SHP 304 Deciduous Trees

1. LHAP 303 SHP

• Deciduous Trees

Ohio Buckeye, Maples (small and large), Oaks, Elms, Willows, Tree Lilac, Butternut, Linden

2. SAPINDACEAE

• The Soapberry Family

3. Family Characteristics

Woodies - mostly tropical Leaves usually alternate

Often pinnately compound leaves Flowers small Fruit Variable

Recent additions: ACERACEAE & HIPPOCASTANACEAE

4. Aesculus glabra - Ohio Buckeye

Origin: Native in Eastern US Hardiness Zone: 3 Exposure: Full Sun

Soil Conditions: widely adapted, slow in wet and heavy clay.

Significant Features...

5. Aesculus glabra - Ohio Buckeye

FOLIAGE/FORM

Height and Spread - 9m x 7m - moderate to slow rate of growth

• Shape - Rounded, low headed

Foliage - Palmately compound, entire to slightly serrated margins. Chestnut-like with prominent veins

• Fall colour - Red JANDREASON BMURRAY

6. Aesculus glabra - Ohio Buckeye

BUD/BARK

Young Bark - dull red/brown, aromatic when bruised

Mature Bark - Grey and Markedly split Buds - layers of opposing scales

7. Winter feature - still maintains a fairly dense canopy

Winter feature - still maintains a fairly dense canopy. Relatively coarse textured with fairly attractive architecture.

8. Aesculus glabra - Ohio Buckeye

Flower & Fruit

Flower: Panicle, yellow-white, orchid like blooms in early summer with leaves

Fruit: “Bald skulls” - knobby, nearly round and smooth with spines - poisonous if ingested.

9. Two Ohio Buckeyes in bloom

Two Ohio Buckeyes in bloom. Note how wide they are compared to height, you can see the compound leaves and large inflorescence. Flower time corresponds with Syringa (in white) and Lonicera (pink).

10. Aesculus glabra - Ohio Buckeye

Landscape Use

Smaller Sites (slow growth) Late Spring/Fall interest

• Dense Canopy
• Pollinators

Maintenance

Premature leaf drop (especially if dry or not draining)

• Messy fruit (poison?)

11. Another SAPINDACEAE genus

12. Acer ginnala - Amur Maple

Origin: Central/North China Hardiness Zone: 2 (may spontaneously fail)

Exposure: Part Shade to Full Sun Soil Conditions: Moist, well drained. Mildly acidic.

Significant Features...

13. Acer ginnala - Amur Maple

14. Acer ginnala - Amur Maple

FOLIAGE/FORM

Height and Spread - Small Tree Shape - Can be multi-stem. Irregular

Foliage - simple, 3 lobed, coarsely serrate. Middle lobe distinctly longer than side lobes.

Fall Colour - Brilliant Red / orange

15. Acer ginnala - Amur Maple

BUD/BARK

Buds - opposite, small and pointed.

Texture - Fine Texture / twiggy (often has hair-like, very slender side shoots)

Colour - smooth, light grey older bark, new wood has reddish hue.

16. TMuirhead

17. Acer ginnala - Amur Maple

Flower & Fruit

Flower: Panicle, yellow-white. In late spring, with leaves.

Fruit: Two winged samara (red when immature, turns brown)

18. A mature sample, note the persistent seeds (sounds like water when the...

A mature sample, note the persistent seeds (sounds like water when the wind rustles them) and the epicormics at the base (wants to be a shrub) as well as the wide spread. New wood is red-tinged and buds are tight and small. Shaggy growth habit, opposite attachment.

19. Acer ginnala - Amur Maple

Landscape Use

• Small Sites

Full season interest if pruned Oriental landscapes

Maintenance

Seeds will grow in wood mulch Check for dieback in spring

• Trim any errant growth
• Prune in summer (fluid loss)

20. Acer tataricum - Tatarian Maple

Origin: West Asia / SE Europe Hardiness Zone: 2 (hardier than A. ginnala)

Exposure: Part Shade to Full Sun

Soil Conditions: Moist, well drained. Mildly acidic. (Forest tree)

Significant Features...

