
State Forest Nursery Seed Buying List and Information for Fiscal Year 2025
Call Before Collecting — Seed Buying Stops When Needs Are Met
Please call the nursery before you collect any seed. We are anticipating a decent crop of seed on many species, so buying may start and end very quickly. We will stop buying once we reach the amount of seed we need for the next planting season.
Pick Mature Seed, Not Green Seed
Remember, don’t pick seed early (green). We will not accept seed that we determine is not mature. Hazelnut has been collected too early in prior years, and it’s critical that the seed be light brown and loose from the husk. We will not be buying hazelnut with green or partially green husks.
Questions About Seeds or Seed Quality
We will reject seed that has leaves, twigs, and other trash and seed that is of poor quality or not mature. If you have questions about any seed, bring in a sample and we can identify it and show you what we need. If you need advice on how to check the seed to make sure it is good, please call the nursery.
Address: 14027 Shafer Road, Licking, MO 65542
Phone number: 573-674-3229
Prices and Species Listed Are for the State Forest Nursery Only
The prices and species listed below are the price delivered to the George O. White State Forest Nursery. Seed buying at other locations around the state may start sooner or later than the dates listed below. Each buying station will only be purchasing selected species based on need and location.
The starting dates for each species are approximate dates based on when the seed may be mature. The timing of seed maturity varies from year to year, so it is important that you wait until the seed is mature before collecting. If you think it is ripening earlier in your area, please call the nursery to see if you can collect it earlier than the below listed dates.
Species | Price | Date we will begin buying | Special notes |
Aromatic/Fragrant sumac | $7.00/lb. | June 5, 2024 | |
Serviceberry | $7.00/lb. | June 5, 2024 | Fruit must be ripe — purple to black in color. |
Red mulberry | $6.00/lb. | June 12, 2024 | |
Black cherry | $6.00/lb. | July 10, 2024 | Fruit must be ripe — black in color. |
Wild plum | $1.95/lb. | July 10, 2024 | Plum must be ripe — yellow, red or orange. No partially green fruit will be accepted. |
Elderberry | $4.25/lb. | July 31, 2024 | Fruit must be ripe — purple to black in color, and fruit only, no clusters. |
Witch-hazel | $4.50/lb. | Aug. 14, 2024 | Seed inside pod must be black in color. |
Spicebush | $4.25/lb. | Aug. 28, 2024 | |
Hazelnut | $4.75/lb. | Aug. 28, 2024 | Seed must be mature, light brown, and easily pulled from the husk. No green or partially green husks will be accepted. Please be patient and allow the seed to mature on the plant. |
Flowering dogwood | $5.00/lb. | Sept. 11, 2024 | |
Gray dogwood | $5.00/lb. | Sept. 11, 2024 | |
Rough-leaved dogwood | $4.75/lb. | Sept. 11, 2024 | |
Mixed hickory | $0.75/lb. | Sept. 11, 2024 | |
Shellbark hickory | $0.90/lb. | Sept. 11, 2024 | |
Persimmon | $0.75/lb. | Sept. 11, 2024 | Persimmon fruit must be ripe — yellow, red, or orange. No partially green fruit will be accepted. |
Redbud | $4.00/lb. in pods | Sept. 11, 2024 | Pods must be brown and have on average three seeds per pod that are light brown and filled, not black. Green seed pods will not be accepted. |
Pawpaw | $1.50/lb. | Sept. 11, 2024 | Fruit must be ripe (soft). If too firm, it will not be accepted. |
White oak | $0.95/lb. | Sept. 25, 2024 | |
Chinkapin oak | $2.50/lb. | Sept. 25, 2024 | |
Post oak | $1.50/lb. | Sept. 25, 2024 | |
Butternut | $3.00/lb. | Sept. 25, 2024 | |
Ohio buckeye (without hulls) | $0.95/lb. | Sept. 25, 2024 | |
Red buckeye (without hulls) | $0.95/lb. | Sept. 25, 2024 | |
Eastern wahoo | $6.50/lb. | Sept. 25, 2024 | |
Black oak | $0.85/lb. | Oct. 2, 2024 | |
Shumard oak | $0.95/lb. | Oct. 2, 2024 | |
Northern red oak | $0.95/lb. | Oct. 2, 2024 | |
Bur oak | $1.10/lb. | Oct. 2, 2024 | |
Pin oak | $1.25/lb. | Oct. 2, 2024 | |
Cherrybark oak | $1.85/lb. | Oct. 2, 2024 | |
Nuttall’s oak | $1.85/lb. | Oct. 2, 2024 | |
Swamp white oak | $1.50/lb. | Oct. 2, 2024 | |
Swamp chestnut oak | $1.50/lb. | Oct. 2, 2024 | |
Overcup oak | $1.50/lb. | Oct. 2, 2024 | |
Willow oak | $1.85/lb. | Oct. 2, 2024 | |
Bald cypress | $6.25/lb. | Oct. 23, 2024 | Must be collected from trees within 50 feet of a permanent water source. |
Deciduous holly | $4.50/lb. | Oct. 23, 2024 | |
Kentucky coffee tree | $8.00/lb. | Nov. 27, 2024 | No pods — clean seed only. |