Located on 98 acres in Ames, Iowa, the State Forest Nursery has provided affordable, high-quality native Iowa seedlings to landowners since 1937. 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 State Forest Nursery offers affordable seedlings and expert advice to be successful. Choose from more than 40 native Iowa species of hardwood trees, shrubs, and conifers.
DELIVERY TIMEFRAMES AND DETAILS
Seedlings can be ordered September through May, but are only distributed during fall and spring. You can choose to have your order shipped to your doorstep or you can pick up at the Nursery in Ames. Pick up is available on Thursdays and Fridays only.
Fall delivery is in November and spring delivery occurs during April and May. Orders cannot be delivered to a PO Box. When placing your order, you will choose your shipment week and we will notify you via email notification when your order has been shipped. The seedlings should arrive at the shipping address within 1 to 3 days after being shipped. Shipments to states outside of the Midwest may take additional time. Signature is not required for delivery.
We work very hard to get your order shipped on time, however shipping timeframes are subject to change due to our operations being weather dependent. For various reasons, it is possible for inventory to run short of a species you have ordered. If this occurs we reserve the right to offer a refund or substitution.
All conifers, redbud, cottonwood, poplar, willow, packets, and sometimes other species are available for spring delivery only (do not select a fall delivery option if ordering these items).
PACKAGING DETAILS
The seedlings are bare root (no container, soil root ball, or moss included) and sold in multiples of 25 per species. Each bundle of 25 is packaged inside labeled and sealed clear plastic bags. Seedling roots are moistened prior to being sealed in the plastic bag. The plastic bag is placed inside a 56" tall triple layered paper shipping bag that holds 25-200 seedlings, depending on the species and size of seedlings you ordered. The shipping bags will normally weigh anywhere from 10-40 pounds. There are storing and planting instructions printed on the shipping bags.
For best results the seedlings should be planted ASAP upon receiving them. For more information about shipping, please visit our FAQ page.
State Forest Nursery Staff
Jeff Goerndt, State Forester
Pat Griffin, Nursery Manager
Evan Miller, Nursery Technician
Mark Pfantz, Nursery Technician
Naomi Splinter, Administrative Assistant
