mooncrater nursery is a growers collective based in southern maine and the finger lakes

we grow more than 90 species of trees, shrubs, vines, and perennials, with an emphasis on native plants, nut and fruit trees, and useful or unusual species that can be difficult to find through conventional nurseries.

our specialty is premium, seed-grown nursery stock produced with remarkably few inputs. we grow trees in living soil, develop healthy root systems, and sell directly to people who want to plant more trees without paying conventional garden-center prices.

november 2026 — annual bare-root sale

once a year, for one month, we dig the field beds.

bare-root production is central to how we operate. instead of growing trees in increasingly large plastic containers, we raise them in open soil and harvest them during winter dormancy. this allows us to grow large quantities of vigorous nursery stock without the expense of pots, commercial growing media, intensive irrigation, or shipping heavy containers full of soil.

it also produces excellent planting stock. our trees develop in the ground, unconstrained by nursery pots, and are dug with their roots exposed for inspection and planting. some are small, vigorous first-year seedlings; others are substantial two- and three-year-old specimens. we believe young, healthy trees with well-developed roots are one of the best investments a gardener can make.

the economics are just as compelling. by growing from seed, working with the seasons, and selling directly, we can offer premium trees and shrubs in bundles of five or ten for prices comparable to a single potted specimen at a conventional nursery.

this year’s sale includes wild beach plums, orchard-grade hazelnuts, american persimmons, many species of restoration-grade native stock, and much more.

bare-root plants ship nationwide during the november sale window– join our email list below if you want to know when trees go up for sale. local pickup is available in alfred, maine or ithaca, new york.

join the early access list →

native trees, edible plants, unusual ornamentals

everything here starts from seed — seed we collect ourselves, across a network of growing sites, wild collection grounds, and quiet arrangements with people who know where the good trees are. some of us work small plots. some of us tend larger fields. some of us just know one really good black walnut tree on a roadside nobody else has noticed. what unites the collective is a standard: cold hardiness, vigor, provenance you can actually trace.

wild collections are documented — we track the provenance for each batch of seedlings. for orchard-grade nut and fruit genetics we go deeper — working directly with the best northeastern breeders, people who have spent decades selecting vigor, commercial yield, and culinary value in our climate. the rest we find ourselves, one tree at a time, across sites in southern maine, the finger lakes, and wherever the collective’s reach currently extends.

regenerative practices. no chemical sprays. no synthetic fertilizers.

our operation utilizes low-input, soil-forward methods, relying on natural outdoor stratification, deep field beds, air-prune boxes, and esoteric tactics sitting at the intersection of permaculture and bonsai in order to maximize germination and root health. all of our trees are grown in biologically active, living soil with intact fungi. our fertility system is built from the land— mountains of wood chips from trees felled on site, piles of manure directly from our co-farming neighbors (shake the tree farm) who share the land, raising their flock of sheep, rabbits, and ducks alongside the nursery.

these methods aren’t just philosophical preferences. they are practical, economical ways to produce excellent trees. by minimizing purchased inputs, avoiding unnecessary containers, and letting the seasons do much of the work, we can invest our effort where it matters most: collecting good seed, growing vigorous plants, and getting them into the ground.

no plastic greenhouses, no elaborate industrial production system. just soil, manure, wood chips, time, weather, and careful observation.

tree planting + garden services

tree planting + garden services

we also offer local tree planting and one-time garden restoration work across southern maine.

if you’re buying trees from us, we can plant them for you — with free local delivery included. our work ranges from individual tree installations to small-scale ecological landscaping, garden rehabilitation, and establishing edible or native plantings.

learn more →

projects in development:

living rootball program
we are developing a line of ball-and-burlap trees grown in living native groundcover — no herbicide, no fungicide-treated burlap, hand-selected specimens with intact mycorrhizae. pairings are chosen to make ecological sense: the tree and its understory companion arrive together, already established.

oddities and rarities
a small and growing collection of plants that don’t belong in a normal nursery catalog. hyper-rare woody endemics from the canarian archipelago, grown from seed. wild-origin american lotus tubers and seeds. houseplants propagated from seeds collected on the streets of delhi and istanbul. inventory is limited, availability unpredictable, and none of it is quite like anything else available in new england.

integrated wildlife program
we are exploring permaculture-style integration of ethical reptile husbandry with nursery production — plants providing habitat and enrichment, animals providing fertility, the whole system closing its own loops, with the goal of becoming a source for an ethical pet trade and teach pet owners how to provide ecologically sound enclosures. long-term ambitions get stranger from there. a greenhouse crocodile lagoon integrated with nursery production of exotic leaf shredding floating tropical pond lilies– and if the geneticists cooperate — the return of mastodons to their rightful habitat– the wildlands of northern maine.

local sales by delivery or appointment.

contact@mooncraternursery.com