Tree and Shrub Descriptions for 2012

Conifers

Order in units of 25, 100 or 250, depending on species. Minimum height of 4 inches.

Latin name: Pinus nigra
Height: 50 to 80 feet
Width: 20 to 40 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun, well-drained soil.
Physical Description: Evergreen conifer tree. Dense pyramidal shape when young, becoming more open and flat-topped with age. Shiny dark green stiff needles, 3 inches to 5 inches long, sharp tipped, arranged in bundles of 2. Cones stiff, 2 to 3 inches long. Bark dark gray brown becoming deeply furrowed.
Wildlife Value: Cover and nest sites. Seeds eaten by many birds and small mammals.
Uses: Christmas trees, windbreak, pulp.
Interesting Facts: Native of Europe, popular for landscape planting because more tolerant of heavy soils and pollution than many native pines.
Seedling size and cost: Two-year seedling. European source. Average height. 4"-8". $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Red Pine

red pine needles and cone

Latin name: Pinus resinosa
Height: 50 to 80 feet
Width: 30 to 40 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun, well drained soil. Does well on sterile sandy soils.
Physical Description: Evergreen tree. Form rounded and conical with dense foliage when young, becoming more open with age. Develops very long straight trunk, especially in plantations. Needles dark green, in bundles of two. Cone reddish- brown, 2 to 3 inches long, stiff with thickened scale tips. Attached directly to branches, persistent. Bark reddish, becoming gray, platy and flaking with age.
Wildlife Value: Cover and nest sites. Seeds eaten by many birds and small mammals. Bark eaten by porcupines.
Uses: Poles, Christmas trees, lumber, pulp.
Interesting Facts: One of the primary reforestation species during early to mid 20th century. Ability to grow in dry sandy soil led to widespread planting of red pine for reclamation of abandoned and ruined farmland. These pine plantations stabilized the soil and provided shelter for eventual regeneration of hardwoods. Long straight trunks of plantation trees made outstanding poles for telephone lines, log buildings and pole construction. Also widely planted around reservoirs for water quality protection.
Seedling size and cost: Three-year seedling. New York source. Average height 6"-10". $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit, $56/250 units

Scotch Pine

Latin name: Pinus sylvestris
Height: 30 to 60 feet
Width: 20 to 40 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun, well drained soil.
Physical Description: Evergreen tree. Rounded conical form with dense foliage when young, growing more open with age. Foliage bluish-green. Needles in bundles of two, 1 ½ inches to 3 inches long, thick and twisted. Cones small and stiff, 1 to 2 inches long. Bark red-brown, scaly when young, becoming grayer and furrowed with age. Older trees very distinctive because upper trunk and limbs are reddish and lower trunk is gray.
Wildlife Value: Cover and nest sites. Seeds eaten by many birds and small mammals. Bark eaten by porcupines.
Uses: Christmas trees, windbreak, pulp.
Interesting Facts: Has become one of the top Christmas tree species because of long-lasting needles and dense sturdy foliage.
Seedling size and cost: Two-year seedling. New York orchard. Boonville or Danish strain. Average height 4"-8". $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit, $56/250 unit

White Pine

Latin name: Pinus strobus
Height: 60 to 100 feet
Width: 30 to 50 feet
Growth Rate: Medium to fast
Site Requirements: Sun, well drained soil.
Physical Description: Evergreen tree. Rounded conical shape with dense foliage when young, becoming more open with age. Straight long trunk. Foliage bluefish-green, soft looking. Needles in bundles of five, very thin, 3 to 5 inches long. Cones narrow and flexible, 4 to 8 inches long with thick tipped scales. Bark dark gray-brown, smooth when young, becoming rough and furrowed with age.
Wildlife Value: Cover and nest sites, especially for larger birds. Height and open branches on old trees make white pine a prime species for large raptor nests. Large diameter of trunk especially valuable as nest site for pileated woodpeckers. Seeds eaten by many birds and small mammals. Bark eaten by porcupines.
Uses: Lumber, pulp, poles, windbreak. Used for furniture, paneling and boat planking. Soft white wood is prized by carvers because it cuts and sands cleanly without any fuzzing.
Interesting Facts: In colonial times, tall straight white pines marked by British as king's pines to reserve them for use as masts by royal navy ships. Tallest-growing tree species in Northeast growing to 120 feet tall and with trunks up to 4 feet in diameter. Most valuable timber species in historic times, used for almost every purpose.
Seedling size and cost: Three-year seedling. New York source. Average height 6"-10". $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit, $56/250 unit

Balsam Fir (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Abies balsamea
Height: 40 to 70 feet
Width: 20 to 30 feet
Growth Rate: Slow
Site Requirements: Sun to partial shade, moist well drained soil. Prefers cool conditions.
Physical Description: Evergreen tree. Conical shape with narrow crown. Needles ¾ inch long, dark green, with rounded ends, very fragrant. Leaf scar round and flat. Cones upright, 2 to 3 inches long, disintegrate on tree leaving persistent central spike. Bark gray-brown, smooth with
blisters filled with fragrant resin.
Wildlife Value: wildlife cover, foliage and buds eaten by deer, seeds eaten by birds and squirrels.
Uses: Christmas trees, wreaths, pulpwood and lumber.
Interesting Facts: Traditional Christmas tree species long prized for its wonderful fragrance. Resin from bark, known as Canada Balsam, formerly used as optical adhesive for glass lenses and microscope slides.
Seedling size and cost: Three-year seedling. Avgerage height 6"-10". $42/100 unit only.

Meyer Spruce also known as Chinese Blue Spruce

Latin name: Picea meyeri
Height: 40 feet
Width: 30 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun, well drained soil.
Physical Description: Evergreen tree. Rounded conical form with dense bluish-green foliage. Very similar to Colorado blue spruce, but less prone to insect and disease problems in the humid climate of the Northeast.
Wildlife Value: Cover and nest sites
Uses: Christmas trees
Interesting Facts: Has become popular Christmas tree species because of long-lasting needles and dense sturdy foliage.
Seedling size and cost: Two-year seedling. Average height 4"-8". $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Norway Spruce

Norway spruce forest

Latin name: Picea abies
Height: 60 to 100 feet.
Width: 30 to 50 feet
Growth Rate: Fast to medium.
Site Requirements: Sun to partial shade. Moist, well drained soil. Tolerates very wide range of soil types.
Physical Description: Evergreen conifer. Conical shape, older trees with long upswept branches. Dark green needles, ¾ inch to 1 inch long, four sided with sharp tip. Leaf scar is a raised woody peg. Cone red-brown, very large, 6 inches to 8 inches long with thin stiff scales. Bark gray-brown, smooth when young, becoming rough and platy with age.
Wildlife Value: Cover and nest sites. Seeds eaten by many birds and small mammals.
Uses: Lumber, windbreak, Christmas trees, pulp. Soft, light wood is valued for soundboards of musical instruments.
Interesting Facts: Big outdoor Christmas trees, such as those at Rockefeller Center, are often Norway spruce. Grows very large, and is most widely planted spruce for windbreaks and plantations.
Seedling size and cost: Two or Three-year seedling. New York source. Average height 6"-12". $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit, $62/250 unit

White Spruce

Latin name: Picea glauca
Height: 40 to 60 feet
Width: 15 to 20 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun, well drained soil. Hardy to zone 2. Does not like shade.
Physical Description: Evergreen conifer tree. . Full pyramidal shape when young, growing to tall narrow conical form. Foliage dull blue-green. Sharp-tipped, four-sided needles ½ inch to ¾ inch long, pointing upward. Cones brown with wavy scales, 1 ½ inches to 2 inches long. Bark brown to grayish brown, becoming rough and flaky.
Wildlife Value: Cover and nest sites. Seeds eaten by many birds and small mammals.
Uses: Lumber, windbreak, pulp, Christmas trees.
Interesting Facts: Inner bark is silvery white, hence the name white spruce.
Seedling size and cost: Two-year seedling. New York source. Average height. 6"-12". $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit, $62/250 unit

