Download Student Field Guide

Remember
Please keep in mind, when you study in any natural area,
that you should always treat the site with care and respect for
all the living things - both plants and animals - that inhabit it :)
Student
Field Guide
BLOOMS
HEIGHT
WILDLIFE VALUE
Welcome!
Welcome to the Student Field Guide for Windsor & Essex
County! This guide is an introduction to some of the more
common plants (and animals!) found in our region. Tips &
tricks throughout this guide will help you figure out what’s in
your schoolyard. There is so much to explore and discover!
Put on your boots and take this guide out to your schoolyard
and begin to see all the cool things in nature, all around you.
Draw what you see. Ask questions like, “How big around is
that tree?” or “When did those leaves start to change colour?”
or “What is that bird eating?”. The answers will uncover more
and more discoveries!
ID TIPS
NAME
Scientific Name
OTHER INFO
This Journal Belongs to:
NAME
Scientific Name
7 cm
9 cm
OTHER INFO
10 cm
11 cm
12 cm
13 cm
14 cm
BLOOMS
15 cm
HEIGHT
16 cm
ID TIPS
Explorer’s Name
5 cm
6 cm
HEIGHT
WILDLIFE VALUE
______________________
4 cm
8 cm
ID TIPS
Scientific Name
3 cm
BLOOMS
WILDLIFE VALUE
NAME
1 cm
2 cm
17 cm
18 cm
19 cm
OTHER INFO
20 cm
Notes
locust 6 Sycamore
Trees 4 Honey
Pin oak
Tulip tree
3 Basswood
Red oak
White oak
Burr oak
5
Red maple
Hackberry
Notes
Silver maple
Sugar maple
Shrubs
9 Elderberry
10 Silky dogwood
Highbush cranberry
Nannyberry
Red osier dogwood
17
18
Wild Flowers
Blackeyed susan
Blue flag iris
Boneset
Butterly weed
Golden Alexander
19
20
Ironweed
27
Spicebush
Staghorn sumac
Witch hazel
Lanceleaf coreopsis
New England aster
Obedient plant
Ohio spiderwart
Purple conflower
Joe-Pye weed
Grasses
13 Elderberry
Highbush Cranberry
14 Nannyberry
Red osier dogwood
21
22
Swamp milkweed
Tall coreopsis
Virginia mint
Wild bergamot
Wild columbine
Wild geranium
Invasives
24 Norway maple
Russian olive
25 Garlic mustard
Purple loosestrife
26 Manitoba maple
Phragmites
Trees
Why Do We Love Trees?
What’s not to love about trees? First, they give us
oxygen to breathe. Plus, trees clean the air by taking
in carbon dioxide. They give us shade, and food like
apples, peaches, and oranges.
Ok, so you might not get peaches and oranges from the
trees in your schoolyard, but do you know what other
food they give us? Maple syrup!
Trees are beautiful, and they provide homes for wildlife – also known as habitat. Squirrels, birds, raccoons,
insects – they all love trees too.
Growing Up—and Out!
Trees are made up of tiny and invisible cells. Think of
1
these cells as tiny wooden blocks: every season, more
wooden blocks are added to make the trees taller and
wider. In the wet and cool springtime, cells grow large,
meaning that trees grow quickly. In the summertime,
though, they are stressed by heat or a lack of water,
making for smaller cells and less tree growth. The
difference is shown in the tree’s rings: larger cells form
rings that are light in colour, while smaller ones form
darker rings.
Invasive Species
Trees
Garlic
Mustard
Alliaria petiolata
Garlic mustard is now one of Ontario’s most
aggressive forest invaders. It does not provide
a valuable food source for native wildlife and
once established it can push out native wildflowers like trilliums and trout lily. It threatens
several of Ontario’s species at risk, including
American ginseng, drooping trillium, false
rue-anemone, hoary mountain mint, white
wood aster, wild hyacinth and wood poppy.
Garlic mustard has a
strong, distinctive smell
similar to garlic.
