Lovely plants, but the lady who was there was very rude and unfriendly which ruined the whole experience. It was an elderly white lady who was pleasant and conversational with the gentlemen before me (who was noticeably also Caucasian). however, when it was my turn to check out, she was snappy and asked questions "this plant needs distilled water. do you know what that is?" as if I were stupid. Also asked where I would keep another plant, and I answered, to which she snapped "it's not gonna bloom then." (which was false bc my plant has been blooming & thriving at home) Her tone and demeanor was very unfriendly, and I'm not sure if it had to do with me being Asian or not because she had a completely different demeanor with the Caucasasian man before me. Generally felt like I was being talked to as if I were dumb and didn't know anything about plants. Completely put off by her attitude, never met someone working at nursery who acted like this. Will not be going back there b/c of her. Completely different experience from Hashimoto's Nursery. read more

Wonderful selection of plants and pots! Especially appreciate the pot selection - feel like sometimes it's hard to find good outdoor pots. Everything is reasonably priced as well! The bonsai garden is unique and fun to explore read more

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The nursery place is located in Sawtelle area, and there's street parking nearby. It's a good place to get plants and accessories, even thought it's smaller than the other nursery on the same street, I think it carries a lot of varieties and special plants here. read more

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My wife and I went to Yamaguchi Nursery on Saturday morning, July 4th to pick up a plant we had left there and do some garden shopping. We were there at opening, 10:00 AM. I went to the back of the garden section to pick up my plant while my wife looked around. I had the receipt. When I returned, not more than two or three minutes later, I found my wife involved in a heated exchange with the only employee who seemed to be there at the time, a grouchy FIFA fan with a terrible disregard for customer service. As I approached my wife was telling him, in Spanish, how terrible his manners were and how completely lacking he was in courtesy. He was responding that my wife was, among other things, a "Brujaloca" and una mujer sin respeto. When I stepped forward he told me that my wife, a cheerful Chicana/vieja who generally brings out the best in anyone she encounters in the "service sector" had insulted him and made dismissive gestures he found intolerable. (Later, my wife explained that he had been unpleasant and rude from the time she walked in.) By his account my wife was someone so offensive as to be intolerable. I know that nothing of what he said could be true, That's just not her style. What I know for sure is that his was not an acceptable way to deal with a customer he found unpleasant. Under no circumstances do you, as an employee, engage in loud insults and offensive name-calling. He was, in my opinion, completely wrong in attitude and behavior. He acted in a manner that no one would find acceptable. We simply hadn't been there long enough for him to get so heated-up. Bottom line: We left swiftly and will not be back. Ever. We are locals and have always valued the Japanese Nurseries on Sawtelle as a source of plants, gardening tips and cordiality. Yamaguchi, what the hell is going on there? I wish I could include a photo of this guy so others would know to steer clear. read more

Sawtelle Japantown was once known as the Garden District because of its abundance of nurseries. Now two remain and Yamaguchi Nursery has become a family favorite over the years. My sister lives across the street from Yamaguchi's and we are always eager to visit the friendly staff and bring home some plant treasures. Plenty of indoor and outdoor plants as well as reasonably priced pots and garden decor. Staff is always helpful and we especially appreciate Rudy's attentiveness. read more

Yamaguchi Bonsai Nursery - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Beautiful nursery, endless selection. They have a great variety of plants in all sizes for indoor as well as out. Excellent option if you're looking for plants for your home! read more

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This is a cute nursery, and the staff is usually helpful and friendly. But recently this older Caucasian lady was in a very bad mood, no smile, no hello and snapped at me when I asked a simple question. I noticed she very friendly and helpful to non-Asian customers, another time I was there. The owner needs to have a talk with this person; she should not be working at a Japanese nursery if she is going to be rude to Asian people. Racism is not cool and unacceptable! read more

Yamaguchi Bonsai Nursery is such a cool spot--great selection, super chill vibe, and everything is really well cared for. Big shout-out to Rudy! He was super helpful, answered all my questions, and made the whole experience awesome. You can tell he really knows his stuff. read more

