MDC purchasing tree seed from landowners for select species

WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) George O. White Tree Nursery in Licking is currently purchasing seed from the public for a variety of species. The nursery conducts seed collections periodically and collected seeds are grown into bare root seedlings.

MDC’s Ozark Regional Office at 551 Joe Jones Blvd. in West Plains will be buying select native fruit and seeds priced by the pound from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday (state observed holidays excluded) from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31. The nursery will stop accepting seed once the quota is reached for that species. Sellers are encouraged to call ahead to ensure MDC is still collecting specific seed species.

Buying Now

·        Serviceberry: $7 per pound of fruit. Fruit must be ripe and purple to black in color.

·        Black Cherry: $6 per pound of fruit. Fruit must be ripe and black in color.

·        Wild Plum: $1.95 per pound of fruit. Fruit must be ripe with a skin color completely red, yellow, or orange. No green or partially green fruit will be bought.

Buying Begins Aug. 24

·        Hazelnut: $4.75 per pound of fruit. Fruit must be mature with the seed being light brown and easily pulled from the husk. No green or partially green fruit will be bought. Allow the fruit to mature on the plant.

Buying Begins Sept. 8

·        Flowering Dogwood: $5

·        Mixed Hickory: $.75

·        Shellbark Hickory: $0.90

·        Persimmon: $.75 per pound of fruit. Fruit must be ripe (soft). No partially green fruit will be bought.

·        Paw Paw (Fruit must be ripe, which means it will be soft. Seed will not be accepted if fruit is too firm.): $1.50

Buying Begins Sept. 21

·        White Oak: $0.95

·        Chinkapin Oak: $2.50

·        Post Oak: $1.50

·        Butternut: $3

·        Ohio Buckeye: $0.95 per pound of seed. Clean seed only. Hulls must be removed.

·        Red Buckeye: $0.95 per pound of seed. Clean sed only. Hulls must be removed.

Buying Begins Oct. 1

·        Pin Oak: $1.25

Buying Begins Oct. 22

·        Deciduous Holly: $4.50

Buying Begins Nov. 26

·        Kentucky Coffee: $4.50 per pound of seed. No pods. Seeds must be clean.

MDC reserves the right to stop buying seed once needs are met and reserves the right to reject seeds that are poor quality, not mature, or mixed with refuse such as leaves and twigs.

A special use permit is required to collect fruit and seeds on conservation areas. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/permits/special-use-permits

What Happens to Collected Seeds

Collected seeds are taken to MDC’s George O. White State Forest Nursery near Licking. Nursery staff grow the collected seed into bare root seedlings used for conservation work and available for purchase by the public. 

Each year the State Forest Nursery processes more than 10,000 orders and ships about 2 million seedlings. To grow all these species, the nursery collects or buys tens of thousands of pounds of seeds each summer and fall. For example, about 2,000 bushels of walnuts, 6,000 pounds of white oak acorns, 500 pounds of hazelnuts, and 500 pounds of plum seed are needed just to establish seedlings for these four species. 

Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/tree-seedlings/about-missouris-state-forest-nursery.