21. Acer tataricum - Tatarian Maple

FOLIAGE/FORM

Height and Spread - Small tree: taller than A. ginnala

• Shape - Irregular / shaggy

Foliage - simple, barely 3 lobed, coarsely serrate. Middle lobe slightly longer, but leaves are wider than A. ginnala

Fall Colour - Not as striking as A. ginnala

22. Acer tataricum -

• Tatarian Maple

BUD/BARK

Buds - opposite, small.

Texture - Fine Texture / twiggy Colour - smooth, light grey older bark.

23. Acer tataricum - Tatarian Maple

Flower & Fruit

Flower: Panicle, yellow-white. In spring, with leaves.

Fruit: Two winged samara - immature are red in June and stay red through the summer. (Cultivar Hot Wings)

24. Acer tataricum - Tatarian Maple

Landscape Use

• Small Sites

Summer interest (winter interest seeds?) Oriental landscapes (seeds/pruning)

Maintenance

Seeds will grow in wood mulch Trim any errant growth

• Prune in summer (fluid loss)

25. Acer glabrum - Rocky Mountain Maple

Native to Canada. Small shrub/tree. Orange Fall colour.

• Acer rubrum - Red Maple

Z2 Maple. Red spring blooms, bright green leaves. Red Fall colour. Prefers acidic soil

26. Acer saccharum - Sugar Maple

• Acer Saccharinum - Silver Maple

27. FAGACEAE

• The Beech Family
• ASCHILL

28. Family Characteristics

• Woody species
• Simple leaves (often lobed) Alternate attachment
• Typically Monoecious
• Flowers apetalous
• Fruit is a nut
• Contain tannic acid

29. Quercus Macrocarpa - Bur Oak

Origin: Native to Eastern Saskatchewan and Manitoba

Hardiness Zone: Zone 2 Exposure: Part to Full Sun

Soil Conditions: Tolerates many soils and pollutants, VERY Long lived tree (hundreds of years)

Significant Features...

30. Quercus Macrocarpa - Bur Oak

31. Quercus Macrocarpa - Bur Oak

FOLIAGE/FORM

Height and Spread - 15m x 9m (large, but takes a long time to get there)

• Shape - slower growing, high headed

Foliage - lobed Oak leaf. Terminal lobe much larger, deeper below middle. Fine hairs on underside.

Fall colour - yellow - brown.

32. Quercus Macrocarpa - Bur Oak

FRUIT

Fruit - small acorn, nearly sessile. Cap encompasses more than ½ the nut. Fringed upper scales.

BUD/BARK

Young Bark - young shoots densely pubescent.

Mature Bark - rough, becomes deeply furrowed into scaly ridges.

Buds - blunt tips, hairy, cluster of terminals at the top

33. Note the cluster of terminal buds.

34. Quercus Macrocarpa - Bur Oak

Landscape Use

Winter interest (bark) Pollution tolerant Chinook tolerant

• Specimen
• Maintenance

Difficult to transplant when older Oak Galls (click here) - leaves & wood

35. Quercus ellipsoidalis - Northern Pin Oak

Quercus rubra borealis maxima - Northern Red Oak

36. OLEACEAE

• The Olive Family

37. Family Characteristics

• Stems Woody

Leaves opposite (mostly) Flowers perfect 4 Sepals, 4 petals (united)

2 Stamens Fruit is capsule, seeds or drupe

38. Fraxinus species - The Ashes

Origin: Nigra & Pennsylvanica - Native to Canada. Mandshurica is introduced.

Note - due to Cottony Psyllid especially, Black and Manchurian Ashes are not nearly as common as the new Green Ash cultivars (F. pennsylvanica), White Ash (F. americana), and European Ash)

Hardiness Zone: 2/3 Exposure: Part Shade - Full Sun

Soil Conditions: Moist, organic soil Significant Features...

39. How do you know you’re looking at an Ash?

• Tropical looking, Pinnately Compound Foliage

Opposite attachment - terminal buds like a chocolate chip with two lower lateral buds

Mature bark with fine textured, vertical furrows

Sometimes messy structure, otherwise just looks like an oval tree…

Females have a single ‘canoe paddle’ samara

40. Fraxinus species - The Ashes

Flower & Fruit

Dioecious Flowers.

