Download Acer platanoides (Norway Maple) – non native

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Acer platanoides (Norway Maple) – non native
General:
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Native to Europe and western Asia.
A common street tree in Toronto, now considered invasive.
Rapid growth when young.
Bark:
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Size:
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20m or more T, and 20m W.
Food:
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Flowers are good early food for pollinators.
Seeds are food for squirrels.
Grey/black, with shallow ridges.
Pests:
Twigs:
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Verticillium wilt, tar spot.
Wikipedia
Buds:
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Large, coloured green/purple.
Form:
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A tall shade tree.
Leaves:
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Large leaves with 5 distinct lobes.
Colour = dark green.
Milky sap visible when the leaf petiole is broken.
Autumn colour = yellow.
Flowers:
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Numerous showy clusters of yellow/green flowers in spring.
Seeds:
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Winged seeds in pairs (larger than other maples).
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Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) – non-native
General:
 Very invasive.
 Tastes like garlic - edible.
Form:
 A mounding plant with white flowers early in spring.
 It is allelopathic, and can form pure stands in the woods.
Leaves:
 Leaves with toothed edges and a crinkly surface.
Flowers:
 Large numbers of very small, white flowers with four petals.
Size:
Food:
 This plant is edible.
USDA Plant Database
Pests:
 Garlic taste repels insects.
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Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) - native
General:
Jim Graham
 A small but adaptable fern, once cut and used for holiday decorations.
Form:
 Normal fern ‘shuttlecock’ shape.
Leaves:
 Deep green in colour, and keep their form into the winter.
 Less toothed than most other ferns, and overall width is narrower.
 Fertile pinnae (leaflets with spores) are fatter than non-fertile pinnae.
Flowers:
 n/a.
Size:
 20 to 40cm.
USDA Plants Database.
Food:
 .
Pests:
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Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) - native
General:
 Sometimes difficult to identify because of hybridization.
 Usually in the understory or along the edges of a woodland.
Bark:
 When young, smooth and grey with darker, twisting lines.
 When older, narrow, twisting grey/brown ridges.
Twigs:
 Red/brown, slender, zig-zag, with some peeling silvery patches.
Food:
 Berries are consumed by birds and people. The fruit of
smooth serviceberry are juicier.
o Fruits ripen over many weeks.
 Twigs, buds and foliage are browsed by many animals.
Pests:
 Rust, mildew, leafspot and fireblight.
 Scale insects
USDA Plants Database.
(this is Amelanchier laevis).
Buds:
 Long, sharply pointed and twisted against the stem.
Form:
 Narrow and rounded.
Leaves:
 Alternate and sharply toothed, with deep veins (usually eight pairs).
 Orange/red/purple in the Autumn.
Flowers:
 Masses of white blossoms which only live for a few days.
Seeds:
 Clusters of hanging dark purple fruit.
 Each fruit has several crunchy seeds.
Size: Up to 12m
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Opuntia sp. (Eastern Prickly Pear) - native
General:
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A low-growing, hardy cactus.
Size:
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Usually low to the ground (up to 30cm T).
Bark:
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N/A
Food:
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Fruits are edible – often staying on the plant into the winter.
Twigs:
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N/A
Pests:
Buds:
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N/A
Form:
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A low cactus with short (sometimes longer) spines.
Leaves:
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Green stems are flattened and elongated.
Pads bear small clusters of spines.
Flowers:
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Colour = yellow/gold, in late spring.
Seeds:
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A small reddish fruit containing up to 30 seeds.
Jim Graham
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White Ash (Fraxinus americana) - native
USDA Plants Database.
Emerald Ash Borer
(Agrilus planipennis)
Jim Graham
Mourning Cloak
(Nymphalis antiopa)
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White Ash (Fraxinus americana) - native
General:
 Ash likes to be in the sun.
 It is tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions and pH level.
 Wood is hard (used for baseball bats).
Bark:
 Grey and smooth on younger trees.
 On older trees, grey and furrowed into interleaved, flat ridges.
