We are now accepting orders for Fall 2021 (November) and Spring 2022 (April/May) delivery

PHONE:515-233-1161

About Us

State forest nursery signAbout Us

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 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. 

Ordering and Shipping

Orders can be placed between August 1 - May 31. When placing your order, you'll choose your shipment week and we'll 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.
Fall shipments usually start the first week of November and spring shipments the first week in April. 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.

The seedlings are bare-root (no container, soil root ball or moss include) and packaged 25qty per sealed and labeled plastic bag. The plastic bag is placed inside a 56" tall triple layered paper shipping bag that holds 50-500 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

Kevin Barker, Nursery Technician

Evan Miller, Nursery Technician

Mark Pfantz, Nursery Technician

Anthony Shellenberger, Administrative Assistant




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