VigorLiner®
Our line of containerized liners
Our VigorLiner® product line includes deciduous trees that are difficult to produce and transplant via traditional bare root methods. Because healthy trees begin with fibrous, well-developed root systems, our VigorLiner® trees are grown in special containers that we have found to produce the very best root system for each species and cultivar in the program.
Depending on their needs, trees are established in Root Pouch® fabric containers or in our specially designed air-pruning containers. The latter feature evenly spaced, vertical slots that eliminate circling roots and produce fibrous root systems. Improved air circulation and drainage reduce incidence of root disease.
Root Pouch® fabric containers retain moisture more readily than the slot-style containers while offering the same advantages of root pruning and prevention of circling roots.
Ideal for shifting up into larger containers
These brown fabric bags are an above-ground version of the Root Pouch® fabric bags that we use in our fields with great success. Distinctive for their ground-hugging shape that reduces the incidence of toppling over in the wind, they feature stout fabric handles that make them easy to manage in the nursery, garden center, or in the fields at planting time.
Air-pruned, branched, white root tips found in both types of containers are visible evidence of the healthy, vigorous root systems we produce in our VigorLiner® program. Specimen tree growers find our VigorLiner® trees to be excellent field liners.
Container growers praise them as ideal for shifting up into larger containers. While they may be planted year-round, growers in milder climates find VigorLiner® trees to be tailor-made for fall planting. This practice encourages root establishment in the fall and winter that will support vigorous spring growth.
New for 2025-2026
We have combined the best of both worlds for some trees in our VigorLiner® program, our new root sleeve VigorLiner® (3RS). We have taken our slotted pots and lined them with fabric sleeves. Our oak line in particular is thriving in this new production method! Look for varieties we are producing with this method in the chart below.
Following is a list of all the VigorLiner® trees we produce and the containers they are available in. For current availability, please visit our stock available page.
| Variety | #3 | 3VL | 3RP | 3RS |
| Acer buergerianum - Trident Maple | ✔︎ | |||
| Acer x freemanii 'Jeffersred' - Autumn Blaze® Maple | ✔︎ | |||
| Acer x freemanii 'Celzam' - Celebration® Maple | ✔︎ | |||
| Acer ginnala 'Flame' - Flame Maple (Multi-Stem or clump) | ✔︎ | |||
| Acer griseum - Paperbark Maple | ✔︎ | |||
| Acer platanoides 'Crimson King' - Crimson King Maple | ✔︎ | |||
| Acer rubrum 'Brandywine' - Brandywine Maple | ✔︎ | |||
| Acer rubrum 'October Glory' - October Glory® Maple | ✔︎ | |||
| Acer rubrum 'Franksred' - Red Sunset® Maple | ✔︎ | |||
| Acer rubrum 'Frank Jr.' - Redpointe® Maple | ✔︎ | |||
| Acer rubrum 'JFS-KW78' - Armstrong Gold® Maple | ✔︎ | |||
| Acer rubrum 'WW Warren' - Red Sentinel® Maple | ✔︎ | |||
| Variety | #3 | 3VL | 3RP | 3RS |
| Acer saccharinum - Silver Maple | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Acer saccharum 'Green Mountain' - Green Mountain® Maple | ✔︎ | |||
| Acer tataricum 'GarAnn' - Hot Wings® Maple | ✔︎ | |||
| Acer truncatum × platanoides 'JFS-KW202' - Crimson Sunset® Maple | ✔︎ | |||
| Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance' - Autumn Brilliance® Serviceberry (Multi-Stem) | ✔︎ | |||
| Betula papyrifera - Paper Birch (Clump) | ✔︎ | |||
| Betula nigra - River Birch (Clump) | ✔︎ | |||
| Betula platyphylla 'Fargo' - Dakota Pinnacle® Birch | ✔︎ | |||
| Betula papyrifera 'Renci' - Renaissance Reflection® Birch (Tree or Clump) | ✔︎ | |||
| Betula 'Penci-2' - Royal Frost® Birch | ✔︎ | |||
| Betula nigra 'Cully' - Heritage® Birch (Clump) | ✔︎ | |||
| Betula platyphylla 'Jefpark' - Parkland Pillar™ - First Editions® Birch | ✔︎ | |||
| Variety | #3 | 3VL | 3RP | 3RS |
| Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata' - Pyramidal European Hornbeam | ✔︎ | |||
| Carpinus caroliniana - American Hornbeam | ✔︎ | |||
| Carpinus betulus 'Frans Fontaine' - Frans Fontaine Hornbeam | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | |
| Cercidiphyllum japonicum - Katsura Tree | ✔︎ | |||
| Cercis canadensis 'Covey' - Lavender Twist® Redbud | ✔︎ | |||
| Cercis canadensis - Eastern Redbud | ✔︎ | |||
| Cercis canadensis 'Merlot' - Merlot Redbud | ✔︎ | |||
| Cercis canadensis 'UMN7101' - Heart's Desire™ Redbud | ✔︎ | |||