I got a bonsai here when I first moved to LA a few years ago. I was remembering my experience here and it could have been better in many ways. Honestly felt like I wasted over $100 here for a tree that I was given false guidance on care From my memory, the parking is very tight. Just a few spots that they monitor. Lots of plants and trees here for sale - really costly though. There's also a plant nursery right next door if you cannot find what you are looking for. I remember paying and was pretty much pushed aside by the cashier and was giving really harsh attitude. When you buy a bonsai, they do give you a short guide to maintain it. After a year of having the bonsai, I noticed the tree was starting to decay. And so I came back to this place to seek advice. The woman who ran the place looked at my tree and said it just needed time to get back to normal but after some time it died. When I took the tree out it was because the roots decayed and was hard to take out since the tree was wired to the bottom of the planter. read more

We were a little nervous after reading a couple of 1 star reviews but we went anyway figuring we'd take a chance. Boy were we pleasantly surprised. This is a fantastic nursery with a wide selection of great plants, staffed by very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful people. We only visited this one time but can't imagine how anyone could have a bad experience here. It was great and has our highest recommendation. read more

A decently sized nursery with a good selection of not just bonsai, but a variety of indoor and outdoor plants. We came to just check out the trees, but ended up leaving with several new plant friends and supplies. Things are very reasonably priced, especially for LA. I'm not a plant expert, but I've been to many nurseries throughout the state, and these feel like some of the happiest plants I've seen for sale. Everything is vibrant and hydrated, shelves are tidy and organized, and you can see some of the plants for sale happily existing on the ground and creeping up the furniture. Pollinators and hummingbirds zip around as you're walking around, drawing you to the really sweet smelling flowers. I'll say the employees are *willing* to answer your questions and help you check out. They might come off as a bit slow or prickly to some, but their deliberate care of the plants really shows. I left with three new air plants (ones I don't even have to trim dead leaves off of or revive from crispy near-death), a new string-of-pearls with a couple of small blooms, and a neat-looking pot, for a very decent price. Yamaguchi is a shop I'll always stop by whenever I'm in Sawtelle. read more

Pro: friendly and knowledgeable This might be my first Yelp review of a nursery. I have passed this nursery many times and finally decided to stop by. They have a huge selection of indoor, outdoor, and bonsai plants. The bonsai collection is unlike any in the area. I took home a birds nest fern for only $15 which is quite reasonable. The owner was super sweet and gave me extra fertilizer for my plant baby. My bird nest fern felt loved at this nursery and came to me in excellent condition. I loved the experience and will be back to shop for more plant babies. read more

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Well-kept nursery, knowledgeable staff who care about the well being of the plants. Staff genuinely want to help you and don't push opinions or try to sell you on items. They care about the art form of their plants and you can tell! Great variety of plants at reasonable prices and some bucket list plants available! read more

I wanted to stop by because I adore Benjiplant on YouTube and he supports this nursery! My apartment doesn't have much space for outdoor plants, but I do have a space for one if it can take full sun; this was a perfect exploration spot for that! While they do have indoor plants in a small section, the focus is on their huge variety of outdoor plants. We found street parking without an issue so I would say don't worry about that. You should definitely take your time walking around the nursery to see all of their options. I love their pots, all sleek and smooth in design. Although I didn't find an outdoor plant for my planter, I did find some cool succulents I haven't seen elsewhere. My one complaint would be the amount of flies and bees. Though bugs are to be expected, there seemed to be much more compared to other nurseries I've visited. read more

Yamaguchi Bonsai Nursery - Around $6 - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This place blows. Don't come for the bonsai (despite it being in the name), bc they don't have any. The ladies who work here give off a miserable, don't bother me vibe. Completely unhelpful and unpleasant. Overpriced items, plants don't look well taken care of. Never going back read more

Great nursery that is located near me! I stopped by here because I'm a huge plant lover (I have over 10+ plants in my bedroom, lol). I ended up buying Alocasia Calidora (AKA Pink Dragon) from them for about $18, as well as planters. I checked the nursery nearby *cough cough* and Yamaguchi's pricing for planters was better! The staff here is also very friendly. I like that they are always floating around and easy to approach, but that they also let you peruse and wander in peace. Parking in this area can be a pain but that's not exclusive to this shop. Stop by here if you want a plant and you live in the area! read more