Flowers before leaves.

Single Samara.

Samaras Messy.

41. Manchurian

• Black

42. Fraxinus species - The Ashes

FORM

Height and Spread - Large trees (if they live long enough) 10-15m x 4-10m.

Shape - High Headed Oval FOLIAGE

Tropical, pinnately compound, leaflets acute tipped. Late to leaf out and first to drop.

Fall colour: Yellow (F. americana ‘Nobility’ is red)

Leaflet count varies by cultivar. Some cultivars are sessile leaflets. F.mandchurica has rusty coloured collection of hairs in leaflet axils.

43. F. mandshurica

• nigra
• ASchill

44. mandshurica on the bottom, nigra on top

mandshurica on the bottom, nigra on top.

45. Fraxinus species - The Ashes

BUD/BARK: pennsylvanica - Buds dark rusty brown & wooly. Leaf scar nearly straight across. Young stems pubescent. Greenish turning grey. Bark in tight, furrowed ridges. nigra - Terminal buds black & prominent. Side buds below terminal. Young stems terete. Bark is scaly, flaky, not furrowed. Light coloured new bark. mandshurica - Buds black. Young stems distinctly flattened.

46. F.mandshurica

47. F. Nigra

48. F. Pennsylvanica

49. F. americana and

• excelsior are also species that are available for Zones 2 and 3 climates…

So… Why pick an Ash?

50. Fraxinus species - The Ashes

Landscape Use

Tropical style plantings / Textural contrast Higher headed Street trees

Fall Colour (yellow/red) Hardy… if you can control/prevent the pests

51. F. americana ‘Nobility’ - red in Fall…

52. When they’re doing well, they are really nice trees - tight form,...

When they’re doing well, they are really nice trees - tight form, textural contrast, good backdrop plant.

What else do you recognize in this photo?

53. Fraxinus - The Ashes

Maintenance - bugs!

Cottony psyllid (Black and Manchurian) Ash Bark Beetle

• Ash flower gall mite
• (Attacks male flowers) Emerald Ash borer

54. ASchill

55. “Tropical” leaves (11 leaflets), red hairs in joints

Black buds, flattened stems Note the tipkill!

56. Syringa reticulata - Japanese Tree Lilac

57. Syringa reticulata - Japanese Tree Lilac

Origin: Manchuria, Northern China Hardiness Zone: 2

Exposure: Full sun Soil Conditions: Well drained loam

Significant Features...

58. Syringa reticulata - Japanese Tree Lilac

59. Syringa reticulata

• Japanese Tree Lilac

FOLIAGE/FORM/BARK

Height and Spread - 5m x 4m Note: rate of growth is fairly slow.

Shape - Pyramidal - Round Foliage - simple, ovate, narrow (lilac leaf!)

• Bark - smooth and grey

60. Winter structure - spring is often an ugly time of year in Alberta landscapes

Winter structure - spring is often an ugly time of year in Alberta landscapes.

This Tree lilac is rarely pruned. It provides structure and interesting architecture in otherwise bleak time of year.

61. Syringa reticulata:

• Japanese Tree Lilac

Flower & Fruit

Type - Terminal panicle Colour - Creamy White Season - Summer (late June/early July)

Fruit - capsule, same as lilac shrub

62. Winter Interest

63. Syringa reticulata - Japanese Tree Lilac

Landscape Use

• Small Sites

Low Maintenance (no mess) Specimen Winter feature (architecture and dry fruit)

• Japanese Garden (bonsai)

64. Syringa reticulata - Japanese Tree Lilac

• Maintenance

May be suckers (planted too deep) Shape for winter architecture (can have irregular form)

• No insect pests to note

65. JUGLANDACEAE

• SCHILL
• SCHILL
• SCHILL
• SCHILL

SCHILL http://tidcf.nrcan.gc.ca Walnut Family Aromatic trees

• Pinnate leaves
• Walnut-like fruits

66. Juglans cinerea

• Butternut

Origin - US and SE Canada Hardiness - Z2 Exposure - Full Sun

Soil - Moist, rich, deep soil (tolerates sandy, acidic and infertile)

67. Location:

• NW Calgary

Age

30-35 years?

