Native to Ontario

Switch Grass

Forms an upright, dense clump of medium-green foliage Flat leaf blades are 30 cm long, branching from upright stems Airy panicles rising above the foliage are reddish-pink changing to tan in the fall Leaves turn yellow to red in autumn and tan throughout the winter Bloom Time: July to fall Flower Height: 140-200 cm Foliage Height: 90-120 cm Grass Type: Warm Season

Ironwood

Upright, rounded to oval crown Reddish-brown male flowers and greenish female flowers precede the leaves Dark green birch-like leaves increase in size toward the end of a twig Fall foliage is pale yellow, with an early leaf drop, while a few leaves stay on Hop-like seeds sometimes persist through the winter Bloom Time: April

Prickly Pear

AKA Opuntia compressa, Opuntia rafinesquei Waxy yellow flowers grow singularly or in small clusters along the top edge of the cactus pad Blooms last one day Edible small oval bristly red fruit follow the flower and turn yellow when ripe Flat fleshy oval pads are covered in fine barbed bristles Each pad is about 25 cm long, 15 cm wide and 3 cm thick Old pads are bluish-green and new growth is mid-green Evergreen and very drought-tolerant Bloom Time: May to July

Sensitive Fern

Broad smooth pale green fronds have deeply grooved wavy margined leaflets Fronds emerge along long creeping rhizomes In the spring, emerging fronds may have a coppery tone Good ground cover Deciduous

Sundrops

AKA Oenothera tetragona Canary-yellow saucer-shaped flowers Individual flowers open for only one day Lance-shaped glossy deep green leaves are tinged with red Leaves turn a vibrant red colour in cooler weather Bloom Time: June to September Flower Size: 4 cm

Black-gum

Upright, oval to rounded crown Small non-showy greenish-white flowers Mainly dioecious: trees are male or female and sometimes both Flowers give way to dark blue oval fruit Obovate to elliptic leaves are dark green above and paler below Fall foliage is a brilliant scarlet colour Bloom Time: Spring

Red Mulberry

Upright-rounded to spreading tree; sometimes multistem Noted for its variably-lobed leaves, reddish-brown bark and edible fruit Dark green heart-shaped leaves on older branches, lobed leaves on new shoots Greenish flowers produce sweet blackberry-like fruit Fruit can be used for jellies, jams and wines Bloom Time: Spring

Oregon Grape-Holly

AKA Berberis aquifolium Clusters of fragrant yellow flowers early spring Green berries change to dark blue in the summer and persist into the winter Glossy blue-green leaves with spines on their edges turn bronze-purple tones in the winter Irregular upright spreading habit Bloom Time: Spring

Tulip Tree

Pyramidal to broad, conical growth habit Yellow-green tulip-like flowers bloom after the leaves are fully developed, with some dried bracts persisting into winter Four-lobed bright green leaves turn golden-yellow in the fall Bloom Time: May to June

Poverty Rush

Forms a dense clump of upright narrow stems with a basal tuft of flat grass-like leaves Leaves and cylindrical stems are mid-green Clusters of greenish-brown seed capsules are found near the terminal tips of the plant Bloom Time: May to September

Black Walnut

Tall, oval to rounded growth habit Large pinnate compound leaves emerge late in spring and drop early fall Foliage colour is dark green in the summer, becoming yellow in early fall Male and female flowers appear before the leaves Nut are encased in yellow-green husks, maturing in autumn Bloom Time: Spring

Butternut

Tall, oval to rounded growth habit Large pinnate compound leaves emerge in late spring and drop early fall Foliage colour is dark green in the summer, becoming dull yellow in early fall Nuts, encased in yellow-green husks, mature in autumn Bloom Time: May to June

Pot O' Gold

Five-petaled yellow flowers are almost obscured by a cloud of stamens Flowers are followed by seed capsules Narrow gray-green leaves Bark exfoliates for winter interest Bloom Time: Late spring to summer

Woodland Sunflower

Yellow daisy-like flowers with darker yellow centres Pointed oval dark green leaves Bloom Time: Midsummer until mid-fall Flower Size: 5 cm

Western Oak Fern

Delicate pale green fronds in the spring deepen in colour with age Fronds emerge from long creeping rhizomes Hairy fiddleheads rise from under the soil; not from a central crown like most ferns Fiddleheads develop into three: one for each leaf division Good ground cover Deciduous

Fowl Mannagrass

AKA: Glyceria striata ssp. stricta, Panicularia nervata, Panicularia striata Forms an upright clump of coarse green leaves 25 cm long arranged alternately along sturdy stems Pyramidal airy panicles rise on slender stems above the foliage Flowers are green changing to reddish-brown seeds Bloom Time: June to July Flower Height: 110 cm Foliage Height: 60 cm Flower Size: 27 cm Grass Type: Cool Season

