DNR to accept seedling orders beginning Oct. 3

Metro Wire Staff

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will accept seedling orders from Wisconsin landowners for planting trees and shrubs in spring 2023 starting Oct. 3, 2022.

The high-quality seedlings are native species appropriate for planting throughout Wisconsin and grown at the F.G. Wilson State Nursery in Boscobel.

Seedlings grown by the state nurseries are used for reforestation and conservation plantings on private, public, and tribal lands. The seedlings can provide future forest products and revenues, wildlife habitat, soil erosion control, living snow fences, carbon sequestration, aesthetics, and shade to landowners and managers in every 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.

The following seedlings are available:

• 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, hackberry, bitternut hickory, silver and sugar maple, bur, red, white and swamp white oak, sycamore, and black walnut.
• Shrubs include buttonbush, chokecherry, red-osier, silky dogwood, common elderberry, hawthorn, American hazelnut, ninebark, American plum, and common winterberry.

Some species are limited in supply, and the DNR anticipates high demand, so anyone with interest should order early. Stock descriptions offer seedling size and characteristics.

Customers may create an order using the online form found on this DNR webpage or by printing the order form, completing it, and mailing it to:

Griffith State Nursery
473 Griffith Ave
Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. 54494.

Customers may also contact any reforestation staff or a DNR forester who serves their area for personal assistance, including reforestation advice or a planting plan.

In addition to ordering online, customers can also find information related to current inventory, frequently asked questions, additional tree planting information, and a listing of private nurseries.

For more information, contact Joe Vande Hey, DNR Reforestation Team Leader at [email protected].