Virginia’s tree seedling store opens Monday.

“We grew and sold more than 30 million tree seedlings last year,” said Justin Funk, forestry centers manager. “And we expect demand to remain strong — so much so, that it’s likely some varieties of our Loblolly pine seedlings may sell out early.”

VDOF’s best seller — and the foundation of its nursery program — is Loblolly pine. This species is planted on a wide range of sites east of the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers an investment opportunity for private landowners. All of the loblolly pine families have increased performance over unimproved seedlings. Based upon field trials through age 6, the Control Pollinated, Virginia’s Best, Elite and Premium families of seedlings have 90 percent, 71 percent, 60 percent and 50 percent gains, respectively, when properly managed.

In addition to Loblolly pine seedlings, VDOF nurseries offer 46 other species of tree seedlings for sale to Virginia landowners. These other species include dogwood, apple, bald cypress, maples, white pine and 10 species of oaks. Several specialty seedling packs that are designed for specific uses, such as riparian buffer establishment, wildlife habitat enhancement and quail management, are also available. The newest seedling pack, called the “pollinator pack,” will provide a good mix of tree species that are known for producing an abundance of food for native pollinators.

Payment must be made at the time of purchase. If placing an order by phone or online, a credit card is the only accepted method of payment.

Tax-exempt orders must be placed over the phone, and a fully completed ST-18 form must be provided before the tax-exempt order is placed. Funk recommends having the form filled out in advance and mailed/faxed to one of the VDOF forestry centers to avoid delays.

The Virginia Department of Forestry protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. Headquartered in Charlottesville, the agency has forestry staff members assigned to every county to provide citizen service and public safety protection across the Commonwealth, which it’s been doing now for more than 100 years. VDOF is an equal opportunity provider.

With 16 million acres of forestland and nearly 108,000 Virginians employed in forestry, forest products and related industries, Virginia forests provide an overall economic impact of more than $21.5 billion annually.

Orders may be placed online at buyvatrees.com or by calling the Augusta Forestry Center at 540-363-7000.