State Forestry nursery opens Wednesday

A variety of trees and shrubs for conservation planting will be available when the Nevada Division of Forestry's Washoe Nursery opens for the season Wednesday.

The purpose of the nursery is to provide locally adapted, affordable trees and shrubs to conserve and enhance the environment. Plants have been selected for conservation projects to include planting to create windbreaks, reduce soil erosion, improve wildlife habitat, reforestation, post-fire rehabilitation, mine spoils re-vegetation and to restore or enhance riparian areas and wetlands. The nursery is also available to contract and grow a wide variety of plants for conservation projects throughout the state.

It is not the intent of this program to provide landscaping materials for small home lots. Landowners with one acre or more, or adjacent landowners owning a total of one acre, may purchase plants.

Most plants are in quart-sized containers priced at $2.00 to $2.25 each. A minimum of 25 plants, and no less than five of any species, must be purchased the first order of the season. Throughout the season, a limited number of plants in one gallon or larger sizes may be purchased one at a time.

Tree species available in May are: lacebark elm, hackberry, sugar maple, hybrid poplar, Russian olive, green ash, honeylocust, Baker cypress, Austrian pine, and native Jeffrey and ponderosa pines.

Shrubs include cotoneaster, red twig dogwood, pea shrub (Caragana), common lilac, sand cherry, rugosa and wild roses, oak leaf sumac and rabbitbrush.

Plant availability varies throughout the summer and new varieties are added as they become ready for planting. Later in the summer, the nursery plans to have available giant sequoias, incense cedar, blue spruce, bur oak, chokecherry, golden currant, buffaloberry, native plum and Indian rice grass.

The nursery is located at 885 Eastlake Boulevard on the north end of Washoe Valley, approximately one mile off the U.S. 395 exit. Sale hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday from mid-May through June.

Beginning July through mid-October, the nursery is open to the public Thursday through Saturday. Information on plant availability and contract growing can be obtained by calling 775-849-0213.