Cheap Trees from State Nursery

[jeffinsgf]

The Missouri Department of Conservation has a huge nursery in the South-Central part of the state. Each spring they sell 1 - 4 year old seedlings to Missouri residents. They offer a very wide variety of Missouri native species of both deciduous and conifer trees, as well as native shrubs. The seedlings are sold bare root, in bundles of 25. Most species are $7 a bundle. Larger (older) stock is a little more, but without looking I don't think anything is over $12 a bundle. I get 150 to 200 each year. I've lost a lot, but I also have some great success stories.

Just curious what other states have similar programs.

 

[ToadHill]

New York does the same thing and the prices are about the same. Within the last couple of years they have been offering American Chestnut trees at about $2 per seedling and I picker up 10 each year. So far survival is about 75%.

 

[forgeblast]

Pa does it by conservation district. Basically by county. They help to fund other programs and are all of a native species. I have been impressed by their fruit trees, healty and big. I wish they would offer chestnut trees!
Forgeblast

 

[deereguy]

What Pa does...ditto for Ohio, depends on the County Soil Conservation District.

 

[dmccarty]

NC has a similar program.

I bought 500 pine saplings one year and with shipping it was $50-75. A big part of the cost was shipping. For more ornaments trees you did not get as many seedlings per $25-50 but it was still cheap.

Wanted to plant another 500 seedlings this year but held off due to our supposed drought. Should have bought them since we have been getting huge amounts of rain all winter. Oh well next fall....

Later,
Dan

 

[Champy]

Indiana DNR nurseries do this same type of program....only restriction is that they must be used for personal property and cannot be resold (you cannot use the State as a low-cost supplier for your commercial nursery business).

 

[RonMar]

Washington State Department of Ecology gives them away free in our area, for personal property use. I have planted perhaps a hundred free seedlings from this program.

 

[jeffinsgf]

Washington State Department of Ecology gives them away free in our area, for personal property use. I have planted perhaps a hundred free seedlings from this program.

Missouri's used to be free. The commercial nurseries raised a big enough stink that the state instituted the nominal charge. The best bargain is the shrubbery. I lined a dry wash with ninebark shrubs from the program. They were little when I put them in, but three years later, they're beautiful. The trees are a more long term payback, but the shrubbery is just a great deal.

 

[Champy]

Some of my favorite tree quotes:

"People who will not sustain trees will soon live in a world which cannot sustain people"

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."

"Every oak tree started out as a couple of nuts who decided to stand their ground."

 

[HappyCPE]

Indiana DNR nurseries do this same type of program....only restriction is that they must be used for personal property and cannot be resold (you cannot use the State as a low-cost supplier for your commercial nursery business).

All I can say is, READ THE FINE PRINT before you accept free or discount trees from the government. The People's Republic of New Jersey will sell you trees at about half the cost of the nursery, but they have the same restriction on sale of the tree as Indiana, in perpetuity. That means no Xmas trees, no firewood, no lumber. But the real kicker is that when you accept the trees you also sign a statement authorizing the NJ Department of Environmental Protection to appear on your property, unannounced, at any time, also in perpetuity to INSPECT THEIR TREES. Presumably when the state runs out of money, which will be soon, they will want their trees back.