Box Elder

The Green Ash is a time tested and true tree for the prairies. They are amongst the hardiest of trees for our region. The tree boasts glossy dark green leaves that are pinnately compound with five to nine large leaflets. Autumn turns these leaves a golden yellow. The tree has greyish brown bark with interlacing furrows and ridges that produce a distinctive diamond pattern. Green Ash are cold, drought and urban tolerant making them widely suitable for any application. Green ash are native to South Eastern Alberta and have have been planted in our parks and yards since the very beginning.

The Mayday tree is a medium sized tree that produces beautiful five petalled white flowers clustered along short stalks know botanically as racemes. The tree is native to Northern Europe and has for a very long time been a part of our history. The best part of having a Mayday tree in your yard is they are by far the first species to bud out in the spring. You will often see flowers and leaves at the very beginning of May if not the end of April. After a long winter they are a true delight for both gardeners and hungry honey bees. They produce very small cherries that are readily eaten by birds. They are a very hardy tree and require little maintenance. At maturity they can grow to 10m tall, but we know of a specimen or two down on river side that would put that measurement to the test.

The Pembina Plum is hybrid between a Canadian and Japanese plum that was bred over 100 years ago. The tree shows a brilliant display of precocious white flowers in the spring and in late August offers an absolutely delicious plum. The fruit displays a dark red skin and yellow flesh. The fruit is of the clingstone variety, which simply describes how the flesh does not easily pull away from the pit. The tree is very cold hardy and makes a fine year around accent tree. It is indeed a glorious moment to walk over to your Pembina Plum and indulge in a sweet and juicy plum you grew right in your own back yard.