We get a lot of questions about bareroot plants, especially from people who haven't had a lot of experience with method of transplanting trees, shrubs, etc.  Bareroot plants look a lot different then the plants you would by at a local nursery.  Since they are dormant and (most time) don't have any leaves, people may question the health of the plant if they have never seen one.  What it comes down to is, why would a person want to buy or sell bareroot plants?

There are a lot of advantages to bareroot plants from a consumer and a business stand point.  One of the major advantages of bareroot items is the cost.  You will often see bareroot plants offered by mail order and on-line nurseries.  Potted materials can take more time and effort to keep up.  Also, soil can weigh a lot.  This makes shipping more expensive.  Bareroot on the other hand, doesn't require as much maintenance once it is uprooted.  It also weights less, so the shipping cost isn't as much.  These savings are passed to the consumer.  This is why bareroot items are generally less expensive then potted materials.

Bareroot plants more accessible.  There are a number of reasons for this.  Again, the cost and weight is lower.  This makes long distance shipping more feasible.  Several states have restrictions on plant material can and cannot be shipped into that state.  There are a variety of reasons for these restrictions, but often the restrictions are because of the soil that the containerized plants contain.  Since bareroot plants do not have soil on the roots, they can be shipped to a lot more places.  This allows for more variety from the consumer stand point.  People are able to plant items that they may not locally have access to.  This gives gardeners the chance to experiment with plants that are native in different parts of the country and the chance to add diversity to their landscape. 

So in short, the cost and availability make bareroot plants a great option for planting.  Having more variety of plants for less money gives gardeners a chance to broaden their gardening horizons.