Bowman's Root

AKA Porteranthus trifoliatus Dainty star-shaped white flowers with red petioles Attractive red cups(calyces) remain long after the petals have fallen Flowers are held on deep red stems Sharply serrated deep green leaves turn deep bronze-red in autumn Airy, open, growth habit; excellent when massed Bloom Time: Mid to late summer Flower Height: 100 cm Foliage Height: 65 cm

Grandpa's Whiskers

Flowers emerge from nodding reddish-purple buds on red stems Reddish-purple bell-shaped flowers hang in groups of three Attractive silky seed heads are left after flowering Fern-like, hairy, smoky-green foliage takes on a reddish hue in autumn Bloom Time: Mid-spring to midsummer Flower Height: 45 cm Foliage Height: 30 cm

Woodland Strawberry

Habitats include fields, woodland borders, streambanks, and meadows White flower petals surround yellow stamens Flowers are followed by edible bright red fruit Green foliage forms a bushy, trailing mound Useful as a ground cover for erosion control Bloom Time: Mid-spring to midsummer Flower Size: 2 cm

Boneset

AKA Eupatorium truncatum White flower clusters Textured opposite mid-green leaves Central stems are covered with long white hairs Fragrant flowers Bloom Time: Summer

Joe Pye Weed

AKA Eupatoriadelphus maculatus, Eupatorium purpureum ssp. maculatum Round-topped heads of purple-pink flowers Sharp-toothed coarse dark green leaves on rigid spotted purple stems A must for the butterfly garden Bloom Time: Summer

Hollow Joe Pye Weed

AKA Eupatoriadelphus fistulosus, Eutrochium fistulosum Large rounded-topped clusters of pink or purplish-mauve flowers Lance-shaped sharp-toothed dark green leaves on wine-coloured stems Bloom Time: Late summer

Scouring Rush

Rigid hollow bamboo-like stems Dark green with black banding at joints Produces small brown cone-like stem tips in the summer Evergreen foliage

Virginia Wild Rye

Grass has a slightly arching upright habit and forms a loose clump Coarse leaf blades are grayish-green Flower spikes emerge green, change to brown and are a bit thicker than E. canadensis Foliage and flowers dry and persist through the fall and winter Bloom Time: Summer Flower Height: 150 cm Foliage Height: 100 cm Grass type: Cool Season

Canada Wild Rye

Grass has a slightly arching upright habit and forms a loose clump Leaf blades can range in colour from green to bluish-green, depending on growing conditions Nodding seed heads emerge green, changing to a light tan in the summer Foliage and flowers dry and persist through the fall and winter Flower Height: 150 cm Foliage Height: 100 cm Grass Type: Cool Season

Toothed Wood Fern

AKA Dryopteris carthusiana Narrow lance-shaped pale green fronds with finely-cut leaflets Upright-clumping habit Good for swampy low-lying shady areas Spreads slowly by shallow underground rhizomes Deciduous

Male Fern

Lance-shaped mid-green fronds Crown is made of large rhizomes that are covered in fuzzy brown hair Upright-clumping habit Spreads slowly by shallow underground rhizomes Deciduous

Showy Tick Trefoil

Spikes of pink to lavender sweet-pea-like flower clusters Velvety hairs cover the stems and the tri-lobed compound leaves This drought-tolerant plant can be grown on rooftops with as little as 15 cm of growing medium Part of the pea or legume family, fixing nitrogen from the air Bloom Time: Midsummer to early fall

Wavy Hair Grass

Dense mounding semi-evergreen clump with very thin green blades, up to 50 cm long Numerous loose flower panicles feature purple to bronze tones Flowers change to gold and yellow as they mature Bloom Time: Spring Flower Height: 100 cm Foliage Height: 40 cm Grass Type: Cool Season

Tufted Hair Grass

Dense mounding semi-evergreen clump of green blades turning light brown in the fall Flowers feature green, purple, silver, and gold tones Bloom Time: Early to late summer Flower Height: 100 cm Foliage Height: 80 cm Grass Type: Cool Season

Poverty Oat Grass

Clump-forming cool season grass Smooth leaves blades are medium green or bluish green Older spikes brown and curl inward Thin flowering culms develop and rise above the tufts in early summer Use a ground cover or erosion control Drought-tolerant: prefers dry soils

