Native Trees
Trees
The Wabanaki-Acadian forest is mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees. Prince Edward Island has a large variety of native tree species, all fulfilling important roles in our ecosystem. These species have adapted for thousands of years for our climate and co-evolved with our other flora and fauna. They are beautiful, hardy, protect soil and waterways, reduce wind damage, and create habitat and food for animals among many other things. Below is a list of the native tree species found on Prince Edward Island.
CONIFEROUS TREES
Picea mariana
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A small to medium sized, early- to mid-successional understory tree. It has short, square needles that grow in spirals on its branches and hug the twigs. More slender than white or red spruce. It has a blueish-green appearance. The crown on older trees is open and irregular, with slender drooping branches which turn up at the ends.
Habitat: Black spruce grows throughout Prince Edward Island but is confined mainly to low, damp places, like bogs.
Planting conditions: Can tolerate a wide variety of soil types. Well-suited to wetland plantings, or general forest restoration plantings.
Picea glauca
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A medium to large, early successional, understory or canopy tree. It can be very small when growing on the coast. White spruce has stiff, square-sided needles arranged in spirals on its branches. Its needles have a urine-like smell when crushed. Its branches do not droop like black or red spruce. Thicker and more robust in its trunk than black spruce.
Habitat: Grows in full sun, in hedgerows, in old fields and along the coastline.
Planting conditions: Plant in areas with full sun, will tolerate wind and coastal conditions. Good for windbreaks and hedgerows.
Picea rubens
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A large, late successional canopy tree. Has short, square needles that grow in spirals and hug its branches. This is the characteristic species of the Wabanaki-Acadian forest. Its branches are well-spaced and curve upward at the ends, giving it a more drooping, softer silhouette than white spruce.
Habitat: Red spruce grows in mixed wood stands, often along the sides of streams in deep, rich soil. It is found growing with hemlock, white pine, sugar maple and yellow birch in the climax Wabanaki-Acadian forest.
Planting conditions: Often used in our restoration forestry work in patches and other woodland plantings.
Pinus strobus
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A large, mid- to late-successional canopy tree. Eastern white pine is the only native pine with bundles of five needles. The needles have a blueish tinge and are quite long and flexible. The tops of older specimens often break off, giving them a flat-topped appearance.
Habitat: Eastern white pine grows on a variety of sites but does best on a moist, sandy soil. It can be found in mixed stands with red pine and is quite common in hardwood mixes with eastern hemlock. Older specimens can also be found along property lines.
Planting conditions: Used in our restoration forest plantings, such as in patches. Can be planted in dry areas with partial shade around homes and buildings, and in windbreaks and hedgerows.
Pinus resinosa
Rarity: S2 (imperilled)
Description: A medium to large, mid successional canopy tree. Red Pine has bundles of two long needles. They are stiff and pointed. Bark is scaly and often a reddish-brown. It develops into larger plates as it ages.
Habitat: Red Pine occurs mainly in Murray River, Fort Augustus and New London. Its best development occurs on deep loamy sand or gravel, but it will grow on a large variety of sites. In Prince Edward Island it grows in pure stands also mixed with spruce and balsam fir.
Planting Conditions: Can be used in restoration work, and in areas in full sun (with sandy soils), around homes and buildings.
Pinus banksiana
Rarity: S2/S3 (imperilled/vulnerable)
Description: Small to medium, early successional understory tree. Its short needles are in bundles of two. Has a branchy and crooked trunk with a narrow, open crown of twisted branches. Its cones are crescent shaped and sharply curved. The Jack pine is adapted to survive in areas where there have been forest fires, with cones that will stay closed for many years until they reach the right temperature.
Habitat: It is confined to small, scattered patches throughout the province, often growing in low-lying wet areas with black spruce.
Planting conditions: Can be used in restoration work in old fields or other full-sun, poor conditions.
