Tag: ontario native tree
Cherries – The Eastern Chokecherry
The first thing people ask about this small, native, deciduous tree is why the name ‘ chokecherry ‘? The common names of bird cherry, bitter cherry, and chokecherry refer to the glossy red berries appearing from August to September. Let me tell you, the berries are super astringent and the absolute sourness causes a gag reflex. But birds and wildlife love them. In fact, up to 24 species of birds such as vireos, tanagers, robins, thrushes, flycatchers, and kingbirds feast on the very nutritious fruit. The berries have a high content of fat, up to 35% fat, which fattens birds for their upcoming migratory flights or for the upcoming winter months.
The Rocky Mountains have created a physical barrier to the chokecherry where there are now 2 different varieties. The western chokecherry (Prunus var. demissa) resides west of the Rockies and the eastern chokecherry (Prunus var. virginiana) dominates the Canadian landscape east of the Rockies.
If you want to plant a native shrub to make an ecological impact, then the eastern chokecherry is your choice. From April to May lovely, white flowers appear in long racemes that are fragrant and remind me of almonds. Because of the very early flowering time, it is listed as having ‘ special value to native bees ‘. Early emergent pollinators derive much needed nectar and pollen. In fact, the cherry family is listed in the top 10 pollinator plants for Ontario.
The leaves are larval sources for many moths such as cecropria, promeathea, polyphemus, and hummingbird clearwing. Some caterpillars such as red spotted purple, spring azure, tiger swallowtail, and coral hairstreaks also much on the leaves.
The eastern chokecherry has immense ecological value due to its adaptability and growth habits. Due to its suckering growth habit, it is a great candidate for riparian plantings and stabilizing river banks. They are used extensively in plantings of shelter belts and windbreaks for erosion control. Since it is so adaptable to many types of soils, it has been used for land rehabilitation from abandoned construction sites to grasslands. Additionally, they provide cover and nesting habitat for a variety of birds.
Thinking you might have room to plant eastern chokecherry? They attain heights of 20 – 30 feet and widths of 10 – 20 feet. For maximum berry production plant in a full sun location. However, they can adapt to partially shady places. A well drained site is needed since they will not thrive in areas that are flooded annually. Once established they are drought resistant. And you get all this ecological value quickly. Their growth rates are fast.
So why not consider planting eastern chokecherry?
Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperis virginiana)
This aromatic evergreen is the most widely distributed conifer for Eastern North America ranging from Nova Scotia to Ontario and south to Texas and Florida. It can attain heights of 30 – 40 feet and widths of 8 – 20 feet. I find it an interesting tree to watch throughout the seasons where it changes colors from gray/blue in the summer to brownish for the winter. It is recognized that there are 2 varieties of the Eastern red cedar with the typical virginiana and the southern cousin.
I can’t begin to explain how hardy these evergreens are. They tolerate a wide range of soils but are intolerant of constantly wet sites. They tolerate windy spaces and salt. They are resistant to extreme drought, heat, and cold. This makes them ideal planting candidates for abandoned surface mines, abandoned agricultural fields, and logging sites. They can thrive in highly eroded areas and nutrient-poor soils. Though they are slow-growing they are excellent choices for windbreaks and living snow fences.
The red cedar is extremely hardy and relatively free of the most serious pests and diseases. That explains why these trees can be very long-lived whereas some have been documented at 500 years old. Since these trees are so hardy it should be of no surprise that they are considered a pioneer species where they are one of the first trees to populate open spaces. In fact, red cedars are a concern that when planted in or near prairie or scrubland ecosystems that they would become the dominant plant life and decrease the diversity of that ecosystem. What keeps them in check is their intolerance to fire. In the past, controlled fires kept them out of fragile prairie ecosystems.
There are 2 distinct sexes (dioecious) for the Easter red cedar. They are wind-pollinated where the male produces pollen cones and the female produces blueberries. Their seeds are primarily dispersed by birds. The seeds pass through their digestive tracts within 30 minutes and germinate usually in the next spring. The digestive juices penetrate and pit the hard berry coat. In fact, these berries are a very important food source for birds and mammals since they have high carbohydrate and fat content. Over 50 songbirds rely on this berry for winter food especially the cedar waxwing for which the birds’ name is derived from the tree name. In addition, mammals such as rabbits, foxes, raccoons, skunks, opossum, and coyotes rely on berries for winter food. The twigs are eaten by deer.
