Engraved, not printed
There is no ink, paint, powder coat or anodized layer on an Orchevo tag. A fiber laser vaporizes metal, so the letters are recesses in the surface, the way a date is struck into a coin. Nothing sits on top that can chip, bleach or wash off.
That is the difference between these and most metal plant markers. Anodized aluminum plant tags, zinc plant labels and write-on garden markers all rely on a coating or a pencil mark, and it is that layer which fails first, usually well before the metal does.
Applies to the total number of tags in your order. Different engravings count together.
No minimum per design
Custom plant tags are usually priced per design. Ours are not. There is no minimum per design. If you need one tag for one tree, order one tag. And if you order ten or fifty and every one of them is different, you still get the volume price for ten or fifty.
The discount is worked out on the total number of tags in your order, not on how many of them share the same text.
Metal fruit tree tags for an orchard
An orchard is where a lost label costs the most. You’ll prune it, feed it and wait years before it fruits, and by then the nursery tag has gone brittle and dropped off. A metal fruit tree tag carries the variety, the rootstock and the graft date through all of that, because the text is cut into the steel instead of printed on top of it. Growers use the same tag as an orchard tag, a fruit tree label, a tree marker or a graft tag, so one kind of tag covers every tree you plant. They work as permanent tree ID tags: variety, rootstock and graft date stay readable for the life of the tree.
Plant markers and garden markers that stay readable
The same tag works as a garden marker. Hang it from a shrub, a rose, a vine or the handle of a pot, or wire it to a stake you already have, and the name stays where you can read it. Most plant markers are plastic or coated aluminum and the writing goes first; these are metal plant markers with the text cut into 316L steel, so they are permanent plant markers in the plain sense of the word: nothing to re-write next spring.
Growers use them as tree markers in an orchard, as metal garden markers for perennials and herbs, and as plant name markers in a nursery row. Three lines fit a variety, a rootstock or source, and a date, which is more than a marker pen ever gets to say.
At a glance
| Material | 316L stainless steel | Finish | Brushed both sides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 75 × 25 mm | Chain | 316 stainless ball chain, included |
| Thickness | 1.0 mm | Marking | Laser ablated, no coating |
| Holes | 2 × Ø4 mm | Text | 3 lines — 22 / 26 / 30 characters |
Marine-grade steel rather than the aluminum or zinc used in most metal plant labels.
Full specifications and why 316L →
Hanging a tag without girdling the branch
A tag on a fixed chain will strangle a growing limb if you leave it long enough. The chain does not stretch, so the rule is simple: leave at least two inches of slack, and when it drops below that, move the tag to a smaller branch rather than trying to enlarge the loop. Two holes rather than one keep the tag facing outward instead of turning edge-on in wind.
Read the full guide to hanging without girdling →
Correct slack on a young limb
Opening the connector to move a tag
When to cut, before damage starts
What to put on a tag
Most metal plant tags give you one blank face and a marker pen. These give you three lines, at different sizes on purpose, so the tag reads at a glance from a few feet away. Line one is largest and takes the fewest characters: put the thing you are trying to identify there. Line two qualifies it. Line three is the record, and it is where dates and sources belong. Most people use these as plant name tags and put the variety on line one, but the three lines are yours: rootstock, graft date, row and position, or the name of whoever gave you the cutting.
Line one takes 22 characters, line two 26, line three 30. The preview shows the real proportions as you type, so a long name shows itself before you order. Ordering a whole list at once? Enter it in bulk →
Common questions
Will the engraving fade?
There is nothing on the surface to fade. Most metal plant markers rely on paint, anodizing or a marker pen, and it is that layer which goes first. Here the text is vaporized into the steel by a laser, so the letters are recesses in the metal rather than something sitting on top of it.
Will the tag damage my tree?
Not if you leave slack. The chain is a fixed length and the branch will grow into it eventually, so check tags each spring and move any with less than two inches of slack to a smaller branch. The connector opens by hand, so moving a tag takes seconds.
Can I put different text on every tag?
Yes, and it costs no more. There is no minimum per design and no setup charge for a one-off tag. The volume price is worked out on the total number of tags in your order, not per design, so fifty different varieties are priced exactly as fifty tags. Enter them on the bulk tab or upload a spreadsheet.
How many characters fit on a line?
22 on line one, 26 on line two, 30 on line three. Line one is set larger, which is why it takes fewer. The preview shows the real proportions as you type, so you can check a long cultivar name before ordering.
Why 316L rather than ordinary stainless?
316L is the marine grade. Its molybdenum content resists pitting from the chlorides in fertilizer salts, orchard sprays and standing water, which is the chemistry a garden actually exposes a tag to. The full metallurgy is on the specifications page.
How do these compare to aluminum tree tags?
Anodized aluminum tree tags are a decent product and usually cost more than these. The difference is what fails first: an anodized surface can fade in direct sun, and on write-on aluminum it is the pencil mark that goes rather than the tag. Engraved 316L has no coating and no separate marking to lose.
Can I use these as nursery plant labels?
Yes. Variety, row and position, and a lot number fit across the three lines. There is no minimum per design, so a nursery list of two hundred different varieties is priced as two hundred tags rather than two hundred separate orders.
Does the chain come with it?
Yes, a 316 stainless ball chain with every tag, at no extra cost. Nothing to buy separately or improvise from wire.
Is there a minimum order?
No. One tag is a valid order, and there is no minimum per design either. The only thing quantity changes is the price per tag: $2.99 up to 9, $2.49 from 10, $1.99 from 50.
Can I use these on things other than fruit trees?
Yes. Most orders are fruit trees and grafts, but the same tag works as tree identification tags on ornamentals, roses and nursery stock, or anything else where a name needs to outlast a season.
Can I use one as a small tree plaque?
Yes, for a memorial or dedication tree. It is 3 x 1 inch, so it suits a short name and date, not a large display plaque.
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