More then 7,500 orders had been received at the nursery by early January. "Some species are already sold out" according to Greg Hoss, nursery superintendent. Northern red oak, hazelnut, black oak, white oak, extra large pecan, extra large red oak and extra large black walnut are gone. The extra large trees are over 24" tall on pecan and 36" tall on the oak and walnut. Hoss stated that "the extra large trees were very popular and sold out in the first 3 days of ordering."
Hoss says that "over 50 species are still available and there are three special bundles still available." This year only the nursery is offering a special bundle for sale. The Forest Legacy Bundle includes tree species with possible life spans of more than 100 years. These include shortleaf pine, white oak, bald cypress, flowering dogwood, American hornbeam, Ohio Buckeye, black cherry, sugar maple, blackgum and yellow wood. Each Forest Legacy Bundle will contain 20 seedlings with two each of the 10 species. The price is $15. The legacy bundles celebrate not only the new century but also the 100th anniversary of the founding of professional forestry in the United States.
The nursery offers dozens of tree and shrub species for reforestation, wildlife habitat improvement, windbreaks and erosion control. Species still available at press time according to Hoss include "shortleaf, eastern white, Austrian, and red pines and hardwood trees including walnut, pecan, sycamore, tulip poplar, bur, pin and shumard oaks, bald cypress and many more." In wildlife shrubs they still have plum, aromatic sumac, flowering, gray and roughleaf dogwoods, deciduous holly, witch hazel and others. The other two bundles, the Conservation Bundle (30 trees of 6 species) and the Wildlife Cover Bundle (50 trees of 6 species) are also still available.
Missourians can order seedlings from now through May 1. Most are sold in bundles of 25. Seedling order forms with price and other information are available now from any Missouri Department of Conservation office, University of Missouri Extension offices, Natural Resources Conservation offices (NRCS) in each county or from the Nursery at (573) 674-3229. Or you can find them online. Hoss states that "this year our customers can download our order form or even place their order via the Internet." Access the Conservation Department homepage at www.conservation.state.mo.us and go to the forestry icon. From there you will find an interactive order form that allows you to order seedlings without using a $.33 stamp!
For more information about what trees are still available or to obtain an order form contact the nursery at the number listed above.