Douglas Fir

Latin name: Pseudotsuga menziesii
Height: 40 to 80 feet
Width: 20 to 40 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun to partial shade. Moist well drained soil.
Physical Description: Evergreen conifer tree. Dense foliage when young, becoming tall open and conical with age. Foliage often grayish green to blue-green, needles 1 inch to 1 ½ inch long. Cones oval, light brown, 3 to 4 inches long, with long tongue-like bracts hanging out between the scales.
Wildlife Value: Cover and nest sites. Seeds eaten by birds and rodents.
Uses: Christmas trees , lumber, pulp. Popular as Christmas tree because of long-lasting attractive foliage.
Interesting Facts: Native to western U.S., grows very tall and large in coastal forests and is major timber species in Pacific Northwest, and in the Rocky Mountains.
Seedling size, source and cost: Two to three-year seedling. Lincoln source. Average height 6"-10". $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit, $66/250 unit

European Larch (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Larix decidua
Height: 60 to 80 feet
Width: 25 to 30 feet
Growth Rate: Fast to medium
Site Requirements: Sun, moist well drained soil. Hardy to zone 3.
Physical Description: Deciduous conifer tree. Conical open habit with soft green foliage. Turns yellow in fall, then drops needles. Soft flexible needles 1 to 1 ½ inches long, bright to dark green, arranged in whorls of 30 to 40 on short woody spurs. Twigs gray to yellowish, furrowed, without hair. Cones stiff, oval, 1 to 1 ½ inches long with wavy edged scales. Cones often persist for several seasons, and old silvery cones may be present alongside new brown cones. Bark thin and grayish brown, becoming rough and furrowed with age.
Wildlife Value: Seeds eaten by birds and rodents. Provides cover and nest sites for birds.
Uses: Lumber, pulp. Strong heavy rot-resistant wood used for construction, poles, railroad ties. One of the top lumber species in Europe, usually grown in plantations.
Interesting Facts: Makes a good nurse tree for shade tolerant hardwood species.
Seedling size, source and cost: Two-year seedling. New York orchard. Average height 6"-12". $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Japanese Larch

Latin name: Larix kaempferi
Height: 70 to 90 feet
Width: 25 to 40 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Sun, moist well drained soil. Hardy to zone 4.
Physical Description: Deciduous conifer tree. Conical open habit with soft blue-green foliage. Turns yellow in fall, then drops needles. Soft flexible needles 1 to 1 ½ inches long, bright to dark green, arranged in whorls of 40 or more on short woody spurs. Twigs brown, usually with hairs. Cones stiff, oval, 1 to 1 ½ inches long with scales turned upward, giving effect of a rosette. Bark thin and grayish brown, becoming rough and furrowed with age.
Wildlife Value: Seeds eaten by birds and rodents. Provides cover and nest sites for birds.
Uses: Lumber, pulp. Strong heavy rot-resistant wood used for construction, poles, railroad ties.
Interesting Facts: Grows faster than European larch and is slightly more heat tolerant. The rose-shaped cones and blue-green foliage are the easiest way to distinguish it from European larch.
Seedling size, source and cost: Two-year seedling. New York orchard. Average height 6"-12". $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

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Containerized Stock

Two-year greenhouse plugs. Average height 6"-12". New York source. $35/50 unit, $60/100 unit

Red Spruce, also called eastern spruce

Latin name: Picea rubens
Height: 60 to 80 feet
Width: 20 to 30 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun to partial shade, moist well-drained soil. Shade tolerant when young, prefers cooler sites such as north facing slopes. Hardy to zone 2.
Physical Description: Evergreen conifer tree. Full pyramidal shape when young, growing to tall narrow conical form. Foliage is shiny bright green to yellow-green. Sharp-tipped, four-sided needles ½ inch to ¾ inch long, pointing toward tip of stem. Cones shiny reddish brown with stiff smooth scales, 1 ½ inches to 2 inches long. Bark reddish brown to grayish brown, becoming rough and flaky.
Wildlife Value: Cover and nest sites. Seeds eaten by many birds and small mammals.
Uses: Lumber, Christmas trees, pulp. Soft white lightweight wood, particularly fine for musical instruments and boat masts. A top timber tree in the northeast.
Interesting Facts: Called red spruce because of the red-brown color of the inner bark and also the young twigs.
Seedling cost: $35/50 unit, $60/100 unit

Meyer Spruce (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Picea meyeri
Height: 40 feet
Width: 30 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun, well drained soil.
Physical Description: Evergreen tree. Rounded conical form with dense bluish-green foliage. Very similar to Colorado blue spruce, but less prone to insect and disease problems in the humid climate of the Northeast.
Wildlife Value: Cover and nest sites
Uses: Christmas trees
Interesting Facts: Has become popular Christmas tree species because of long-lasting needles and dense sturdy foliage.
Seedling cost: $35/50 unit, $60/100 unit

Norway Spruce

Balsam Fir

Pitch Pine (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Pinus rigida
Height: 40 to 60 feet
Width: 20 to 30 feet
Growth Rate: Medium to slow
Site Requirements: Full sun, well drained soil. Does well on dry rocky sites and in sterile sandy soils. Grows well in coastal areas and sand dunes.
Physical Description: Evergreen tree. Form rounded and conical when young, becoming open with age. On better sites can grow long straight trunk, and symmetrical shape. On sites with sterile or rocky soil, often gets very craggy and picturesque with age. Foliage yellowish- green, needles in bundles of three, 2 to 5 inches long. Cones reddish brown, 2 to 3 inches long, very stiff, with distinct spine on each cone scale. Cones persistent, sometimes remaining on tree for several years. Bark gray-brown, becoming rough and platy with age. Needles may sprout directly from bark, a unique trait that is part of pitch pine's fire adaptation.
Wildlife Value: Cover and nest sites. Seeds eaten by many birds and small mammals. Bark eaten by porcupines.
Uses: Primarily used for coastal planting and restoration of inland pine barrens such as the Albany Pine Bush. Formerly used as a source of pitch and turpentine. Rot-resistant wood once used for boatbuilding and railroad ties.
Interesting Facts: Highly fire-adapted, the key tree species in Northeastern coastal and inland pine barrens.
Seedling cost: $35/50 unit only.

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Hardwood Species

River Birch (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Betula nigra
Height: 40 to 70 feet
Width: 30 to 60 feet
Growth Rate: Medium to fast
Site Requirements: Sun to light shade. Moist to well drained soil, can tolerate flooding. Riparian species usually found on floodplains, stream banks, swamps and sandbars. Excellent tree for moist to wet landscape areas, but also does well on more upland sites. More heat tolerant than most birch species.
Physical Description: Deciduous tree, often multi-stemmed. Rather upright with graceful open branching, oval to conical when young, developing rounded crown with age. Leaves alternate, 1 to 3 inches long, glossy medium to dark green, almost diamond shaped, with toothed margin. Yellow fall color. Twigs and young branches have shiny reddish brown bark. Bark on trunk and larger branches is spectacular, with conspicuously peeling layers in various shades of tan, brown, gray-brown, cinnamon, pinkish-brown and cream. Very old trees develop platy reddish brown bark. Male catkins about 1 to 3 inches long, developing in fall and held over winter. Female flowers develop into small cones with papery, wind-dispersed seed.
Wildlife Value: Excellent wildlife species. Winter catkins and buds eaten by ruffed grouse, turkeys and many other birds. Seed eaten by birds and rodents. Twigs and foliage browsed by deer and rabbits, bark eaten by beavers. Sapsuckers drill holes for the sweet-tasting sap, which is enjoyed by many other birds, including hummingbirds.
Uses: Excellent for stream corridors and riparian restoration, wildlife habitat, rain gardens and storm water basins.
Interesting Facts: Sap boiled and used like maple syrup by Native Americans.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5:-14". New York source. $30/25 unit, $66/100 unit.

