If not given, you may not get the plant you think you are ordering. The plant may have outstanding characteristics, but could be a poor fit for an individual situation. For fruit and vegetable crops, make sure you actually have a use for the crop once harvested. When considering flowers, shrubs, or trees, they need to fit the site where planted. This means not only the right sun or shade levels, and soil conditions, but also fitting into the scheme of the landscape.
Plant hardiness is very important selection factor for trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants.
Check which is being used by the catalog you are using. Related to hardiness is length of the growing season. Vegetable or fruit crop cultivars need to have adequate time to produce a crop in our relatively short growing season. Needs include things such as fertilizer, water, light, pruning, and space. Again, consider whether the plant is really a good fit for your yard and garden and the amount of attention you plan to give.