As you look at the beautiful fall foliage, recollect how it is created. The colors are created by the trees. If you would like to create more foliage or diversify the color, or just add to it, you can stop by the Green County Land & Water Conservation Department. The Department is offering 10 varieties of trees and two varieties of shrubs for landowners interested in planting trees next spring 2017. The tree varieties are Bur Oak, Red Oak, White Oak, Swamp White Oak, Sugar Maple, Black Cherry, Basswood, Tamarack, White Pine and Harbin Pear. Shrubs available are Elderberry and Ninebark. The trees and shrubs will be bare root, 1-2’ tall for Basswood, and Tamarack, 2-3’ tall for White Oak, White Pine, Pear, Elderberry, and Ninebark. The rest of the Oaks, Maple, and Cherry will be 3-4’ in height. The cost is only $2.00 a tree, with a minimum order of 10 of one species and must be ordered in increments of 10 per species.

Most of the trees and shrubs are native to the area, except the Harbin Pear. The species offered cover a broad range of soil types and moistures, from dry to very wet. The featured species this year is the Basswood. Basswood is the favorite tree of both honeybees and beekeepers. Its non-showy, fragrant flowers appear in late May or June and attract large numbers of bees which produce a distinctive tasting honey, which is sometimes sold separately as “basswood honey.”

Trees can be ordered by contacting the LWCD directly by phone and walk-in, or by ordering through the Green County website http://www.co.green.wi.gov. If you are unsure about what trees will work in your particular soil, have any questions about the trees or how to order, stop in or give the Green County Land & Water Conservation Department a call at (608) 325-4195. We will be taking orders until Friday, December 30, 2016. Trees will be delivered near the middle of April 2017.