All remaining State Forest Nursery seedlings are 30 percent off until May 24. Choose from a variety of hardwoods, shrubs and conifers. Some varieties have limited supplies.
Visit our online store to see which seedlings are still available and place your order. Discount is applied on the checkout page.
Our online store closes for the season on May 24.
The State Forest Nursery in Ames was established by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and has operated continuously ever since. All trees are grown from Iowa seed sources to harvest the bounty of native genetics that have thrived in our soils and weather against disease, insects, droughts and floods for many thousands of years.
The nursery is managed by a team of forestry professionals with a long history of helping Iowans with their tree planting needs.
Before ordering seedlings, take time to plan. Your local DNR district forester can help you meet your planting goals.
- Select tree and shrub species that will do well on your site and meet your objectives.
- Plan the spacing and quantity of trees and shrubs you need.
- Consider existing ground cover and the steps needed to ensure your trees will not succumb to weeds. You may need to eliminate or reduce competing vegetation before planting.
- Think about what you will need to do to prepare the site.
- Determine if the site should be machine planted or hand planted.
- Decide if you can do the work yourself or if you need to hire a contractor.
- Plant trees as soon as they arrive.
Volunteer groups along with Iowa City youth organizations and staff helped plant 47 diverse tree species. These new trees help to restore trees lost from the impact of emerald ash borer and increase tree diversity.
Iowa City is one of 22 communities in the 97 emerald ash borer impacted counties awarded a Community Forestry Grant to buy and plant trees suitable to Iowa. Funding is provided through a grant with the USDA Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters.
Spring 2024 reimbursable grants for communities in the 27 counties impacted by the 2020 derecho are currently closed. The remaining funds from the Derecho CFGP, as well as the additional grant opportunities Trees for Kids and IRA CFGP, will be available in Fall 2024.