Insects, webbing, or other visible pest activity
- Mushy or rotten stems or crown
- A plant that is fully brown and dry all over, with no green under the bark when scratched
- An evergreen dropping most of its needles or turning fully brown
If your plant shows any of these, that is a real problem rather than fall change, and it follows our guarantee process rather than this article. Send us a clear photo of the branch, stem, or leaf that concerns you through our support page and we will take a look.