Burnt Ridge Nursery

05/12/2026

Black walnut trees have highly valued wood with richly flavored, thick shelled, high protein nuts. Their shells are notoriously hard to remove, but that doesn't stop us (and the squirrels) from breaking into the tasty nut inside. Their striking yellow fall color is a joy to see.

The outer hulls contains stain that will darken skin, concrete, and any other porous surfaces. Black walnuts are late to leaf out and early to drop compound leaves. They also produce root chemicals that can inhibit plant growth under its canopy.

https://www.burntridgenursery.com/Black-Walnut-Trees/products/56/

05/08/2026

Bamboo are among some of the most useful plants on Earth! Their fast growing shoots are delicious to eat when young, and incredibly useful for woodworking and other farm projects when they mature. They are also beautiful to look at and make effective visual screens, as all are evergreen.

There are two types of bamboo: spreading and clumping. With spreading bamboo, harvesting new shoots can be a means of controlling its spread. Bamboo is shade tolerant, but doesn't tend to spread under shady conditions, so planting in a shady location can also be a means of controlling its spread. Making a shallow trench 8-10 inches deep around a clump can also help to contain it. Left unchecked in a well-watered sunny location, spreading bamboos will become an ever increasing grove. Clumping bamboo will not spread but the spreading bamboo types will spread to varying degrees and speed.

https://www.burntridgenursery.com/Bamboo/products/99/

05/05/2026

When your trees arrive this spring, check out our handy tree planting videos on our YouTube page! This one is all about planting hardwoods.

Michael Dolan has planted hundreds of thousands of trees over the last several decades, including a 20 acre diverse orchard of fruit trees, nut trees, berry ...

04/30/2026

We are back at the Olympia Farmer's Market! Stop by our booth Thursday-Sunday from 10am to 3pm to peruse our wide selection of fruit, nut, and northwest native trees! We are also currently selling wine, cider, jam, applesauce, apple butter, and nuts. Fresh fruit will be available starting sometime in late June!

04/28/2026

The apple trees are waking up!

04/28/2026

When your trees arrive this spring, check out our handy tree planting videos on our YouTube page! This one is all about planting conifers.

67 likes, 7 comments. "Planting Trees, Part 1: Conifers | with Michael Dolan of Burnt Ridge Nursery"

04/24/2026

Big Leaf Maples (Acer macrophyllum) are an excellent choice for native forest rehabilitation, or for planting a native tree to shade the yard! Their massive leaves are up to 15" across, the largest for a maple, hence their common name.

They are a large, fast growing tree, juveniles can grow up to 3 ft. a year and slowing down later in life. Most reach heights of 50-100 ft and cast dense shade with its 50 ft. spreading canopy. Golden yellow autumn foliage, leaves are very richly nutrient and are prefect for compost use. The trees also provide food and shelter for wildlife year-round.

Big Leaf Maples produce a sweet sap for maple syrup but are somewhat limited for production. These trees are long-lived, with some reaching 300 years old. The are native from Alaska to California and very common in the Pacific Northwest. landscape.

https://www.burntridgenursery.com/BIG-LEAF-MAPLE-Acer-macrophyllum/productinfo/NSNDBIG/

04/16/2026

Ready for the delicious fruits of summer? Us too! Dried figs are great, but nothing compares to fresh figs. Take a look at our video all about the Desert King Fig, a variety that does well for us in the Pacific Northwest. We still have many in stock!

Desert King is one of our favorite fig varieties. It thrives in the Pacific Northwest climate, and produces large crops of excellent quality fruit. In this...

04/07/2026

The Illinois Everbearing Mulberry is one of our favorite hardy varieties here at Burnt Ridge Nursery. It is extremely precocious, self-fruiting, and heavy yielding over much of the summer. Fruits are seedless and have a very sweet, delicious flavor. Once a week through the summer, we harvest the fruit to make into our mulberry jam and mulberry wine, which are fan favorites at the Olympia Farmer's Market!

https://www.burntridgenursery.com/ILLINOIS-EVERBEARING-MULBERRY-Morus-alba-x-rubra/productinfo/NSMUILL/

04/03/2026

Need a reference guide to North American apple varieties, tree planting advice, and tips for storing and preserving your apple harvest? We'd recommend "Apples of North America," by Tom Burford. This book contains it all, and can bring you advice for years to come as you begin your apple growing journey.

https://www.burntridgenursery.com/APPLES-OF-NORTH-AMERICA-by-Tom-Burford/productinfo/BKAPPLE/

03/30/2026

Shagbark hickories are beautiful large trees with dense, useful wood, native to the Eastern and Central US. Hickories are in the walnut family, and produce a delicious edible nut in the fall, although you may have to fight off the squirrels to get them. These trees may be slow to establish, but grow with good vigor after 3-4 years. The tough wood is useful in woodworking, as well as for burning to smoke meats. The long peeling strips of bark develop character with age, and give the "Shagbark Hickory," its name. In some regions of the US, bats enjoy snuggling up underneath the bark to keep warm and sleep. A versatile, beautiful, and useful nut tree!

https://www.burntridgenursery.com/SHAGBARK-HICKORY-Carya-ovata/productinfo/NSHISHA/