Spokane Conservation District’s annual tree sale is slated to break records with an expanded inventory of 100,000 seedlings, up from 95,000 seedlings sold to more than 1,200 customers last year.

The sale is open for pre-orders until March 7. Pickup will be April 11-12 at the conservation district office in Spokane Valley, Wash., with a surplus sale for any leftover inventory.

“There’s a lot of interest in the environmental benefits trees provide,” said Ben Peterson, conservation district forester.

Purchase purposes include wildlife habitat, backyard and garden use and windbreaks and stream enhancements.

More than 40 different species of trees and shrubs are available. Popular items include edible berries, such as a Royalty Purple raspberry or jostaberries, a cross between gooseberries and currants and common purple lilacs, as Spokane is the Lilac City. 

Bundles of five seedlings are available for $15. Discounts of up to 73% are offered on large orders of reforestation species, for forest landowners and larger-scale conservation projects. About 45% of sales go to family forest owners or landowners, Peterson said.

Reforestation of Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir or Western larch to landowners and foresters after a fire or timber sale can range from 1,000 trees up to 20,000 to 30,000 trees. 

Seed cones for those trees are collected in Spokane County, grown out in Western Washington and then returned to the county, Peterson said.

Peterson expects the inventory to continue to grow.

“At some point, we only have the capacity to do so many,” he said. “But we haven’t reached that yet.”