Tsuga canadensis
Rarity: S3/S4 (vulnerable/apparently secure)
Description: A large, late-successional, canopy tree. Small, flat needles are attached to the stem by a small, string-like stalk. The ends of the branches droop, giving it a soft, lacy silhouette. It is a keystone species of the Wabanaki-Acadian forest.
Habitat: Often found along streams, hemlock flourishes in areas of high humidity but without standing water. It grows best in rich, well-drained land, growing with yellow birch, sugar maple red maple, white pine and red spruce.
Planting conditions: Often used in our restoration plantings in forests because it is an old-growth species. Can be used in landscaping in sheltered, shady areas. Will not tolerate wind, full sun or standing water.
Thuja occidentalis
Rarity: S3/S4 (vulnerable/apparently secure)
Description: Small to medium, mid successional, understory tree that can reach the forest midstory. Foliage is made of scales creating fan shaped branchlets. The bark is thin and reddish brown, furrowing and peeling as it gets older.
Habitat: Cedar grows in swamps or wet sites, mainly in Prince County. It grows in pure stands or in mixtures of spruce, balsam fir, larch, black ash, speckled alder and white elm.
Planting conditions: Used in our restoration and landscaping work. Can be planted in wet areas, in sun or partial shade. It can grow in dry areas, but usually quite poorly.
Larix laricina
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A medium, early- to mid-successional canopy tree. Has small, soft tufts of needles that are shed annually. Older trees can be quite irregular in shape.
Habitat: grows throughout the province. No large or extensive pure stands occur but it is chiefly confined to boggy areas growing with balsam fir and black spruce. In better drained areas, it is found with black, red, and white spruce, trembling aspen and white birch.
Planting conditions: Used in our restoration plantings, particularly in wetter areas. Can be a good choice for landscaping as it tolerates a variety of conditions, including full sun.
Abies balsamea
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A medium to large, early successional canopy tree. Has fairly short, flat needles. The crown is slender and spire shaped, with branches in regular whorls on the trunk. Small pockets of resin are found under the bark of the trunk.
Habitat: The tree is found throughout the province in pure stands, but also mixed with white, red and black spruce, larch, aspens, and white birch. Does well in moist, well-drained soil.
Planting conditions: Can be used in windbreaks and in landscaping work.
DECIDUOUS TREES
Fagus grandifolia
Rarity: S3/S4 (vulnerable/apparently secure)
Description: A medium to large, late-successional canopy tree. Has simple, alternate, oval, toothed leaves. It has a dense, massive crown of wide-spreading, tough and flexible branches. The bark is smooth, but many beech have wounding from the beech canker.
Habitat: grows throughout the hardwood areas of the province, although sometimes in pure stands. Thrives in rich, moist soil and well-drained slopes and ridges.
Planting conditions: Used in our restoration plantings, but can also be used in landscaping work in shadier parts of lawns.
Quercus rubra
Rarity: S3/S4 (vulnerable/apparently secure)
Description: A large tree, mid- to late successional canopy tree. It has simple, alternate, lobed, smooth leaves. The trunk is tall and smooth and is frequently clear of branches for more than 2/3 of its height. This is a keystone species of the Wabanaki-Acadian forest.
Habitat: A fast growing tree that can be found in hardwood and mixed stands throughout the province. Does best in well-drained soils.
Planting conditions: Often used in our restoration forestry plantings, as it is an old-growth and high value tree. Used in landscaping as well, but will not tolerate excessive wind or very wet soil.
Betulua populifolia
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A small to medium, early successional, understory tree. Has simple, alternate, oval, toothed leaves that are shaped like a sharply tapered heart. It has many fine branches. When young it is very difficult to distinguish from other birch and has reddish-brown, shiny bark. As it ages its bark turns white but peels very little, with distinct black marks under its branches.
Habitat: it is an early successional species that grows in acidic boggy areas in full sun. Often grows alongside willow, rose, Labrador tea, larch and black spruce.
Planting conditions: Often used in our wetland restoration plantings or in our landscaping, given that it flourishes in full sun. Should be mulched well to avoid moisture loss.