Phragmites
Phragmites australis
Phragmites is quickly becoming
Canada’s worst invasive plant.
It crowds out native vegetation,
decreasing plant biodiversity;
generally provides poor habitat
and food supplies for wildlife;
grows very quickly; increases fire
hazards as stands are composed of
dead stalks; and can affect agriculture, cause road safety hazards and
impact recreational activities such
as swimming, boating and angling.
Janice Gilbert
26
Invasive Species
Tree rings are also called ‘annual rings’ with one new ring
forming each year. By looking at a cross section of the tree’s
trunk we can count the rings find out the tree’s age!
The Manitoba maple is locally native
to southwestern Ontario in flood
plains, and has spread east and
north. The wood is weak and will
break up in ice and wind. It is a
weedy species, however, taking over
any disturbed habitat well beyond its
range, and it should not be planted.
Annual Rings
Trees
Manitoba
Maple
Acer negundo
Manitoba maple
Acer negundo
Pith
Good Growing Years Harsh Years
Bark
Purple
Loosestrife
Lythrum solicaria
This aggressive invader spreads as
an ornamental and in wildflower
seed mixtures.It produces up to 2.7
million seeds per year, is able to live
for several years under varying and
extreme environmental conditions.
25
The values of wetlands are lost as
this invader chokes out significant
species, rare or otherwise, which
may be food for animals using the
wetland. Purple loosestrife has a
major impact on populations of waterfowl, muskrats, frogs, turtles and
toads. It has also caused agricultural
problems by clogging irrigation
systems and degrading wetland
pastures and wild hay meadows.
2
Norway
Maple
Acer platanoides
HEIGHT
Up to 35 m tall.
Norway maple trees are sometimes confused
with the native Sugar maple tree, but Norway
maples ooze a milky sap when they are cut or
torn - Sugar maples have clear sap. They are
harmful because they out compete native trees
and shrubs for food, space and sunlight.
Tress
Tilia americana
ID TIPS
Large, heart-shaped leaves with toothed edges;
twigs have a zigzag appearance; fragrant
yellow flowers and round grayish-brown fruit
hang from the centre of the leaf.The bark is
gray-brown with long narrow ridges.
Sugar
maple
leaf
OTHER INFO
Bees love basswood flowers because they
bloom in midsummer, when few other trees
are in bloom.
Invasive Species
Basswood
Bur oak
Quercus macrocarpa
Norway
maple
leaf
HEIGHT
Up to 30 m tall.
ID TIPS
Large shiny leaves; acorns have a deep, bristly
cup covering 2/3; most common oak in Ontario.
OTHER INFO
Can survive forest fires because of very thick bark,
and can tolerate drought because roots grow deep.
Hackberry
3
All tree illustrations by Robert O’Brien
Celtis occidentalis
HEIGHT
Up to 15 m tall
ID TIPS
Largest native hackberry, with warty-ridged
bark. Leaves are long, with an asymmetrical
base and long pointed tip. Single, reddish fruits
hang below the leaves and may grow into winter.
OTHER INFO
The sugar-rich fruit supports many species of
birds, and the leaves are food for caterpillars.
Russian
Olive
Elaeagnus angustifolia
Russian olive trees were once popular
for their silvery foliage and drought
tolerance. Today however they are
moving onto riparian land and wet
meadows. Russian olive trees force
out native trees such as cottonwood
and willow, which numerous
wildlife species depend on.
Rus s ia n
E lae ag n u
Ol i ve
s a ng us t
if o li a
24
Invasive Species
Not in Our Backyard!
Gleditsia triacanthos
HEIGHT
20 - 30 m tall
ID TIPS
The fruit is a flat legume (pod) that matures
in early autumn.
Trees
Invasive
Species
Honey locust
OTHER INFO
Fast growing, but relatively short-lived; their
life spans are typically about 120 to 150 years.
Pin oak
Quercus palustris
Invasive species are harmful because they disturb the balance
of natural areas. They spread fast, leaving our native species
fighting for food, sun, and space. They’re everywhere, and they
need to be stopped!
