Ponderosa Pine
The Ponderosa Pine is a large evergreen well suited to our region, valued for its exceptional drought tolerance and its ability to provide year-round green in a variety of garden settings. It produces soft, bushy clusters of very long pine needles, typically in bundles of three and sometimes two, and as it matures it develops distinctive plates of exfoliating orange bark that many people say smell like butterscotch mixed with vanilla. The tree bears quite large pine cones armed with notably sharp spines, and it grows symmetrically with a strong central leader when young before gradually maturing into a more open, rounded form with age. Highly versatile, the Ponderosa Pine can be planted as an accent, for shade, or as part of a shelter belt, and it is native to much of western North America.
Prairie Dream Birch
The Prairie Dream Birch is a paper birch with beautiful fair white bark and attractive green leaves. With time the bark on the lower trunk peels into neat little rolls that are a favourite for youngsters. The leaves are pointy and dark green with a doubly serrated margin. They turn a golden yellow in fall. This cultivar is low maintenance and more adaptable than other varieties of birch. The Prairie Dream Birch has demonstrated exceptional resilience to the the birch bark borer.
Princess Kay Plum
The Princess Kay Plum brings beauty to any yard it grows within. The tree explodes with a brilliant display of precocious double white flowers in early spring. The leaves are dark green and transition to yellow / red in the fall. The tree is very compact making it a perfect addition to smaller sites. Princess Kay Plums will only grow a tiny amount of fruit so they considered to be very neat and tidy. The tree is cold hardy and makes a fine year around accent tree.
Russian Olive
The Russian Olive is the most drought hardy tree we can grow on the prairies. It was brought to North America by our pioneers as an ornamental tree for their homesteads. The tree is blessed with a silvery green foliage and small yellow flowers in the spring. It’s branches often grow handsomely gnarled and twisted. The leaves are small and velvety. The tree produces a small silver fruit that will persist on the tree over winter. The bark is known to peel as the tree ages. Recently, the tree has been persecuted for outcompeting native species in wild habitats. However, it is our opinion that the Russian Olive remains to be an unique and valuable member of our prairie gardens and green spaces.
Scots Pine
The Scots Pine is a beautiful evergreen tree that thrives in our region. It is very hardy and will bring year around green to any garden setting. The tree grows a medium length green pine needle in bundles of 2 and displays a distinctive orange bark when mature. It grows symmetrically with a strong dominant leader when young and tends to fill out into and open round tree with age. Scots Pines are very versatile and can be planted for accent, shade or a shelter belt. This species was brought to North America from Northern Europe.
Showy Mountain Ash
The Showy Mountain Ash features showy white spring flowers, pinnately compound leaves and striking red fall fruit. The berries often remain on the tree after the leaves fall, which provides a pleasant winter appearance. The tree is excellent at attracting birds to any yard. The leaves are dark green and transition to orange / red in the fall. Bark is typically smooth and grey, becoming scaly as the tree matures. The tree is slow growing and compact, making it a perfect addition to smaller sites. The tree can be planted as an accent or shade tree.
Siberian Larch
The Siberian Larch is conical shaped deciduous conifer with gentlesoft needles that turn a golden yellow and are shed in the fall. Themain branches are often upswept with smaller drooping branches.The tree grows with a very dominant central leader and requireslittle upkeep. They are exceedingly cold hardy, deer resistant andpest free.
Silver Cloud Maple
The Silver Cloud Maple is a selection of the native species that is seedless, has superior cold hardiness and a more balanced branch structure. The tree is adorned with bright green 5 lobed maple leaves that shimmer in the wind with a silvery underside. This Maple also stands out due to it’s attractive silver bark. The tree is fast growing and drought tolerant. The Silver Cloud Maple is an excellent addition to any grounds with adequate space as a feature or shade tree.
Snowbird Hawthorn
Spring Snow Crabapple
The Spring Snow Crabapple blooms in early to mid-spring with a profusion of beautiful, highly fragrant white flowers that make the tree look as though it has been covered in fresh snow. This compact tree is fully hardy for our region and, being a fruitless cultivar, remains clean and tidy throughout the season. It features distinctive orange-tinged bark and dark green, pointed leaves that turn yellow in fall, and when in bloom it is excellent for attracting hummingbirds and honey bees.
Tatarian Maple
The Tatarian Maple is a compact, exceptionally hardy and low maintenance accent tree. The tree will display showy red samaras in late summer. Fall colours are vibrant, and leaves often remain on the tree well into winter. Interestingly, the tree will often grow wider than it is tall. The trees trunk is a striking light grey with black markings.
Thunderchild Flowering Crab Apple
Thunderchild Flowering Crabapples are an attractive, compact and upright tree that make the perfect focal point for any garden. During middle spring, the branches are draped with clusters of vibrant pink flowers. Its fruit is perfectly edible and tends to remain on the tree long into winter. The tree displays a dark purple foliage throughout the growing season. Thunderchilds are strongly resistant of fire blight. They are an absolute delight for bees, butterflies and birds alike.
Toba Hawthorne
The Toba Hawthorne is hardy and compact ornamental tree that displays double white flowers that slowly turn to pink. The flowers are followed by small pomes that ripen to red in the fall. These pomes can be made into jellies or used in tea. The tree grows with bright glossy leaves that turn yellow. As the tree matures it develops a sinewy trunk full of furrows and twists.
Top Gun Bur Oak
The Top Gun is cultivar of the Bur Oak with a smaller and morecolumnar form that grows with a strong central leader. All Bur Oaks grows with a distinctive gnarled appearance. When young the bark of Top Gun tends to be much more silvery than the native selection. The underside of the leaves also tend to have a silvery / grey appearance. Their large acorns are prized by wildlife and are quickly carried off by birds and small mammals. When you plant a Top Gun Bur Oak tree, you are really planting a tree for future generations.
True North American Linden
Bur Oaks are an exceptionally long lived tree that with time can reach truly massive proportions. They are an excellent selection for making a statement or as a shade tree with some authority. Bur Oaks are best suited for large open spaces. They are the most cold tolerant of all the oaks. When young, they are known to have a corky bark and branches. Their large acorns are prized by wildlife and are quickly carried off by birds and small mammals. When you plant a Bur Oak tree, you are really planting a tree for future generations.
