Welcome spring to your yard with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources State Forest Nursery’s April seedling packet. The Spring Flowers packet, a combination of five flowering tree and shrub species, will provide a pallet of color ranging from lavender-pink to creamy white.
This packet is only available in April. Cost for the 250 bare-root seedlings is $190 plus tax, shipping and handling, the same price as a regular 200-seedling packet. The Spring Flowers packet includes 50 each of the following:
Chokecherry, a member of the plum family, grows to a height of 10-25 feet and produces white flowers from April through July. The red fruit is good for many birds and mammals.
Redbud produces striking lavender-pink spring flowers in April along its branches before leafing out. This small tree averages between 15-25 feet in height.
Redosier Dogwood produces cream flowers in May and June. It is also a food source for a wide variety of birds and pollinators. This fast-growing shrub will have a mature height of 10-15 feet.
Serviceberry , also known as Juneberry, produces white flowers in early spring and bears edible red and purple berries in June. The berries of this small tree are also a favorite of songbirds and other wildlife.
Wild Plum produces beautiful white blossoms in early spring that transform to tart edible fruit in late summer. It is also very good nesting cover for birds and a good food source for butterflies and other pollinators. This is a fast-growing small tree that will reach 10-15 feet.
The seedlings are between 8 and 24 inches, depending on the tree or shrub species.
To take advantage of this offer, call the State Forest Nursery at 1-800-865-2477 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and mention the “Spring Flowers Packet.”
Each month, the State Forest Nursery creates a different specialty packet with a unique mix of tree and shrub species. This month’s specialty packet is only available to order through April 28, 2017.
Anyone can purchase seedlings from the Iowa State Forest Nursery for CRP projects, to increase wildlife habitat, pollinator potential or to diversify backyard woodlands. More than 40 species are available from the nursery. Seedling choices, including photos and descriptions, can be seen in the seedling catalog at www.iowadnr.gov/nursery and click on “Seedling Catalog.”