Located in Ames, Iowa, the State Forest Nursery provides quality native Iowa seedlings to landowners. The nursery is owned by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and managed by a team of forestry professionals with a long history of helping Iowans with their tree planting needs.
Whatever your planting goals, whether to create wildlife habitat, expand timber production, establish erosion control measures or to beautify the landscape, the nursery offers affordable seedlings and expert advice to be successful. Choose from more than 40 native Iowa species of hardwood trees, shrubs and conifers.
Ordering and Shipping
The seedlings will be bare-root and packaged in labeled plastic bags. Those bags are put into a 56" tall shipping bag that could hold 50-500 seedlings, depending on the size. The shipping bags will normally weigh anywhere from 10 - 35 pounds. There will be storing and planting instructions printed on the shipping bags. Under normal conditions, the seedlings should be planted within 10 days of receiving them for best results. For more information about shipping, please visit our FAQ page.
State Forest Nursery Staff
Jeff Goerndt, State Forester
Lee Goldsmith, Nursery Manager
Anthony Shellenberger, Administrative Assistant
Kevin Barker, Nursery Technician
Evan Miller, Nursery Technician