Plains Cottonwood (Populus deltoides).


Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica).


Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo).


Manitoba's native trees M


By Michael Allen


anitobans do not have many native or indigenous trees to choose from. Only a handful thrive in our extreme climate. From the limited list of 14 decidu-


ous trees native to southern Manitoba, nursery growers have developed a number of varieties for the consumer market. Gardeners won’t be surprised to learn that there are far fewer native trees and varieties in Manitoba than there are in Toronto or Vancouver. In southern Manitoba, a diversity of native deciduous trees


can be found only in rich, moist soils adjacent to creeks and riverbanks. The trees there constitute the river-bottom land’s deciduous hardwood forest. There are seven species of native trees in this forest: the largest of these at maturity is the plains cottonwood, followed in decreasing size by American elm, basswood, green ash, peachleaf willow, balsam poplar and Manitoba maple. Most of the large ornamental shade trees sold in commercial garden centres and nurseries come from this native group. Away from the riverbanks, there is an upland deciduous


woodland of native trees, sometimes referred to as the aspen- oak prairie bluff. Trembling aspen dominates these stands, which also


Peachleaf Willow (Salix amygdaloides). 56 • Fall 2016


contain bur oak. Ecologically the aspen are shorter lived and are naturally replaced by bur oak through a process called plant succession. In other southern Manitoba locations, there are further native deciduous tree species such as white birch,


localgardener.net


Photo courtesy of USDA.


Photo by Matt Lavin.


Photo by Steven Katovich, USDA Forest Service.


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