This list is just some of the bad guys that might invade your
outdoor classroom....can you spot them? Can you find others?
Can you take action to protect native plants? Yeah, you can!
HEIGHT
20 m tall
ID TIPS
Pin oak has the fewest number of lobes of our
pointy-toothed oaks. The acorns are small,
squat, with a tight cup. The bark is shiny
and grayish-brown.
OTHER INFO
Pin oak gets its name from the small dead
branches that often project from the tree’s winter
silhouette like pins.
Red oak
Quercus rubra
23
Phragmites
HEIGHT
20 - 30 m tall
ID TIPS
Leaves are dark green and have sharp,
pointed lobes (usually 7 to 9). Acorns have
a scaly cap that covers less than ¼ of acorn;
bark is smooth and dark gray, but deep
ridges develop as the tree gets older.
OTHER INFO
Dead leaves can stay attached in winter.
4
BLOOMS
July - August
HEIGHT
Up to 25 m tall
WILDLIFE VALUE
Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
Trees
Acer rubrum
ID TIPS
Leaves have 5 lobes; bark is smooth, but gets
darker, scaly and ridged as the tree gets older.
OTHER INFO
It's easy to recognize the red maple in the
autumn when its leaves turn a beautiful
bright red.
Silver Maple
HEIGHT
0.5-1 .5 m (2 - 4 ft)
ID TIPS
Strong minty smell; square, reddish
stems; flowers vary from deep purple to pale lavender in colour, looks
like a pom-pom or a firework.
OTHER INFO
Used to treat medical concerns
including respiratory ailments, colic,
fever, coughs and acne.
Acer saccharinum
OTHER INFO
Silver maples are hardy trees and can grow
almost anywhere.
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum
HEIGHT
Up to 35 m tall
ID TIPS
Leaves have 5 lobes; bark is smooth, but gets
darker and splits into ridges that curl out as
the tree gets older. Can live up to 200 years.
5
OTHER INFO
The sugar maple leaf is found on the Canadian
flag and is the national tree of Canada. Sugar
maple trees also make the sweetest maple syrup!
Monarda fistulosa
BLOOMS
April - July
HEIGHT
Up to 35 m tall
ID TIPS
Leaves have 5 or 7 lobes; similar to the red
maple but leaves turn yellow or brown, not
red. Bark is smooth and gray, but becomes
dark reddish brown and breaks into strips
that peel off making trunk look “shaggy”.
Wild bergamot
Wild Flowers
Red Maple
HEIGHT
1 m (2-3 ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Attract hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and hawk moths; seeds are
eaten by songbirds.
Wild columbine
ID TIPS
Three lobed leaves; ornate, nodding
flowers red on the outside, yellow
within, pointed spurs point upwards.
Aquilegia canadensis
BLOOMS
April - June
HEIGHT
Up to 0.5 m
WILDLIFE VALUE
Seeds attract birds.
ID TIPS
Distinctive leaves with five deep
divisions; flowers are pink to purple
with five petals and open flat.
OTHER INFO
Prefers shade, is a common, earlyblooming woodland wildflower.
Wild geranium
Geranium maculatum
22
Wild Flowers
Platanus occidentalis
WILDLIFE VALUE
Larval host to monarch and queen
butterflies; flowers attract butterflies
and hummingbirds.
HEIGHT
Up to 35 m tall
ID TIPS
The sycamore tree is distinctive in all seasons
with its patchwork bark that flakes off to reveal
white, green and cream-coloured inner bark.
ID TIPS
Long paired leaves; clusters of pink
flowers; smooth seed pods point up.
Swamp milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
BLOOMS
July – October
OTHER INFO
Ontario’s largest recorded sycamore tree, near
Alvinston, was 263 cm (8 ft) at breast height.
OTHER INFO
Downy fuzz is so buoyant it was used
for stuffing life jackets during WWII.
Tulip Tree
HEIGHT
1-2.5 m (3-8 ft)
Liriodendron tulipifera
WILDLIFE VALUE
Attracts bees, birds and butterflies.
