North St. Louis Soil and Water Conservation District

•  Annual Tree Sale
  
  Every fall we begin taking orders (2008 Order Form) for our annual conservation tree sale (beginning approximately in November).  With our sale, we provide our district's landowners an opportunity to purchase conservation trees inexpensively (10, 3-4' bare-root deciduous shrubs and trees for $30.00 plus sales tax. Conifers are still 25 in a bundle, 18-24" for $30.00 plus sales tax).  Each year, we choose a new variety of shrubs, deciduous trees and evergreens to be made available for purchase.  In 2008, our trees will be ready for pick-up on Thursday and Friday, May 8th and 9th at the Eveleth DNR on Highway 37.
  
  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.
   
•  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.
   
•  Tree Care
  
  Please click here for the DNR's tree care guidelines.
   
•  Description of Shrubs and Trees
  
  Highbush Cranberry: Height 8’-12’.  Prefers well-drained, moist soils.  Fruit is edible – scarlet red berry.  Excellent orange-red Fall colors.  Grows well in full or partial sun.
  
  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.
  
  Red Splendor Crabapple: Height 15-20'. Tolerates a wide range of soils.  Grows well in full sun.  Flowers are white.  Fruits are approximately 3/4" apples.  Moderate growth rate.
  
  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. 
  
  Norway (Red) 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 jams 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.

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.

Send mail to Connie Olson with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 08/16/05