About Us
The Nursery
Currently, Hardy Trees has the capacity to produce about 3000 seedling plugs a year, however capacity is always increasing. Producing at a small-scale has allowed the nursery to focus on stock quality. We are sourcing local seeds through local vendors or local plants. We focus on consistent germination and appropriate root to stem ratios to support outplanting. Once we have achieved our size objectives, all trees go through a rigorous hardening process to toughen seedlings up for the harsh Rocky Mountain winters. If the plant dies, it dies and we are happy it didn’t happen in the field.
Who We are
Hardy Trees is a small business that is just beginning to set its roots. Owned by Dakotah Smith, he began growing his own tree and shrub stock after working as a consultant in reclamation and revegetation. As a consultant, he oversaw large-scale tree and shrub mitigation projects that relied on high quality nursery stock. After seeing a need for high quality and locally sourced nursery stock, Dakotah began growing his own in 2021. Although the learning curve was sharp, success quickly emerged; in 2023, he successfully established flowering Indian paintbrush (Castilleja integra), pairing it with fringed sage (Artemesia frigita). Indian paintbrush is parasitic and relies on host plants to uptake soil nutrients, making it difficult to establish in horticulture. The nursery grown paintbrush has reliably prospered, with most plants producing flowers in just the first summer.
