About Jeff's Nursery
Jeff's Nursery is a small, specialty nursery in southern Michigan's oak country, growing verified-provenance native oaks and rare arborvitae cultivars. Every tree we sell traces back to documented parent stock on our own property.
The Land
Our property sits in the transition zone between the eastern deciduous forest and the Great Lakes region of southern Michigan. This unique landscape has shaped not only what we grow, but why we grow it the way we do.
The land itself is anchored by heritage oaks—many over 100 years old. Bur oaks with deeply furrowed bark tower overhead. White oaks spread their stout limbs. Red oaks grow tall and fast. These aren't specimen trees in a manicured landscape; they're part of the native ecological fabric, thriving in soil and climate that shaped their genetics over millennia.
When we started Jeff's Nursery, we didn't begin with a business plan. We began with these trees—our neighbors, in a sense. We asked ourselves a simple question: Why not grow and share seeds and seedlings from this very land?
The answer became our mission: to offer verified-provenance native oaks to collectors, landscapers, bonsai practitioners, restoration projects, and growers who care about genetic authenticity and sustainability.
Verified Provenance — Why It Matters
Provenance is more than a buzzword in horticulture. It's a commitment to transparency, authenticity, and ecological integrity.
What We Document
Every seed lot and seedling we offer includes complete documented information about its parent tree:
- Species identification (verified botanical and common name)
- GPS coordinates of the parent tree on our property
- Approximate age and diameter of the parent tree
- Health status and visual characteristics of the parent tree
- Photographs of the parent tree
- Seed lot tracking (harvest date, collection method, which parent tree)
- Hardiness zone designation based on geographic origin
Why Provenance Matters
For restoration: Using locally-adapted seed stock ensures better survival rates and ecological fit in native plant restoration projects.
For research: Geneticists, arboretums, and universities need traceable seed sources with known geographic origin to study adaptation and diversity.
For collectors: Bonsai artists and tree enthusiasts value the story—knowing exactly where a seed came from and what genetics it carries.
For landscapers: Right tree, right place. Provenance ensures the oak you plant will thrive in your hardiness zone and soil conditions.
What Provenance Means Here
Every seed we sell traces to a specific, documented parent tree on our property. We record the species, GPS coordinates, approximate age, and characteristics of each source tree — giving you confidence in exactly what you're growing.
Our heritage oaks are 40 to 120 years old, and we're transparent about the fact that we don't know where those original plantings came from. What we offer is documented source tree provenance: the identity, location, health, and observable characteristics of the trees producing your seeds today.
If you'd like more details — photos of parent trees, harvest notes, or questions about specific provenance data — contact us directly. Jeff personally responds to all inquiries.
Coming Soon: Genetic Profiling of Our Parent Trees
We're working with university forestry researchers to develop DNA-based genetic profiles of our heritage oak parent trees. Using microsatellite and SNP analysis, this testing will allow us to offer something very few nurseries can: confirmed species purity (no undetected hybridization), relatedness mapping between our parent trees (so buyers can select genetically diverse seed lots for restoration), and population-level genetic data showing how our trees fit into the broader Great Lakes oak gene pool.
This work is underway and we'll share results as they become available. Get in touch if you're a researcher, restoration ecologist, or collector interested in genetically profiled seed sources — we'd love to hear what data would be most valuable to you.
What We Grow
Native Oak Species
We specialize in five native oak species perfectly adapted to USDA Zone 5b/6a and regions throughout the Midwest and eastern United States:
- Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) — cold-hardy, iconic form
- Swamp White Oak (Q. bicolor) — bicolor leaves, wet-site tolerant
- Chinkapin Oak (Q. muehlenbergii) — chestnut-like leaves, limestone-tolerant
- Red Oak (Q. rubra) — fast-growing, brilliant fall color
- White Oak (Q. alba) — long-lived, prized for timber and bonsai
Available as fresh acorns, stratified seeds, seedlings, and pre-bonsai specimen stock.
Explore native oaks or visit our complete species guide.
Rare Arborvitae Cultivars
We propagate four rare and unusual arborvitae (Thuja) cultivars for collectors and landscapers seeking something beyond the typical nursery offering:
- Filiformis (whip-like foliage)
- Rheingold (bronze-gold year-round color)
- DeGroot's Spire (narrow columnar form)
- Zebrina (golden variegation)
All cultivars are propagated from mother plants on our property and verified for true-to-type characteristics.
Explore arborvitae or visit our cultivar guide.
Our Approach
Quality Over Quantity
We are small by design. Every seedling is grown individually, not in monoculture beds. Every pre-bonsai specimen is personally assessed for character, development potential, and aesthetic merit. This means fewer trees, but better trees.
Personally Curated
Jeff grows, harvests, and ships every order. You're buying directly from the nursery owner, not from a faceless online retailer. That accountability matters.
Not Mass-Produced
We don't compete on price or scale. We compete on authenticity, story, and provenance. If we don't have it in stock, we'll tell you honestly—and we won't substitute.
Sustainable Harvesting
Acorn and seed collection follows sustainable practices. We never strip-harvest. Parent trees remain healthy and productive. Seeds are collected at peak viability and stored in optimal conditions.
The nursery exists to serve serious collectors, restoration projects, landscapers, bonsai practitioners, and home growers who want the real thing: trees with a story, genetics you can trace, and the personal support of someone who grows them.
Image Placeholders
The following sections include image references for your website designer/photographer:
Property Landscape
Wide view of the nursery property showing heritage oak trees, natural landscape, and the Michigan setting.
Heritage Parent Trees
Detail shots of 100+ year old oaks on the property—bark texture, form, age characteristics.
Nursery Operations
Images of seedlings in nursery beds, propagation setup, and growing operations.
Seed Harvesting
Process images: acorn collection from heritage trees, seed cleaning, sorting, and storage.