The North Carolina Forest Service is selling conifers, hardwoods and native plants as part of its annual tree seedling sale that began Friday.
The nursery and tree improvement program produces around 15 million seedlings annually, enough native and genetically improved tree seedlings to plant around 30,000 acres each year. The Forest Service is a division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
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“Healthy trees and forests are as important as ever for North Carolina and a benefit to our environment,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler in a statement. “To have a Nursery and Tree Improvement Program producing quality understory plants and nearly 50 native tree species available to landowners across the state is North Carolina’s good fortune, and I encourage landowners to take advantage of it.”
Momi fir, eastern red cedar and Virginia pine as well as genetically improved loblolly, longleaf, shortleaf and white pines as well as other species are available this year.
These seedlings offer better volume growth, form, disease resistance, straightness, and other characteristics needed to produce quality forest products, officials said.
A catalog available at the Tree Seedlings & Nursery Program link at www.ncforestservice.gov and at area Forest Service offices includes information about types of tree species, quantities and cost to order. Each description includes information about ideal planting locations and whether a species is typically used to benefit wildlife, restore habitats or as marketable timber.
To order tree seedlings, which can be done by check, money order, Mastercard and Visa, visit the online seedling store at www.buynctrees.com, call1-888-NCTREES, or 1-888-628-7337, or mail the order form in the catalog to Seedling Coordinator, 762 Claridge Nursery Road, Goldsboro, NC 27530.
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Seedling orders can be shipped to one of 13 distribution centers statewide for a small fee or via UPS for a charge. UPS shipments will be made once a week from December through mid-April, depending on weather conditions.
Seedling orders are also available for pickup from the Forest Service’s Claridge Nursery in Goldsboro or Linville River Nursery near Crossnore.
Contact information for the local Forest Service county office is available at www.ncforestservice.gov/contacts.