Black Cherry (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Prunus serotina
Height: 40 to 80 feet
Width: 20 to 40 feet
Growth Rate: Fast to medium
Site Requirements: Full sun, deep, moist well drained soil. On good sites black cherry can grow very large, with a long straight trunk.
Physical Description: Deciduous tree. Dense pyramidal form when young, developing more drooping branches with age. Leaves shiny, finely toothed, oval shaped with pointed tip. Fall color often in shades of reds and oranges. Small white flowers in narrow, hanging clusters followed by small reddish black, sweet berries. Bark on young trees smooth shiny dark gray brown with prominent horizontal lenticels. Older bark very distinctive blackish flakes resembling burnt potato chips.
Wildlife Value: Stems browsed by deer and rabbits. Fruit eaten by many birds and mammals.
Uses: Heartwood is beautiful reddish brown color, hard and strong. Used for furniture, veneer and dimensional lumber.
Interesting Facts: One of our most valuable hardwoods and prized since colonial times for fine furniture.
Seedling size, source and cost: One-year seedling. Average height 5"-14". New York source. $30/25 unit, $66/100 unit.

Black Walnut

Latin name: Juglans nigra
Height: 40 to 80 feet
Width: 30 to 60 feet
Growth Rate: Medium fast
Site Requirements: sun, deep moist well drained soil
Physical Description: Deciduous tree. Often has rather short trunk and open spreading branches. Compound leaves, 12 to 24 inches long with 10 to 24 narrow leaflets. Terminal leaflet often absent. Nuts almost round, about 1 inch long covered with thick husk. Unripe nuts have green husk and are perfectly round 1 ½ inch spheres. Husk turns brown and begins to disintegrate when nuts are ripe. Bark dark brown with narrow ridges.
Wildlife Value: Rich oily nutmeats are high calorie food for squirrels who open the nuts, and also for birds who clean out the shells.
Uses: Primary use is lumber from the valuable dark brown heartwood. Prized for furniture. Nuts are used for baking. Nut husks were once an important source of brown dye. Ripe nut husks will stain hands.
Interesting Facts: Spreads very readily where there are nut-bearing trees, because squirrels bury so many of the nuts.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5"-14". One or Two-year seedling. New York source. $30/25 unit, $66/100 unit.

Black Locust

Latin name: Robinia pseudoacacia
Height: 50 to 70 feet
Width: 30 to 40 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Sun. Grows in wide range of well drained soils from moist to dry. Nitrogen fixing species able to grow in very poor sterile soils.
Physical Description: Deciduous tree, usually single trunked , but often will spread by root sprouts into a grove of trees. Form is extremely variable, ranging from irregular "Halloween tree" shape to narrow and straight-trunked habit. Bark grayish brown, becomes very ridged and ropy-looking on older trees. Old farmstead black locusts often have massive, very rough-barked trunks, and open, irregularly branched crowns. Twigs on younger trees typically have paired thorns at leaf scars. Bark on new growth often green, later turning to brown. Leaves alternate, 6 to 12 inches long, compound with 7 to 19 leaflets. Leaflet shape oval to almost circular, soft blue-green above with lighter undersides. Leaves very late to emerge in spring. Fragrant white flowers hang in loose 6 inch long clusters reminiscent of wisteria. Flowers are especially striking because they open after the leaves. Young trees may have so many flowers that they look white from a distance. Seedpods 2 to 4 inches long, rather flat and papery looking, with 4 to 8 small, bean-shaped seeds.
Wildlife Value: Used as cover and perches by many birds. Also nest sites, and sometimes nest holes in very old trees. Young growth sometimes browsed by deer. A top honey species.
Uses: Important species for reclamation planting and soil improvement. Also valuable for slope stabilization. Wood is highly rot-resistant, yellowish colored, very hard and heavy. Traditionally used for fenceposts, railroad ties, mine timbers and telephone insulator pegs. Splits well, but is difficult to work with steel tools because of hardness and grain. Tamed by modern carbide edges, the wood is becoming more widely used by woodworkers for furniture, flooring and traditional boatbuilding. Good firewood because of very high BTU value.
Interesting Facts: Only nitrogen-fixing tree native to the eastern United States. Remarkable wood has many characteristics of tropical hardwoods, and makes an excellent substitute for pressure-treated lumber in sensitive natural areas.
Note: Black locust is considered highly invasive in some areas, especially open pine barren habitats and prairies. This species is very shade-intolerant and spreads rapidly by root sprouting into open sunny areas. It will not invade shady natural areas and forests.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5"-14". One or Two-year seedling. New York source. $30/25 unit.

Butternut, also known as white walnut (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Juglans cinerea
Height: 40 to 60 feet
Width: 20 to 35 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: sun, deep moist well drained soil
Physical Description: Deciduous tree. Rather open branching habit. Large compound leaves, 15 to 25 inches long, with 7 to 17 oval leaflets. Has single terminal leaflet. Nuts oblong, 1 to 1 ½ inches long with very rough ridged shell with a thick husk. Nutmeat is sweet and oily. Bark lightish gray with distinctive diamond shaped ridges.
Wildlife Value: The very rich nutmeat is valuable food for wildlife. Many birds will clean out nuts originally opened by squirrels.
Uses: Rich sweet nuts used for baking. Lumber light golden brown, takes very fine finish, used for cabinetry and paneling.
Interesting Facts: Can be distinguished from the very similar black walnut by leaves with fewer wider leaflets, oval husks and differences in the leaf scars.
Note: Butternut is susceptible to butternut canker, a disease caused by the fungus Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum. Although butternut has almost disappeared in some states, it is still an important component of New York's forests. Some trees have shown some resistance to the disease and efforts are underway to develop resistant strains of butternut. It is important to keep planting butternut in order to save this beautiful species. The more seedlings which are planted, the better the chances of finding resistant individuals. For more information on butternut canker, please see the link in the Links Leaving DEC's Website at the top, right-hand side of this page.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5"-14". One or Two-year seedling. New York source. $30/25 unit.

Flowering Dogwood (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Cornus florida
Height: 15 to 25 feet
Width: 10 to 15 feet
Growth Rate: Moderate
Site Requirements: Partial shade. Soil moist, well drained. Often grows on rocky slopes in light shade. Although typically an understory species, it will grow in full sun, but should have ample moisture.
Physical Description: Small deciduous tree. Trunk typically 3 to 6 inches in diameter. Rounded top, with layered, sometimes horizontal, lower branches. Unmistakable in winter with distinctive upswept branch ends and upright purple-gray flower buds. Leaves opposite, 2 to 4 inches long, symmetrical oval shape with smooth margin. Clear green above with lighter colored, often whitish undersides. Fall color excellent, typically shades of burgundy, pinkish purple, and sometimes bright red. Very distinctive in fall because leaves often hang downward in graceful clusters, showing the contrast between the colorful leaf tops with their whitish undersides.
Twigs gray to brown, but often turn soft purple in the sun. Bark on young tree smooth and gray. Older trees have rougher bark splitting into little square plates, a texture often compared to alligator skin. The checkered bark makes flowering dogwood trunks easy to spot in a forest understory.
Remarkable flowers 2 to 3 inch wide, with four big, showy. white sepals surrounding a tight cluster of small green true flowers. Flowers open before leaves in early spring. They are followed by clusters of bright red, ¼ to ½ inch long, oval berries. Fruit ripens in late summer to fall, and looks very striking with green foliage, and with purplish fall foliage.
Wildlife Value: Excellent wildlife species. Berries high in fat content, making them an especially valuable food for many birds. Also eaten by squirrels, foxes, deer and bears. A favorite food of ruffed grouse and wild turkey. Foliage browsed by rabbits and deer..
Uses: Hard, strong, shock-resistant wood has been used for a variety of uses such as tool handles, golf clubs and knitting needles. Prized for landscapes, stunning in bloom when growing as understory tree along forest edges.
Interesting Facts: One of the first American trees imported to Europe.
Note: Wild flowering dogwood populations have declined in the past few decades because of anthracnose blight, but have recently been observed to be increasing again in some areas. This suggests that there may be some natural resistance developing. To minimize disease susceptibility, flowering dogwood ideally should be planted on sites with light shade, adequate soil moisture, and also good air circulation to ensure that foliage does not stay wet for long periods of time. The species will grow in full sun, but should have adequate water to avoid drought stress.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5"-14". Two-year seedling. New York source. $30/25 unit, $66/100 unit.