HEIGHT
25 - 30 m tall
ID TIPS
Lance-shaped leaves; single stalks
grow very tall with branched stems
each bearing a single, yellow daisylike flower with a brown center.
ID TIPS
Large, fast-growing tree. Produces beautiful
yellow-green flowers with 6 petals shaped
like tulip flowers and bloom in the spring.
The bark is smooth and dark green when the
tree is young, then turns brown and ridged.
OTHER INFO
Wind resistant.
Tall coreopsis
Coreopsis tripteris
BLOOMS
July – September
HEIGHT
1 m (2 - 3 ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Valuable to bumblebees, honey bees.
ID TIPS
Short and bushy due to the many
small pointed leaves; stems branch at
the tops into tiny white flowering
clusters; leaves smell minty crushed.
21
Sycamore
HEIGHT
1.5 m (4-5 ft)
Virginia mountain mint
Pycnanthemum virginianum
Trees
BLOOMS
June - August
OTHER INFO
Attractive to the great black wasp,
which help control grasshoppers.
OTHER INFO
Tulip trees take 10 -15 years to bloom!
White oak
Quercus alba
HEIGHT
20 - 30 m tall
ID TIPS
This large tree can live for several hundred
years. It takes one year for acorns to be fully
grown. Its leaves have 7 to 9 lobes. They turn
red-purple in the fall. The white oak’s bark is
whitish to pale gray, usually with long scales.
OTHER INFO
Wood from the white oak is waterproof, so
it’s used to make barrels for storing liquids.
6
Shrubs
Shrubs, Berries,
and Birds! Oh My!
HEIGHT
1 m (2-3 ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Attracts a high number of native bees
species.
ID TIPS
Long grassy leaves end in small,
flowering clusters; purple-blue flowers
with three petals.
OTHER INFO
Flowers open in the early morning
and shrivel under intense midday heat.
Ohio spiderwort
Tradescantia ohiensis
Most of our native shrubs provide something really important
for our favourite backyard birds – berries!
BLOOMS
June - October
European starlings and house sparrows were brought over
from Europe many years ago, to remind settlers of home. With
no natural enemies here in North America, they reproduced
quickly. These two species of birds now live all over Canada,
all the while displacing our native birds. See if you
can spot any of these other beautiful birds.
Can you hear them singing?
ID TIPS
Rough, paired leaves; tall, smooth
stems topped with single, pinkishpuple flowers with drooping petals;
spiky, dark brown cone.
Cardinal
Blue Jay
Wild Flowers
Shrubs
BLOOMS
April - July
HEIGHT
0.5 – 1.5 m (2 - 5 ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Attracts a high number of native bee
species as well as butterflies.
Purple coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
BLOOMS
July - September
OTHER INFO
Natural mild, antibiotic.
HEIGHT
1-1.5 m (4-5 ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Nectar source, highly attractive to
butterflies and pollinators.
ID TIPS
Purple or purple spotted stems; long
leaves in groups of 3 or more; fuzzy
pink blooms.
7
OTHER INFO
Named from a folklore tale of an
native named Joe Pye who cured
typhus using the plant.
Spotted Joe-Pye weed
Eupatorium maculatum
20
Wild Flowers
HEIGHT
<1 m (1-2 ft)
Starling
House
Sparrow
WILDLIFE VALUE
Attracts a high number of native bee
species as well as butterflies.
ID TIPS
Oval leaves paired on the stem;
yellow flowers with yellow centers.
Lanceleaf coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
BLOOMS
August – October
OTHER INFO
Can grow into large colonies. Can
be dead-headed to extend blooming
through the summer months.
Shrubs
BLOOMS
May - August
Robin
HEIGHT
1-2 m (3-6 ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Attracts native bees, and butterflies;
larval host for the pearl crescent and
checkerspot butterflies.
ID TIPS
Large clusters of purple flowers with
thin petals and yellow centers.
OTHER INFO
Important late-season nectar source
for monarch butterflies.
