Forestry Services

Annual Tree Sale
Every fall we begin taking orders for our annual conservation tree sale (beginning in late November).  With our sale, we provide our district's landowners an opportunity to purchase conservation trees inexpensively (10, 3 foot bare-root deciduous shrubs and trees for $35.00 plus sales tax. Conifers are 25 in a bundle, 18-24" for $35.00 plus sales tax).  Each year, we choose a few new varieties of shrubs, deciduous trees and evergreens to make available for purchase.  By providing low-cost trees to our landowners, we hope to help them reduce erosion on their property, protect water quality, increase energy conservation through strategically planned placement of trees next to their home, improve wildlife habitat and in general, increase the aesthetics of their property.  Tree species descriptions are listed below for shrubs, deciduous trees and conifers available through our Tree Program.

A last effort to sell 6 bundles of Norway Pine transplants 25 in a bundles for $30, includes sales tax (24 inch height) Call Connie at 749-2000 to set up a pick up time and date.  They will go quickly :^)

Soil Survey Website - Soils play a very important role in your tree planting project or any project for the establishment of vegetation.  Click here for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) online soil survey site.

Tree Care Tips for your Planting Project click here to open!

For Pre-ordered SWCD Tree Orders pick up is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 9 and Friday, May 10, with Extra Stock to be sold during public sale (9:00 am - 4:00 pm).

Click here for animal repellent information.  Order directly from the website or purchase the 1 litre spray bottle from the SWCD.  One spray bottle will protect 100 - 1 foot plants.

Woodland Stewardship
Become a woodland steward by actively managing your land for personal benefits, while protecting the quality of its natural resources for future generations.  If you own 40 acres or more of wooded land, contact our office for information about a woodland stewardship plan written for your property with your interests in mind by a certified forest plan writer. 

Only have 20 acres, but want to know more about best managing your forest?  Please stop by our office or request a copy of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' "Beyond the Suburbs" landowner's guide to conservation management.

Students Making a Difference click here to view students planting bare-root seedlings in the Virginia School Forest!

Tax Relief Options for Forest Landowners Click Here for the My Minnesota Woods connection for information regarding the Green Acres Program or Sustainable Forest Incentives Act (SFIA).  Click here for a fact sheet regarding the Sustainable Forestry Incentives Act.

Tree Care
Please click here for the DNR's tree care guidelines.

Tree ID Cards for review click here

Description of Shrubs and Trees (not all species listed are being sold this year)

Cranberry: Height 6’-12’.  Prefers well-drained, moist soils.  Fruit is edible – orange red berry that ripens in September.  Grows well in full or partial sun.

Black Chokeberry: Height 5'-8'.  Clusters of white flowers turn to dark purple fruit high in antioxidents useful for jelly and wine making.  Tolerates low, wet areas and adapts to varying soil conditions.  Shiny green foliage turns wine red in the fall. 

Silky Dogwood: Height 8' - 12'. Clusters of white flowers are followed by attractive china blue fruit in August, enjoyed by birds.  Good shrub for streambank erosion control purposes.

American Plum: Height 12’-20’.  Grows on well drained soils, does not do well on real droughty soils.  Flowers are very fragrant, white and showy.  Fruits range from 1”-1-1/2” in diameter and very good eating. Thorny branches.  Excellent wildlife habitat.  Fast growth rate.

American Linden or Basswood: Height 50 - 70'. Large leaves 4 - 6 inches in length.  Freagrant flowers are cream yellow in color in clusters, used as a honey plant by beekeepers.  Prefers a deep, moist, well drained soil.  The wood is a favorite of wood carvers. 

Red Splendor Crabapple: Height 10-20'. Tolerates a wide range of soils.  Grows well in full sun.  Flowers are deep pink.  Fruits are approximately 3/4" apples.  Moderate growth rate.

Mountain Ash: Height 20'-25'. Planted for its showy clusters of white flowers in spring followed by an excellent display of bright orange to red fruit.  Prefers a rich loam soil with good drainage.  Not very tolerant of summer heat or drought.  Keep well watered during hot, dry periods.

Red Maple: Height 40-60'.  Moderately fast growing tree with three-lobed green leaves that turn a spectacular red color in the fall. Moderately tolerant of shade but intolerant of drought or salt spray. Red maple will grow in a variety of soils but prefers moist sandy loams.

Schubert Chokecherry: Height 20’-30’.  Prefers well-drained soils.  Medium tolerance to high pH soils.  Suckering.  Green leaves that turn maroon by mid summer.  In May, white flowers in dense clusters are present.  The flowers develop into 4”-6” clusters of round fruit which are dark purple or black when ripe – edible.  Excellent wildlife food.  Moderate to rapid growth rate.

