Pre-Ordering for Spring 2021 Begins Nov. 2, 2020

Nov. 2 marks the beginning of our pre-order season for seedling trees, shrubs and perennials to be distributed in the spring of 2021.

Our cooperating offices are located throughout Colorado and surrounding states, and offer the best route to obtain our plant stock. Identify your nearest participating office by checking the list on our website at https://csfs.colostate.edu/seedling-tree-nursery/buying-seedlings/ and contact that office directly to place an order for the plants you would like to pick up from them in the spring.

The nursery will also be taking orders directly for those interested in picking up plants directly from our facility in Fort Collins, or for those who wish for plants to be shipped to them via UPS.* To place an order for pick up from the nursery, or for UPS shipment, please complete our order form found here, and return it to the nursery via email to CSFS_Trees@mail.colostate.edu.

As COVID continued to impact our ability to host visitors at the nursery, all pickup of plant material in the spring of 2021 will be done by appointment only. Once you have submitted an order, we will reserve the plants requested, and then contact you to discuss payment options and to schedule an appointment for pickup. These appointments will take place during 15-minute windows, beginning mid-March and running through the end of May, and it will be imperative that these appointments are kept, as due to the volume of customers we anticipate serving, rescheduling a missed appointment could mean significant delays in your ability to pick up your plants.

*Some products are not available for UPS shipment. Additional costs for shipping apply to all UPS orders.

Trees for Conservation

Seedlings grow a greenhouse at the Colorado State Forest Service Seedling Tree Nursery.Few conservation efforts provide the extensive and enduring benefits of planting seedling trees. Seedling trees help:

  • Reforest burned areas
  • Enhance wildlife habitat
  • Reduce soil erosion
  • Protect water supplies
  • Serve as living snow fences that provide protection from wind and snow

Growing low-cost seedlings for Colorado landowners is vital to meeting the state’s conservation goals.

Working with Landowners

The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) Nursery, located on the Foothills Campus of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, is the state’s leader in producing low-cost, Colorado-grown seedling trees and shrubs for conservation purposes. The CSFS Nursery produces more than 40 species, all selected for their hardiness and adaptability, which are ideal for landowners and land managers to use for conservation in Colorado’s diverse environments.

Situated on 130 acres managed for field production of bare-root seedlings, the nursery also uses 18,000 square feet of greenhouse space for container plant production. Nursery staff continuously conduct trials to identify new species that will address landowner needs.

Covering Conservation

The seedling program allows farmers, ranchers, other landowners and land managers to obtain trees at a nominal cost to help achieve conservation goals, including:

  • Restoration after wildfire, flood and other natural disturbances
  • Growing shelterbelts, windbreaks and living snow fences
  • Creating and enhancing wildlife habitat
  • Protecting homes, cropland, livestock and highways
  • Increasing erosion control
  • Practicing “backyard” conservation that promotes clean air and water

Sharing Knowledge

Conservation and sustainability are the nursery’s primary goals, with a commitment to community, stewardship and cooperation.

The nursery supports education about conservation practices – particularly to Colorado youth – through tours, field trips, workshops and community engagement.

The CSFS Nursery works with Colorado State University and other partners on research that examines the state’s most pressing natural resource issues.

Nursery staff share findings from plant trials, seed stratification tests and similar research to contribute knowledge to cooperating agencies.

Take a Virtual Tour

Discover the behind-the-scenes activity at our Fort Collins facility by visiting our Take a Quick Tour of the Nursery page.

You’ll learn about:

  • Greenhouse production
  • Bare root production
  • Lifting
  • Conservation efforts