Twigs:
 Grey, waxy, often stout and raised at the junctions of the leafstalks
(giving a knobby look to the twig).
Buds:
 Blunt, covered with short, rusty-coloured hairs.
 Terminal bud almost touched by first pair of lateral buds.
Form:
 A straight trunk with a crown of long, slim branches.
Leaves:
 Opposite, pinnately compound leaves (5 to 9 leaflets).
 They have a white appearance beneath. Leaves appear late.
 Turn yellow in autumn (see note).
Flowers:
 Not very visible; male (purple) and female (yellow/green) flowers
are on separate trees.
Seeds:
 These have keys like maple seeds.
 Hang in the tree for months after the leaves have dropped.
Size:
 Can grow to 25m.
 May live to 200 years.
 Seeds develop after 20 years (good crop every 3 to 5 years).
Food:
 Seeds are eaten by small animals and birds (cardinals, grosbeaks).
 Deer browse the leaves.
 Host plant for larvae of Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Hickory
Hairstreak, Mourning Cloak butterflies.
Pests:
 Ash yellows, a mycoplasma which gradually weakens the tree
over several years.
 Emerald ash borer is a new threat which may cause the ash
population to crash (The City of Toronto has stopped planting ash
trees).
 Other borers and cankers may invade after the tree is weakened
by severe drought.
Note:
Some white ash do turn red/maroon in the autumn rather than yellow.
Therefore, when buying do so in the fall.
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Holly-leaved Barberry (Mahonia aquifolium) – native to west coast
General:
 Deer do not like this plant (they do like holly).
 Oregon grape – the fruit clusters look like grapes.
 An adaptable plant (e.g. withstands drought).
Form:
 An upright shrub with attractive flowers.
Leaves:
 Look like holly.
 Evergreen and glossy.
 Take on a purple/copper hue in winter.
 Can be dessicated by cold winds in winter.
Food:
 Clusters of purple fruits are eaten by birds.
 Roots used by herbalists as an anti-inflammatory.
Pests:
USDA Plant Database
Flowers:
 Large bunches of bright yellow flowers in April.
Size:
 2m H x 2mW.
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Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) - native
USDA Plants Database.
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Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) - native
General:
 This is the provincial tree of Ontario.
Bark:
 Grey/green and smooth on young trees.
 Deeply furrowed, with broad, scaly ridges.
 Colour is dark brown to nearly black.
Twigs:
 Flexible.
 Green when young turning to grey when older.
Buds:
 Red/brown, pointed.
Form:
 Pyramidal shape when young.
 Bottom branches fall off when mature.
Leaves:
 Soft, pale green needles in bunches of 5.
 Clustered more densely towards the tips of the branches.
 Triangular in X-section.
 Stay on tree 2 to 4 years, turning yellow before they fall.
Flowers:
 Male flowers at the bases of new shoots.
 Females are pink/purple, and are at the ends of the shoots.
 Male and female on same tree – female nearer the top.
Cones:
 Long and slender, smooth and slightly curved.
 Green when young, maturing to brown – hang on tree for 2 years.
 Seeds are winged.
Size:
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60 – 70m (most are smaller now).
Used as masts for Royal Navy sailing ships (used to grow to 70m tall).
These trees can live 400 years (begin bearing cones at age 5 to 10 –
good crops every 3 to 5 years).
Food:
 Seeds eaten by wildlife, but crops are variable.
 Deer browse the foliage.
 Owls shelter in the branches.
Pests:
 Introduced White Pine Blister Rust and pine shoot beetle can kill.
 Native white pine weevil can cause deformity.
 Intolerant to salt and pollution.
Page 10 of 28
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Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo) – non-native
General:
 Invasive in this area.
 There is a good crop of seeds every year, guaranteeing their spread.
Seeds germinate in a wide variety of conditions.
 Wood is weak.
Bark:
 Smooth and grey/brown on young trees, changing to darker brown
with narrow ridges.
Twigs:
 Round, olive green/chocolate brown with a bit of purple.
 There is a light coating of gray film which can be rubbed off.
 Dotted with lenticels.
Buds:
 Opposite, coloured green or purple, and covered with grey fuzz.
