Top Tree Picks

Diana Beresford-Kroeger, Canada’s very own tree whisper, calls upon each of us to plant one native tree every year for six years in our own neighbourhoods. These are her top recommendations for Eastern Ontario.

Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipfera).jpg
Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipfera) produces nectar for hummingbirds, Baltimore orioles, scarlet tanagers and pollinating insects, and is host to eastern tiger swallowtail, (Papilio glaucus), spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) and the Tulip tree silkmoth (Callosamia angulifera). Image Source: D Wright, Flickr

Trees

  1. Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) & Kingnut Hickory (Carya laciniosa)
  2. Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
  3. Butternut (Juglans cinerea)
  4. Sweet Chestnut (Castanea dentata)
  5. Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
  6. Pawpaw (Asimina triloba): bears the largest edible fruit indigenous to Canada
  7. Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)
  8. Beaked Hazel (Corylus cornuta var. cornuta)
  9. Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida): great for forest bathing

Endangered Trees

  1. Cucumber tree (Magnolia acuminata): our magnificant native magnolia is one of the largest and most cold hardy
  2. Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipfera)
  3. Wafer Ash (Ptelea trifoliata): Sacred tree of the First Nations
  4. Rock Elm (Ulmus thomasii)

Shrubs

  1. Silky dogwood (Cornus amomum)
  2. Fly Honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis)
  3. Golden Currant (Ribes aureum)