This evergreen has good wildlife value where its dense branches provide important shelter for songbirds, and also quails, bobwhites, grouse, pheasants, and turkeys. Even small butterflies and small mammals find shelter in their branches. It also provides nesting sites for Cooper’s hawks, blue jays, mocking birds, and mourning doves.
Definitely a tree worth considering planting but a word of caution. Remember to keep the Eastern red cedar away from fragile ecosystems if fire control is suppressed. Also, this tree is a host for the cedar-apple rust. This is a destructive pathogen infecting the apple, pear, and quinces. It is recommended that there be a buffer zone of 500 feet between red cedar and these fruit trees.
Cherries – The Pin cherry
This cherry tree (Prunus pensylvanica) is native to North America. A very hardy and beautiful tree adorned with golden lenticels on the bark that glint in the sunlight. It likes well drained soils and is tolerant of drought and road salts. The quality of the soil is a determinant of the final height of the pin cherry. They can attain heights of 15 to 50 feet. These cherry trees are short lived for 20 – 50 years.
It has many names that both describe its ecological and wildlife value. The first common name is Firecherry. The seeds of the Firecherry can lay dormant for decades on the forest floor and a disturbance like fire will burn the ground cover off and allow the dormant seeds to sprout. Fire disturbance is woven into the life requirements of firecherry where they require full sun to grow and are out in the open away from any other trees that might cast shade.
In fact, the Firecherry is considered an early successional or pioneer species. Pioneer species are important since these species help to enrich the soil by depositing leaves, twigs, and tree trunks onto the soil surface and rotting. Underneath, the roots loosen compacted soils, and sloughed off root hairs are composted. The roots take up water runoff and help stabilize soil, therefore preventing soil erosion in disturbed sites. Also, these early species act as ‘nurse’ trees providing shade and cover for upcoming hardwoods.
The other name for Pin Cherry is Birdcherry. The abundant berries produced by these trees are enjoyed by many bird species. When in bloom, the Birdcherry is covered in beautiful, white fragrant flowers from late May to June. Eventually, bright red cherries appear from July to September. As well, many butterflies use this tree as a larval host.
The Willows – Pussy Willows (Salix discolor)
The Willow species is one of the most important plant species in North America. When I state one of the most important plant species, I am talking in terms of food values for entire ecosystems. Insects comprise the base of the food pyramid for all our land ecosystems and without insects, creatures such as birds, would starve and whole ecosystems would collapse. In fact, willows are only second to the oaks for a number of insects calling the willow its host plant.
So let’s follow this through. I am not talking about insect infestations but rather long evolved plant-insect relationships. A huge array of insects use the leaves for meals or for host plants. Some Lepidoptera using the Willow species as its host plant are Mourning Cloaks, Viceroys, Hairstreaks, Sphinx moths, Comma moths, Red-spotted purple, Eastern tiger swallowtail, and Compton’s tortoiseshell. Of course, this creates caterpillars which are the most highly prized high-protein food for birds. Without insects, we destroy the base of the food chain and birds starve. In fact, overall bird populations have declined by over 50%.
The Pussywillow furthers the food value of the Willow species by means of its early reproductive cycle. It is the earliest of all the Willows to bloom. This early bloom in March to April is crucial for overwintering pollinators. They awaken from hibernation desperate for food and Pussywillow offers high-quality protein in the form of pollen. In fact, pollination experts rate Pussywillow as, ‘ special value ‘ to native bees. For birds, it is a win-win combination. They feast on the pollinators drawn to the flowers and to the caterpillars feasting on its leaves.
But it doesn’t end there. I found out that the willow buds are eaten by ruffed grouse and tree squirrels. The fallen leaves are eaten by wood and snapping turtles. The bark is eaten by muskrats, beaver and rabbits. The beaver also uses willow wood for dam and lodge construction. Deer love to munch on its leaves and branches. And lastly, the yellow and warbling vireos use it for nesting.
Pretty impressive, right? Not done yet. The Willow has tremendous rehabilitation value. This water-loving species has the ability to grow rapidly and produce extensive root systems that bind the soil and decrease soil erosion. It also has the ability to improve water quality by filtering and removing nutrients and sediments especially associated with agricultural operations.
To tie it all up in a bow, the Pussywillows are gorgeous to look at. The origins of its name come from its flower. This is a dioecious species, where males and females are on separate trees. The male produces those adorable pearl gray catkins that resemble the pads on a cat’s paw. I can never just walk by a Pussywillow in bloom without touching their silken catkins.
So maybe the Willows should be more on our planting radar.