Bur Oak Quercus macrocarpa Description & Overview The iconic oak of Wisconsin! Bur Oak is one of the toughest oaks, tolerant of highly alkaline soils and drought. Most have interesting corky bark on young branches. The acorns make it an excellent plant to attract wildlife. Use where space is not […]

Sugar Maple Acer saccharum Description & Overview The Wisconsin State Tree, Sugar Maple is one of the hardiest and long lived of all the maples. Valued commercially for timber and syrup production, this tree is a staple of Wisconsin woodlands and fall color. With fall color ranging from gold to […]

Pagoda Dogwood Cornus alternifolia Description & Overview Native to Wisconsin’s woodlands and forests, Pagoda Dogwood is an incredibly useful small tree or large shrub that provides year-round interest in the landscape. 2-inch clusters of slightly fragrant flowers in spring give way to blue-black berries on red peduncles (flower stalks) in […]

White Oak Quercus alba Description & Overview White Oak is a large, strong, imposing Wisconsin native specimen tree. It has a stocky trunk with wide-spreading horizontal limbs that are picturesque. Its foliage turns to a brilliant display of colors in autumn with showy shades of orange, red, and violet. This […]

Hybrid Swamp x Bur Oak Quercus x schuettei Description & Overview Quercus x schuettei is a naturally occurring hybrid between the Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) and the Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor). This oak is a great choice for lowland areas with saturated soils or sites that are high and […]

Speckled Alder gives back what it takes ten-fold. Often found in areas with wet soil in or along swamps, meadows, and streams, Speckled Alder often serves as erosion control along banks while providing protection, shelter, and food to many species. It's a nitrogen-fixing species, replenishing the soil and nourishing the plants growing around it. We typically grow it as a small tree, but it tends to take the form of a multi-stemmed shrub when left to grow in the wild.

Cockspur Hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli Description & Overview Cockspur Hawthorn is a deciduous tree that features a stunning, umbrella-shaped growth habit, spring flowers, fall fruit, and brilliant orange fall color. It’s incredibly versatile in most landscape styles. This tree has large sharp thorns. It’s best to avoid planting in areas where […]

Common Hackberry Celtis occidentalis Description & Overview Common Hackberry is a large, Wisconsin native shade tree with a vase shape canopy. It tolerates tough sites and excels in urban plantings. Hackberry has characteristic wart-like bark and dark-red to purple fruits, lending itself well to bird-centric landscapes. Core Characteristics Wisconsin Native: […]

Red Maple is a Wisconsin native tree that's tolerant of most soils and sites. This is evident by its presence in many different ecotypes throughout its native range from Maine to Florida and west to Texas.

Black Cherry Prunus serotina Description & Overview Black Cherry is a medium-to-large sized deciduous tree that is native to much of eastern North American, Mexico, and Central America. It typically occurs in both lowland and upland woods and along streams. It is noted for its fragrant white flowers, attractive glossy […]

Musclewood Carpinus caroliniana Description & Overview Musclewood is a hardy, Wisconsin native tree that exhibits beautiful fall color that ranges from yellow to orangey-red. Multiple stems give it the appearance of a large shrub, but we also commonly grow it as a single-stem tree. Over time, the grey bark exhibits […]

Pin Cherry is a Wisconsin native tree and a rare find in the nursery trade! Perfect for a bird garden, reforestation, or naturalization project, its bountiful shiny red drupes are a favorite of many varieties of wildlife, especially birds and pollinators.

River Birch Betula nigra Description & Overview Excellent for wet soil conditions. Beautiful exfoliating cinnamon-brown bark exposes the pink inner bark. Resistant to bronze birch borer. River birch is also known as Black Birch, Red Birch, and Water Birch. Core Characteristics Wisconsin Native: Yes USDA Hardiness Zone: to zone 3 […]

Ironwood Ostrya virginiana Description & Overview Ironwood is a small, slow-growing pyramidal tree native to the dry understory in our local oak woods. Its small mature size is great for restricted spaces and the tree will thrive in sun or heavy shade. While it has shown promise as a street […]

Black Walnut Juglans nigra Description & Overview Black Walnut is a large deciduous tree native to Eastern North America that produces edible nuts in the fall. The nuts are a valuable food source for local wildlife. It is one of North America’s most valuable trees due to its high-quality timber. […]

Members of the Quercus genus are at the pinnacle of wildlife value – Black Oak is no exception. This fellow Wisconsinite is commonly found growing in the Southeastern part of the state - naturally occurring in our upland woods, sandy woodlands, or sandy savannas. This oak is known for the charcoal to the brownish-gray color of its trunk, and is distinguished from other oaks by the patches of tan to reddish-brown hairs on the foliage's undersides.