Form:
 In this area, a small, weedy tree with many trunks.
 Usually found on the edges of a woodland (where there is light).
Leaves:
 Compound (3 to 7 leaflets) and opposite.
 Leaflets have 3 lobes.
 Upper side bright green, underside pale green.
 Musky odour when crushed.
 Turn yellow or green/brown in autumn.
Flowers:
 Male and female flowers on separate trees.
 Male flowers are yellow/green in clusters on a slim stalk.
 Female flowers are pale green on slim stalks.
Seeds:
 Clusters of winged keys (the two sides are at 45deg angle).
 Yellow/green at first, maturing to brown.
 May remain on tree through the winter.
Size:
 18m.
 Lives 50 to 70 years.
Food:
 Birds and squirrels feed on the seeds.
Pests:
 Leaves subject to galls and fungi.
 Not subject to deer browsing.
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Liriodendron tulipfera (Tulip Tree) – native (variegated cultivar)
General:
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The largest native magnolia tree.
One of the tallest trees in eastern N.A.
Bark:
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Flowers:
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Huge, shaped like a tulip, and blooms in spring.
7 pale/lime green petals with a band of orange near the base,
framing a prominent circle of stamens and central stigmas.
Flowers usually high up in the canopy of the tree (hard to see).
Grey and fissured (often into a V-shape) on a mature tree.
Seeds:
Twigs:
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Buds:
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Young leaves emerge from a small protective ‘jacket’.
Form:
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Shiny chestnut brown.
A tall, straight tree with a high, pyramidal canopy.
Lower branches may grow up, then out and droop downward
again.
Very fast-growing. New leaves continue to emerge until frost.
A large pointed green ‘cone’ develops into a collection of winged
seeds.
Food:
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Pests:
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Aphids and scale (and sooty mold).
Leaves:
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Bright green – this specimen is variegated.
Leaves on a large tree can be very large (5 to 7 inches in diameter
typical).
Unique shape, like a tulip in profile.
May be yellow or golden colour in the autumn.
Size:
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Up to 40m T and 10 to 20m W.
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Dog-Strangling Vine (Cynanchum rossicum) – non-native
General:
 A member of the milkweed family.
 Originally from southern Russia.
 Very invasive - forms dense stands which out-compete other
(native) plants.
 Difficult to kill, as the roots form dense mats.
Food:
 Monarch Butterfly lays its eggs on milkweeds. However, this
plant cannot be eaten by the caterpillars, which starve to
death.
Pests:
 None
Form:
 Herbaceous perennial that grows by twining around other
plants.
City of Toronto Website
Leaves:
 Dark green and opposite on the stem.
 Smooth edges and prominent veins are visible.
 Leaf stalks hug the stems in a U-shape.
Flowers:
 Pale purple flowers in June.
Seeds:
 Long/narrow and pointed seedpods turn brown, and then split
open to release hundreds of small brown seeds on parachutes.
 Plenty of examples to look at.
Size:
 Up to 2m.
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Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) - native
General:
 Long taproot provides a good anchor.
 Thick bark protects the tree from fire.
 An application is being made to have a large example in the valley
named a heritage tree (due to its age and size).
Bark:
 Grey/brown, deeply furrowed, slightly scaly on the ridges.
Twigs:
 Stout, coloured grey or brown, sometimes corky ridges on young
trees.
Buds:
 Bluntly conical, reddish brown, covered with pale hairs, and with
several lateral buds nearby.
Form:
 Broad and rounded. Likes well-drained soils.
 Older trees can be bent and gnarled - looks like a ‘haunted’ tree.
Leaves:
 Alternate, with rounded edges (contrast with Red Oak).
 Dark glossy green on top, gray/green and downy below.
 Dull yellow or brown in autumn.
Flowers:
 Male are yellow/green catkins.
 Female flowers are red, hairy, small, and mostly single
Acorn:
 Has a large, overlapping cup with bristles (hence the name).
 Cap and acorn often fall together.
Size:
 Grows to 30m tall.
