Seedling Tree Nursery
The Colorado State Forest Service Nursery staff has been hard at work growing seedlings for the upcoming sales season. As we continue to improve infrastructure, staffing and processes, we will focus on providing a generous quantity of the majority of our typical species, in addition to several additional products. We are committed to continuing to increase our quality and quantity of seedlings as these improvements are realized.
As of May 22, 2024, the CSFS Nursery spring sales season is closed.
Existing retail orders that have been invoiced and paid for are available for pick-up Fridays of each week through June 14, unless otherwise specified.
Thank you for your continued interest and support.
Trees for Conservation
Few conservation efforts provide the extensive and enduring benefits of planting seedling trees. Seedling trees serve many functions:
- 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.
Restoring Colorado’s Forests Fund Program
Restoring Colorado’s Forests Fund (RCFF) is a donor-funded program established to provide no-cost seedlings to landowners whose properties have been impacted by wildfires and other natural disasters. Reforestation helps to protect water supplies, reduce flooding and erosion and restore wildlife habitat.
Landowners in Colorado can apply for no-cost seedlings during the application period, which is open from July 1 to September 30.
Applicants must have previously forested land impacted by natural disasters such as wildfires and will be ranked based on forester evaluations. Priority ranking will be given to applications that best convey soil, water quality and wildlife habitat improvements and provide the greatest public benefit.
Every $2 donation to the fund pays for one seedling that will be given to qualified applicants free of charge for reforesting state and private lands within Colorado. Visit the donation page if you would like to support reforestation through the RCFF program.
Send inquiries and request an application through CSFS_RCFF@colostate.edu.
The CSFS Nursery offers hardy plants specifically tailored for individual riparian site improvement.
Riparian plants are grown in deep tubes to establish substantial root masses that can easily access subsurface moisture.
CSFS growers rely on knowledge gained from growing plants for landscapes damaged in the massive 2013 flooding.
That understanding ensures success with today’s riparian restoration projects.
The CSFS Nursery can focus on time-sensitive, specialty growing by adapting production plans to meet the needs of customers. Partnerships to restore sage grouse habitat in western Colorado highlight one of the many custom grow efforts led by the nursery.
Regardless of the size of a project, the nursery can accommodate specialty plant grows including:
- Site-specific plant requirements
- Habitat restoration
- Vegetative harvests
- Propagation and emergency grows to support extreme site disturbance
The CSFS Nursery is proud to be the only facility currently offering large storage services for seed, plant material and vegetative harvests to northern Colorado and the Front Range.
The nursery boasts 6,700 square feet of stackable, refrigerated space for long- or short-term storage.
Prices are based on space requirements and additional services the nursery can provide, such as scales, forklifts and after-hours access.