Juneberry (Serviceberry): Height 8’-15’.  Prefers moist well-drained soils.  White flowers are followed by bluish-purple berries that mature in July.  Fruit is edible.  Leaves turn yellow-orange to red-purple in the Fall.  Prefers full sun.  Suckering.  Excellent wildlife habitat.  Slow to moderate growth rate.

Common Lilac: Height 9’-15’.  Grows in wide range of soil types, but does not like wet soils.  Flowers are purple, small, and densely clustered in May and June and very fragrant.  Heart shaped leaves. Prefer full sun.  Good wildlife cover.  Shelterbelts.  Moderate growth rate.

Green Ash: Height 40-60'. It has an oval to round crown, becoming somewhat irregular and spreading with age. The medium green leaves are pinnately compound with 7-9 leaflets. Fall color is often non-descript but can become an attractive clear yellow under good conditions.

Jack Pine: Height 30-80'. Very Shade tolerant.  Prefers loamy soil, intolerant to clay soils.  Fair to good wildlife values. Birds and mammals use as cover while trees are young. Good seed and browse value.

Sugar Maple: Height 40-70'. Shade tolerant tree.  Prefers moist to well-drained soil and is very sensitive to salt & drought.  Excellent wildlife tree, and grows slowly to moderately.  It has a spreading crown, deep fibrous roots and a  beautiful fall color.  Wood from the sugar maple is highly valued, and it is an excellent sap producer for maple syrup.

Paper Birch: Height 40-70'. Intolerant of shade.  Prefers moist to well -drained soils.  Wildlife value is good, and the growth rate is moderate.  An attractive white bark and prefers cool, moist upland conditions. 

Red (Norway) Pine: Height 40-60'.  Very shade intolerant. Prefers sandy, well drained soil.  Fair wildlife value, and grows moderate to fast.  An excellent timber tree, drought tolerant, and has scaly reddish brown bark.  Minnesota state tree.

Weeping Willow: Height 50-70'. Prefers full sun and moist soils.  Can spread up to 50' wide.

White Pine: Height 40-70'. Moderately tolerant of shade. Prefer soils that are medium to heavy texture and well drained.  Wildlife value is fair to good.  Growth rate is moderate to fast.  It is an excellent timber tree, a shade tolerant pine with soft needles.

White Cedar: Height 15-25'. Moderately shade tolerant.  Prefers well drained to poorly drained soil.  Good to very good wildlife value, and grows slow.   It has aromatic foliage, provides good cover and forage (deer browse) for wildlife.

White Spruce: Height 40’-60’.  Needles ½” – 1” long and are stiff-blue/green with whitish lines.  Cones 1”-2-1/2” long.  Moderate growth rate.  Prefer moist well-drained soils.  Long-lived. 

American Elderberry: Height 10-12'. A deciduous, upright shrub that produces black or purple berries that are great for wildlife and wine and jellies. Produces attractive flowers and berries all summer long. Considered fast growing.      

Nanking Cherry: Height 7-9' and width 6-8'. The 1/2" bright red fruit which ripen in early July are edible but a little tart for fresh eating. They make excellent jams and jellies. Requires a good, well drained soil. Fairly drought tolerant. It does best in full sun. Needs cross pollination to produce fruit.

Bur Oak: Height 60'-80'.  Bur Oak is a large tree that needs room to spread.  Leaves have rounded lobes with fall colors of yellow-green to brown.  Requires full sun and is very tolerant of drought and alkaline soils.

Red Oak: Height: 50-70'. Glossy dark green foliage and excellent orange to red fall color. Requires well drained soil and full sun. One of the faster growing oaks. Susceptible to oak wilt. To prevent the spread of oak wilt, plant Red Oaks well apart to minimize root grafting and do not prune from April through July.

Common Chokecherry : Height 15-20'. Shrub or small tree, often forming dense thickets, with dark red or blackish chokecherries that produces abundant small cherries suitable for jelly or wildlife. Shade tolerant but requires full sun to produce good food crop. Good in drought but prefers moist, well drained soils.

Colorado Blue Spruce: Height 30-65'. A broad, dense, pyramidal tree with stiff branches horizontal to the ground. Prefers moist soils, but the most drought tolerant of all the spruces. Requires full sun, does not tolerate shade.

Black Hills Spruce: Height 30-60'. Noted for its dark green foliage and conical form, the Black Hills Spruce trees are very dense and have a deep dark green color. It is a truly cold adapted tree and is very resistant to winter injury. It prefers rich moist soil in full sun, and also thrives in dry, well-drained sites.

Norway Spruce: 40'-60'.  It is pyramidal formed and faster growing than than many of the other spruces and has no serious insect or disease problem.  Prefers soil with ample moisture but tolerant of many soil conditions.

Tamarack: Height 40'-70'.  One of the few conifers that loses its needles each year.  Quite tolerant of poorly drained soils and will perform well in upland sites. Fairly tolerant of drought.