 Lives for 200 to 300 years
 Bears acorns after 30 to 40, with a good crop every 2 or 3 years.
Food:
 Acorns important to deer, raccoons, rodents, shrews, songbirds
etc.
 Also used by early native people (bark chewed or boiled for
diarrhea).
 Host plant for larvae of Edwards’ Hairstreak.
Pests:
 Not seriously affected by pests/diseases.
USDA Plant Database
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Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) – native
General:
 Biennial. Forms a basal rosette in the first year, and flowers in the
second year.
 Spreads quite rapidly.
Other uses:
 Tea was made from its roots for colds. The plant was also
used to cure snake bites.
Form:
 Upright, bushy.
Size:
 1-3’
Leaves:
 Hairy, lance-shaped or oval shaped. 2-7” long. Slightly toothed.
Flowers:
 June to October, daisy-like flowers - yellow rays with brown
centres.
Habitat:
 Meadows, prairies and open woods
 Drought tolerant. Full sun to light shade.
USDA Plant Database
Pests:
 Too much moisture can lead to fungal problems.
Wildlife benefits:
 Birds, bees and butterflies are all attracted. Larvae from
Bordered Patch and Gorgone Checkerspot butterflies feed on
R. hirta.
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False Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum stellatum) – native
General:
Pests:
 Woodland herbaceous perennial plant
 The larval stage of Solomon’s Seal Sawfly can
completely defoliate Polygonatum species and
 Suitable for cultivation in moist, humus-rich soil, in dappled shade
hybrids by early summer.
Form/Size:
 Most adult sawflies feed largely on the grains of
pollen and on algae and therefore do not damage the
 Growing to 50–90 cm tall,
Solomon Seal directly
 The individual stems in a clump grow between 1 and 2 feet long, are dark
 The eggs hatch and it is the greyish white caterpillargreen and glossy and slightly zigzagged in shape
like larvae with black heads that does the damage.
Leaves:
 Alternate, oblong-lanceolate leaves 7–15 cm long and 3–6 cm broad
 Dark green and are prominently etched with numerous, parallel veins
Flowers:
 Each stem flowers in mid-spring forming terminal clusters of small,
white, star-shaped flowers. These flowers give the plant a plume-like
appearance.
Food:
 The plants produce green fruits that are round and turn red in late summer
 The fruit of the false Solomon’s seal are consumed by a wide variety of
birds (including ruffed grouse) and a small number of rodents (including
white-footed mice)
 The passage of the seeds through the intestinal tracts of these species
stimulates germination, and the deposition of these seeds in the feces
greatly facilitates the dispersal of the plant.
 The leaves of false Solomon’s seal are edible but relatively unpalatable.
White-tail deer occasionally will browse false Solomon’s seal, but few
other herbivores are known to consume it.
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Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria ) – native , invasive
General:
Food:
 Perennial, reproducing by seed and by widely spreading, much-branched,
 It is used as a food plant by the larvae of some
whitish underground stems (rhizomes) producing dense patches
species of Lepidoptera, including dot moth, grey
dagger and grey pug .
 commonly called ground elder, herb gerard, bishop's weed, goutweed,
Pests:
and snow-in-the-mountain
 No significant diseases or pests
 Goutweed was widely cultivated as a vigorous perennial ground cover
because of its strong spreading rhizome system, but the same
 No biological control is available
characteristics enable it to escape from cultivation and invade lawns,
hedges, gardens, roadsides and waste places
Form:
 Flowering stems erect, 40-90cm (16-36in.) high, branched in the upper
part but seldom seen when the weed infests lawns or gardens.
 The upper leaves are ternate, broad and toothed.
Leaves:
 Some cultivated forms have variegated leaves, the leaflets being green
near the centre but whitish around their margins. These are usually less
aggressive than forms with entirely green leaves.
Flowers:
 Flowers individually very small, white, in compound umbels without any
bracts immediately below the umbel. Flowers from June to August
Size:
 growing to a height of 100 cms with rhizomes
 The stems are erect, hollow and grooved
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Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum) –native
General:
 Tall perennial which emerges late in the spring, but then
grows rapidly.
