Costco's $100 Meyer Lemon Tree Has Some Shoppers Questioning What Actually Arrives On Their Doorsteps

Costco has gained a cult following through the years for its affordable prices, bulk products, and just about any of its highly profitable Kirkland Signature products. With that said, there are still a handful of products worth avoiding. Some users have called out the chain's $100 Meyer lemon tree as one of those purchases you should skip — mostly because the product that arrives doesn't seem to match the description.

The tree has 4.3 stars on Costco's website with more than 400 reviews, but there's a common theme among the negative reviews. One user said they received a "12-inch tree" instead of the 35-inch one. Another left a similar review, and another. The Alder & Oak Improved Meyer Lemon Tree is available on Costco's website, and it says the shipping size is 35 inches, excluding the height of the pot. This suggests the lemon tree should be that height when it arrives; it can grow to be anywhere between 6 and 15 feet tall, but buyers say it's arriving much smaller.

The height is a big issue for users, who provided images allegedly proving the tree didn't arrive anywhere near the size the description said it would be. "The lemon tree was supposed to be 35 inches not including the pot; it was 15 [inches]," one user wrote on Costco's website. Interestingly, it appears the photos have been removed from the website; it's unclear if this was purposeful. 

Beyond the tree's size, there are a number of other complaints from purchasers ranging from infestations to broken limbs. "After a week, I noticed that it had spider mites and damaged leaves," one reviewer wrote. Someone else wrote that their tree arrived with a damaged stem and leaves that "looked yellow and infected." Another user echoed damage, saying their tree actually came with lemons on it, "which makes it really amazing, but both trees came with the branch broken, and so the fruits were useless." With that said, the tree's average of 4.3 stars means many people do believe it's still worth ordering. If you've always wanted to grow your own potted lemon tree, it's certainly worth extensively reading the reviews.