The Ministry of Natural Resources encourages you to plant native trees. Some of the trees in the list are considered to be invasive species, which means they take over and crowd out native trees, making it difficult for native trees to grow. Other trees in this section may be prone to disease and we’re not recommending you plant them at this time because it may cause the spread of disease and will not likely survive to maturity.
Northern Catalpa
Catalpa speciosa
The northern catalpa is not native to Canada. It usually grows in much warmer climates, but is planted farther north because of its lovely big white flowers, which bloom in mid-summer.
Its leaves are large and heart-shaped and are 10 to 30 centimetres long. Its seeds grow in very long skinny pods that are 35 to 60 centimetres long and look like beans.
The northern catalpa can grow to be more than 30 metres tall and its bark is dark brown.
Horsechestnut
Aesculus hippocastanum
The horsechestnut is native to Europe, but is planted in Canada because it’s a hardy tree that grows well in urban environments and also produces beautiful big bunches of white flowers in the spring.
Its leaves are rounded at one end and are pointed at the other. They are 10 to 25 centimetres long and grow attached to a central stalk in a fan-shape.
The horsechestnut grows to be 25 metres tall, with a trunk that’s 50 centimetres in diameter. Its bark is dark grey or dark brown and gets very scaly and cracked when the tree is older. Its nuts grow in bright green shells that are covered in pointy thorns.
Little Leaf Linden
Tilia cordata
The little-leaf linden is native to Europe. It can grow in Canada because it’s a hardy tree, and it grows well in cities. It’s found in central and southern Ontario and can grow to be 35 metres tall.
Its dull green leaves are heart shaped and are 4 to 8 centimetres long.
Small yellow flowers bloom on the little leaf linden in July. Its bark is greenish brown and gets darker in colour as the tree gets older.
English Oak
Quercus robur
The english oak is native to Europe, but was transplanted to Canada and the United States in colonial times and grows in central and southern Ontario.
It’s a large tree that can grow to be 35 metres tall and can live for hundreds of years. The leaves of the English oak are 5 to 12 millimetres long and have between 5 and 7 lobes and 2 smaller lobes that stick out at the bottom of the leaf. They are dark green on top and bluish underneath.
Acorns from the english oak are 15 to 40 millimetres long and grow in bunches of 2 to 5 on a stalk.
Norway Maple
Acer platanoides
The norway maple is native to Europe. It was brought over to Canada and now grows in southern and central Ontario. It was commonly planted on city streets.
Its bark is very dark grey with ridges that connect and form a pattern. Its leaves have 5 to 7 lobes and are 8 to 20 centimetres long. They are dark green and turn lighter green or yellow in the fall.
It can grow to be up to 35 metres tall and can live for hundreds of years.
White Elm
Ulmus Americana
The white elm used to be a common in Ontario, but Dutch-elm disease has killed older trees. Some younger trees have survived the disease.
It’s a large tree that can grow to be up to 35 metres tall, with a thick trunk that’s 175 centimetres in diameter. Its bark is dark greyish-brown with deep ridges that connect. The white elm’s leaves are oval with a pointed end and are dark green and 10 to 15 centimetres long.
The white elm has an easily recognizable shape with no branches until halfway up the trunk and then lots of branches that fan out, giving the tree an umbrella shape.
Black Locust
Robina pseudoacacia
The black locust is a hardy tree, so even though it’s not native to Canada, it can grow here. It’s found in southern and central Ontario.
The black locust grows to be 25 metres tall and can live for 90 years. In the summer, it’s covered in bunches of white flowers that are 14 centimetres long. Small green oval-shaped leaflets grow on stalks that are 20 to 30 centimetres long.
Its seeds grow in pods that are 7 to 10 centimetres long and are eaten by birds and small mammals. Its bark is dark brown and becomes scaled and cracked as the tree ages.
