ArborGen Taylor Nursery

The South Carolina Forestry Commission is proud to partner with commercial seedling provider ArborGen on the production, sales and delivery of forest tree seedlings for SC landowners. Taylor Nursery, near Trenton, S.C., is still owned by the Forestry Commission and part of the Nursery & Tree Improvement Program, but ArborGen is now providing management services to operate the nursery.
ArborGen is making capital investments to the facility to increase its production capacity; this unique public/private partnership will guarantee SC landowners improved genetics and quality seedlings for years to come. Under this partnership, the Forestry Commission will determine seedling production for up to 5 million seedlings annually, with 4.12 million seedlings to be grown in 2021. The Forestry Commission will set prices for these seedlings grown specifically for South Carolina landowners by ArborGen. The prices in this guide will only apply to the first 100,000 seedlings ordered each year by qualified landowners for seedlings to be planted in South Carolina.
For more information, or if you just have questions about this partnership, please contact Taylor Nursery (803) 275-3578 or the SCFC Resource Development Director Tim Adams at (803) 896-8802 or by email.



To order seedlings, follow the steps below:
- Analyze our options of seedlings among the diverse species available in the 2023 Seedling Price Guide.
- Look at seedling availability to check if ArborGen Taylor Nursery still can provide the seedlings to you.
- Download the seedling order form, complete it with your personal information and the number of seedlings to buy. Finally, contact ArborGen Taylor Nursery to place your order: (803) 275-3578.
- When placing your order, be sure to ask for South Carolina landowner pricing!
- Provide feedback, supplying ArborGen with your email address when placing your order so we can include you in our annual Seedling Customer Satisfaction Survey at the end of each planting season. Hearing from you on our seedling program is essential for we keep improving the program.
When ordering loblolly pine seedlings
We recommend seedling customers to use PRS sheets to compare the genetic quality of different seedling families. However, the PRS scores can vary widely for a single pine family depending on the commercial checklot that is used. To make it easier for our customers to compare seedlings from other nurseries, we have provided the PRS sheets for our loblolly pine selections with three commercial checks:
- the CCC check which represents a broad coastal region
- the Georgia/Florida coastal check and
- the South Carolina coastal check
Below are the PRS sheets for our loblolly pine selections. When shopping for loblolly seedlings, remember to always ask for a PRS sheet for each selection you are considering and be sure to specify the commercial check that is used on the PRS sheet.
Coastal Plain Loblolly Pine Selection
AG-88 PRS Sheet using CCC Coastal check
AG-88 PRS Sheet using GA/FL Coastal check
AG-88 PRS Sheet using SC Coastal check
Piedmont Loblolly Pine Selection
AG-757 PRS Sheet using SC/GA Piedmont check
Planting information
Tree Planting Guidelines For Reforestation
Seedling Spacing/Trees Per Acre
Shortleaf Pine Conference

Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) is one of the major southern pine species. Its forests and associated habitats contain extraordinary cultural, ecological and economic value by providing recreational opportunities, enhanced water quality, wildlife habitat, and high-value wood products. Despite these values, shortleaf pine has significantly declined across much of its native range.
To that end, the South Carolina Forestry Commission hosted a Shortleaf Pine Conference Nov. 16, 2023 at the agency’s Piedmont Forestry Center, including a field trip to Poe Creek State Forest in hopes of increasing awareness about the importance of this species.
Download the agenda here.
Speakers
- History of the Shortleaf Pine Initiative (Mike Black, Shortleaf Pine Initiative)
- Shortleaf Pine Silviculture (David Clabo, University of Georgia Extension)
- Shortleaf Pine’s Fire Advantage (Adam Warwick, The Nature Conservancy)
- Shortleaf Decline in South Carolina and Seed Sources (Tim Adams, SC Forestry Commission)
- USFS Case Study – Loblolly to Shortleaf Conversion Program (Victor Wyant, USFS Andrew Pickens)
- The Case for Shortleaf – Pros and Cons (Mike Black, Shortleaf Pine Initiative)