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One of the women who works here has exceptionally rude service. I walked up and explained that I was doing a project redoing a school lobby and decorating it with plants. I shared that I would love suggestions and also had specific plants in mind to buy. The woman responded, "I'm confused with what you want. It's your job to design since you're not paying us to do that part. That's YOUR job, not my job. " I told her to forget it and left! Way to lose a huge sale. I'll be going next door to Hashimoto nursery when it is open tomorrow. I recommend NOT supporting this place until there is customer service training. read more

Needed some help with fixing my bonsai and the team was all very helpful and friendly. They are very knowledgeable and professional with great customer service and really do value their plants as their own. The bonsais are well cared for and great for beginners to learn about. The amount of other plants such as succulents is also plentiful and the staff all really make sure you are valued as a customer whether it be a potential or returning one. read more

This is one of the Bonsai collection that Yamaguchi Nursery . This California Juniper is 115 cm tall, 500+ years old with Custom Yixing pot read more

Yamaguchi Bonsai Nursery - This beautiful California Juniper, 115 cm, 500+ years old with custom Yixing pot is one of the collection they have! - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Very helpful and kind. Love that they care for your bonsai if needed. Beautiful selection.

This is the place I've been looking for, my dreams of Bonsai trees, a large selection of plants and trees. If anyone is interested in buying bonsai trees, here is the place. Friendly people and an enjoyable place to be. read more

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In the increasingly plastic metropolis of LA, where can you find an old nursery with a small wooden house and bonsai trees? An old family owned nursery that's part of the Sawtelle history (in the early part of last century, when this area was home to many Japanese Americans who work as gardeners for the rich families in affluent neighborhoods on the west side such as Beverly Hills). Their old fashioned ways (like the old sheds; hand written receipts) are traces of a bygone era that may soon be replaced by new mixed use commercial/residential complexes. Therefore, we come here to look at their beautiful plants and get a break from the hustle and bustle of the nearby restaurants and shops. Their prices are higher then what you'd pay in mega stores like Home Depot. we usually buy a few small items, if nothing else to show our support to the business. The succulent section offers good variety; pots of single plants are much cheaper than the mixed assortment bowls ( see photo). The green house has some indoor plants suitable for small apartments. Much like their hand written receipts (where in town, or better yet, ON EARTH, can you find another store that hand write receipts ?) their service hasn't come to this century yet, in order words, it can be a bit rough sometimes. Bonsais are expensive due to the labor that went into them, and nott easy to take care of, so I'd say make sure you are willing to learn the care skills and time before you buy. read more

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Such an incredible nursery! There is so many varieties of plants and bonsai. The prices are very reasonable and everything looks healthy and well maintained. Friendly service from staff as well! read more

Yamaguchi Bonsai Nursery - Bonsai - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Customer service is pure garbage here. It's one thing to not try, but it's another to have absolute attitude when you're trying to check out or ask a question. Try doing any of that with them and it's like you've disturbed a bear in the winter. I just witnessed an elderly couple check out - they tried to ask a question after paying and got zero response. Husband says to wife "that's okay" and they start to leave. While leaving wife drops change at the feet of a worker and she doesn't so much move no less attempt to move a foot, help, anything. Lady with the hat and white hair (you'll know exactly who this is) - forget about it. She literally needs to find a new job because she hates this current. A shame because Sawtelle is wonderful and I try to put money back where I can to maintain it's allure. Go to Hashimoto a few stores down instead - they even open at 8am which is nice. Selection may not be the same but not worth giving Yamaguchi the time of day. Edit: came back to say I just went to their website. Apparently lady in the hat that all fellow Yelpers seem to encounter is pictured back to the camera on the website with a descriptor that she's not shy about helping customers. Absolutely RICH. read more