American Hazelnut

Latin name: Corylus americana
Height: 6 to 12 feet
Width: 5 to 12 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Sun to light shade. Moist to dry well drained soil. Often grows in sunny open areas such as old fields and powerline corridors. At one locality, plants growing on dry rocky hillsides, and in wetlands, were observed to be producing abundant nut crops on both site types.
Physical Description: Deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub. Grows in dense clumps of slender upright, tough flexible stems. Often develops flaring, vase-shaped outline with a narrow base and wide top.
Leaves alternate, 2 to 5 inches long, rather coarse looking, dark green, with toothed edges. Undersides often hairy, leaf stems hairy. Fall color wonderfully variable. Good strong orange and copper shades, peach, yellow, and even true red. May have multiple soft colors with occasional dark green leaves.
Bark smooth and gray brown. Male catkins develop in fall and are distinctive feature of winter twigs. Usually about an inch long during winter, but longer when blooming. Occur in small clusters, sometimes singly along stem. Female flowers appear in very early spring before foliage. Very tiny, but are vivid shade of red.
Edible nuts develop inside leafy, hairy green husks, singly, or in clusters of 2 to 6. A large cluster may be fist-sized. Most of the nuts are produced at the top of the stems, and husk clusters are very visible as leafy green globs amidst the foliage. As nuts ripen, the husks begin to turn brown and open up. The nuts themselves are about ½ inch across, sometimes a bit larger, and look much like commercial hazelnuts or filberts, with hard reddish brown shells.
Wildlife Value: Top wildlife species. Catkins and buds important winter food source for ruffed grouse, and many other species. Nuts adored by wide range of birds and mammals. Difficult to gather for seed because wildlife will go after nuts as soon as husks start to turn brown.
Uses: Very versatile species, excellent for hedges and windbreaks, can be coppiced to encourage new shoots. Wonderful for native hedgerows, windbreaks and snowfences. Observed growing along old fencerows mixed with other native shrubs, including red osier dogwood, sumac, nannyberry, arrowwood, elderberry, roses and willows. A wonderful natural inspiration for a wildlife hedge.
Interesting Facts: Much in demand for development of hybrid hazelnuts, which are crosses of native hazelnuts with commercial European hazelnuts. to produce shrubs with larger nuts than the native species and with disease resistance lacking in the European species. Hazelnuts have an increasing number of uses and hybrid hazelnuts are a good potential agroforesty crop.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5"-14". Two-year seedling. New York source. $30/25 unit, $66/100 unit.

Hybrid Poplar

Latin name: Populus deltoides x Populus sp. (Eastern cottonwood crosses with other poplar species)
Height: 40 to 80 feet
Width: 30 to 50 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Sun, moist well drained soil. The cottonwood parent is a riparian species and grows in floodplain areas.
Physical Description: Deciduous tree. Upright, somewhat spreading habit. Leaves large rounded triangle shape like cottonwood, 2 to 5 inches long. Bark variable, usually light gray brown.
Wildlife Value: Shoots and leaves provide browse for deer and rabbits. Cover and nest sites for birds. Soft wood on old trees is easily excavated by woodpeckers for nest cavities.
Uses: Pulp, biofuel, windbreaks
Interesting Facts: Extremely fast growing, and can be coppiced for fuel crops.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5"-14". One-year rooted cutting. New York source. $30/25 unit, $56/100 unit.

Silver Maple, also known as soft maple

Latin name: Acer saccharinum
Height: 50 to 75 feet
Width: 40 to 60 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Sun, moist well drained soil, but can withstand periodic flooding. Very tolerant of a wide range of site conditions.
Physical Description: Deciduous tree. Rounded conical form when young, becoming more open with age. Typically develops short massive trunk with long heavy main branches. Younger branches rather slender and flexible, may sweep upward at ends. Distinctive in winter because of clumps of round flower buds on ends of branches. Leaves 2 to 5 inches wide, 3 to 5 lobes, very deeply lobed with coarse teeth, leaf backs silvery-white. Fall color is light yellow. Samaras wide v-shaped, up to 2 ½ inches wide. Bark smooth, light gray on young trees. Becomes shaggy and furrowed on older trees.
Wildlife Value: Deer browse, seeds and buds eaten by squirrels.
Uses: Riparian restoration. Fast-growing shade tree for large urban spaces, brownfield sites and floodplains. Was widely planted as street tree because of fast growth and tolerance of urban conditions, but proved to be too large for most streets, also brittle in ice storms. With an adequate space well away from power lines, it can still be a fine urban tree if it is properly pruned when young to encourage strong branching structure.
Interesting Facts: Largest seeds of any native maple. Unique lacy foliage and long sweeping branches.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5"-14". Two-year seedling. New York source. $30/25 unit, $66/100 unit.

Sugar Maple, also known as hard maple or rock maple (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Acer saccharum
Height: 50 to 75 feet
Width: 30 to 45 feet
Growth Rate: Slow
Site Requirements: Sun to partial shade; prefers deep, moist, well drained soil. For best growth, avoid dry hot sites and very wet sites.
Physical Description: Deciduous tree. Conical to round crown; dense foliage. Leaves are 3 to 6 inches, opposite, simple leaf with 3 to 5 lobes. Fall color: yellow,orange,and red tones, the widest color range of any tree. Small greenish yellow flowers in early spring. Fruit is a two-winged horseshoe shaped samara. Bark is variable, but usually grayish brown. May be furrowed on older trees.
Wildlife Value: Deer browse the branches. Squirrels feed on the seeds, buds, twigs, and foliage. Birds nest in trees.
Uses: The sap is the principal source of maple sugar. The wood is used for flooring, furniture, and veneer.
Interesting Facts: Sugar maple is the New York State tree. The wood sometimes has unique patterns such as a "birdseye" or "curly" figures making the wood highly prized. Although it has more specific site requirements than many other maple species, sugar maple is one of our most valuable trees for its superb fall color, maple syrup production, and fine lumber.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5"-14". Two-year seedling. New York source. $30/25 unit, $66/100 unit.

Red Maple, also known as swamp maple or soft maple

Latin name: Acer rubrum
Height: 40 to 60 feet
Width: 30 to 40 feet
Growth Rate: Medium fast
Site Requirements: Sun and moist well drained soil for best growth. Will grow on wide range of sites, particularly tolerant of wet conditions. Often found in wooded swamps, but will also grow on upland sites.
Physical Description: Deciduous tree. Conical to rounded crown, dense foliage. Leaves 2 to 5 inches across, usually 3 to 5 lobes, but typically 3-lobed. Margin usually toothed. Backs of leaves are light colored, often silvery white. Fall color mostly shades of red, also bright yellow, rarely shades of orange. Early spring flowers are red as are the ripening seeds. Samaras small and v-shaped. Young trees have smooth pale gray bark, becoming gray brown and rough on older trees.
Wildlife Value: Valuable browse for deer, good nest site for many birds, especially those which nest near wetlands. Seed, buds and twigs eaten by squirrels.
Uses: Excellent riparian tree, but tough and adaptable enough for many urban uses. Also used for lumber and pulp.
Interesting Facts: Best known for its brilliant red in fall, especially in swamps. Has remarkable range of reds, including an improbable shade of fluorescent pink-red. Whitish leaf undersides noticeable and attractive when foliage stirred by breeze.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5"-14". Two-year seedling. New York source. $30/25 unit, $66/100 unit.

Burr Oak

Latin name: Quercus macrocarpa
Height: 60 to 80 feet
Width: 40 to 70 feet
Growth Rate: Slow
Site Requirements: Sun, well drained soil. Tolerates drought, will grow on limestone soils.
Physical Description: Deciduous tree. Develops rangy, open form with long trunk and wide spreading branches. Older trees can be very striking with their long, shaggy looking, massive branches, corky twigs and long thick trunks. Leaves are 4 to 8 inches long with rounded lobes and often have very deep sinuses in the middle of the leaf, giving it a characteristic narrow "waist". Acorns mature in one year, 1 to 1 ½ inches long and 1 inch wide, with deep shaggy caps. Bark brown, scaly becoming darker and strongly ridged with age.
Wildlife Value: The huge sweet acorns are so popular with wildlife that it is a challenge to find any to plant.
Uses: Strong, heavy, rot-resistant wood used for flooring, beams, railroad ties. Similar to white oak, but not commonly seen. A very tolerant urban tree for parks and other larger areas.
Interesting Facts: The acorns are the largest of those of the North American oaks.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5"-14". Two-year seedling. New York source. $30/25 unit, $66/100 unit.

