Johnson's Nursery is a 500+ acre field growing nursery that produces primarily B&B trees, shrubs and evergreens. We container grow some perennials and shrubs as well. Over 600 taxa are listed in our field inventory. Most plants are sold wholesale, though an integral part of our business is our retail, landscape design and build operation. Our small propagation department helps support the field growing B&B operation. The propagators provide the nursery with liners, especially those which are difficult to obtain elsewhere. We are responsible for developing better plants for the nursery. This mission is accomplished in several different ways:
- We select and develop superior seed strains based on ornamental characteristics and provenances as well as growability in our nursery. Examples: Quercus x schuetii for alkaline soil tolerance; Carpinus caroliniana for red fall color.
- We also select and introduce new cultivars. Examples: Firebird Crabapple®, Red Feather® Arrowwood Viburnum, Redwing™ American Cranberry Viburnum, Star Power™ Juniper, and Technito™ Arborvitae.
- We grow heavy transplants which are root pruned to increase transplantability as a B&B plant. Some species we do this with include: Quercus species, Gymnocladus dioicus and Ostrya virginiana.
- We obtain little known species and cultivars from arboreta and botanical gardens.
- We grow local ecotype native plants for use in restoration plantings.
Plant Introductions
Our nursery has been actively selecting new plant cultivars for the past 30 years. We are most interested in tough, durable plants that will perform well in heavy alkaline soils and survive our rugged climate. With the millions of plants that have passed through our nursery over the years, we have found numerous improved plants. We hope you will try some of our new cultivars and see for yourself.
For information on plant trials, testing agreements, trademark licensing agreements or patent licensing to propagate and sell these introductions, please call or e-mail me if you have questions.
Click here to go to our Plant Introduction page.
Wisconsin Natives
Many of our native plants are grown from wild collected, local seed. These ecotypes are adaptable to our soils and climate. They offer a wide array of colors, fragrances and other attributes that rival many introduced species. In addition, planting a native plant for any reason helps preserve natives in our landscape. While native plants can be more adaptable than non-natives to local conditions, site selection is still important. Evaluate the site first in order to match it with the proper plant. The plant’s native habitat often provides clues to locating its best site. When plants are sited properly, they generally thrive and require less maintenance.
Click here to go to our Wisconsin Natives page.
Please call or email us if you have questions.
For licensing questions, contact Mike Yanny at: Ph: (262) 252-4980 Email: mike@johnsonsnursery.com
Thank You,
Michael Yanny
Plant Propagator