Acer platanoides

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Scientific name: Acer platanoides

Common name: Norway maple

Family name: Sapindaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 4

Mature height and spread: 22-30m tall, 10-15m wide

Form: Oval, upright

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained

Leaf arrangement: simple. Opposite

Fall colour: Yellow. Not really great.

Flower/cone/fruit description: Corymb flower; insignificant. Samara.

Limitations: Variable. Very thirst, nothing grows under base of tree.

Suitable uses: Good street tree; can deal with salt. Fast growing.

Quick ID: Dec. Tree. Palmate (5) lobes with deep incisions. Opposite. Simple. Samaras look like moustaches. Pointy tips. Milky sap when stem broken. Veins like palm holding up leaves.

https://plantdatabase.kwantlen.ca/plant/plantImages/7?image=h

Symphoricarpos albus (N)

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Scientific name: Symphoricarpos albus (N)

Common name: snowberry

Family name: Caprifoliaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 4

Mature height and spread: 1-2m wide and tall

Form: Dense, oval, rounded

Water use: Moderate

Soil requirements: Well-drained, heavy clay soils

Leaf arrangement: Simple. Opposite.

Fall colour: not significant

Flower/cone/fruit description: Raceme flowers; showy. White berry.

Limitations: Not very ornamental or decorative.

Suitable uses: Shrub border. Low maintenance. Adaptable. Restoration work.

Quick ID description: Dec. Shrub. Simple. Opposite. Pinnately lobed, elliptic. White berry (in small clusters, lasts all year). Very small leaves.

https://plantdatabase.kwantlen.ca/plant/plantImages/169?image=h

Spiraea douglasii (N)

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Scientific name: Spiraea douglasii (N)

Common name: hardhack

Family name: Rosaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 3

Mature height and spread: 2-3m tall and wide.

Form: Dese thicket

Water use: high

Soil requirements: wetlands/bogs/swamps

Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Simple.

Fall colour: insignificant

Flower/cone/fruit description: Panicle flowers (pink).

Limitations: Rhizomes. Vigorous.

Suitable uses: Resotration, forest plantings. Low maintenance.

Quick ID description: Dec. Shrub. Teeth at tip. Alternate. Simple.

Sambucus racemosa subsp. pubens var. arborescens (N)

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Scientific name: Sambucus racemosa subsp. pubens var. arborescens (N)

Common name: pacific red elderberry

Family name: Adoxaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 5

Mature height and spread: 3-5m tall, 2-3m wide

Form: Vase, spreading

Water use: Moderate

Soil requirements: acidic, bog

Leaf arrangement: Compound. Opposite.

Fall colour: Red.

Flower/cone/fruit description: Pannicle (white/yellow). Red drupe.

Limitations: needs wet soil. Hard to find in nurseries.

Suitable uses: Edible fruit. Shrub border.

Quick ID description: Dec. Shrub. Pinnately compound. Opposite. Red drupe. Lanceolate. Serrate leaflets, stems and leaves slightly fuzzy (other sambucus not fuzzy). Leaves increase greatly in size with age.

Sambucus nigra subsp.cerulea (N)

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Scientific name: Sambucus nigra subsp.cerulea (N)

Common name: blue elderberry

Family name: Adoxaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 4

Mature height and spread: 2-3m tall and wide

Form: Oval, spreading

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: humus, well-drained

Leaf arrangement: Compound. Opposite.

Fall colour: insignificant

Flower/cone/fruit description: Perfect showy white flower clusters. Blue berry cluster

Limitations: Flowers smell back; place at back of border

Suitable uses: Fruit edible; other parts cause irritation. Adaptable. Attractive to pollinators. Showy.

Quick ID description: Dec. Shrub. Pinnately compound (5 leaflets). Opposite. Lanceolate. Serrate. Lenticels. Blue berry clusters. Thick brown smooth stem (very hard)

Rubus spectabilis (N)

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Scientific name: Rubus spectabilis (N)

Common name: salmonberry

Family name: Rosaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 5

Mature height and spread: 1.3-2m wide and tall

Form: Dense, upright

Water use: low

Soil requirements: Acidic, well-drained

Leaf arrangement: Compound. Alternate.

Fall colour: yellow

Flower/cone/fruit description: Perfect pink flowers (singular). Orange/red drupe. Edible.

Limitations: Aggressive and spreads. Can easily become a thicket

Suitable uses: Edible fruit. Restoration.

Quick ID description: Dec. Shrub. Palmately Compound (3 separate parts to them). Alternate. Orange/red drupe. Back two leaflets have lobe, front leaflet doesn’t (back two look like a butterfly when pinched together).

Rubus parviflorus (N)

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Scientific name: Rubus parviflorus (N)

Common name: thimbleberry

Family name: Rosaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 3

Mature height and spread: 3-5m wide and tall

Form: Oval. Arching.

Water use: Low

Soil requirements: well-drained. Dry, rocky.

Leaf arrangement: Simple. Alternate.

Fall colour: green/yellow; not great

Flower/cone/fruit description: Red drupe (raspberry like). Perfect white flowers (singular); showy.

Limitations: Rhizomes; spreading. Informal habit (large and floppy).

Suitable uses: Mass plantings, border. Edible fruit. Very adaptable.

Quick ID description: Dec. Shrub. Simple. Alternate. Large leaves, serrate, palmately lobed (5). Red fruit (looks like raspberry). Leafy stipules. Fuzzy leaves. No thorns.

Rhododendron groenlandicum (N)

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Scientific name: Rhododendron groenlandicum (N)

Common name: Labrador tea

Family name: Ericaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 3

Mature height and spread: 0.7-1.5m wide or tall

Form: Dense, round

Water use: Moderate

Soil requirements: wetland/bog, acidic

Leaf arrangement: Simple. Alternate.

Fall colour: None

Flower/cone/fruit description: Cluster of white showy flowers. Brown campsule.

Limitations: needs boggy, wet soil

Suitable uses: Shrub border. Reclamation. For wetland areas

Quick ID description: Evergreen. Shrub. Simple. Alternate. Leather leaf texture. Elliptic. Rusty hairs on leaf underside and edges rolled under. Brown capsule fruit. Baby rhododendron leaves.

Populus trichocarpa (N)

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Scientific name: Populus trichocarpa (N)

Common name: black cottonwood

Family name: Salicaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 2

Mature height and spread: over 30m tall, 10-15m wider

Form: Oval, upright

Water use: Moderate-low

Soil requirements: Well-drained, moist

Leaf arrangement: Simple. Alternate.

Fall colour: yellow

Flower/cone/fruit description: Catkin. Brown capsule. Dioecious

Limitations: Cotton like pollen; allergen and clogs sides of streets. Not street tree.

Suitable uses: Reclamation, wind break. Stays very thin, grows quickly and well in wet spots

Quick ID description: Dec. tree. Simple. Alternate. Leathery texture. Lanceolate. Serrate. Brown capsule. Early leaves triangular, late leaves more oval. Buds smell like honey. Red, flattened petioles.