The best seedlings for your property depend on factors like region, soil conditions, management goals, planting strategy, wildlife objectives, and long-term plans for the land. ArborGen offers a range of pine, hardwood, and specialty seedlings designed to support different planting needs and site conditions.

Working with a Reforestation Advisor can help simplify the selection process and ensure recommendations are aligned with your goals.

OP seedlings are developed through open pollination breeding programs using carefully selected parent trees, while MCP® seedlings are developed through controlled pollination techniques designed to improve genetic precision and overall performance potential. Both are genetically improved, but MCP® seedlings are typically selected by customers focused on maximizing long-term stand productivity, quality, and value.

The AG Score is ArborGen’s simplified scoring system designed to help customers compare seedlings based on important performance traits like productivity, rust resistance, stem straightness, and forking.

Higher AG Scores indicate stronger overall performance potential across those combined traits.

Before many seedlings become commercially available, they undergo years of breeding, field trials, data collection, and evaluation across multiple environments and planting regions throughout the Southeast.

This long-term testing process helps support confidence in real-world field performance and regional adaptability.

Bareroot seedlings are grown in nursery beds and planted during traditional dormant-season planting windows, while containerized seedlings are grown in specialized containers that protect the root system and can provide additional planting flexibility under certain conditions.

The best option depends on your property, planting timeline, site conditions, and management strategy.

Pine seedlings are typically planted during the dormant season, which generally occurs from late fall through winter depending on the region and weather conditions. Proper site preparation, moisture conditions, and planting quality all play an important role in successful establishment.

Yes. ArborGen offers hardwood and specialty seedlings commonly used for wildlife habitat, conservation, restoration, and diversified land management projects throughout the Southeast.

Our Reforestation Advisors can help recommend species aligned with your property goals and site conditions

Genetics influence important traits like growth rate, disease resistance, stem quality, stand consistency, and long-term productivity. Stronger-performing genetics can help improve stand performance and long-term value over the life of a forest rotation.

Because forestry is a long-term investment, genetics selected at planting can impact a property for decades.

ArborGen Reforestation Advisors work directly with customers across the Southeast to provide guidance on seedling selection, planting strategies, genetics, and regional recommendations.

You can connect with your local advisor through our Reforestation Advisor page or contact ArborGen directly for assistance.