Swamp White Oak Quercus bicolor Description & Overview Oak genetics are amazingly diverse and there seems to be an oak tree adapted for almost every situation. The Swamp White Oak is no exception – it’s not only native to our local ecosystem but can also adapt to different soil conditions. […]

Paw Paw is a delightful, tropical-looking small-scale tree that has an unusual, edible fruit. Forming loose colonies, Paw Paw's luscious green foliage turns a lovely golden-yellow in autumn. Its delicious fruit is fragrant and tasty, some describing it as a cross between a banana and a mango.

Showy Mountainash Sorbus decora Description & Overview Wisconsin native, Showy Mountainash provides true all-season interest in our northern climate. White showy spring flowers give way to bright red, eye-catching fruit clusters throughout summer. The tree has reliable fall color and fruit persists during winter for birds to feed on. Not […]

American Beech Fagus grandifolia Description & Overview American beech is an aristocrat of the forest! Large, stately tree with light gray, smooth bark that can resemble an elephants hide. Edible nuts are attractive to most wildlife and are produced at 2-8 year intervals. Slow growing. Climax forest tree. Core Characteristics […]

Quaking Aspen Populus tremuloides Description & Overview Quaking Aspen is a fast-growing, narrow-oval to pyramidal, Wisconsin native tree with lustrous dark green foliage that shimmers in the slightest breeze. This pioneer species is quick to colonize open spaces, especially where there is bare soil. Its creamy white bark and rapid […]

Yellow Birch is one of the largest Wisconsin native birch trees, reaching 80 feet tall and 50 feet wide. Delightful, tiny male and female catkins bloom in spring, followed by cone-like fruits with seeds in late summer. Yellow Birch leaves are golden yellow in fall, lighting up the landscape with color, while peeling bark provides interest in winter.

Shagbark Hickory Carya ovata Description & Overview I’ll give you one guess why it’s called Shagbark Hickory- and it’s not because it was the inspiration for 1970’s flooring. Its characteristic peeling, platy bark gives this tree four season interest no matter the location. Strong wood for timber and sweet nuts […]

Bigtooth Aspen Populus grandidentata Description & Overview Bigtooth Aspen is one of, if not the fastest-growing native trees in Wisconsin. It’s an early colonizer of prairies and woodland edges but prefers drier sites than its cousin, Quaking Aspen. Named for the large teeth on leaves that shimmer in a summer […]

Hills Oak Quercus ellipsoidalis Description & Overview Hills Oak is often found on dry, acidic soils with low nutrient content. The glossy green leaves have deep sinuses, and the tree tends to hang on to lower branches. A good choice for reliable fall color in tough, droughty sites, but will […]

Chinkapin Oak Quercus muehlenbergii Description & Overview Chinkapin Oak loves alkaline soil! This tree is a reliable grower, even in the poorest of sites. The small, sweet acorns are possibly the most preferred by wildlife. The chestnut-like leaves and bright fall colors make Chinkapin Oak a bold statement in any […]

Red Oak Quercus rubra Description & Overview A monarch of our climax forests in Wisconsin! Red Oak shines as a specimen tree with its brilliant red fall color and deep green leaves in summer. It is the fastest growing native oak in Wisconsin and its silvery smooth bark provides excellent […]

Apple Serviceberry is a Wisconsin native, early-blooming small tree with pink buds and white flowers. Pink to red berries ripen to resemble small blueberries and are quickly eaten by the birds. Brilliant fall color ranging from yellow to red.

Eastern Cottonwood is a Wisconsin native tree known for its towering height, upwards of 90' and its fast growth rate - sometimes over 6' per year in ideal conditions. One of the tallest species east of the Rocky Mountains, it grows best in moist, well-drained, fine sandy or silt loams close to streams.

Prairie Crabapple is a Wisconsin native tree noted for its spectacular fragrant, pink to white flowers that bloom in mid-spring. Nectar and pollen attract myriad pollinators including honeybees, bumblebees, long-tongued bees as well as butterflies, and skippers. Fruit is greenish-yellow and beloved by wildlife.

Hoptree is a Wisconsin native tree with a wonderful spreading habit, sweet-smelling, orange blossom-like flowers, and lustrous dark green foliage. Tan wafer-like seed clusters cover the tree in early fall as leaves turn brilliant yellow, providing food to many birds and mammals.

Paper Birch is a spectacular Wisconsin native tree with thin, white papery bark that peels to reveal the reddish-brown color underneath that becomes pure white with age. Dark-green leaves turn golden in autumn lighting up the landscape with color. Paper Birch also provides shelter and food to birds, pollinators, and small mammals.

Bog Birch is an uncommon shrubby tree, with reddish bark, lovely small oval leaves, and catkins that bloom from mid-to late-spring. Many insects are drawn to the flowers, while buds and nutlets provide food for songbirds. Great as a shrub, hedge, or in a wildlife garden.