 The common name commemorates a native American who
used the plant for medicinal purposes.
 A valuable wetland plant and helps stabilize stream banks.
Other uses:
 It is said that this plant was used to cure fevers by First
Nations and early settlers.
USDA Plant Database
Form:
 Tall and bushy, forms large clumps
Size:
 Up to 6’
Leaves:
 3-8” long. Dark to light green whorled leaves. Lance-shaped
and coarsely toothed.
Flowers:
 July – September. Very showy pink or purple flat topped
clusters. Fragrant.
Habitat:
 Damp meadows and near water. Moist rich soil, although
tolerates clay and sand.
 Full sun to partial shade.
Wildlife benefits:
 Provides nectar for bees and butterflies. Varieties attracted
include giant swallowtail, orange sulphur, variegated
fritillary, painted lady and red admiral.
"Spotted Joe-pye Weed" by D. Gordon E. Robertson - Own work. Licensed under CC BYSA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Page 18 of 28
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Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum) – native ***NANCY
General:
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Form:
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Leaves:
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Flowers:
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Size:
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Food:
 .
Pests:
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Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) – native ***NANCY***
General:
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Form:
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Leaves:
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Flowers:
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Size:
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Food:
 .
Pests:
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Wild Bergamot/ Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa) –native
General:
Other uses:
 Natural range is from Quebec and New England west
and south. Other species of Monarda, such as M. didyma
 Leaves were once used for tea, and oil from the leaves was
(Oswego Tea) have spread north from New York and
used for respiratory illnesses.
have been naturalized
 A member of the mint family, and leaves and flowers
have a mint-like fragrance.
Form:
 Upright multi-branched perennial, with square stems
common to members of the mint family. Stems are hairy.
Size:
 2-3’ high
Leaves:
 Grey-green, 2-3” long, lance-shaped with rough serrated
edges.
USDA Plant Database
Flowers:
 June-September
 Packed cluster of fragrant, pink, tube-like flowers at the
top of the stem.
Habitat:
 Dry fields, and on the edge of woods. Can thrive in
cultivation in a wide variety of soils.
 Full sun to part shade.
Pests:
 Can be susceptible to powdery mildew and rust. Good air
circulation and drainage will help to prevent.
Wildlife benefits:
 Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies
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Canadian Anemone (Anemone canadensis) – native ***NANCY***
General:
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Form:
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Leaves:
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Flowers:
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Size:
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Food:
 .
Pests:
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Poison Ivy (Taxicodendron rydbergii) – native
General:
Food:
 The urushiol compound in poison ivy is not meant as a defensive
 White and hard berries in spring
measure; rather, it helps the plant to retain water
 Birds such as flickers, chickadees, and warblers can
eat the berries without impact
 Poisonous to touch – causes a rash to many
 Most potent in May when fresh Poison Ivy leaves
 Bees make honey from the nectar
 Plants remain poisonous even in winter, however the amount of oils is
 Mule, deers, bears, horses, and cattle graze
reduced during winter
 But don’t try eating them!
 Habitat: Forests, Fields and Open Areas; Forests, open areas, rocky
areas.
Pests:
Form:
 It grows up from suckers it sends out, so it often carpets a small area.
 A low shrub, a climbing vine, or a larger shrub
Leaves:
 Leaf color ranges from light green (usually the younger leaves) to dark
green (mature leaves), turning bright red in fall; though other sources say
leaves are reddish when expanding, turn green through maturity, then
back to red, orange, or yellow in the fall.
 The leaflets of mature leaves are somewhat shiny. The leaflets are 3–
12 cm (1.2–4.7 in) long, rarely up to 30 cm (12 in). Each leaflet has a few
or no teeth along its edge, and the leaf surface is smooth. Leaflet clusters
are alternate on the vine, and the plant has no thorns.
 Compound leaf with 3 leaflets
Flowers:
 Flowers: Spring; Green/Brown; 5 parts (petals)
Size:

Up to 2 m (1-6 ft)
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Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica)
General:
Daniel Schwen, on the Wikipedia webpage for Xylocopa
virginica.
