Black Spruce – Picea Mariana

General – a small to medium-sized slow-growing, evergreen tree or dwarf shrub, having a straight trunk with little taper, and a narrow, pointed crown of short, compact, drooping branches with upturned tips; groving to an average height of 15 m. Bark: thin, scaly, and grayish brown. Branches: poor self pruner, keeping dead branches for several … Read more

Tamarack – Larix Laricina

General – small to medium-sized, averaging 18 m (60 ft) high, deciduous conifer with a sparse, open, narrow, conical crown. Trunk straight. Bark with small scaly patches, grey to red-brown. Twig sender, light brown, numerous short, spur branches. Tamarack Leaves – Deciduous, flat needle, light green, appear in spirals on spur shoots after first year, … Read more

Paper Birch/White Birch – Betula Papyrifera

General – small to medium-sized, averaging 16 m (54 ft) high, broadleaved hardwood with a small, open crown of spreading and ascending branches. Branchlets are slender and a red-brown. On young trees, trunk bark is reddish-brown but turns to its characteristic white colour as the tree matures. The trunk generally divides low into several arching … Read more

Eastern White Pine – Pinus Strobus

General – large-sized, averaging 22 – 36 m (72 – 118 ft) high, evergreen conifer. Crown full, spreading, generally irregularly shaped. Branchlets slender, gray-green to orange-brown in color. Trunk shows little taper and is generally branchless for over 1/2 its height. Trunk bark on young trees, thin, smooth and gray-green in color. Later becoming thick, … Read more

Speckled Alder – Alnus Rugosa

General – – shrub or small tree up to 4 metres (13 feet) high; branchiets light reddish-brown, hairy, not sticky; older twigs dark brown to purplish-black, hairless, dotted with conspicuous light warty dots, pith 3-sided; often growing in clumps or thickets, hummock-forming. Speckled Alder Leaves – Leaves – alternate; egg-shaped or broadly oval, rounded to … Read more

Western Hemlock – Tsuga Heterophylla

Distinguishing Features – A tall, coniferous, evergreen tree with a straight trunk, down-swept branches and open, pyramidal crown with a nodding tip; growing to a height of 30 – 50 m and a diameter of 1 m. Needles: nearly flat, soft, glossy, widely spaced along twigs, of two lengths with the shorter ones standing upright … Read more

Weeping Willow – Salix Babylonica

Distinguishing Features – Leaves: 6 – 13 cm long; narrow, lance-shaped, with pointed tips, saw-toothed; colouration: dark green above and whitish to gray underneath. Bark: gray; rough, thick, deeply grooved. Branchlets: yellowish-green to brownish; slender, unbranched, drooping Flowers: borne on catkins 1 – 2.5 cm long; greenish; on the ends of short leafy twigs; appearing … Read more

Stair-step Moss – Hylocomium Splendens

General – olive green, yellowish or reddish green; stems creeping, 2 – 20 cm long, stems and branches reddish, often with branches on branches; current year’s growth arises from near middle of previous year’s branch, producing feathery ‘fronds’ in step form; forms springy mats. Stair-step MossLeaves – 2 – 3 mm long, oval, smooth-edged, wide … Read more

Understanding Silviculture – Tree Planting

To understand silviculture, one must first understand silvics. Silvics involves understanding how trees grow, reproduce, and respond to environmental changes. Some tree species thrive in shade – sugar maple, red maple, hemlock and basswood are good examples. These species can live, grow, and reproduce in shade and semishade conditions. Many tree species prefer or require … Read more

Balsam Poplar – Populus Balsamifera

The balsam poplar is the northernmost North American hardwood. Other names are tacamahac, cottonwood, or heartleaf balsam poplar. General – medium to large-sized, averaging 23 – 30 m (75 – 100 ft) high, broadleaved hardwood. Crown narrow, pyramidal with thick, ascending branches. Branchlets moderately stout, round, shiny reddy-brown, orange lenticels, buds are reddish-brown to brown, … Read more