Exposure / soil

Sheltered, part shade. Organic, deeper soil.

68. Juglans cinerea - Butternut

• Form - 12m x 12 m

Leaves - pinnately compound, 11-10 sessile leaflets, pubescent and green. Yellow Fall colour.

69. Juglans cinerea - Butternut

Buds - large and downy Stems - reddish to grey-green, pubescent to smooth

Bark - grey and furrowed - whitish colour.

Other - distinct leaf scar (what do you see?)

70. Juglans cinerea - Butternut

Flower - Monoecious male catkins, female terminal spike

Fruit - nuts in husk with sticky hairs.

Sweet and oily - used for black dye

Dried fruits have the same smell as the cut wood sweet and nutty… like a brand new guitar…

71. Juglans cinerea - Butternut

• Landscape Use

Specimen or small grouping Canopy eventually loose, open and wide spreading

• Yellow Fall Colour

Plant in protected area, prune late winter Tropical Effect / Textural Contrast

• Attracts butterflies
• Food Forest

Allelopathic?

72. Maintenance

Lower maintenance Tree when planted in preferred growing conditions. No pests noted.

• Juglans cinerea - Butternut

73. SCHILL 2011

• MALVACEAE Mallow family

Think Hollyhock and Hibiscus! (or round leaf mallow)

Funnel shape flower with column of stamens Mucilaginous (slimy) sap

Many are edible (except cotton) Formerly TILIACEAE

74. Tilia species

• Linden
• ASCHILL

75. Tilia species - Linden

Origin - Asia, Europe, Eastern North America Hardiness - Zone 2

Dropmore - Hybrid of T. americana and T. cordata, for the prairies

• americana, cordata, flavescens ‘ Dropmore, x mongolica are all Z2 or Z3

Exposure - Full Sun (mostly) Soil - Prefers drainage and consistent moisture

76. Tilia species - Linden

Foliage - Large and veiny leaves, simple, some cordate

Other - Green in summer, showy yellow fall colour.

Form - Tall, high headed, pyramidal (street tree)

Size - variable by species (8-15m high x 4-10 m wide)

Other - Dropmore especially has dominant 2 dimensional form that radiates at maturity (see next slide photo)

• ASCHILL

77. Tilia species - Linden

Buds - round and shiny, sitting on small shelf on stems

Bark - smooth, slightly furrowed, light brownish grey

78. Tilia species - Linden

Flower - Small, dainty yellow cymes in later summer

Note - some note them as fragrant Fruit - Round seeds, pubescent covered by long bract

• ASCHILL

79. Left Photo taken July 28, 2024.

Linden on Campus in full flower.

• Photo Right, taken late summer 2025

Tree was planted roughly 10 years prior as a basketed tree and has nearly doubled in size.

80. CHILL

• ASCHILL

81. Tilia species - Linden

• Landscape Use
• Narrow sites

Form - pyramid Non-messy, hardy tree Fall contrast

• Pollinator attractant

82. Tilia species - Linden

• Maintenance

Easy to cut (while pruning) only need to remove dead branches

Maintain form by removing co-dominants early Sunscald

83. SALICACEAE

• The Willow Family

84. Family Characteristics

Many in the Northern Hemisphere Willows, Poplars, Aspens

Simple, alternate leaves Apetalous imperfect catkins; dioecious

• Woody species

Many with medicinal properties (ASA in willow buds)

85. Salix Species - Willow TREES

• pentandra - Laurel Leaf Willow
• alba var vitellina - Golden Willow
• alba sibirica - Silver Leaf Willow

S x ‘Northern Fountain’ or ‘Prairie Cascade’ - Weeping

86. Salix Species - Willow TREES

Origin: Europe, North Africa, Asia, Cultivated… Hardiness Zone: 2 or 3

Exposure: Full sun to part shade Soil Conditions: Prefers high moisture

FOLIAGE: Single, entire margin FORM: Large Trees

FLOWER: Catkins & Fluffy (silky) seeds

OTHER: “Self Pruning”, look for twisting old bark, bright new bark, ONE bud scale (poplars have 2)