 Good. A large bee often mistaken for a bumblebee.
 The female makes her brood cells out of chewed-up wood.
Form:
 Similar in size to a bumblebee, but with a shiny black butt.
 Males do not sting.
 Males have a patch of yellow on the face (females have
black heads).
Size:
 Larva =
 Adult = 2.5cm.
Feeds On:
 Pollen of open-faced flowers.
 They also rob pollen by chewing a hole in the side of the
flower (thereby not pollinating the flower).
Control Options:
 n/a. Leave a block of wood for the bee to nest in (so it
leaves furniture etc alone).
Comments:
 Females make 1cm circular holes in wooden structures.
 The final nest is T-shaped.
 Several females may nest close together.
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Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) Non-Native
General:
 Very bad.
 Will cause 99% ash mortality in the next few years.
David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org
Form:
 Larva = a small white grub that burrows into the tree.
o Overwinter as mature larvae.
 Adult = A small shiny metallic green insect. Active May
to July.
Size:
 Larva = 2.5cm.
 Adult = 8.5 to 14mm long.
David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org
Feeds On:
 Larvae eat the vascular cambium under the bark and kill
the tree.
 Host plants = all species of ash.
Control Options:
o Inject e.g. neem at base of tree (not curative!). Humber
will be treating their trees.
Comments:
 Look for D-shaped exit holes.
 Affected Ash trees have already been cut down in the
arboretum.
 Already present in Ottawa and Montreal
Page 25 of 28
Humber Arboretum and Etobicoke Master Gardeners
Garden Heroes & Villains
Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
General:
 Good.
 The Monarchs in Toronto are the fourth generation of the
summer, which will migrate all the way back to Mexico
for the winter.
Peter Wirtz, Bugwood.org
Form:
 Caterpillar = Large, with striking yellow, black and white
bands.
 Adult = Orange with black veining.
Size:
 Caterpillar = 50mm.
 Adult = 100mm wingspan.
Jennifer E. Dacey, University of Rhode Island, Bugwood.org
Feeds On:
 Larvae eat all types of milkweed.
 Adults feed on nectar of milkweed, asters, clover, cosmos,
zinnia, daisy.
Control Options:
 n/a. Plant milkweeds.
 Do not use chemical insecticides.
Comments:
 Female Monarchs are confused by Dog-Strangling Vine,
which they lay their eggs on. However, the newly hatched
larvae will starve on DSV.
Page 26 of 28
Humber Arboretum and Etobicoke Master Gardeners
Garden Heroes & Villains
Aphid (Aphis spp)
General:
 Bad
 Many different kinds.
Jim Baker, North Carolina State University, Bugwood.org
Form:
 Larvae and adults are pear-shaped.
 Females give birth to live young (fantastic birth rate).
Size:
 Larva = 1.5+mm long.
 Adult = up to 9mm long.
Feeds On:
 Each type feeds on a specific type of plant.
 They suck sap from plants, causing distortion and
flower/bud drop.
 Many types secrete honeydew, which encourages sooty
mold.
This is Aphis pomi (Apple Aphid)
Control Options:
 Spray with a hose or soapy water.
 Dormant oil to kill eggs.
Comments:
Page 27 of 28
Humber Arboretum and Etobicoke Master Gardeners
Garden Heroes & Villains
Honeybee (Apis mellifera) Non-Native
General:
 Good.
 Introduced for honey production.
Jerry A. Payne, USDA Agricultural Research Service,
Bugwood.org
Form:
 Larva = A white grub.
 Adult = the poster bee.
Size:
 Larva =
 Adult = to 19mm long.
Feeds On:
 Workers feed on nectar from a wide variety of flowers.
 Often seen with balls of pollen on their back pair of legs.
Control Options:
 n/a. Plant a variety of flowers to encourage visitors.
 Do not use pesticides.
 Attract bumblebees as replacements.
Comments:
 Highly social insects.
 Suffering greatly from colony collapse in recent years.
 Can sting if threatened.
Page 28 of 28