Other important selection criteria

Other factors can influence nursery tree quality. Some of these are listed in the following table.

Factors influencing tree quality

canopy uniformity (uniform is usually preferable)
canopy fullness (full is usually better)
seed or propagule source (what region of the country did the seed come from)
quality of old pruning cuts (avoid trees with flush cuts)
insect and disease infestation (none is best)
trunk injury and broken branches (none is best)
trunk wrap (it may be covering up injury)
foliage color and size (should be typical for the tree)
die-back in the canopy (should be none)
presence of stakes (a tree that comes from the nursery with a stake may not be capable of holding itself erect)