I'll preface this by saying I have purchased several bonsai from Yamaguchi; however, after this last experience I will no longer give them my business. I came in on Sunday with my family looking to purchase 3-4 showpiece bonsai for our garden that we recently landscaped. The guy who helped was nice, but didn't have much in depth knowledge, was unsure about some of the prices and could not answer questions regarding delivery logistics. He informed me that I should speak to his boss or the owner when they are back in Monday. I selected 3 trees that I was interested in and gave him my contact information and was told that I would be contacted on Monday. Monday passed, no contact. I waited until Thursday and called them back. A lady (not the owner) answered the phone and was extremely rude and short with me and told me that the price quoted was the final price. I had to remind her that I never got a proper quote but that didn't seem to matter; her demeanor remained rude and annoyed as if I was wasting her time. Mind you, we are taking about a ~$10k purchase which will now be going to another nursery. read more

We got a couple of threes for our backyard including satsuma orange tree. The owner of the place (I believe she is the owner), are very knowledgeable and able to help up find our perfect trees to go to our backyard. They have wide range of plants, flowers, trees etc. people who work there are very quiet but I like that because no chatting waste your time! read more

Yamaguchi Bonsai Nursery - Satsuma orange - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I love this nursery!! It's huge and a great selection of plants. I used to work on olympic and I drove to this nursery to find plants after work. I'm in OC now and it's quite far to drive to west LA but when I have a chance I still come back to nursery to find plants. The owners are Japanese and very nice people. This place also has a good selection of stone lanterns. They are expensive though but they are very nice. read more

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I went to Yamaguchi Nursery today to have some plants I had bought there repotted to larger potts. I was greated by a very angry, unhelpful, sarcastic, woman named Sabina who informed me that they do not do that or have time to do that because they are to busy even thought there was no one in the nursery and she kept repeating the same thing over and over again. She was incredibly rude, angry, volatile and hostile. As was the awful guy there named Jacob. Also, beyond rude. Her behavior was completing disturbing considering all the plants I had bought there it made no sense that they would not want to sell me new pots and keep me as a customer. Her anger was palpable and I left with my friend. We went to Ace Hardware where not only were they so kind and charming but did not charge us to change our plants to larger pots and could not have been any kinder. We had a great guy named Jalen help us. He was superb. I wonder if the owner of Yamaguchi knows that her employees at her nursery are so very rude. I will never go back there again and am more than happy to give all my business to Ace Hardware and their nursery department. There nursery people were superb and a joy to do business with.Gegory was also very kind. Soon Yamaguchi will be gone and swallowed up by a big corporation that will buy them up and put up a big building and they will be forgotton as they should be. You have to work really hard to be that rude. It is much easier to be kind. Guess they missed the memo. Soon they will be nothing but a bad memory. Thank god for all of us. Life is too short to be wasted on that awful business. read more

I was looking for a place like Yamaguchi! I fell in love with bonsais after my work trip to Japan last spring. Now I collect them, they are perfect for my patio/windows. Got two tall junipers last April. They are still healthy and vibrant! Minimal maintenance! Immense selection, best nursery in LA. read more

Wanted a living stone cactus and walked out with two. Easy peasy. Lithops/living stones aren't always the easiest to get but I trusted that at least one of the nurseries on Sawtelle would deliver. There was less variety than some of the Yelp photos indicated, but I was just happy to procure some cute little lithops! They were also only 5.99 a pop, which is less expensive than I anticipated them to be. The clerk was very helpful and gave me thorough directions on how to take care of them since I am a plant newbie. While you're here, don't forget to take some time to browse the gorgeous gallery of meticulously pruned bonsais. read more

Rolled thru today to pick up some plants. What a beautiful spot. They have a gorgeous greenhouse building that houses the indoor plants. I love cruising Sawtelle and always try to stop here to see what the plant offerings are. Decently priced and a beautiful selection. Been here for decades and has a historical vibe about it that makes it special. There's an old structure on the property that gives the whole place a cool look. read more

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A large variety of plants and flowers,low prices. It was as if I'm visiting a botanical garden! read more

Yamaguchi Bonsai Nursery - My new windowsill pet - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Excellent selection and highly knowledgeable service. I have selected plants and trees here for 30+ years. Doomo arigato. PRC read more