Chestnut Oak also known as Rock Oak

Latin name: Quercus montana (also referred to as Quercus prinus in older books)
Height: 40 to 80 feet
Width: 20 to 60 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun to light shade. Moist to dry well drained soil. Often grows on dry rocky sites with poor thin soil. Exceptionally drought resistant.
Physical Description: Deciduous tree. Form upright with rounded crown, occasionally multi-stemmed. Habit can be irregular on very poor site, but on better sites will grow into well shaped tree 12 or more inches in diameter. Belongs to white oak group.
Leaves alternate, 4 to 8 inches long, often narrow oval shape with widely spade rounded teeth, very glossy yellow-green to dark green above, and lighter green below. Leaves reminiscent of those of American chestnut, hence the name chestnut oak. Fall color usually yellow.
Twigs gray to red brown, have tight cluster of 5 or 6 buds at tips. Bark gray brown and smooth when young, becoming very thick and deeply furrowed with age. The distinctive ridged bark can be seen on trees only a few inches in diameter and is one of the key identification features for the species.
Acorns sweet, ripen in one season. Very large, up to 1 ½ inches long, yellowish to brown when ripe. Cap shallow and thin edged, fitting neatly. Acorns long oval shape, drop readily when ripe.
Wildlife Value: Big sweet acorns are prized by wildlife of all sorts.
Uses: Wood hard and strong, much like that of white oak. Heavy and fairly rot resistant, and often used interchangeably with white oak. Exceptional drought resistance, and an excellent species for very dry rocky sites. May have potential for urban use because of handsome appearance of glossy foliage and distinctive ridged bark, as well as its superior drought tolerance.
Interesting Facts: Bark high in tannin and has been used for tannin for leather tanning.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5"-14". Two-year seedling. New York source. $30/25 unit, $66/100 unit.

Northern Red Oak

red oak seedlings

Latin name: Quercus rubra
Height: 60 to 80 feet
Width: 40 to 50 feet
Growth Rate: Medium to fast
Site Requirements: Sun, moist well drained soil. Grows well on upland sites. most cold-tolerant oak species, hardy to zone 4.
Physical Description: Deciduous tree. Dense foliage, pyramidal form when young, developing long straight trunk in forest conditions, and shorter thick trunk in open situations. Rounded crown, usually more symmetrical than white oak. Leaves glossy, 5 to 8 inches long with lobes ending in sharp points. Fall color ranges from vivid red to russet brown. Big acorns, about 1 inch long, with very shallow caps like little berets. Ripen in two years, bitter taste. Bark smooth when young, becoming ridged with age.
Wildlife Value: Foliage browsed by deer. Acorns a major food source for wildlife species, especially deer, bear, turkeys, squirrels and many birds, especially jays and woodpeckers.
Uses: Very strong heavy, reddish wood, used for beams, framing, flooring and furniture. Tolerant of urban conditions and does well in larger areas like parks.
Interesting Facts: Unusually fast growing for an oak.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5"-14". Two-year seedling. New York Source. $30/25 unit, $66/100 unit.

White Oak

Latin name: Quercus alba
Height: 50 to 80 feet
Width: 40 to 60 feet
Growth Rate: Slow to medium
Site Requirements: Sun, well drained soil. Quite drought tolerant, will grow on dry rocky sites.
Physical Description: Deciduous tree. Dense foliage, pyramidal form when young. Open grown trees tend to develop short massive trunks and wide irregular crowns, often very picturesque. Forest-gown trees have longer trunks and narrower crowns. Leaves 4 to 8 inches long with rounded lobes, often finger shaped. Fall color wine red to pinkish brown. Acorns, small and sweet, maturing in one year. Bark is light gray brown, flaky on younger trees, becoming platy or blocky on old trees.
Wildlife Value: Acorns valuable food for turkey, deer, squirrels, jays and many other species.
Uses: Lumber is extremely strong and hard. Was widely used for barrels because tyloses in wood make it water tight and resistant to rot. Used for beams, railroad ties, flooring and furniture. Prized for framing timbers in wooden boats.
Interesting Facts: Quartersawn white oak, with its distinctive grain and dimensional stability was the primary wood used by Stickley and other makers of Mission style furniture. The iconic leaf shape of white oak is often used for logos and symbols.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5"-14". Two-year seedling. New York Source. $30/25 unit, $66/100 unit.

Wild Apple (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Malus pumila
Height: 20 to 40 feet
Width: 10 to 30 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Full sun, moist well drained soil. Wild apple
Physical Description: Deciduous tree. Form variable, sometimes with short trunk and wide spreading crown, or upright and pyramidal with narrower crown. Leaves oval, light green with fuzzy whitish undersides, growing from short spur shoots on older branches. Clusters of white flowers with pink buds produced on spurs, followed by familiar apple fruit. Fruit usually 1 to 2 ½ inches, often yellowish, but may be red, depending on seed source. Bark is smooth and dark gray on young trees, becoming rough and platy on old trees.
Wildlife Value: Fruit and seeds eaten by many species, bark and twigs are favored winter browse. Flowers attracts butterflies and birds. Orioles are especially partial to wild apple flowers.
Uses: Primarily planted for wildlife, but also have value as genetic resource for improvement of domestic apples.
Interesting Facts: Wild apples, more accurately feral apples, are descendants of old orchard trees that have grown from seed (orchard cultivars are grafted) and have become naturalized in old farm areas. Although the domestic orchard apple is an introduced species, wild apples, despite being widely spread by wildlife, are not considered invasive in New York.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 5"-14". One-year seedling. New York source. $30/25 unit, $66/100 unit.

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Wildlife Species

Order in units of 25 or 100. Avgerage height 3"-12". New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

American Mountain Ash

Latin name: Sorbus americana
Height: 10 to 30 feet
Width: 5 to 20 feet
Growth Rate: Slow
Site Requirements: Sun, moist well drained soil. A true mountain tree, it grows wild on high rocky slopes and summits. At lower elevations, it prefers cool moist sites. It is extremely hardy, growing well even in zone 2.
Physical Description: One of our most beautiful small native trees. It has compound leaves and dense clusters of white flowers, followed by showy red-orange berries.
Wildlife Value: The berries are held well into winter and are eaten by many birds and small mammals. Mountain ash is a favored browse food for moose and deer, and is also browsed by grouse, snowshoe hares, martens and fishers.
Uses: Wildlife planting, good small tree for urban and suburban natural areas.
Interesting Facts: Used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes.
Note: This is NOT in the Ash genus (Fraxinus sp.) and is NOT attacked by emerald ash borer.
Seedling size, source and cost: Three-year seedling. New York source. Only available as part of the Adirondack Mix Packet 5.

