Proper tree planting requires a lot of decision-making, and one of the most crucial decisions is which species and age are the most appropriate and cost-effective to plant. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Reforestation Program is taking some of the unknowns out of that process by giving landowners and property managers an early peek at the seedlings we anticipate having available in fall 2024 for planting in spring 2025.
This list is preliminary, as some species may be added, adjusted or removed depending on health, growth and other factors as the growing season progresses.
The listed tree and shrub seedlings will be available to purchase starting Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. Though we expect high demand, we anticipate having a variety of species and ages available to all customers.
The quantity designations listed below are relative to particular species based on historical sales and projected demand. For example, our anticipated demand for white pine 3-0 sales is about 140,000 seedlings. In 2024, the available quantity will be approximately 65% of the anticipated need, making the available quantity “limited.” In contrast, our 2-0 white pine had above-average germination, they are growing well, and the inventory is above projected sales, giving it “adequate” availability. Customers may not get the 3-0 white pine they prefer but most likely could obtain the desired species in a younger age class.
| Species | Quantity | Species | Quantity | |
| Aspen | Adequate | Oak, Bur 2-0 | Adequate | |
| Basswood | Very limited | Oak, Red 1-0 | Limited | |
| Birch, River 2-0 | Adequate | Oak, Red 2-0 | Adequate | |
| Birch, Yellow 2-0 | Adequate | Oak, Southern pin 1-0 | Adequate | |
| Butternut | Limited | Oak, Southern pin 2-0 | Very limited | |
| Buttonbush | Very limited | Oak, Swamp white 1-0 | Adequate | |
| Cedar, White 3-0 | Adequate | Oak, Swamp white 2-0 | Adequate | |
| Cherry, Black 1-0 | Adequate | Oak, White 1-0 | Limited | |
| Cherry, Black 2-0 | Adequate | Oak, White 2-0 | Adequate | |
| Cranberry, Highbush | Limited | Pine, Jack 1-0 | Limited | |
| Dogwood, Grey | Very limited | Pine, Jack 2-0 | Adequate | |
| Dogwood, Red-osier | Very limited | Pine, Red 2-0 | Adequate | |
| Dogwood, Silky | Limited | Pine, Red 3-0 | Adequate | |
| Elm, American 1-0 | Very limited | Pine, White 2-0 | Adequate | |
| Fir, Balsam 3-0 | Limited | Pine, White 3-0 | Limited | |
| Hackberry 1-0 | Adequate | Plum, Wild | Adequate | |
| Hackberry 2-0 | Limited | Spruce, Black 2-0 | Adequate | |
| Hawthorn | Adequate | Spruce, Black 3-0 | Adequate | |
| Hazelnut | Adequate | Spruce, White 2-0 | Adequate | |
| Hemlock, Eastern 3-0 | Adequate | Spruce, White 3-0 | Adequate | |
| Hickory, Bitternut 2-0 | Very limited | Sycamore 1-0 | Adequate | |
| Juneberry | Very limited | Sycamore 2-0 | Adequate | |
| Maple, Red 2-0 | Very limited | Tamarack 2-0 | Limited | |
| Maple, Silver 1-0 | Adequate | Walnut, Black | Adequate | |
| Maple, Hard 2-0 | Adequate |
More information on seedling stock can be found at the Nursery Seedling Stock Descriptions webpage.
Several species may not be available for spring 2025 due to either a lack of available tree seed, challenges during growing season, or the fact that the seedlings did not meet our stringent sales requirements. These include elderberry, ninebark, grey dogwood and winterberry.
If your planting project includes a species of tree not listed above, you can likely find seedlings from private nurseries throughout the state. You can find a list of these nurseries on the DNR Bare Root Reforestation Nurseries webpage.
More updates will follow as October approaches. If you have questions regarding tree seedling availability or anything related to reforestation, please contact the Reforestation program staff.
Griffith Nursery – 715-424-3700
Hayward Nursery – 715-492-1204
Wilson Nursery – 608-375-4123