Wild Heritage Horizons

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is looking for help acquiring seeds for the Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery.

Due to a seed shortage, the nursery is looking to purchase tree fruit and cone for their seed procurement program.

Established in 1902, the Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery is boasted as oldest state forest tree nursery in the country. Due to over deforestation and forest fires in New York, the nursery was established on a mission to reforest New York. Conifers were grown to protect water supplies, soil and the continuation of timer plantations to maintain lumber production before World War II.

The New York State reforestation program began in the early 1930s and nursery production was ramped up to meet the increased demand. In 1938 production peaked at 72.8 million seedlings produced to be planted that same year.

The nursery provides the crucial ability to store enough seed to “preserve genetic diversity of a species”. Some key seed species that are held in cold storage to ensure their survival are the Black Ash and American Chestnut.

Black Ash is being stored to ensure the survival and availability of Black Ash for the Akwesasne Mohawks. Black Ash is a culturally important wood for the Akwesasne Mohawks that is used in traditional basket-making. the Nursery is able to grow this species in quantity for conservation and restoration planting to provide a long-term resource for the tribe.

American Chestnut is being stored to work with the American Chestnut Foundation to propagate chestnut seedlings which may show resistance to chestnut blight, a deadly disease imported from Asia. The American Chestnut is all but extinct and desperately needs nurseries to ensure it’s survival.

The Nursery is also involved in the national ash seed collection and storage effort to retain ash seed sources to mitigate the loss of ash across many parts of its North American range due to the invasive, exotic emerald ash borer (EAB).

If you’re interested in helping solve the seed shortage the desired species, estimated ripening date, and price paid per bushel are listed on the chart within the 2023 Cone and Fruit Letter. For further questions on seed procurement, please contact the nursery by phone or email.

DEC noted that cones should be collected from live or freshly cut trees, starting from the date of maturity until they begin to open. All cones should be received at the nursery by November 15th.

For more information about the Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery, follow this link.