Arrowwood (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Viburnum dentatum
Height: 6 to 10 feet
Width: 4 to 8 feet
Growth Rate: Medium to fast
Site Requirements: Sun to light shade. Soil well drained to wet. Observed growing on open sites ranging from dry hillsides to cattailwetlands .
Physical Description: Deciduous multi-stemmed shrub. General form - straight slender trunks with much branched stems forming a rounded crown. New shoots are straight as an arrow. Bark grayish brown, smooth. Leaves are opposite, 1 to 3 inches long , shining green on top, lighter below. Leaf shape ranges from pointed oval to pointed elliptical, strongly veined, and has regular, rather coarse teeth. Arrowwood foliage is quite distinctive with its markedly opposite leaves, clear fresh green color and rather crisp texture. Fall color is remarkably varied, ranging from purples, reds and pinks to shades of orange peach and yellow.
Flowers small, creamy white, in flat top clusters 2 to 4 inches in diameter, nicely held above the leaves.
Berries are dark blue to black, rather small, about ¼ inch in diameter, in flat topped clusters, sometimes with pinkish stems. The fruit is held far longer than most shrubs, usually well into winter.
Wildlife Value: Outstanding shrub for wildlife, especially as winter food for birds.
Uses: Very versatile shrub for riparian areas, wildlife planting, and wetland restoration. Also useful for multi-species living snowfences and for wildlife fencerows.
Interesting Facts: The very straight new shoots were used to make arrows, hence the name.
Seedling size, source and cost: Two-year seedling. Average height 3"-12". New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Bayberry

Latin name: Morella pensylvanica, formerly Myrica pensylvanica
Height: 5 to 10 feet
Width: 5-10 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun to partial shade, moist, well drained soil. tolerant of a wide range of soil types, but as one of the few shrubs which can fix nitrogen, grows well on even the poorest sandy soils. Extremely salt tolerant. Hardy in Saratoga.
Physical Description: A remarkably versatile shrub, bayberry is equally at home in Long Island sand dunes and in wooded inland fens. This sun-loving shrub is tolerant of a wide range of soil types, but as one of the few shrubs which can fix nitrogen, it can grow well on even the poorest sandy soils. In warmer zones it is often evergreen, holding its aromatic leathery green leaves all winter. Deciduous (sometimes evergreen) spreading shrub. Multi-stemmed with dense foliage, rounded form. Leaves glossy, fragrant, 2 to 4 inches long, narrow oval with teeth near the tip. Leaves are alternate along the stem, often clustered densely at branch tips. Female plants have 1/8 inch waxy gray berries on lower stems.
Wildlife Value: The berries are held well into winter and are eaten by many bird species
Uses: Bayberry makes a fine urban or roadside shrub because of its high salt tolerance and its resistance to insects and diseases. It can be pruned as a hedge or allowed to spread as a low maintenance ground cover shrub.
Interesting Facts: The leaves make great potpourri, and the waxy gray berries are the source of fragrant bayberry candles.
Seedling size, source and cost: Average height 3"-12". New York source. Available only with the Long Island Shore Species Packet 3A.

Bristly Locust (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Robinia hispida
Height: 3 to 8 feet
Width: 3 to 8 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Sun, medium to dry soils. Because it is a nitrogen-fixing species, it can grow on extremely poor soils. Has been grown on acid soils with pH as low as 3.5, and on alkaline soils with pH up to 8.
Physical Description: Deciduous running shrub. Stems upright, with branched flared crowns. Will spread naturally by root sprouts into extensive thickets, especially in eroding soil. Intriguing looking shrub because it is literally covered with stiff reddish brown bristles, especially on young stems. Older bark is brownish with conspicuous lenticels.
Leaves alternate, 7 to 9 inches long, compound, with 9 to 13 leaflets. Leaf stems have a pair of small spines at the base. Leaflets oval, about 1 inch long, soft green above and lighter green below. Flowers are stunning, big hanging clusters of rose pink, pea-like blossoms each almost an inch long. They are followed by 2 to 3 inch long hanging seedpods. Although the pods are fairly flat, they look much plumper because of their thick coat of stiff, upright, reddish bristles.
The plants look quite fierce with their bristles, but aside from the paired thorns at bases of the leaves, they are not as thorny as they appear to be. The bristles are more like scrub brush bristles, stiff enough to stand straight, but flexible enough to be easily bent.
Wildlife Value: Flowers have value for honey, thickets provide some cover for various species.
Uses: Reclamation of mined land, slope stabilization and soil improvement. Especially useful for anchoring eroding soils and gravels because exposed roots quickly develop suckers.
Interesting Facts: This is the Arnot bristly locust developed at the USDA NRCS Big Flats Plant Materials Center in New York State.
Note: Despite its small size and beautiful flowers, this shrub should not be planted on confined sites or in yards. It is intended for reclamation of mined land and other barren sites where its fast spread by root sprouting is an advantage rather than a liability.

American Elderberry (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Sambucus canadensis
Height: 8 to 12 feet
Width: 8 to 12 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Sun to light shade, moist well drained soil, can tolerate drier sites. Often found along old roadside fencerows.
Physical Description: Deciduous shrub. Form is broad round topped shrub with arching branches. Can be sprawling and apt to lean toward sun if growing in partial shade. Will eventually spread into thickets if conditions allow, but often grows in solitary clumps.
Younger stems smooth tan bark with prominent raised lenticels, older bark is brownish. Younger stems are hollow with soft pith. Leaves opposite, 7 to 12 inches long, compound with 5 to 11 narrow, finely toothed leaflets. Foliage is yellowish green to light green, rather coarse textured. Fall color is yellow.
Flowers small and white in big flat-topped clusters up to 10 inches across. Flowers later in summer than many shrubs. Flowers followed by big flat-topped clusters of dark purple berries. Quite unmistakable in bloom and in fruit.
Wildlife Value: Outstanding. Fruit eaten by many songbirds, upland gamebirds and small mammals. Good browse species in late summer and fall. Excellent cover and nest sites for birds.
Uses: Riparian planting, reclamation, mixed species living snowfence, and wildlife fencerow planting.
Interesting Facts: Hollow twigs used for flutes and whistles by Native Americans. Berries make good preserves, pies and elderberry wine.
Seedling size, source and cost: Two-year seedling. Average height 3"-12". New York source. $42/100 unit only.

Highbush Cranberry

Latin name: Viburnum opulus
Height: 8 to 12 feet
Width: 8 to 12 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun, moist well drained soil
Physical Description: Deciduous shrub. Upright growth habit. Leaves opposite, 3 lobed, 2 to 4 inches long. Fall color shades of red. White flowers in flat topped clusters, followed by bright red berries.
Wildlife Value: Berries a top favorite of many birds.
Uses: Hedges, windbreaks, riparian planting, wildlife habitat
Interesting Facts: Not a true cranberry. There are two subspecies of highbush cranberry, one European and one American, both equally attractive to birds.
Seedling size, source and cost: Two-year seedling. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Nannyberry (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Viburnum lentago
Height: 8 to 15 feet
Width: 4 to 10 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun, moist well drained soil. Will tolerate wide range of soil types including limestone soils.
Physical Description: Deciduous shrub. Form often tall, rather narrow form with rounded top. Usually multi-stemmed. Leaves glossy, oval, 2 to 4 inches long with very finely serrated margin. Leaf stems may be slightly winged. Small white flowers in flat umbels, followed by clusters of oval, 3/8 inch berries which turn dark blue then black. Bark is dark grey, looks nearly black.
Wildlife Value: A favorite of many birds.
Uses: Wildlife, hedges and windbreaks, riparian habitat restoration.
Interesting Facts: One of the taller viburnums, can make attractive small tree when grown as single stem.
Seedling size, source and cost: One-year seedling. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Northern White Cedar, also known as Arborvitae (No longer available for 2012)

mature white cedar as visual and sound barrier

Latin name: Thuja occidentalis
Height: 20 to 60 feet
Width: 10 to 30 feet
Growth Rate: Medium to slow
Site Requirements: Sun to partial shade, moist well drained soil. Does well on limestone, also grows in wet soil.
Physical Description: Evergreen tree. Form rounded, narrow to conical when young, with dense foliage. Older trees develop tapered crowns and straight long trunks in forest conditions. Frequently grown in hedges and may appear multi-stemmed because of very low branched trunk. Foliage shiny, dark green, flattened sprays of twigs with tiny smooth scale-like needles. Cones about ½ inch long, brown with only a few scales. Bark gray and finely furrowed.
Wildlife Value: Excellent cover for many species because of dense foliage. Widely used as winter deer browse.
Uses: Hedges, screens, windbreaks, lumber. Wood is very light, rot-resistant and fairly strong.
Interesting Facts: Wood prized for planking small boats because of light weight. The famous 19th century Rushton canoes, built in upstate New York, were planked with white cedar. Most famous Rushton canoe 'Sairy Gamp', was 10 ½ feet long and weighed less than 10 pounds.
Seedling size, source and cost: Two-year seedling. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Pussy Willow

