Ordering, Shipping & Pickup

When can I order trees from Blue Hill Wildlife Nursery?

Sales open in late summer each year. We grow a limited quantity of trees, and popular varieties sell out, so order early. During the off-season, the store is closed — join the waitlist/stock alerts to be notified when ordering opens.

Minimum order

Due to shipping costs, there is a minimum of 2 products (trees) required for checkout. (Updated for Spring 27 ordering)

How the cart works

When you add a product to your cart, you have 30 minutes to complete checkout. This prevents you from losing items to other shoppers. Adding another item resets the 30-minute timer, so you have ample time to finish. If you’re wondering whether there’s room in your shipping box for more trees, email ryan@bluehillwildlifenursery.com. You can also see your shipping in your cart and increase or decrease the number of trees to see how the shipping amount changes, so you know you have the box as full as it can get.

Choosing your ship or pickup date

At checkout, you must select a ship date or a pickup date from the calendar.

  • Ship windows: we ship trees in March and April (some of these are also pickup days). We are fine with shipping trees to the south from December until March, weather permitting here. Please reach out to ryan@bluehillwildlifenursery.com if that is what you would like.
  • Ship dates are the approximate days we mail your trees from our location. We almost always mail trees the working day before the date you selected.
  • If weather gets too cold to ship, we may need to change your ship date. We’ll notify you when your trees ship.
  • To change a ship or pickup date, email ryan@bluehillwildlifenursery.com.

Local pickup

Yes, we offer local pickup, available late March into early April. You need to select your pickup date at checkout. We’re here 8–4, Monday through Friday. If you can’t make your selected date, call or message to arrange another time.

Bare-root vs. potted trees

Everything we sell is bare root — and that’s on purpose. We don’t offer potted (containerized) trees because, in our experience, a bare-root tree develops a better, more natural root system than a tree grown in a pot.

Why bare root builds a better root system

  • No circling or root-binding. Roots grown in a container eventually hit the pot wall and start circling. Those circling, “rootbound” roots can remain deformed after planting, limiting establishment and long-term stability. Bare-root trees have open, natural root architecture from the start.
  • Deeper, wider roots. Our trees are grafted and grown in the ground on vigorous standard rootstock, so their roots grow deep and wide into the subsoil — exactly what a wildlife tree needs for strong anchorage, drought tolerance, and maximum fruit production over decades. A pot physically can’t develop that kind of root system. (See the Rootstock Guide.)
  • You get the whole root system. When we lift a bare-root tree, its real, extensive roots come with it — not a small root ball shaped by a container. Rootbound or root-poor trees are also slower to leaf out and harden off. (See What to Expect After Planting.)
  • Faster establishment where it counts. With open roots planted into your native soil, the tree establishes into the ground it will live in — instead of transitioning out of potting mix.

What “bare root” means for you

  • Bare-root trees must be planted while trees are still dormant in your area:
  • In the North, that’s typically the last week of March into April (plant as soon as you can work the soil in spring).
  • In the South, fall planting is common, but you achieve the same goal when planting before trees break dormancy in your area. Trees do not grow roots when dormant during the winter. We can accommodate winter shipping or really early spring by contacting us at ryan@bluehillwildlifenursery.com
  • Trees are kept in wet sawdust and are out of the ground bare-root for only a minimal amount of time.
  • Because they ship without soil and ship with moist sawdust, bare-root trees are also lighter and less expensive to ship than potted stock, and they transplant with less shock when planted dormant.
  • Plant promptly after arrival, keep the roots moist all the way until they go in the ground, and protect the tree right away. (See Planting Your Trees.)

Shipping boxes & costs

  • Our largest box is 66″ × 14″ and holds around 16 two-year-old trees.
  • If your order needs multiple boxes, shipping costs increase. All shipping rates are shown during checkout.

Shipping restrictions (phytosanitary regulations)

  • We do not ship to California.
  • We do not ship chestnut trees to Washington, Florida, or Oregon.
  • Trees are packaged to meet requirements for Idaho and all other states.

Product stock alerts (back-in-stock notifications)

  • Do not use the contact form to sign up for stock alerts.
  • Instead, open the product that interests you, select a size, and enter your email in the notification box provided.
  • Not every size of every tree will be available — signing up for multiple sizes improves your chances of getting notified.

Tree sizes

Trees are offered in size options that vary by variety (for example, 2-year trees, “select” grades, and — for some — seedling sizes). Larger grades come with more developed root systems. Some grafted varieties are only available as 2-year trees. Size options and back-in-stock signup appear on each product page.

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