Game Commission shrub, tree seedling sales begin
In the midst of winter, it’s hard to image sunshine and budding trees.
But that’s just what the Pennsylvania Game Commission hopes you’ll consider as they launch another year of sales with the Howard Nursery.
The Howard Nursery isn’t just any tree nursery. They’re actually the folks behind supplying shrub and tree seedlings to a number of programs, including the Hunter Access cooperators, the PGC’s conservation partners and the Seedlings for Schools program.
The Hunter Access Program encompasses about 2.6 million acres in the commonwealth. According to their website, the program was launched to “provide methods through which game conditions in farming regions and forested areas could be improved.”
Similarly, the Seedlings for Schools Program gives school-aged students a chance to explore “their role as caretakers of their environment while having fun in the outdoor classroom,” according to the website.
In that program alone, more than 1.3 million seedlings have been disbursed in the last decade.
In all, though, the Howard Nursery annually produces and distributes between two and eight million seedlings.
According to a press release from the PGC, the remaining surplus is available to PA residents for “wildlife food and cover, watershed protection, soil erosion control, and for reclamation of disturbed areas, such as surface mine sites and utility rights-of way.”
“Last year, game lands and partner demands for seedlings was greater than our supply,” Brian D. Stone, manager of Howard Nursery, said in the release.
“This year, after fulfilling our commitments to our game lands projects and our partners, we will have a limited supply of surplus available for public sale,” he continued.
Each year, the selection of trees and shrubs change, based on several factors including growing conditions, seed availability and germination.
This year, the PGC said they’ll have a number of nut-bearing trees available – most of which are native to PA – including buttonbush, graystem dogwood, Washington hawthorn, black locust, Northern bayberry, chokecherry, ninebark, black walnut, black gym, common elderberry and arrowwood viburnum.
The game commission did note, though, that due to seed predation and conifer mortality, their list of seedlings this year is shorter than normal.
Next year, however, is looking promising.
“The nursery anticipates a good crop of 2020 seedlings that may include often-requested favorites such as white pine; wild apple, pear and plum; white oak and paw-paw as well as some new varieties: Allegheny chinquapin, red mulberry, and persimmon,” the PGC noted on their website.
As for this year, surplus seedling sales began on Jan. 7. Generally, seedlings ordered from the Howard Nursery will be shipped and delivered in April.
Those interested in seedling sales – whether for an organization or surplus – can visit the PGC website for more information under the “Information & Resources” tab.