Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District

703-324-1460 TTY 711
12055 Government Center Parkway
Suite 905, Fairfax, VA 22035
Willie Woode
Executive Director

Department Resources

Native Seedling Sale

2026 Seedling Sale - Closed 

Thank you for supporting the 2026 Native Seedling Sale, orders have now closed. 

 

Sign up for reminder emails and updates about the annual seedling sale here!

 

Pick of the Patch - 4 seedlings for $20

2x Common Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) - YELLOW RIBBON

Photos of American beautyberry

  • 12-20 feet tall, small tree with long, broad leaves
  • Grows in full sun to full shade, prefers part shade
  • Plant in moist well-draining soils, as it naturally grows well in riparian (streamside areas)
  • Purplish-brown flowers in April
  • Fruits in fall with our largest native fruit, green and oval-shaped with a banana-like taste and a custard-like consistency (note: you need at least two pawpaw trees to pollinate each other, and it can take 7-10 years for your tree to reach maturity to bear fruit - plan today for delicious future treats!)
  • Can form stands from root suckers
  • Deer resistant, no serious pests or diseases

 

2x American Plum (Prunus americana) - RED RIBBON

Photos of sweetbay magnolia

  • 20-35 feet tall
  • Full sun to part shade
  • Plant in moist soils, grows best in rich, moist bottomland soils
  • Clusters of white flowers bloom April to May
  • Yellow-red fruit about an inch long is ripe in August to September, edible and tastiest in pies and jams
  • Good habitat for native wildlife with some thorns Can form thickets from root suckers, good for hedgerows
  • High wildlife value with special value to bees

 

Berry Bonanza Package - 4 Seedlings for $20

2x Canadian Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) - WHITE RIBBON

Photos of smooth sumac

  • 15-20 feet tall, grows well as a large shrub or tall tree
  • Full sun to partial shade
  • Prefers moist soils
  • Masses of white flowers bloom in early spring
  • Grows red-to-black fruit in summer
  • Brilliant fall color ranges from red to orange to yellow
  • Can form thickets
  • Good for birds and pollinators with special value to native bees
  • Note: in Virginia, Canadian serviceberry commonly hybridizes with Downy Serviceberry

 

2x American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) - PURPLE RIBBON

Photos of black chokeberry

  • 6-12 feet tall shrub
  • Prefers partial shade and moist soils, but very tolerant
  • Clusters of small white flowers June – July
  • Dark purple berrylike fruit August – September, use cooked in pies, jams
  • Can form thickets
  • Great food source for birds, special value to native bees, nectar source for many butterflies

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District holds a Native Tree and Shrub Seedling Sale each spring. The theme and exact species vary from year to year. In 2026, the seedlings will be available for pickup at the Sleepy Hollow Bath and Racquet Club in Falls Church on Friday, March 27, from 9am-4pm and Saturday, March 28, from 9am-12pm.

We understand that our seedlings are very popular and can sell out quickly. Seedling packages will be made available on the NVSWCD sales website at 10am on Thursday, February 19, 2026 and will remain available until sold out. 

We will not have seedlings available for day-of sales. All seedling orders must be placed in advance.

Yes. They will need to have your first and last name and a generally honest disposition. A printout of the order confirmation is helpful but not required. Please contact NVSWCD prior to the seedling sale date should you require accommodations.

Don’t miss the pickup date! If you can’t make it, please send a friend! (See above.) Please contact NVSWCD prior to the seedling sale date should you require accommodations. There will be no seedling order pickups after the sale. If your order is not collected on the pickup date, it will be donated to a reforestation project in Fairfax County. Seedling sale purchases are nonrefundable.

Small boy and girl hold seedling packagesSmaller than you might think! These are first- and second-year bare-root trees and shrubs, which means they are small and come without soil. We add a colored ribbon, put together each package, and wrap the roots in wet newspaper and a plastic bag to keep them moist. In the photo at right, each child is holding one package. Each package of seedlings bundled together is typically 1-3 feet long and 4-6 inches wide.

Check out our page, Previous Years' Seedling Ribbon Colors, for species names and the color of the ribbon (flagging tape) we used to identify it. You can see this year's seedling ribbon colors and tips and tricks for planting your seedling in the Fairfax County Tree Basics Booklet from NVSWCD and the Fairfax County Tree Commission. 

A small bucket or basket. You don’t want the package to tip over and spill water on your backseat. Don’t have a bucket? A sturdy double paper bag or large trash bag will do the job.

If you are picking up a rain barrel or composter kit, make sure you have room in your car. The barrels are large 55-gallon barrels, but they can usually fit in the backseat of even the smallest 4-door sedan (although you may want to bring something to lay down and keep your seats clean). 

You can learn about bare root seedling care (as well as other tree-related advice) in the Fairfax County Tree Basics Booklet from NVSWCD and the Fairfax County Tree Commission. Keep the roots moist and plant your seedlings as soon as possible. We provide a planting guide when you pick up your seedlings. Dig a hole wider than it is deep. We recommend watering throughout the summer for the first year, especially if your tree or shrub is in direct sunlight. Fertilizer is not needed. A light top-dressing of leaf mulch is optional. 

Worried about deer browse? All of the shrubs and trees in this year's packages would be considered to be moderately vulnerable to deer browse. You can learn more about deer tolerant native plants and protecting your seedlings from deer browse in this resource from Plant NOVA Natives.

Hardiness Zone

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map shows 10 different zones, each of which represents an area of winter hardiness for plants. Fairfax County falls into zones 7a-7b. All of our seedlings are suited for planting in the greater Washington, DC area.

The seedlings typically start out in a dormant state, but when cared for properly, they can grow into lovely landscape specimens faster than you think. Each species has a different growing speed. Since it can be difficult to protect a small first-year seedling from mowers, deer, rabbits and – occasionally – human feet, we include two of every species in the packages.

Rarely – once every several years – we have had a supplier issue (not VDOF) where a large number of seedlings of a particular shrub or tree have not survived. In those cases, we give feedback to the supplier and monitor their seedlings in following years to ensure that it is not a repeat occurrence. Even when that happens, we believe the benefit and low cost we offer by purchasing in bulk outweighs the risk. It’s still a great deal!

Typically we get most of our seedlings from the Virginia Department of Forestry. We like to support our state forestry department and help increase demand for native trees and shrubs. We also purchase seedlings from other neighboring states and private nurseries.

The funds from the sale are first used to cover the cost of the seedlings and associated program costs. NVSWCD uses any leftover funds to support educational programs, including the high school Envirothon competition, biological stream monitoring, storm drain education, Youth Conservation Camp, Science Fair awards, and other outreach activities. Thank you for supporting these efforts through the Seedling Sale!

Have more questions? Feel free to contact us. 

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