| Cercis canadensis 'Vanilla Twist' - Vanilla Twist Redbud | ✔︎ | |||
| Chionanthus retusus 'Tokyo Tower' - Tokyo Tower Fringe Tree | ✔︎ | |||
| Chionanthus retusus - Chinese Fringe Tree | ✔︎ | |||
| Cladrastis kentukea - Yellowwood | ✔︎ | |||
| Variety | #3 | 3VL | 3RP | 3RS |
| Cornus 'Eddie's White Wonder' - Eddie's White Wonder Dogwood | ✔︎ | |||
| Cornus florida 'Comco No. 1' - Cherokee Brave Dogwood | ✔︎ | |||
| Cornus florida 'Cherokee Princess' - Cherokee Princess Dogwood | ✔︎ | |||
| Cornus kousa 'Schmred' - Heart Throb® Dogwood | ✔︎ | |||
| Cornus kousa 'Rutpink' - Scarlet Fire® Dogwood | ✔︎ | |||
| Franklinia alatamaha - Franklin Tree | ✔︎ | |||
| Fraxinus americana 'Junginger' - Autumn Purple® Ash | ✔︎ | |||
| Ginkgo biloba 'Autumn Gold' - Autumn Gold Ginkgo | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Ginkgo biloba 'PNI 2720' - Princeton Sentry® Ginkgo | ✔︎ | |||
| Ginkgo biloba 'The President' - Presidential Gold® Ginkgo | ✔︎ | |||
| Ginkgo biloba 'Blagon' - Goldspire Ginkgo | ✔︎ | |||
| Ginkgo biloba 'JFS-UGA2' - Golden Colonnade® Ginkgo | ✔︎ | |||
| Variety | #3 | 3VL | 3RP | 3RS |
| Halesia carolina 'UConn Wedding Bells' - Wedding Bells Silverbell | ✔︎ | |||
| Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise' - Arnold Promise Witch Hazel (Multi-Stem) | ✔︎ | |||
| Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane' - Diane Witch Hazel (Multi-Stem) | ✔︎ | |||
| Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena' - Jelena Witch Hazel (Multi-Stem) | ✔︎ | |||
| Heptacodium miconioides - Seven-son Flower | ✔︎ | |||
| Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' - Limelight Hydrangea (Tree) | ✔︎ | |||
| Koelreuteria paniculata - Goldenrain Tree | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Koelreuteria paniculata 'JFS-Sunleaf' - Summerburst® Goldenrain Tree | ✔︎ | |||
| Liquidambar styraciflua 'Clydesform' - Emerald Sentinel® Sweetgum | ✔︎ | |||
| Liquidambar styraciflua 'Rotundiloba' - Rotundiloba Sweetgum | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Liquidambar styraciflua 'Worplesdon' - Worplesdon Sweetgum | ✔︎ | |||
| Liquidambar styraciflua 'JFS KW1LS' - Firehouse® Sweetgum | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Variety | #3 | 3VL | 3RP | 3RS |
| Liquidambar styraciflua 'Slender Silhouette' - Slender Silhouette Sweetgum | ✔︎ | |||
| Liriodendron tulipifera - Tulip Tree | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Liriodendron tulipifera 'JFS-Oz' - Emerald City® Tulip Tree | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Magnolia x loebneri 'Ballerina' - Ballerina Magnolia (Multi-Stem) | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Magnolia grandiflora 'D. D. Blanchard' - D. D. Blanchard Magnolia | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Magnolia virginiana 'Jim Wilson' - Moonglow® Magnolia | ✔︎ | |||
| Magnolia 'Galaxy' - Galaxy Magnolia | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Magnolia grandiflora 'Edith Bogue' - Edith Bogue Magnolia | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Magnolia x loebneri 'Leonard Messel' - Leonard Messel Magnolia (Multi-Stem) | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Magnolia x loebneri 'Merrill' ('Dr. Merrill') - Merrill Magnolia (Multi-Stem) | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Magnolia soulangeana x liliflora 'Nigra' - Genie Magnolia (Tree or Multi-Stem) | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Magnolia stellata 'Royal Star' - Royal Star Magnolia (Multi-Stem) | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Variety | #3 | 3VL | 3RP | 3RS |
| Magnolia 'NCMX1' - Mercury® Magnolia | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Magnolia x soulangeana 'Rustica Rubra' - Rustica Rubra Magnolia | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Magnolia liliiflora x stellata 'Susan' - Susan Magnolia (Multi-Stem) | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Magnolia x loebneri 'Ruth' - Spring Welcome® Magnolia (Multi-Stem) | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Malus 'Prairifire' - Prairifire Crabapple | ✔︎ | |||
| Malus 'JFS-KW5' - Royal Raindrops® Crabapple | ✔︎ | |||
| Malus 'Sutyzam' - Sugar Tyme® Crabapple | ✔︎ | |||
| Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Ogon' - Gold Rush Dawn Redwood | ✔︎ | |||
| Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'JFS-PN3Legacy' - Jade Prince® Dawn Redwood | ✔︎ | |||
| Nyssa sylvatica - Black Tupelo | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Nyssa sylvatica 'David Odom' - Afterburner® Tupelo | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Variety | #3 | 3VL | 3RP | 3RS |
