I got a look of disbelief when I told a friend I'd planted a tree that had been shipped from a nursery 3,000 miles away. When I explained that the tree had arrived "bareroot," I could see the term bring on a shudder. Disbelief and shuddering passed once I showed off my exuberantly growing young plant. Bareroot trees are so named because the plants are dug from the ground when they're dormant (leafless), usually in fall, and their roots are shaken free of soil. Kept cool, with their roots packed in moist material, such as damp sawdust, bareroot plants are easy to store and ship in good condition. They can be ordered for either fall or early-spring shipment. Mail-order nurseries selling bareroot trees often have wider selections than do local nurseries. Such trees may cost from one-third to one-half as much as a same-sized container-grown tree. If you're buying a named variety of a plant, it will be genetically identical and will grow equally well in other regions where it is hardy.
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