Betulua papyrifera
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A medium to large, early successional canopy tree. Has simple, alternate, oval, toothed leaves with a slightly tapered end. When young, it has reddish-brown, shiny bark. As it grows it develops brilliantly white, peeling bark.
Habitat: It grows on dry, exposed sites, including burned areas. It is often associated with poplar, pin cherry and balsam fir.
Planting conditions: Often used in our landscaping work, given its resilience to windy conditions and full sun.
Betula alleghaniensis
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A large, late successional, canopy tree. Has simple, alternate, oval, toothed leaves. When young, it has reddish-brown, shiny bark. Its bark is golden, but darkens as it ages.
Habitat: One of our longest lived species, it grows well in shade and in moist conditions, such as alongside streams. It is often found growing alongside eastern hemlock, red and sugar maple, and white pine.
Planting conditions: Often used in our forest restoration plantings. Well suited to streamside plantings and landscaping work in shadier parts of yards. Will not tolerate full sun, strong wind or standing water.
Ostrya virginiana
Rarity: S2 (imperilled)
Description: A small to medium, late successional understory tree. Simple, alternate, oval, toothed leaves. It is a relatively short-lived, small tree. It is a slender tree with light brown, scaly bark. It is also known as hop hornbeam.
Habitat: Ironwood is very rare in the province, but thrives as an understory tree in old-growth forests, particularly near wooded streams. Grows best in rich, moist soil and dappled light.
Planting conditions: We use ironwood in restoration woodland plantings, especially near streams. Can be used in landscaping work in sheltered, shady sections of the yard. Will not tolerate full sun, wind or standing water.
Acer rubrum
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A large, early to mid-successional, canopy tree. Simple, opposite, lobed, toothed leaves. The gray bark is smooth but forms long, narrow plates as it ages. The trunk is tall and straight in the forest, with branches that spread out and turn up slightly at the ends.
Habitat: It grows commonly throughout the province. It is mostly found on rich moist soil and along the borders of streams and swamps. It is found in pure stands but more often mixed with other hardwoods and softwoods.
Planting conditions: Used in restoration forest plantings, but can also be used in landscaping with some shade.
Acer saccharum
Rarity: S4 (apparently secure)
Description: A large, late successional, canopy tree. Simple, opposite, lobed, smooth leaves. Grows tall and straight in the forest, with smooth gray bark that becomes furrowed as it ages. Produces an array of red, orange and bright yellow fall colours. It is one of the keystone, old-growth species of the Wabanaki-Acadian forest. Its sap is used to make maple syrup.
Habitat: Grows in rich, well-drained soil. Mainly occurs in mixed stands with American beech, yellow birch, eastern white pine, red spruce and eastern hemlock.
Planting conditions: Prefers dry areas with partial shade, and is a valuable for forest restoration plantings. A beautiful tree for landscaping, but does not tolerate windy areas.
Acer pensylvanicum
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A small to medium sized, mid- to late successional understory tree. Simple, opposite, lobed, toothed leaves. The leaves are shallowly three-pointed and looks like a goose’s foot. It has distinctive striped bark that can be almost silvery black as it ages. In the fall its leaves turn a very pale yellow, almost white.
Habitat: It commonly grows in upland forests, with moist but not wet soil. It grows in association with sugar and red maple, yellow birch, beech, hemlock, and white pine.
Planting conditions: It can be used to diversify forests. It can be planted in patch cuts, for example. It grows quickly and will provide shade, leaf litter and nesting habitat in these areas. Could be used for landscaping in very shaded, sheltered areas.
Fraxinus americana
Rarity: S2/S3 (imperilled/vulnerable)
Description: A medium to large, mid successional canopy tree. Compound, opposite, smooth leaves. Each leaflet is slightly rounded and has a small stem that connects to the main stem of the leaf, unlike black ash. Buds are furry and dark brown.