Parked in front of this nursery when going for breakfast at LA prime cafe. After breakfast I stopped by to take a look. Their plants are soooo healthy. They have a large selection of succulents which I love so much! They have a variety of other plants as well as pottery and other accessories. Their green house for house plants is located towards the back and they have a nice selection to choose from. Prices are very reasonable as well. I didn't buy anything since I had to fly back home. Definitely stop by if you're in the area read more

Love this place. I could literally spend an entire day just browsing through this amazing nursery. I've been to a lot of nurseries especially the ones in home improvement stores. To me, all nurseries are all the same but after my visit, I realized this one stands out from the ones I've been to. Here are the reasons why you should come here: - wide selections of plants and trees. - aisles are clean and very well-kept - plants and trees are organized according to their type and species - plants and trees are very well taken care of and thus, look really healthy and thriving. - staff is always busy attending to plants but always ready to help when attention is called. They are very knowledgeable. - wide variety of pots in various sizes, colors, and materials - other gardening needs available such as rocks, lanterns, fountains, etc - pre arranged potted plants available for gift giving - competitive prices - you must see the extensive bonsai collection which alone is worth the visit read more

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We were walking by on a Saturday afternoon, and was drawn in by all the beautiful plants! I feel like I appreciate plants a lot more now than I use to, (especially indoor plants), and I was blown away by their indoor plant display and selection. So beautiful! We also snuck a peak at the bansai collection, and I've never seen bansai that big before! Would definitely be nice to add to anyone's garden. read more

Yamaguchi Bonsai Nursery - I love indoor plants! - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Finally was able to check out the local nurseries after moving to the area. There was a large selection of both outdoor and indoor plants plus a lot of succulents. The prices were decent, especially for being west LA. I grabbed a compact fiddle fig and snake plant for $6.99 each plus 3 2in. succulents for $2.99 each. There was a great selection of unique succulents that were all very healthy. As for indoor plants, also a good variety. They even had some plants I don't usually see in a lot of nurseries like black velvet alocasia. read more

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Beautiful nursery in Sawtelle. Has a bonsai tree garden that is breathtaking to explore! They definitely take very good care of their trees! My friends and I got a cute cactus in bloom for her parents here! read more

There are quite a few nurseries owned by Japanese families in Los Angeles and its greater areas, but what sets Yamaguachi Nursery apart from the other "Japanese" nurseries is that they carry lots of Japanese stuff, such as Japanese stone lanterns as well as rather "exotic" trees like cherry and plum (as opposed to more common trees like Japanese maples). My girlfriend and I are creating a Japanese garden in our backyard. We did extensive online search on Japanese nurseries in LA, including Torrance, but it turned out very few places have Japanese stone lanterns in stock. Yamaguchi Nursery is virtually THE place if you're looking for Japanese lanterns (except, of course, for nurseries and manufacturers out of state). Yamaguchi Nursery is bigger than it appears. They have neatly organized everything. However, because of the size, it may not be always easy to find what you're looking for, but they know EXACTLY where everything is. While it is not a deal maker, they have tarps on the ground. So, even on a rainy day (like these unusual rainy past few months in LA), your shoes stay clean! If you're looking for Japanese garden stuff, give them a call or visit their nursery on Sawtelle! If it's raining, give them a call before you head out, they may close early or may not be even open! ****************************** If you found something useful in my review, please hit "useful." Your feedback helps me improve my future reviews. If you love food or traveling, don't forget to follow me! Thank you and happy Yelping! read more

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Sad to give one star to here because usually Japanese nursery's that I have experience in LA are super amazing and nice. The plants are decent here (with some bug issue and slight dehydration overall compare to usual nurseries), but the service was garbage. We bought plants and pots and when we were checking out we asked can we get them potted here please. The white lady said we don't do that here, don't know what to tell you. I mean you could have just told me no we don't do that, but the attitude is MAJOR no no. Lady plants are expensive and your attitude is the opposite of what Japanese people believe in, sorry they hired your sad ass to represent this place. Never coming back again. read more