Downy
Woodpecker
New England aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
BLOOMS
June - September
HEIGHT
1-1.5 m (3-4 ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Draws hummingbirds and butterflies.
ID TIPS
Square stems with waxy leaves; end
in a spike that has tubular pale purple to white flowers on four sides.
19
Obedient plant
Physostegia virginiana
OTHER INFO
If the flowers are bent, they stay in
their new position, giving the plant
its name. Deer resistant.
Chickadee
Morning
Dove
8
Shrubs
Sambucus Nigra canadensis
HEIGHT
3 - 8m (10ft)
ID TIPS
Opposite compound serrated leaves, large
clusters of small white flowers and clusters
of small black/blue poisonous berries.
Nannyberry
Viburnum lentago
HEIGHT
<1 m (1 – 2.5ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Butterfly larval host; nectar source;
pollen source for bees.
ID TIPS
Long pointed leaves; leathery tops,
velvety bottoms; bright orange clusters of tiny flowers; seed pods are
velvety, and upward pointing.
OTHER INFO
Medicinal uses among Native
American tribes. Monarchs need it
and love it!
Asclepias tuberosa
HEIGHT
2 m (6ft)
BLOOMS
April - June
ID TIPS
Whorled, toothed leaves; berries contain a
single hard round flat seed and stay on the
shrub into winter; 5 petal white flowers.
WILDLIFE VALUE
Small flowers are a nectar source for
insects with short mouthparts. Larval
host to black swallowtail butterflies.
Highbush Cranberry
Viburnum trilobum
HEIGHT
2 - 4 m (6 - 13 ft)
ID TIPS
Leaves are similar to a maple leaf but with
three distinct lobes, edges can be smooth
or serrated. Small yellowish flowers in the
centre and white flowers around the edge.
Red osier dogwood
Cornus stolonifera
HEIGHT
2 m (6 ft)
9
Butterfly weed
ID TIPS
Low spreading shrub, easily identified by
its red bark; small clusters of white flowers,
white berries. Leaves are typical of dogwoods, with veins running towards the tip.
Golden alexander
Zizea aurea
BLOOMS
August - October
Wild Flowers
Elderberry
BLOOMS
June – September
HEIGHT
1 m (1-3 ft)
ID TIPS
Toothed leaves divided into threes;
flowering stalks are topped with a
spreading umbrella of tiny yellow
flowers.
OTHER INFO
Seeds and stems turn purple in fall.
HEIGHT
1-2 m (4-6 ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Attracts a high number of native
bees species.
ID TIPS
Serrated leaves 20 cm long; unbranched stalks; flowering head
made up of tightly packed clusters
of purple tubular flowers.
OTHER INFO
Named for its very strong stems
that make the plant wind resistant.
Ironweed
Vernonia missurica
18
Wild Flowers
HEIGHT
<1m (2-3ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Nectar for bees, insects and
butterflies; larval host to butterflies;
provides winter seeds for birds.
Blackeyed susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Cornus amomum
HEIGHT
3 m (9 ft)
ID TIPS
Leaves and stems covered in short
hairs giving it a rough texture; flower
is yellow and daisy-like with dark
brown center.
ID TIPS
Leaves are opposite and have strong
veins that run parallel to the smooth,
non-wavy leaf margins. Flowers are flattopped, and white. The blue-black fruits
are enjoyed by birds and squirrels.
OTHER INFO
May bloom twice a season.
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
BLOOMS
May - July
HEIGHT
<1m (2-2.5 ft)
HEIGHT
1 - 2 m (3 - 6 ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Attracts hummingbirds.
ID TIPS
The leaves give off a unique spicy odour
when rubbed or crushed. The twigs have
this smell as well.
ID TIPS
Sword-like leaves; large flowers,
violet to deep purple in colour
with curved petals; seeds develop in
three-celled green capsules 3-5 cm.
OTHER INFO
Very moisture tolerant; grows easily
in most gardens.