Latin name: Salix discolor
Height: 6 to 15 feet
Width: 4 to 10 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Sun, moist well drained soil. Will grow in wetlands.
Physical Description: Deciduous shrub. Can be grown as multi-stemmed shrub or as small single-trunked tree. Tree form branches shorter angular, foliage usually smaller. Very variable. Leaves alternate, elliptical, 2 to 4 inches long, light green to bluish green above, white below. Flower buds are gray and silky, later open into male or female catkins. Multi-stemmed shrub can be maintained by coppicing to get long shoots and lots of flower buds.
Wildlife Value: important browse species for many animals and birds. Willow buds, leaves twigs and bark provide food year around.
Uses: streambank stabilization, rain gardens, flower production for floral arrangements, bioengineering structures, riparian protection.
Interesting facts: Willow bark contains salicylic acid, the original source of aspirin. Used by native Americans as pain killer.
Seedling size, source and cost: One-year rooted cuttings. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Red Osier Dogwood "Ruby" (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Cornus sericea
Height: 6 to 9 feet
Width: 6 to 9 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Sun to partial shade. Moist, well drained soil to seasonally wet soils. Will grow in wetlands.
Physical Description: Deciduous spreading shrub. Multi-stemmed, growing in wide mound, spreads by rooting stems. Bright red twigs and younger branches. Leaves opposite, oval, 1 ½ to 3 inches long. Clusters of small white flowers, followed by white berries. Bark smooth and red, becoming gray and slightly furrowed on older stems.
Wildlife Value: Flowers draw butterflies, berries eaten by many birds, stems and leaves browsed by deer and small mammals
Uses: Soil stabilization, wildlife planting, hedges, windbreaks, basketry.
Interesting Facts: "Ruby" is an Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) introduction propagated from a plant found growing in Painted Post NY. This is propogated by cuttings which essentially are clones of the original plant. They will be consistent in physical characteristics. This selection has exceptional stem-rooting (layering) ability for use in stream bank stabilization and soil bioengineering. Can be repeatedly coppiced, either for production of rooting whips or to maintain it as a dense hedge.
Seedling size, source and cost: One-year rooted cuttings. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Red Stem Dogwood

Latin name: Cornus sericea, also known as red osier dogwood
Height: 6 to 9 feet
Width: 6 to 9 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Sun to partial shade. Moist, well drained soil to seasonally wet soils. Will grow in wetlands.
Physical Description: Deciduous spreading shrub. Multi-stemmed, growing in wide mound , spreads by rooting stems. Bright red twigs and younger branches. Leaves opposite, oval, 1 ½ to 3 inches long. Clusters of small white flowers, followed by white berries. Bark smooth and red, becoming gray and slightly furrowed on older stems.
Wildlife Value: Flowers draw butterflies, berries eaten by many birds, stems and leaves browsed by deer and small mammals.|
Uses: Soil stabilization, wildlife planting, hedges, windbreaks, basketry.
Interesting Facts: To avoid confusion with the NRCS Red Osier Dogwood "Ruby", a named selection propagated by cuttings, the name red-stem dogwood is used here to describe Cornus sericea plants grown from seed from a variety of sources. Plants grown from seed have natural variation.
Seedling size, source and cost: One-year seedling. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Rugosa Rose

Latin name: Rosa rugosa
Height: 3 to 7 feet
Width: 3 to 7 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Sun, well drained soil. Does well on sandy soils.
Physical Description: Deciduous spreading shrub. New stems usually green, very prickly. Leaves light green, shiny, have distinctive quilted texture. Flowers single, 2 inch, pink, occasionally white, with strong cinnamon-like fragrance. Will re-bloom. Large red hips, sometimes ½ diameter. Will spread by sending up new shoots from roots.
Wildlife Value: Hips excellent food for many birds, leaves and stems are browsed by deer and rabbits.
Uses: Much used along roads and in coastal areas because of salt tolerance and drought resistance. Very large hips are good source of vitamin C.
Interesting Facts: Originally from Japan, Rugosa rose has been widely planted because of its salt tolerance, disease resistance, and because it reblooms, unlike most species roses which only bloom once. In some areas it has become invasive, so check before you plant.
Seedling size, source and cost: Two-year seedling. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Dwarf Sand Cherry

Latin name: Prunus pumila var. depressa
Height: 1 to 2 feet
Width: 3 to 10 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun, moist, well drained soil. Eastern sand cherry grows wild on unstable shifting substrates such as gravel bars or inland coastal sand dunes. It grows well in a wide range of soils, including limestone soils.
Physical Description: Deciduous trailing shrub. Naturally prostrate shrub with trailing branches that spread across the ground and root into the soil. Short upright shoots 10 -16 inches tall, shiny red brown bark. Leaves gray-green, long and fairly narrow with rounded tips, 1-3 inches long ¼ to ¾ inches wide. Underside is whitish. Leaves held rather upright. White, 5 petaled flowers on lower half of shoots, followed by ½ inch dark red fruit. Bark on trailing branches typical cherry dark brown with lighter lenticels.
Wildlife Value: Fruit is eaten by many animals and birds.
Uses: The Sand Cherry grown at the Nursery comes from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) where it was originally propagated from seed of wild plants growing along the Delaware River near the NY/PA border. Used for riparian planting and soil stabilization, it also makes an excellent dense groundcover, and its extensive roots can help stabilize steep embankments. It also makes a beautiful shrub for urban planting, especially where its branches can trail from raised beds or across gravel mulch. The name "sand cherry" is deceiving because it will grow successfully on other soils that have good drainage. It is drought tolerant once established, yet will tolerate periodic flooding of short duration.
Interesting facts: Sand cherry is so unusual that it is worth using in situations where it can be seen up close, for example in raised plantings or for stormwater planting near buildings. It could be planted in an elegant low profile raingarden surfaced with river gravel, and allowed to spread as it does in the wild on river bars. Especially nice growing amidst large landscape rocks, great potential for urban areas.
Seedling size, source and cost: One-year seedling. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Sandbar Willow

Latin Name: Salix interior
Height: 3 - 10 feet
Width: 3 - 10 feet
Growth Rate: fast
Site Requirements: full sun, wet to moist soil, tolerates intermittent standing water
Physical Description: Deciduous spreading shrub. Very narrow, gray green leaves with widely spaced teeth. Fine textured, feathery foliage on slender tan stems. Vigorous spreading growth. Typically forms dense, multi-stemmed mounds of foliage. Bright yellow in fall.
Wildlife Value: Good cover for birds and animals, browse for deer, buds eaten by grouse.
Uses: Stream bank stabilization, bioengineering, green infrastructure, living fences
Interesting facts: Sandbar willow is excellent for stabilizing streambanks and for use in living fences, snow fences and bioengineered structures. Its narrow leaves give it a delicate feathery look, and it could be used in landscapes for almost a bamboo-like effect. It does spread, an advantage for shoreline stabilization, but something that should be planned for in more urban settings.
Seedling size, source and cost: One-year rooted cuttings. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Serviceberry, also known as shadbush (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Amelanchier sp.
Height: 10 to 40 feet
Width: 10 to 40 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun to light shade, moist to dry soil.
Physical Description: Small deciduous tree or tall multi-stemmed shrub. Form ranges from upright with rounded crown to irregular with narrow crown. Trees growing on very rocky dry sites are apt to be picturesquely crooked, whereas those on better sites are well-shaped and symmetrical.
Bark smooth gray when young, becoming more furrowed with age.
Leaves alternate, 1 to 3 inches long, shape ranging from almost round to long pointed oval, edges finely toothed, medium green on top and lighter below. Wonderful fall color in shades of orange, red, yellow and peach.
Blooms in early spring, often before leaves emerge. Flowers white with 5 narrow petals about ½ inch long, often covering the outer branches. Very showy because of early spring bloom when most trees are still leafless.
Fruit in small clusters, red to purple about 3/8 inch in diameter. Fruit ripens in summer.
Wildlife Value: Flowers good nectar source for early pollinator species. Fruit eagerly consumed by birds and many mammal species. Twigs, buds and leaves are good browse for many animals. An all-around favorite used by dozens of birds and mammals ranging from small squirrels to deer to bear.
Uses: Riparian planting, wildlife planting, parks, urban forestry.
Interesting Facts: The name shadbush refers to the flowers opening at the time that the shad are running. The fruit taste much like blueberries and make great pies and preserves.
Note: The seedlings offered are from assorted tree and large shrub serviceberry species, based on seed availability. Although the leaf shapes may vary, they are all quite similar in terms of flower and fruit characteristics, and all are attractive, it being truly difficult to find an ugly serviceberry.
Seedling size, source and cost: Two-year seedling. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit.