Habitat: Occurs in scattered patches in West Prince, Kings and Queens county. Can be found in many different conditions, both in mixed and hardwood stands with moist to dry soil.
Planting conditions: Often used in our restoration work, in patches and as an underplanting. It is a beautiful landscaping tree. It grows well in partial shade and full sun, but does not tolerate wind or standing water.
Fraxinus nigra
Rarity: S2 (imperilled)
Description: Small to medium, early to mid-successional, understory tree. Compound, opposite, smooth leaves. Each leaflet is pointed and connected directly to the main stem. Leaves turn yellow in the fall, with buds that are dark brown to almost black. The bark is grey with shallow fissures, and becomes scaly as the tree ages.
Habitat: Rare in the province. Mostly found along stream banks and the edges of the swamps. It grows well in open stands of eastern white cedar, red maple, and other swamp hardwoods.
Planting conditions: Prefers wet conditions, but does not tolerate shade. Good for streambank and wetland restoration if the site has full sun.
Ulmus americana
Rarity: S3 (vulnerable)
Description: A large, late-successional canopy tree. Simple, alternate, oval, toothed leaves. In a forest it forms a straight trunk that rises quite high before branching. Bark becomes deeply furrowed with scaly ridges as it ages.
Habitat: Elm does well on rich, moist, well-drained sandy loam or gravelly soils, where the water table is near the surface. It grows singly or in mixtures with other hardwoods and softwoods.
Planting conditions: Often used in our forest restoration plantings, such as in patch cuts. Can be used in landscaping as well, although it does not tolerate standing water or windy conditions.
Populus grandidentata
Rarity: S4/S5 (apparently secure/secure)
Description: A medium to large, early-successional, canopy tree. Simple, alternate, oval, toothed leaves. Has a straight trunk with smooth bark that becomes darker and rougher as it ages. Has a sparse crown.
Habitat: Occurs in scattered patches throughout Prince Edward Island. It grows on the same type of soil as the trembling aspen, but reaches its best development on moist, sandy slopes or borders of streams. It is found in pure stands also in mixtures of white pine, trembling aspen and white birch.
Planting conditions: Grows best in full sun, can be used in plantings in poor conditions (road-sides, abandoned land, coastlines).
Populus tremuloides
Rarity: S5 (secure)
Description: A medium to large, early successional, canopy tree. Simple, alternate, oval, finely toothed leaves. The trunk is smooth and slender with a gradual taper. The moderately stout crown is round-topped and open.
Habitat: grows well on well-drained loam, but is found on a wide variety of soils. It will not grow in the shade of other trees and occurs frequently in pure stands, or mixed with white birch, pin cherry, large-toothed aspen.
Planting conditions: Grows well in full sun. Can be used to restore poor sites, such as abandoned lands or roadsides.
Juglans cinerea
Rarity: SNA
Description: A medium, early to mid-successional canopy tree. Compound, alternate leaves of between 11 to 17 leaflets. With light shading, trees become tall and stately and make good growth. In spring, the trees produce small, purple flowers. Nuts are edible.
Habitat: It grows well in moist, rich soil and with light shading. Can be found alongsides streams and rivers.
Planting conditions: Can be used to enhance forests, particularly near waterways. Its nuts are a valuable source of food for squirrels, chipmunks and many birds. Can be spread easily, so not always the best choice for landscaping work.
Sorbus spp.
Rarity: S5 (secure) and SNA
Description: A medium, early to mid-successional, understory tree. Compound, alternate, toothed with 11-17 leaflets. American mountain ash leaflets are long and pointed, while showy mountain ash are more rounded at the base. Produces small white flowers in flat clusters in May and early June. Clumps of berries turn orange in late August and September, often hanging on through the winter.
Habitat: A common sight along fence-lines and windbreaks, mountain ash is also found along hillsides or forest clearings. It prefers full sunlight and rich, deep soil, but will grow under a variety of conditions. It will not tolerate flooding, but can stand some salt spray.
