White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)

White cedar trees reach up to 15 metres in height. As it ages, its characteristics change quite a bit, particularly the bark. Saplings and young trees have thin, shiny bark, while older trees have more rigid bark that separates into … Read More

White Pine (Pinus strobus)

“…no other tree species inspires as much reverence and passion as the Eastern White Pine”. Towering white pines, also called Eastern white pines, can grow up to 80 metres in height and live as long as 500 years. It’s the … Read More

White Spruce (Picea glauca)

Native Americans included spruce trees in their folklore. Tribes in the US southwest used the tree to symbolize the sky. Salavi, an ancient medicine man, chose to become a tree, or so the story goes. He became the first spruce … Read More

Canadian Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)

There is a widespread belief that all hemlock trees are poisonous. We can confidently debunk that rumour. Although the philosopher Socrates drank a cup of hemlock to take his own life, Canadian hemlocks are not toxic in any way. In … Read More

Balsam Fir Trees (Abies balsamea)

Balsam fir (Abies balsamea) cones stand straight up, sitting on top of the branch. This positioning is a signature of the fir family and makes this species something of a rogue. You see, other conifer cones hang downward. The purple-green … Read More

Your Evergreen Guide to Evergreens

Evergreens include fir, hemlock, spruce, cedar, pine, yew, and juniper trees, among many other subspecies. Here are just a few reasons your customers want evergreens in their yards, especially during the colder months of the year in Ontario. Birds, squirrels, … Read More

Kentucky Coffee Tree (Gymnocladus dioica) Q&A

The Kentucky coffee tree is native to areas of North America and enjoys protected status in Ontario. Currently, the species enjoys wide popularity, and, hopefully, widespread production will help remove it from the endangered species list. Jeopardized by deforestation, the … Read More