See the current Inventory & Price List for seedling sources and availability.

Further seed source info and scientific names are available by contacting the nursery.

Many of our species are produced from MITOSIS seed. MITOSIS is the Montana Interagency Tree and Shrub Improvement Study. The study was a cooperative effort to evaluate the performance of various species of plants in established Montana plantings. The selected plantings were evaluated for over ten years and the best performing plants were selected for seed orchard establishment at the nursery.

We use this seed source whenever possible. These selections perform well in many of Eastern Montana's variable and harsh climates. Although these plants have not been tested in every environment, MITOSIS selections are some of the best plant materials available for use in Montana. The selections are proven to survive in Montana because they were evaluated in Montana not other Northern Great Plains states.

	Alder, Thinleaf
	Alnus incana
	Growth Rate	Fast	Cold Hardiness	High
	20-Year Height	20'	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance
	Elevation Range	Up to 6,000'	Life Span	30 years
	Windbreak Spacing	N/A	Minimum Annual Precip.	20"
	Wildlife Value		Pests
	Comments	Small riparian tree.

	Ash, Green
	Fraxinus pennsylvanica
	Growth Rate	Moderate	Cold Hardiness	High
	20-Year Height	18'	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Fair
	Elevation Range	Up to 5,000'	Life Span	40+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	8-12'	Minimum Annual Precip.	10"
	Wildlife Value	Good bird nesting cover and browse.	Pests	Ash borer.
	Comments	MITOSIS selection from seven superior windbreaks in eastern Montana. Superior to "Cardan" green. Ask for Montana.

	Aspen
	Populus tremuloides
	Growth Rate	Fast	Cold Hardiness	High
	20-Year Height	30'	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Poor
	Elevation Range	Up to 8,000'	Life Span	30+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	N/A	Minimum Annual Precip.	15"
	Wildlife Value	Valuable browse for big game.	Pests	Stem rots, poplar borer, leaf spot, tent caterpillar.
	Comments	Forms thickets from root suckers. Showy fall color. Does best at mid to high elevations.

	Birch, Water
	Betula occidentalis
	Growth Rate	Fast	Cold Hardiness	High
	20-Year Height	20'	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Moderate
	Elevation Range	Up to 6,000'	Life Span	30+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	8-10'	Minimum Annual Precip.	16"
	Wildlife Value	Good nesting cover and shade tree for streamside plantings.	Pests	None significant.
	Comments	Bronze to deep red bark is very attractive. Common native tree in Western MT, riparian areas.

	Cherry, Black
	Prunus serotina
	Growth Rate	Moderate	Cold Hardiness	Fair
	20-Year Height	30'	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Poor
	Elevation Range	Up to 4,500'	Life Span	50+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	6-12'	Minimum Annual Precip.	12"
	Wildlife Value	Fruit provides excellent food for birds and mammals.	Pests	None Significant
	Comments	Leaves not palatable to grasshoppers. Nice ovoid crown shape.

	Cottonwood, Black
	Populus trichocarpa
	Growth Rate	Fast	Cold Hardiness	High
	20-Year Height	30 Ft	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Fair
	Elevation Range	Up to 6,500'	Life Span	25+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	N/A	Minimum Annual Precip.	16"
	Wildlife Value	Important riparian species for all forms of wildlife.	Pests	Cottonwood borer, aphids, stem rots, leaf rusts.
	Comments	Native to western and central Montana. Generally not found east of Helena, MT.

	Cottonwood, Daniels
	Populus deltoides
	Growth Rate	Fast	Cold Hardiness	High
	20-Year Height	35'+	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Good
	Elevation Range	Up to 4,000'	Life Span	30+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	8-15'	Minimum Annual Precip.	15"
	Wildlife Value	Important nesting cover for birds and cavity nesters, browsed by big game.	Pests	Cottonwood borer, stem rots, aphids.
	Comments	A cottonless selection of plains cottonwood. Collected on gravel benches in Daniels county Montana.

	Cottonwood, Narrowleaf
	Populus angustifolia
	Growth Rate	Fast	Cold Hardiness	Good
	20-Year Height	35'+	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Fair
	Elevation Range	Up to 5,000'	Life Span	25+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	8-12'	Minimum Annual Precip.	15"
	Wildlife Value	Provides nesting cover for birds.	Pests	Leaf rusts, stem rot, wetwood, aphids.
	Comments	Native to western and central Montana. Very similar in appearance to black cottonwood. Usually found in narrow canyons.

	Cottonwood, Plains
	Populus deltoides
	Growth Rate	Fast	Cold Hardiness	High
	20-Year Height	35'+	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Fair
	Elevation Range	Up to 4,000'	Life Span	25+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	8-12'	Minimum Annual Precip.	15"
	Wildlife Value	Important nesting cover for birds and cavity nesters, browsed by big game.	Pests	Cottonwood borer, stem rots, aphids.
	Comments	A native collection from the Musselshell River near Roundup, MT,. Requires a moist site or plenty or irrigation.