Staghorn sumac
Rhus typhina
Blue flag iris
Iris versicolor
BLOOMS
July – October
HEIGHT
1-2m (4-6ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Attracts a large number of native
bee species.
ID TIPS
Very veiny leaves in pairs that join
around the stem; white, flat topped,
hairy flower clusters.
17
Silky Dogwood
Shrubs
BLOOMS
June – October
Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
OTHER INFO
Boneset prefers moist soils and full
to partial sunlight.
HEIGHT
1 - 2 m (3 - 6 ft)
ID TIPS
Compound leaves (each leaf is composed
of several leaflets). The thick branches are hairy and resemble the velvety
antlers of a male deer (stag), hence the
common name of “staghorn.”
Witch hazel
Hamamelis viginiana
HEIGHT
1 - 2 m (3 - 6 ft)
ID TIPS
Blooms in winter! Small flowers look like
mini-firecrackers or tiny party streamers.
10
Grasses
Homes For Wildlife
There are so many different species of butterflies - some
appear in the first few warm days of spring, while some like Monarchs are travelling south in the fall. You just have
to keep your eyes open! Here are just a few, what others can
you see?
Wild Flowers
Grasses
What’s more beautiful than butterflies flitting through the
air on a hot summer day? Not much...
Mammals – those furry little guys scurrying around your
schoolyard – find homes in lots of different places: trees,
underground, meadows, even under snow! They also like
native grasses because these plants tend to grow in clumps
and this provides mammals with shelter as well as food.
11
Monarch
Tiger
swallowtail
Red admiral
Mourning
cloak
Painted Lady
Northern
Spring Azure
16
Wild Flowers
itte rs !
Red Tail Fox
Raccoon
Pollinator Power!
What is the first thing that you think of when you think of a
bee? Black and yellow stripes? Big stingers?
What you may not know is that the honey bee is imported
from Europe. Bees native to Canada do not produce honey like
honey bees. But native bees, which live in both rural areas and
big cities, provide something that is invaluable--the service of
pollination. The majority of native bees come in a variety of
colours, live in the ground, are solitary, and don’t sting! Wasps,
on the other hand, do sting and they don’t even pollinate!
Grasses
Wild
Flowers
C o lo u r t h e C r
Eastern Grey
Squriel
Striped
Skunk
White-tail
Deer
Chipmunk
15
Honey Bee
Bumble Bee
Wasp
Green
Sweat Bee
12
Grasses
Grasses
Li tt le b
e ste m
Bi g bl u rardii
An drop
o g o n ge
I n dia n
S o rgh a s
BLOOMS
July – October
HEIGHT
1.5-3m (6 - 10 ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Seeds and shelter for songbirds,
larval host to butterflies.
ID TIPS
Old stems turn purplish-blue at
base, seed heads made up of three
or more spikelets and look like a
turkey’s foot.
13
OTHER INFO
Drought resistant.
s ch iz ac
l u e ste m
h y r ium
s c o p a r iu
g ras s
Sw i tcmhv irg at um
Pa n ic u
g ras s
t r um nu
m
t ans
BLOOMS
August - September
HEIGHT
1-2 m (4-7 ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Larval host to the salt and pepper
skipper butterfly; nesting material,
seed source for birds .
ID TIPS
Leaves travel straight up the stem
at its attachment point before
growing outwards; single, large,
fluffy seed head is golden brown.
BLOOMS
August - November
HEIGHT
1-3m (3-8 ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Provides nesting materials/structure for native bees.
ID TIPS
Grows in tall, dense stands that
shade out other plant species.
The stands grow until something interrupts their spread. It
is shade intolerant, but typically
regrows after wildfire. The stem
base turns blue or purple as it
matures.
HEIGHT
BLOOMS
August - October 1-2 m (3-6 ft)
WILDLIFE VALUE
Larval host for skipper and satyr
butterflies. Nesting material and
cover for songbirds, pheasant
and quail. Seed source for birds.
ID TIPS
Clumped grass with round,
reddish stems. Large, open seed
head, with purplish tint.
14