White Prairie Clover

White flowers on clover foliage Boomtime: June-September

American Hazelnut

Male flowers are brown decorative catkins before the leaves appear Female flowers are small and red Edible fruit emerges white, turning brown in the summer Textured green leaves turn yellow, orange, and red in the fall Upright, rounded habit Bloom Time: Spring Male catkin size: up to 8 cm

Red Osier Dogwood

AKA Swida sericea Flat-topped panicles of small white flowers lead to white berries in the fall, attracting birds Dark red branches are attractive in the winter Lightly pubescent green summer leaves turn purple in autumn Bloom Time: May

Silky Dogwood

AKA Swida amomum Flat-topped cluster of creamy-white flowers White berries will ripen to blue Dark red branches are attractive in the winter Foliage turns purple in the fall Grows well in wet soils Bloom Time: Spring

Pagoda Dogwood

AKA Swida alternifolia Tiny yellowish-white fragrant flowers in flat-topped clusters in late spring Clusters of bluish-black berries in the summer Glossy green leaves turn red in the fall Upright clump of tiered, horizontal branches Bloom Time: Spring

Buttonbush

Spherical clusters of white florets Green nutlets turn brown in the fall and persist into the winter Glossy foliage emerges in late spring Grows well in wet soils, even standing water Bloom Time: Spring

Shagbark Hickory

Irregular oval-rounded growth habit The bark of mature trees is dark gray to brown and exfoliates in long strips Compound leaves are dark green with long and narrow pointed glossy leaflets Leaves turn yellow to golden brown in the fall Non-showy greenish-yellow flowers give way to edible oval-rounded nuts Bloom Time: Spring

Bitternut Hickory

Open, broadly columnar with an irregular oval to rounded crown Distinctive sulphur-yellow buds Male and female flowers After flowering, slightly flattened spherical nuts form, about 2 cm in diameter Compound green leaves with 7 to 11 leaflets, turn a greenish-yellow colour in the fall Bloom Time: Spring

Blue Beech/Musclewood

Rounded to oval crown with wide spreading branches Attractive yellow or green catkins Catkins turn into distinctive clusters of winged nutlets Serrated dark green leaves in the summer turn yellow, orange and red in the fall Smooth gray bark has distinctive muscle-like fluting Bloom Time: Early spring

Fox Sedge

Slender upright, slightly arching sedge common to Ontario's wetlands Stems are bluish-green, triangular in cross-section Seed heads, at same height as the leaves, resemble a fox's tail Plants emerge from elevated tufts (tussocks) in or near standing water Bloom Time: May to July Grass Type: Cool Season

Tussock Sedge

AKA Carex elata Slender upright sedge with leaves and seeds growing off the same stems Stems are bluish-green, triangular in cross section Male and female blooms flower on separate spikes Plants emerge from elevated tufts (tussocks) in or near standing water Bloom Time: Summer Grass Type: Cool Season

Awl Fruited Sedge

Tuft-forming sedge with an upright, cascading habit Leaves are green, about 6 mm wide, triangular in cross section Brownish-green flower heads look like bushy foxtails Seed heads are erect, vertical, up to 8 cm long Possibly the most common sedge in Ontario wetlands Bloom Time: June Grass Type: Cool Season

Plantain-leaved Sedge

Semi-evergreen clump-forming sedge with a mounding habit Puckered leaves, unusually wide at 25 mm, are mostly green but purplish at the base Leaves are rippled and dimpled along the midribs Inconspicuous flowers are showy for a short time Bloom Time: Spring Grass Type: Cool Season

Appalachian Sedge

Forming dense clumps of narrow grass-like arching blades Green foliage Small, mostly inconspicuous flowers, are showy for a short time Tolerates dry shady sites Bloom Time: Spring Grass Type: Cool season

Trumpet Vine

AKA Bignonia radicans Terminal clusters of waxy trumpet-shaped red-orange flowers Long bean-like seed pods, 15 cm long, open when ripe Compound-pinnate green leaves, 40 cm long Very aggressive and suckers by underground runners Clings to surfaces by aerial roots along its branches Bloom Time: July and sporadically until frost Flower Size: 8 cm

Marsh Marigold

AKA Caltha polypetala Numerous, waxy, yellow, buttercup-like flowers Kidney-shaped, glossy, dark green leaves, up to 10 cm long, form low mounds Naturally clumping, however, in a natural environment it will self-seed to form a dense, ground cover Bloom Time: Early spring sometimes reblooming in late summer

Blue Grama

AKA Bouteloua oligostachya Dense with slightly arching grey-green blades maturing purple, then light brown Purplish flowers Seed stems produce seeds late summer, at right angles to the stems Seeds attract birds Bloom Time: Early summer Flower Height: 60 cm Foliage Height: 30 cm Grass Type: Warm Season