black ash, Delta hackberry and the very rare ironwood and large-tooth aspen. Although there are several indigenous evergreen, conifer-


ous trees in Manitoba, they don't occur naturally on the clay or silty-clay soils that prevail in the south. With the exception of white spruce and arborvitae (eastern white cedar), these evergreens are difficult to grow well in clay-dominated soils. Faced with such a few native tree species, tree growers in


southern Manitoba have introduced many species from other areas of North America, Europe and Asia. Ash and basswood (linden) species dominate the large


Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides). White spruce (Picea glauca).


shade tree commercial market. Male clones taken from native green ash have been widely used, some would say over-used across the prairies. The most popular clone is Patmore ash. The male clone, Fall Gold ash, from native black ash, has become a favourite in many city and residential landscapes. These trees are considered Manitoba natives even though the particular specimen may have been grown somewhere else. This is true of all native trees. As with all clones there is limited genetic variation in the


trees, thus inviting wide-spread problems from potential insect infestations and disease infections. The male or pollen- bearing flowers of both ash clones are readily infested with the ash-flower gall mite which turns the green flowers to a blackish-brown mass of unsightly growth. The linden family, which includes the native basswood or


Delta Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis). Eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis).


American linden, has become a good source of hardy trees for the prairie climate, although strictly speaking these can’t be called native plants. Dropmore linden, a popular hybrid between basswood and the European little-leaf linden, produces a fine pyramid-shaped tree. On its own the little-leaf linden has had mixed success on the prairies. Unfortunately, many lindens sold commercially have come from warmer regions, and their thin bark is not hardy for the Manitoba climate. Frost often splits their south-facing bark. Today, however, Manitobans are reporting early success with a new variety of Mongolian linden that is hardy to the province.


Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa). 58 • Fall 2016


Little leaf linden (Tilia cordata). localgardener.net


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