Plants

Bushes with stickers show up in nearly every region of the world, having independently evolved thorns, spines, and prickles as a defense against grazing animals across completely unrelated plant families. That independent evolution is part of what makes this group so varied, since a “sticker” on one shrub might be a modified leaf, on another … Read more

Manitoba may be known for its wide-open prairie landscapes, but much of the province is covered by forests, parkland, and mixedwood ecosystems. From the agricultural regions around Winnipeg and Brandon to the boreal forests farther north, Manitoba offers a surprisingly wide range of conditions for growing trees. The challenge is that Manitoba has a short … Read more

Canada is one of the world’s great forest nations. The country has about 369 million hectares of forest, representing roughly 9% of the world’s total forest area. Canada’s forests stretch from the Atlantic provinces through the boreal forests of Quebec, Ontario, and the Prairies to the enormous temperate and coastal forests of British Columbia and … Read more

Alberta is a challenging but rewarding place to grow trees. The province stretches from prairie grasslands and dry foothills to mountain valleys and the boreal forest, creating enormous differences in temperature, rainfall, elevation, soil, and growing-season length. A tree that grows rapidly in a sheltered Edmonton yard may perform very differently on an exposed Calgary … Read more

Types of ash trees range from towering hardwoods once prized for baseball bats and tool handles to compact shrubby species barely tall enough to qualify as trees at all, spanning nearly every temperate region of the Northern Hemisphere. For most of the 20th century, ash trees were among the most widely planted street and shade … Read more

Nova Scotia has a remarkably diverse tree-growing environment. From the warmer Annapolis Valley and South Shore to the cooler Cape Breton Highlands, trees face different combinations of winter cold, wind, moisture, soil depth, and growing-season length. The province is part of the Acadian Forest region, where red spruce, balsam fir, white pine, red maple, birches, … Read more

Quebec has an enormous range of growing conditions. A tree that grows rapidly around Montréal or Gatineau may perform very differently in the Laurentians, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Abitibi-Témiscamingue or farther north. Winter temperatures, the length of the growing season, soil moisture and exposure all have a major influence on how quickly a tree develops. For gardeners and … Read more

Canada is home to an enormous range of climates, from the relatively mild conditions of southern British Columbia and southwestern Ontario to the cold boreal regions of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, northern Ontario and Quebec. That makes choosing a fast-growing tree a little more complicated than simply picking the species with the highest advertised growth rate. … Read more

If you want a tree that will provide shade, screening, wildlife habitat or a stronger landscape presence without waiting decades, Ontario has several excellent fast-growing choices. The province’s wide range of climates means the best tree for southern Ontario may not be the best choice for northern Ontario, so hardiness, soil and available space all … Read more

European ash (Fraxinus excelsior), also known as common ash, is a large, graceful deciduous tree native to much of Europe, including Britain. It is one of the most recognisable woodland trees in the UK, particularly in winter when its distinctive black buds stand out against its grey branches. Under suitable conditions, European ash can become … Read more