Costa FarmsCalathea Dottie Live Plant - 12-Inches Tall | Beautiful Potted Houseplant in Decorative Plant Pot, Potting Soil | Unique Garden or Birthday Gift | Room and Home Decor

Package arrived in great condition after the shipping agent took it on a crazy journey LOL. Minimal dirt spillage, plant is in excellent condition. Larger than I thought, looks very healthy. The plastic pot is intact, though I've never used that simple self-watering system before. I decided not to do the self-watering system as everything I'm reading on Raven ZZ says the soil should dry out between waterings. I don't think this self-watering pot will let that happen. Even the Costa Farms site says the soil should dry out between watering....so guess I don't understand why the self- watering pot. Maybe when it's time to water, I can use it and bottom water?

This is how I received it. I don't think this poor thing is going to make it and I can't get a refund or replacement. I'm so bummed because I've wanted a monstera for a long time.Update: Costa Farms sent me a replacement Monstera and it's beautiful! I also bought a couple other plants and they're beautiful as well! Although, I'm kind of worried about my ZZ plant. It got super cold in the UPS truck and isn't looking great. The leaves are really dark and quite a few are droopy.Update 2: I've actually bought six plants from them, I think. A few of them froze because the ups person either delivered them super early in the morning or they kept them on the truck overnight. It's definitely not Costa Farms fault and it's not mine. I emailed them and they immediately sent out new plants for the ones that froze. They're the only company I will buy plants from now because their customer service is absolutely excellent. The plants that didn't freeze came in perfect condition. Very healthy. They also package their plants very well. The only thing I don't like are the pots they use. None of them have drainage holes, so I repot my plants almost as soon as I get them. I maybe wait a week. I'd rather buy the plants in the growers pot, for cheaper, and then buy my own pot with drainage.

I've bought many Costa Farms plants over the years but this year is the 1st time I've bought on Amazon, NEVER AGAIN. I'm not delusional I don't expect a plant to come in excellent condition when shipped. I'm a plant whisperer so I don't mind nursing a traumatized green friend when they arrive, I haven't lost one until now. I've bought 3 plants through Amazon from Costa Farms the 1st 2 were palms and still MONTHS later have mealy bugs, I've had them in quarantine for about 6 months and because they're palms it's a freaking nightmare getting rid of them they literally get in the top of the trunks deep down and you have to repeat insecticide baths and chopping all their hair off over and over again. If you're lucky you may get rid of them on the 4th or 5th round providing the tree doesn't just give up and die. I'm invested in healing those two so I'm trying to get to the finish line.But THIS time I'm not chalking it up to a fluke, Costa Farms and this distributor have a SERIOUS problem and obviously they could care less. I ordered this polka dot begonia because our local nursery ran out and I don't know why it didn't dawn on me that I might have the same issue as the palms but honestly I've been dealing with trying to heal them for soooooo long that it's just become the norm.1st. Just on first blush when I opened the box I knew I was in trouble, the leaves were eaten through by bugs and necrosis. They were bent in half on every single leaf, which if you know this plant you also know that their leaves are the most important part. But I said hey I'll trim them up and get rid of the dead parts and see if I can get her to back to healthy. So a little water and into quarantine she went.2. I gave her a week to calm down and rehydrate but she's not looking any better in her stalks.3. With no improvement I knew we have a bigger problem (STILL not putting two and two together like an idiot) so I just took her to the kitchen sink to give her a little drink of a magic elixir I use for my medical grow. It requires her soil to be soaked all the way through though 1st.As I started watering her with a nice PH'd water with a hint of aloe concoction my newbie plants get before their 1st Dirty Girl Tea treatment allllll these fungus gnats just swarmed out if her soilAs I mentioned I have a medical grow but i also have thousands of dollars in other houseplants and can't jeopardize their health so in the trash this plant went. DO NOT BUY FROM THEM!!