This is the first time I have ordered a live plant online and I was happily surprised with the quality! The packaging was amazing and there is new growth on the plant. There were a couple of leaves that had some issues but all in all, it arrived in fantastic shape. To be honest, I ordered this for a friend of mine that just had a knee replacement but I ended up keeping it for myself...I know, selfish of me (but I did get her something else). Other reviewers have pictures with stones on top of the soil but mine did not come with the stones.