Silky Dogwood

Latin name: Cornus amomum ssp. amomum, also known as swamp dogwood
Height: 6 to 10 feet
Width: 6 to 10 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Sun to partial shade, well drained to wet soils. Needs some moisture, is not highly drought tolerant.
Physical Description: Deciduous spreading shrub. Multi-stemmed shrub with dense foliage and rounded form. New stems reddish purple with fine silky hair. Flexible stems will root where they are in contact with the ground. Leaves opposite, oval with sharp tip, 2 to 4 inches long. Clusters of small white flowers in spring, followed by blue berries which ripen to black. Young bark smooth, greenish or brown, becoming brown, slightly furrowed .
Wildlife Value: Flowers attract butterflies. Fruit eaten by many birds. Leaves and twigs browsed by deer, rabbits.
Uses: Riparian restoration, stream bank stabilization, windbreaks.
Interesting Facts: One of the more shade tolerant shrubs for moist soil. Much used for restoration and stabilization because of ability to readily root from stems.
Seedling size, source and cost: One-year seedling. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Streamco Willow (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Salix purpurea "Streamco," also known as purpleosier willow
Height: 10 to 15 feet
Width: 10 to 15 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Sun, moist well drained soil.
Physical Description: Deciduous shrub. Upright clumping habit, forms long stems, especially when coppiced. Young stems purplish to reddish brown. Leaves alternate, but often appear to be opposite. Narrow leaves 2 to 4 inches long, bluish green with silvery white undersides.
Wildlife Value: important browse species for many animals and birds. Willow buds, leaves twigs and bark provide food year around.
Uses: Streambank stabilization, rain gardens, bioengineering structures, riparian protection.
Also used for basket-making, rustic furniture, living structures.
Interesting facts: A variety of European basket willow that will produce long flexible shoots when coppiced. During late 19th early 20th century, willow basket making was a major industry in central NY.
Seedling size, source and cost: One-year rooted cuttings. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Toringo Crabapple

Latin name: Malus seiboldii
Height: 10 to 15 feet
Width: 10 to 15 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun, moist well drained soil.
Physical Description: Deciduous small tree. Rounded habit with dense foliage. Fragrant white flowers, followed by ½ inch yellow to red fruit.
Wildlife Value: This crabapple species is especially valuable for wildlife, since it holds its fruit well into February when few other foods are available. It is a better choice than wild apple in many situations, since the shoots and bark are not severely browsed by deer.
Uses: Wildlife, hedges.
Interesting Facts: Although this species is native to Asia, it is often recommended in preference to native crabapples because of its superior disease resistance. Native crabapples are extremely susceptible to several major diseases, notably cedar-apple rust.
Seedling size, source and cost: Two-year seedling. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Virginia Rose (No longer available for 2012)

Latin name: Rosa virginiana
Height: 4 to 6 feet
Width: 2 to 6 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Sun, moist well drained soil. Does well in sandy soils, tolerant of salt spray.
Physical Description: Deciduous spreading shrub. New canes dark red, paired slightly curved thorns. Leaves dark green and shiny with distinctive broad "wings" or stipules at the base of the stem. Flowers large, pink, single, about 1 ½ to 2 inches across. Blooms in late spring- early summer. Smooth red hips.
Wildlife Value: Hips excellent food for many birds, leaves and stems are browsed by deer and rabbits.
Uses: Soil and dune stabilization, roadside and beach planting, wildlife cover and food, hedges.
Interesting Facts: Can be used as native replacement for rugosa rose because of similar site preferences.
Seedling size, source and cost: One-year seedling. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Wild Grape (No longer available for 2012)

green wall with wild grape

Latin name: Vitis riparia, also known as river grape, riverbank grape
Height: 40 to 70 feet
Width: Variable
Growth Rate: Fast
Site Requirements: Moist well drained soil. Although wild grape is a riparian species, it grows on a remarkably wide range of sites, thriving even in blighted industrial areas. Fairly drought tolerant, probably the most cold-hardy woody vine.
Physical Description: Deciduous woody vine. Long stems with attractive reddish-brown shredding bark. Young shoots light green, climbing with large forked tendrils, which coil strongly around supports. Leaves 2 to 6 inches long, light green, thin, shining, usually three lobed. Leaf form variable; some leaves may be very deeply lobed and toothed. Fruit tight clumps of dark blue to black grapes, about ¼ inch in diameter.
Wildlife Value: Berries are winter food for many bird and animal species, the bark is used by birds for nest material, and the vines are preferred nest sites for species such as cardinals. It is one of the most valuable species for wildlife, not only because of the fruit, but also because the swinging vine stems provide nest sites safe from the majority of predators.
Uses: Tough, hardy and fast-growing, it can be used to cover fences and shade structures. It climbs with strong coiling tendrils and can be grown on wall trellises as green walls to help cool buildings. It can grow tall enough to shade sides of multi-story buildings and is recommended as a native substitute for invasive wisteria vines. Although wild grape has a reputation for being aggressive, regular pruning makes it a beautiful asset for shading a house or covering a fence. Plus, grapevine prunings make excellent wreaths and decorations.
Interesting Facts: The fruit is very tart when it first ripens and makes excellent preserves. After a hard frost the berries become very sweet. A magnificent and under-rated vine that has tremendous potential for green infrastructure, particularly for cooling and air quality improvement.
Note: Do not allow any vines to climb up trees. Encourage them to climb trellises, fences, buildings and other supports where they can provide shade and other benefits while getting the light that they want.
Seedling size, source and cost: Two-year rooted cuttings. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

Witch Hazel

Latin name: Hamamelis virginiana
Height: 15 to 20 feet
Width: 15 to 20 feet
Growth Rate: Medium
Site Requirements: Sun to shade, moist well drained soil. In the wild, often grows as an understory species and tolerates considerable shade.
Physical Description: Deciduous shrub. Multi-stemmed habit, spreading and open in shade, upright and pyramidal in full sun. Leaves 3 to 5 inches long, oval to almost round. Bright yellow leaves in early fall are followed by tiny highly fragrant yellow flowers.
Wildlife Value: The seeds and buds are a favorite winter food for grouse.
Uses: It is the source of medicinal witch hazel. Witch Hazel can grow nicely in urban areas with adequate soil moisture. Because it is highly shade tolerant, Witch Hazel is a wonderful species to plant in the shade of a woodlot, where it can develop an interesting open habit.
Interesting facts: It is one of the only native plants which blooms in late fall and early winter. When ripe, the seed capsules explode open and may shoot seeds 30 feet or more.
Seedling size, source and cost: Two-year seedling. New York source. $20/25 unit, $42/100 unit

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Mixed Species Packets

Wildlife Mixed Species Packet 1 - $42.00 Contains 30 each of the following: Highbush Cranberry, Red Stem Dogwood, Toringo Crabapple. (90 plants)
Wildlife Mixed Species Packet 2 - $25.00 Contains 10 each of the following: Highbush Cranberry, Silky Dogwood, Sand Cherry. (30 plants)
Long Island Shore Species Packet 3A - $25.00 Contains 10 each of the following: Bayberry, Virginia Rose, Pitch Pine. (30 plants)
Riparian Species Packet 4 - $60.00 Contains 10 each of the following: Hybrid Poplar, Pussy Willow, Red Oak, Red Maple, Red Stem Dogwood, Highbush Cranberry, Streamco Willow, Silky Dogwood, White Spruce. (100 plants)
Adirondack Mix Packet 5 - $42.00 Contains 10 of the following: American Mt. Ash, Red Maple, Witch Hazel, Red Oak, White Pine. (50 plants)
Ruffed Grouse Packet 6 - $42.00 Contains 10 each of the following: White Spruce, Silky Dogwood, American Mt. Ash, American Hazelnut, and Wild Apple. (50 plants).

The Nursery reserves the right to make substitutions in any wildlife packet using a species suitable for the area to be planted.