Are you planning to plant trees next spring? The DNR-Division of Forestry’s reforestation program will be accepting orders from Wisconsin forest landowners for tree and shrub seedlings starting October 5, 2020. The high-quality seedlings are native species appropriate for planting throughout Wisconsin.
Seedlings grown by the state nurseries are used for reforestation and conservation plantings on private, industrial, state and county forest lands. They can provide future forest products and revenue, wildlife habitat and fodder, soil erosion control, living snow fences and other benefits.
A minimum order consists of a packet of 300 trees or shrubs, of the landowner’s choosing, in increments of 100 of each species, 500 shrubs or 1000 tree seedlings. Seedlings can also be purchased by youth groups and educational organizations for their reforestation and conservation planting projects.
Conifer species available on October 5th include balsam fir, jack, red, and white pine, black and white spruce, and tamarack. Hardwoods available include aspen, basswood, river, white and yellow birch, black cherry, hackberry, bitternut and shagbark hickory, red, silver and sugar maple, bur, red, white and swamp white oak, sycamore and black walnut. Shrubs include chokecherry, prairie crab, red-osier and silky dogwood, American hazelnut, Juneberry, ninebark, American plum and common winterberry.
Some species are in relatively low supply and will have a high demand so order early for the best chance to procure the species you desire. Please provide a preferred replacement species or age class. All seedlings are grown at the F.G. Wilson State Nursery in Boscobel, Wisconsin.
Forest landowners may create an order using our online form found on the DNR website (https://dnr.wi.gov/ search “tree planting”) or by printing the order form, completing it and mailing it to the Griffith Nursery, 473 Griffith Ave, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494. Customers may also contact the reforestation staff or the DNR forester who serves the area where their property is located for personal assistance. Printed copies of the order form are also available; call a local forester or nursery for details. Regardless of the method used, all orders are batched on October 5th and entered into the system at random to ensure that everyone has the same opportunity to procure the seedlings they need.
In addition to the online ordering, customers can also find information on the DNR website related to current inventory, seedling stock descriptions, frequently asked questions, additional tree planting information and a listing of private nurseries.
Contact: Joe Vande Hey, Reforestation Team Leader, 608-574-4904, Joseph.VandeHey@wisconsin.gov