Tag: ontario native tree

The Slippery Elm

This tree is the cousin to the very familiar American or White Elm. Though this beautiful tree has good wildlife benefits, it is rarely used for landscaping. Why? The answer lies in the fact that no one grows it and landscapers have difficulty obtaining them commercially. Since they are a relatively easy tree to propagate I could not understand why it wasn’t being grown. Turns out we need a history lesson to understand.

Slippery Elm
Slippery or Red Elm

Actually, the Latin botanical name gives a hint to the answer. Ulmus rubra. Ulmus refers to the Elm family and rubra refers to the red inner bark that is very slippery. The Native Americans used the Slippery Elm inner bark to induce labour, as a wound dressing, to treat dysentery, coughs, and stomach ailments. Early colonists were quick to learn the healing powers of the tree and they began to heavily harvest Slippery Elm. As a matter of fact, by 1875, it was all but gone from many areas of North America, such as Massachusetts. Then of course, the dreaded Dutch Elm Disease (DED) arrived and decimated all elms.

Yes, DED is here to stay but that does not mean we need to shy away from planting Elm. We just need to plant smartly. Just to give you perspective, the most resistant elm is the American Elm, followed by the Rock Elm and then the Slippery Elm. There are 100+ yr old Slippery Elms that we gather seeds from that are still very healthy. Our fear of DED is denying Ontario wildlife a valuable component.

The seeds of Elm are consumed by birds, wood ducks, and small mammals. The twigs are browsed on by deer and rabbits. Caterpillars of Mourning Cloak, Eastern Comma, Question Marks, and various moths consume the leaves. Larger trees are breeding sites for Northern Orioles, Warbling Vireos and Red Shouldered Hawks. And lastly, the sap is sought out by the Yellow Bellied Sapsucker. What a truly versatile tree!

Slippery Elm Seeds
Seeds of slippery elm

If you are considering planting a Slippery Elm you will find it looks very similar to its cousin the American Elm. It is more upright and less droopy but will still attain heights of 40 – 60 feet and widths of 30 – 50 feet. A very tough tree that is tolerant to black walnut toxicity and moderate salt spray. It is a perfect candidate for poorly drained areas over a wide range of soil types. So maybe you can reconsider and plant a Slippery Elm.

The Common Hoptree

Ptelea trifoliata

The Hop tree is listed as rare for occurrence in Canada. In the botanical world, it is ‘the tree that got away’. This is the only tropical tree that has survived and genetically adapted to our colder climate. It derives its name because the pioneers of this area would harvest the fruit from this tree, the hops, and use it as a hop substitute for making beer.

  • Mature Hop Tree in bloom
    Mature Hop Tree in bloom
  • Seed discs of the Hop Tree
    Seed discs of the Hop Tree

The other interesting name for this tree is, stinking ash. Most botanical books indicate that the flowers are foul scented and are only pollinated by flies. In reality, the University of Guelph conducted a survey where they found that the Hop scent was highly variable and over 102 insects were found feeding on its flower – this is a huge number of pollinators. So don’t let the name mislead you – the name does not do it justice.

To the settlers of this area so long ago, Hop looked like poison ivy on a stick. They could see no wood value or wildlife value and so it was ruthlessly ripped out and eradicated from their fields. Even today, they are ripped out or sprayed mistakenly identified as poison ivy. Even landscapers, city planners and conservation authorities ignore this plant not seeing it true value.

This tree totally lends itself to restorative plantings. It likes full sun and favours disturbed ground. Considering a vast majority of southern Ontario is disturbed soil sites or abandoned fields this tree would be perfect for restoration projects. Even in raw sites where wind is a factor, the tree will adjust its size from small tree to large shrub.

There are really no diseases or pests to bother the Hop tree. My only recommendation is to wrap them every winter since they seem to be ‘vole candy’.

So why are people hesitant to grow the Hop tree with all the hardiness they possess? Add the bonus you have the largest butterfly in North America visiting them – it would seem obvious to give the Hop tree a try!