Time to Get Planting!
Fall 2018 Tree Sale
Pick up Dates: October 5th & 6th, 10am-2pm
Pick up Dates: October 5th & 6th, 10am-2pm
Unless otherwise noted, all conifers listed are native to Michigan.
Tamarack (Larix laricina) Height: 40’-65’
Does not do well in shade, prefers moist soils, doing well in cold, wet, poorly drained sites. Colonizes drier sites when competition is lacking. Also called American Larch. Only native eastern conifer with deciduous needles, foliage turns yellow in autumn. Wood is heavy, hard, very durable. Used for poles, piling, rough lumber.
Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) Height: 30'-50'
Full sun, prefers moist soil with good drainage. Clay is particularly unsuitable. Does well in cool climates. Beautiful Christmas tree. Native to the Appalachians.
Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) Height: 40'-75'
Full sun to light shade. Prefers moist to damp soil, does not tolerate heat or drought. Can grow quickly in good conditions.
Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) Height: 30’-55’
Prefers full sun, and does well in poor, sandy soils. The only nesting site for the endangered Kirtland’s warbler. Very fast growing, extremely cold and salt tolerant. Excellent for wildlife cover, windbreaks, and timber production.
Red Pine (Pinus resinosa) Height: 50’-80’
Full sun, prefers sandy soils. Also known as Norway Pine, it is native to north America. Fast growing. Needles sharp and brittle. Used for timber, reforestation and wildlife cover. Sheds lower branches as it matures.
Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) Height: 65’-90’
Moderately shade tolerant, wide range of soils. Michigan’s official State Tree. Fast-growing and very windfirm. Needles soft, fine and flexible. Wood is light, soft, straight-grained, easily worked.
Black Spruce (Picea mariana) Height 40’-100’
Moderately shade tolerant and long lived, prefers moist soils (it is also called Swamp Spruce), but will grow in wide range of soil types. Abundant in the wild, provides vital habitat for grouse. Found with white spruce, balsam, white cedar. Uses include Christmas trees, furniture, poles, paddles and oars.
Norway Spruce (Picea abies) Height: 50’-80’
Shade tolerant, wide variety of soils, but does best on moist, fertile soil. Moderately fast-growing. Graceful, pendulant branches with large cones. Used for windbreaks, wildlife habitat, and as an ornamental. Native to central and northern Europe.
White Spruce (Picea glauca) Height: 50’-80’
Shade tolerant, wide variety of soils, but does best on moist, fertile soil. Slow to moderate growth. Retains lower branches, excellent for wildlife cover, windbreaks & visual screening. Needles have a pungent odor when crushed. Salt tolerant. Limited timber value.
Tamarack (Larix laricina) Height: 40’-65’
Does not do well in shade, prefers moist soils, doing well in cold, wet, poorly drained sites. Colonizes drier sites when competition is lacking. Also called American Larch. Only native eastern conifer with deciduous needles, foliage turns yellow in autumn. Wood is heavy, hard, very durable. Used for poles, piling, rough lumber.
Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) Height: 30'-50'
Full sun, prefers moist soil with good drainage. Clay is particularly unsuitable. Does well in cool climates. Beautiful Christmas tree. Native to the Appalachians.
Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) Height: 40'-75'
Full sun to light shade. Prefers moist to damp soil, does not tolerate heat or drought. Can grow quickly in good conditions.
Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) Height: 30’-55’
Prefers full sun, and does well in poor, sandy soils. The only nesting site for the endangered Kirtland’s warbler. Very fast growing, extremely cold and salt tolerant. Excellent for wildlife cover, windbreaks, and timber production.
Red Pine (Pinus resinosa) Height: 50’-80’
Full sun, prefers sandy soils. Also known as Norway Pine, it is native to north America. Fast growing. Needles sharp and brittle. Used for timber, reforestation and wildlife cover. Sheds lower branches as it matures.
Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) Height: 65’-90’
Moderately shade tolerant, wide range of soils. Michigan’s official State Tree. Fast-growing and very windfirm. Needles soft, fine and flexible. Wood is light, soft, straight-grained, easily worked.
Black Spruce (Picea mariana) Height 40’-100’
Moderately shade tolerant and long lived, prefers moist soils (it is also called Swamp Spruce), but will grow in wide range of soil types. Abundant in the wild, provides vital habitat for grouse. Found with white spruce, balsam, white cedar. Uses include Christmas trees, furniture, poles, paddles and oars.
Norway Spruce (Picea abies) Height: 50’-80’
Shade tolerant, wide variety of soils, but does best on moist, fertile soil. Moderately fast-growing. Graceful, pendulant branches with large cones. Used for windbreaks, wildlife habitat, and as an ornamental. Native to central and northern Europe.
White Spruce (Picea glauca) Height: 50’-80’
Shade tolerant, wide variety of soils, but does best on moist, fertile soil. Slow to moderate growth. Retains lower branches, excellent for wildlife cover, windbreaks & visual screening. Needles have a pungent odor when crushed. Salt tolerant. Limited timber value.
Planning Your Plantings
Site preparation and weed control is crucial to a successful planting effort. Tilling the soil before planting can help the roots get established, but it is not absolutely necessary. The site should be as free as practical from competing weeds. Weeds can be controlled with tillage, mulch, or herbicides.
Appropriate spacing of your plants will help you to meet your conservation goals. The spacings given below are intended to be dense, and therefore suitable for the early years of a plantation. Once the trees have reached a height of 25-30 feet, the plantation should be thinned. Thereafter, thinnings should be done approximately every 10-15 years until the trees are mature.
Site preparation and weed control is crucial to a successful planting effort. Tilling the soil before planting can help the roots get established, but it is not absolutely necessary. The site should be as free as practical from competing weeds. Weeds can be controlled with tillage, mulch, or herbicides.
Appropriate spacing of your plants will help you to meet your conservation goals. The spacings given below are intended to be dense, and therefore suitable for the early years of a plantation. Once the trees have reached a height of 25-30 feet, the plantation should be thinned. Thereafter, thinnings should be done approximately every 10-15 years until the trees are mature.
For Windbreaks, Visual Screens, and Wildlife Habitat
Windbreaks should be a minimum of two rows wide, three or four is better. Mixing species within a windbreak will create habitat diversity and help prevent gaps should one species succumb to insects or disease. For windbreaks, minimum spacing between rows ranges from 12 ft. for shrubs and small trees, and up to 20 ft. for large trees.
Spacing within rows ranges from a minimum of 3 ft. for small shrubs to a maximum of 16 ft. for large trees. For wildlife plantings, consider placing plants in clump arrangements. Always consider the mature height and width of any given plant to figure out how close to plant together.
Windbreaks should be a minimum of two rows wide, three or four is better. Mixing species within a windbreak will create habitat diversity and help prevent gaps should one species succumb to insects or disease. For windbreaks, minimum spacing between rows ranges from 12 ft. for shrubs and small trees, and up to 20 ft. for large trees.
Spacing within rows ranges from a minimum of 3 ft. for small shrubs to a maximum of 16 ft. for large trees. For wildlife plantings, consider placing plants in clump arrangements. Always consider the mature height and width of any given plant to figure out how close to plant together.