| Nyssa sylvatica 'JFS-red' - Firestarter® Tupelo | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Nyssa sylvatica 'NSUHH' - Green Gable™ Tupelo | ✔︎ | |||
| Nyssa sylvatica 'Haymanred' - Red Rage® Tupelo | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Nyssa sylvatica 'Wildfire' - Wildfire Tupelo | ✔︎ | |||
| Oxydendrum arboreum - Sourwood | ✔︎ | |||
| Parrotia persica 'Chrishaven 1' - Golden BellTower™ Parrotia | ✔︎ | |||
| Parrotia persica 'JL Columnar' - Persian Spire™ Parrotia | ✔︎ | |||
| Parrotia persica 'Inge's Ruby Vase' - Ruby Vase® Parrotia | ✔︎ | |||
| Parrotia persica 'Vanessa' - Vanessa Parrotia | ✔︎ | |||
| Pistacia chinensis - Chinese Pistache | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Pistacia chinensis 'Pair's Choice' - Western Son® Pistache | ✔︎ | |||
| Populus tremuloides - Quaking Aspen (Tree or Clump) | ✔︎ | |||
| Variety | #3 | 3VL | 3RP | 3RS |
| Populus tremuloides 'NE-Arb' - Prairie Gold® Aspen (Tree or Clump) | ✔︎ | |||
| Populus deltoides 'Siouxland' - Siouxland Poplar | ✔︎ | |||
| Populus tremula 'Erecta' - Swedish Columnar Aspen | ✔︎ | |||
| Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan' - Kwanzan Cherry | ✔︎ | |||
| Prunus 'Okame' - Okame Cherry | ✔︎ | |||
| Prunus x yedoensis - Yoshino Cherry | ✔︎ | |||
| Prunus x 'Snofozam' - Snow Fountains® Cherry | ✔︎ | |||
| Prunus 'NCPH1' - Pink Cascade® Cherry | ✔︎ | |||
| Prunus cerasifera 'Krauter Vesuvius' - Krauter Vesuvius Plum | ✔︎ | |||
| Prunus cerasifera 'Thundercloud' - Thundercloud Plum | ✔︎ | |||
| Quercus macrocarpa - Bur Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Quercus acutissima - Sawtooth Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Variety | #3 | 3VL | 3RP | 3RS |
| Quercus alba - White Oak | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Quercus bicolor 'Bonnie and Mike' - Beacon® Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Quercus coccinea - Scarlet Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Quercus frainetto 'Schmidt' - Forest Green® Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Quercus gambelii - Gambel Oak (Multi-Stem) | ✔︎ | |||
| Quercus muehlenbergii - Chinkapin Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Quercus nuttallii - Nuttall Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Quercus palustris - Pin Oak | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Quercus phellos - Willow Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Quercus robur x bicolor 'Long' - Regal Prince® Oak | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Quercus robur x bicolor 'Nadler' - Kindred Spirit® Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Quercus rubra - Red Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Variety | #3 | 3VL | 3RP | 3RS |
| Quercus shumardii - Shumard Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Quercus x bimundorum 'Crimschmidt' - Crimson Spire™ Oak | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Quercus x bimundorum 'JFS-KW1QX' - Streetspire® Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Quercus x bimundorum 'JFS-KW2QX' - Skinny Genes® Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Quercus x bimundorum 'Midwest' - Prairie Stature™ Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Quercus x macdanielii 'Clemons' - Heritage® Oak | ✔︎ | |||
| Sassafras albidum - Sassafras | ✔︎ | |||
| Styphnolobium japonicus 'Halka' - Millstone™ Pagoda Tree | ✔︎ | |||
| Stewartia pseudocamellia - Japanese Stewartia | ✔︎ | |||
| Styrax japonicus 'Fragrant Fountain' - Fragrant Fountain Snowbell | ✔︎ | |||
| Styrax japonicus 'JFS-D' - Snowcone® Snowbell | ✔︎ | |||
| Styrax japonicus 'Spring Showers' - Spring Showers Snowbell | ✔︎ | |||
| Variety | #3 | 3VL | 3RP | 3RS |
| Styrax japonicus 'Evening Light' - Evening Light Snowbell | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Syringa 'SMSJBP7' - Bloomerang® Dark Purple Lilac (Tree) | ✔︎ | |||
| Taxodium distichum - Bald Cypress | ✔︎ | |||
| Taxodium distichum 'JFS-SGPN' - Green Whisper® Bald Cypress | ✔︎ | |||
| Taxodium distichum 'Mickelson' - Shawnee Brave™ Bald Cypress | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ||
| Ulmus 'Frontier' - Frontier Elm | ✔︎ | |||
| Ulmus propinqua 'JFS-Bieberich' - Emerald Sunshine® Elm | ✔︎ | |||
| Ulmus 'Morton Glossy' - Triumph™ Elm | ✔︎ | |||
| Ulmus americana 'Princeton' - Princeton Elm | ✔︎ | |||
| Ulmus parvifolia 'Emer ll' - Allee® Elm | ✔︎ | |||
| Ulmus parvifolia 'JFS-Barrett' - Emerald Flair® Elm | ✔︎ |