87. Salix pentandra - Laurel Leaf Willow

GENERAL

Classic shelterbelt tree, Z2 and grows fast Tolerates short term flooding

HUGE canopy - low headed & graceful 15-20 m x 15 - 20 m - very large tree

• FOLIAGE and FLOWER

Glossy green upper, pale beneath Midrib yellow, aromatic when bruised

• Catkin dioecious & Green

88. Salix pentandra - Laurel Leaf Willow

Bark

Twigs glossy, brown green Buds yellow Maintenance and Use

Shelterbelt/Windbreak Mass planting - Large sites - mulch beds.

Softwood easily damaged in wind - “self pruning”

• Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in buds

89. Beautiful as an Estate Style Tree, but a HUGE pain to mow...

Beautiful as an Estate Style Tree, but a HUGE pain to mow with the shedding branchlets…

90. Salix alba var Vitellina - Golden Willow

GENERAL

Round topped clump or single trunk 15m x 12m - fast growing

Needs full sun for best colour & moisture FOLIAGE and FLOWER

Lanceolate leaves, fine toothed, silky beneath Yellow fall colour

Catkins arrive with leaves.

91. Salix alba var Vitellina - Golden Willow

Bark

Smooth, shiny, tips red and changing to yellow Twigs bright yellow

• Maintenance and Use
• Grown for coppicing

Winter interest (nice with Red Osier Dogwood) Stunning Shelterbelt

• Bamboo like effect
• Erosion control

92. Golden Willow in dormancy (note the yellow accent)

Golden Willow in dormancy (note the yellow accent).

93. Salix alba sibirica - Silver Willow Tree

10 m x 8 m - fast growing Orange brown bark - classic willow beneath

A bigger and better Elaeagnus angustifolia Needs moist sites

94. Salix ‘Northern Fountain’, ‘Prairie Cascade’ - Weeping Willows

Northern Fountain 10 m x 6 m - Most consistent weeping features.

Golden yellow branches, long green foliage Prairie Cascade 10m x 8 m

Developed at Morden research station Gold stems, green foliage

Also S. alba ‘Niobe’ - Niobe Willow weeping 15-21m x 15-21m large and aggressive tree.

Plant all of these AWAY from buildings, on their own. Start them small and in moist soils with wood mulch around the bases.

95. ULMACEAE

• Elm Family

96. Family

• Characteristics
• Woody Species

Leaves simple, asymmetric, often serrated, strong venation - prominently alternate

• 15 genera Dutch elm disease

97. Ulmus americana - American Elm

Origin: North America - Saskatchewan to Newfoundland

Hardiness Zone: 2 Exposure: Full Sun Soil Conditions: Widely adapted, tolerates salt

98. Ulmus americana - American Elm

FOLIAGE

Texture - Simple, doubly serrate, Colour - Green - fall colour yellow

• Buds - distinctly alternate (herringbone pattern)
• Looks like a small American football

99. Ulmus americana - American Elm

FORM

Height and Spread - HUGE tree: 20m x 25m Shape - Vase Shaped, very graceful

• Old bark furrowed in diamond pattern

100. Ulmus americana - American Elm

Flower

• Type - Clusters of 3-4

Colour - Green Season of Bloom - Spring, before leaves

Other - fruit is messy beige samaras

101. Ulmus americana - American Elm

Landscape Use

• Winter Feature (architecture) Summer feature (form)
• Boulevard Tree
• Specimen

102. Ulmus americana - American Elm

Maintenance Considerations

Dutch Elm Disease - Prune only during dormancy Weak structure unless strong ridges are formed

Wooly elm aphid and European Elm Scale (sooty mold)

103. Ulmus pumila - Siberian Elm

In comparison with American Elm

Resistant to DED, but needs proper care to combat inherent bacteria carried within

7 m x 10 m (smaller, but still a big tree) Very 2 dimensional buds and leaves

Buds like European Football - fruit also rounded

• Messy, brittle tree

Referenced Links

• http://tidcf.nrcan.gc.ca