The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Forestry’s reforestation program will accept seedling orders from Wisconsin forest landowners for trees and shrubs to be planted in spring 2022 starting Oct. 4, 2021. 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, public and tribal lands. These seedlings can provide future forest products and revenues, wildlife habitat, soil erosion control, living snow fences, aesthetics and shade to landowners and managers in every state county.
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. Youth groups and educational organizations can also purchase seedlings for their reforestation and conservation planting projects.
Conifer species available this year include white cedar, balsam fir, jack, red, and white pine, black and white spruce and tamarack. Hardwoods available include aspen, basswood, river and white birch, black cherry, butternut, cottonwood, hackberry, bitternut hickory, red, silver and sugar maple, bur, red, white and swamp white oak, sycamore and black walnut. Shrubs include buttonbush, highbush cranberry, grey, red-osier and silky dogwood, common elderberry, hawthorn, American hazelnut, Juneberry, ninebark, American plum and common winterberry.
Be mindful that some species are in relatively low supply and will have a high demand – please order early for the best chance to procure these seedlings and provide a preferred replacement species or age class. Seedlings are grown at the F.G. Wilson State Nursery in Boscobel, WI.
Customers may create an order using our online form found on this DNR webpage 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 reforestation staff or a 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. All orders are batched and input into the ordering database every day, at random, regardless of how a customer orders (online, fax, mail, etc.).
This process ensures that all customers, whether private landowners, groups or public land managers, have the same opportunity to procure the seedlings they need. In years past, we have accepted phone orders; however, with the anticipated order volume and staff limitations, we are not accepting phone orders until Oct. 19, 2021.
In addition to ordering online, customers can also find information related to current inventory, seedling stock descriptions, frequently asked questions, additional tree planting information and a listing of private nurseries.
Contact Joe Vande Hey, DNR Reforestation Team Leader at 608-574-4904 or
Joseph.VandeHey@wisconsin.gov