It's crazy, but everything I've bought there is still alive and kicking! After 5 years and counting. And I'm usually the type to kill plants just by looking at them. I used to be a sucker for those pretty plants at Lowe's. But somehow, the stuff from Xera keeps coming back year after year. Turns out they focus on plants that actually belong in our area. Who knew that was a thing? Fair warning - it's small and parking's a pain on weekends during spring and summer. But trust me, it's worth it. If you're tired of watching your garden die every year, give Xera a shot. Your green thumb might finally show up!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ read more

Went by several times trying to find them open. Actually buying a few things at the liquor store across the street when we noticed people shopping. It's a really interesting place, not large but full of little treasures. Was a little disappointed to discover that the item I wanted was listed on their website as being in stock wasn't. So advise a phone call before making a trip. read more

Extremely rude and unhelpful. I don't know what bug is up the crack of the people who work here, or at the least the singular crack of the guy who helped my wife today, but he refused to help her with pricing of some plants we bought there a few years ago and essentially booted her from the store for asking a simple question. This person hopefully does not represent the staff as a whole but, if he does, god help anyone who goes in expecting courtesy of any kind. We will not be shopping here again, that's for sure. And I recommend others do the same. read more

Stopped in on Saturday to pick up 3 Crape Myrtles to bring a little south to my house. Left with an armful of other things also. This is a small & very knowledgeable place, very fair prices, and it was worth my drive. I'll be going back soon. read more

Drove 45 miles to discover they're closed for the winter. No notice on their website, just a sign in the door. Lame read more

This shop offers a beautiful array of native plants. It's just the right size with a lot of selection, but not too overwhelmingly large. While not super large, the selection provides everything one needs to create a beautiful, environmentally-conscious garden. The owner was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable each visit. This hot, dry spring/early summer was particularly hard for establishing new plants. When I went back to ask for suggestions for a few of my plants that weren't doing so well due to the heat, the owner not only gave me great, simple suggestions, but offered me replacement plants free of charge!! He said he empathized with how hard it was to be patient as a new garden establishes itself and knowing I was a renter on a tight budget, even threw in a few replacements free of charge. Great customer service, selection and environmentally friendly. read more

This store is a gem. I spend a fortune at nurseries throughout the Portland area, and the customer service at Xera cannot compare. The range of native plants are incredible and the staff is helpful and knowledgeable, able to answer questions and offer suggestions. It is a small space, but it feels much larger when you begin to wander the lot. This store is a valuable part of our community and it is such a delightful find. read more

I like how simple this place was. Plant purchasing can sometimes be overwhelming when you have to walk through a jungle, but Xera Plants arranged their plants simple enough for customers to be able to look through things. read more

Simply ADORE Xera! My very favorite place to buy plants for my garden.

The best place to go for natives and unique plants. Friendly, helpful staff headed up by personable and accessible owners. And the plants are always in pristine condition. Can't recommend it enough! read more

I would give 5 stars to all the nurseries in the Portland area I have bought plants at, and Xera is one of them. Besides Xera, I have bought plants at Portland Nursery, Al's Garden Center, Tsugawa, Shortys, Joy Creek Nursery, Cistus, One Green World. (And for native plants I recommend Watershed Garden Works in Longview, which is a wholesale nursery but also sells plants to retail customers) Different nurseries do tend to have significant differences in what they carry. That's good, because it improves the odds you will find what you're looking for if you look everywhere. Some of the things I was looking for that I got at Xera: Some specific varieties of manzanita, in 1 gallon containers which I like because when I get plants I prefer smaller sizes, they are easier to plant, I find they generally grow better, and they often cost a lot less. Another thing I found at Xera was the Playa Rosa and Rosetta salvias in 3-4" containers. I was adding a new area to my hummingbird garden so some nice inexpensive salvias were exactly what I was looking for. I wasn't sure how well I'd like the colors, but they're now in their 2nd year and I find them very attractive. And they were only like 5 bucks each. read more

This shop provides what the nursery Industry usually doesn't- a curated collection. You won't find everything here. What you will find are plants that do best in Portland's climate, and provide unique and showy foliage and flowers. They only sell Perennials. The prices are great- $4 for a small Perennial that is interesting and will live in our climate with very little fuss. Big perennial plants 20-30$. They have a 30% off sale in September. read more

I live in Seattle and this is one of my favorite nurseries. Great plants, great staff, great value.

I heard about Xera because their nursery stock was always showing up at the garden shops I would visit. They were always the most interesting, uncommon, striking specimens in the whole place. I avoided buying them, sure they were too exotic for me to be successful with. However, I was lucky enough to stumble onto their website just in time for their end-of-summer sale. I visited the shop and left with about $100 worth of plants. Worth every damn penny. They specialize in plants that do well in our region, especially ones with low water needs. They depart somewhat from the "native only" party line, which frankly, I love. They've found plants, often rare, from all over the world, and made them available to the likes of -me-. It's amazing. But yes, they also have natives. I got a gorgeous manzanita and want to get a madrone this spring. The woman who helped me that day listened to my vision (I showed up without a plan, photographs, being able to remember the names of the plans I already had, or, apparently, a clue) and pulled a few options for me. She was completely unfazed by my declining her original color choices, and threw a half-dozen new ideas at me. She answered ALL of my questions, showed me how the plans would look when they were grown in and flowering, and spent so much time helping me that I started to feel self-conscious about using her landscaping expertise. Xera is not huge, but the selection makes up for it. And the friendliness and knowledge of the people there make me want to go back all the damn time. read more

LOVE THIS NURSERY. I found a plant, Hebe 'Pink Elephant,' that I had been looking for for years! Well worth taking the trip. They also have a variety of plants that you won't find at your local favorite nursery (don't even bother looking at big box garden centers). Great place for those who like the rare and unusual -- their prices are similar to any nursery. For it's small size, they have an amazing selection. Parking can be a challenge, but don't give up! read more

Love the selection of native and unusual plants. The people were very helpful too, both with selecting the right plant for your particular spot, and advice regarding planting and upkeep. read more

Absolutely a must for any gardner interested in quality, unusual, and interesting plants. Like another reviewer, I was always buying their plants at other nurseries and then found out a year ago or so that they opened a small retail nursery in SE Portland. They've taken my plant wish list several times, always call me when things come in, have super knowledgable and friendly staff and I recommend their nursery to everyone who asks about my garden. A wonderful resource to have so close by. read more

Absolutely the best place for unique plants and straight from the growers. They do an amazing job down to the funny but helpful descriptions on the labels. read more

Great store. Nice staff. Live that their plants are designed for the pdx weather.

Wonderful selection of interesting and robust plants. Greg and Paul are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful.

Excellent plant center with a very good diversity of hard to find plants. They were extremely helpful ( I was shopping with a toddler), and their yearly sale made the plants even more reasonable. A year in, almost all the plants have grown in well, particularly those grasses for Wet shady areas which were hard to find elsewhere. I would highly recommend this gem of a nursery. read more