	Crabapple, Siberian "Midwest"
	Malus baccata var. mandshurica
	Growth Rate	Fast	Cold Hardiness	High
	20-Year Height	15'	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Fair
	Elevation Range	Up to 6,000'	Life Span	40+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	6-10'	Minimum Annual Precip.	12"
	Wildlife Value	Fruit is excellent food source for most birds and small mammals.	Pests	None significant.
	Comments	Densely branched, oval shaped small tree, which is very cold hardy and disease resistant. Fruit remains on trees into winter providing a winter food source for wildlife.

	Elm, Siberian
	Ulmus pumila
	Growth Rate	Rapid	Cold Hardiness	High
	20-Year Height	25'	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Good
	Elevation Range	up to 8000'	Life Span
	Windbreak Spacing	8-15'	Minimum Annual Precip.	11"
	Wildlife Value	Fair nesting for birds	Pests	Elmleaf beetle
	Comments	Hardiest of all elms, medium value for song and game birds.

	Hackberry, Common
	Celtis occidentalis
	Growth Rate	Moderate	Cold Hardiness	Moderate
	20-Year Height	35'+	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Fair
	Elevation Range	Up to 4,000'	Life Span	25+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	8-12'	Minimum Annual Precip.	12"
	Wildlife Value	Provides nesting cover for birds.	Pests	None
	Comments	Very hardy tree once established but susceptible to frosts when young. Virtually pest free, low maintenance large tree.

	Hawthorn, Arnold "Homestead"
	Crataegus arnoldiana
	Growth Rate	Moderate	Cold Hardiness	Good
	20-Year Height	16'	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Fair
	Elevation Range	Up to 5,500'	Life Span	40+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	6-10'	Minimum Annual Precip.	12"
	Wildlife Value	Excellent cover and food source for song birds.	Pests	Cedar apple rust, fire blight, aphids; none severe.
	Comments	Vigorous, dense small tree. Excellent for wildlife and windbreaks. Adapts to heavy soils. Excellent escape cover due to large, stout thorns. Fruit turns bright red when ripe.

	Hawthorn, Black
	Crataegus douglasii
	Growth Rate	Moderate	Cold Hardiness	Good
	20-Year Height	16'	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Fair
	Elevation Range	Up to 5,000'	Life Span	30+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	6-10'	Minimum Annual Precip.	15"
	Wildlife Value	Fruit provides excellent food for birds and mammals.	Pests	Leaf rusts.
	Comments	Native bottomland hawthorn. Thorny tree that provides excellent wildlife food and cover.

	Maple, Amur
	Acer ginnala
	Growth Rate	Moderate	Cold Hardiness	Good
	20-Year Height	15'	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Fair
	Elevation Range	Up to 6,000'	Life Span	30+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	4-8'	Minimum Annual Precip.	12"
	Wildlife Value	Provides cover for birds. Browsed by deer.	Pests	Subject to damage by rabbits.
	Comments	Brilliant fall color, adapts well to all but heavy or alkaline soils. Virtually pest free.

	Oak, Bur
	Quercus macrocarpa
	Growth Rate	Moderate	Cold Hardiness	High
	20-Year Height	15'	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Good
	Elevation Range	Up to 5,000'	Life Span	80+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	8-14'	Minimum Annual Precip.	12"
	Wildlife Value	Acorns provide mast for deer and food for numerous birds and small mammals.	Pests	Anthracnose
	Comments	Long-lived, very hardy tree, which is very drought tolerant once established. Under used windbreak or wildlife tree.

	Poplar, Prairie Sky
	Populus spp.
	Growth Rate	Fast	Cold Hardiness	High
	20-Year Height	30' - 45'	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Fair
	Elevation Range	Up to 6,000'	Life Span	30+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	8-10'	Minimum Annual Precip.	14"
	Wildlife Value	Provides winter thermal cover.	Pests	Minor, stem rots
	Comments	Cottonless, drought and cold tolerant. Narrow upright form similar to a wide Lombardi Poplar. Excellent, rapid growing poplar for windbreaks.

	Willow, Golden
	Salix alba var. vitellina
	Growth Rate	Fast	Cold Hardiness	Moderate
	20-Year Height	30'+	Alkali/Saline Soil Tolerance	Fair
	Elevation Range	Up to 5,000'	Life Span	30+ years
	Windbreak Spacing	8-15'	Minimum Annual Precip.	14"
	Wildlife Value	Fair browse. Provides nesting cover for birds.	Pests	Stem rots, aphids, wetwood.
	Comments	Large, fast-growing, semi-weeping willow. Usually requires irrigation. Young bark is bright yellow.