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ReForest London Newsletter
Selecting the Right Tree in London
Are you ready to plant a tree at your home, business or school? Be an informed consumer! Use this guide to help you choose the right tree for your London area location. Buy and plant trees from the Green and Yellow lists only to promote conservation of native species in southwestern Ontario.
Why choose native species? Native species:
- are easier to maintain
- are adapted to the region, so they handle climate extremes and other stressors better
- provide suitable wildlife habitat
- don't disrupt local ecosystems
| BEST CHOICES | |
| These trees are native to southwestern Ontario and grow naturally in the London area. They are adapted to the local climate, and are hardier and easier to maintain than non-native species. Some have quite specific soil and moisture requirements and may not do well in all sites, so check their requirements before you buy them | |
| Scientific Name | Common Name |
| MAPLES | |
| Acer pensylvanicum | STRIPED MAPLE |
| Acer rubrum | RED MAPLE |
| Acer saccharinum | SILVER MAPLE |
| Acer saccharum | SUGAR MAPLE |
| Acer saccharum f. nigra | BLACK MAPLE |
| Acer spicatum | MOUNTAIN MAPLE |
| SERVICE BERRIES | |
| Amelanchier arborea | JUNEBERRY |
| Amelanchier laevis | SMOOTH SHADBUSH |
| BIRCHES | |
| Betula alleghaniensis | YELLOW BIRCH |
| Betula papyrifera | WHITE BIRCH |
| HICKORIES | |
| Carya cordiformis | BITTERNUT HICKORY |
| Carya glabra (C. ovalis)* | PIGNUT HICKORY |
| Carya laciniosa* | SHELLBARK HICKORY |
| Carya ovata | SHAGBARK HICKORY |
| DOGWOODS | |
| Cornus alternifolia | ALTERNATE-LEAVED DOGWOOD |
| Cornus florida | FLOWERING DOGWOOD |
| HAWTHORNS | |
| Crataegus calpodendron | HAWTHORN |
| Crataegus chrysocarpa | HAWTHORN |
| Crataegus compacta | HAWTHORN |
| Crataegus crus-galli | COCKSPUR THORN |
| Crataegus dodgei | HAWTHORN |
| Crataegus mollis | HAWTHORN |
| Crataegus pringlei | HAWTHORN |
| Crataegus pruinosa | HAWTHORN |
| Crataegus punctata | DOTTED HAWTHORN |
| Crataegus succulenta | HAWTHORN |
| ASHES | |
| Fraxinus americana | WHITE ASH |
| Fraxinus nigra | BLACK ASH |
| Fraxinus pennsylvanica | RED ASH |
| Fraxinus profunda* | PUMPKIN ASH |
| Fraxinus quadrangulata* | BLUE ASH |
| POPLARS AND ASPENS | |
| Populus balsamifera | BALSAM POPLAR |
| Populus deltoides | COTTONWOOD |
| Populus grandidentata | LARGETOOTH ASPEN |
| Populus tremuloides | TREMBLING ASPEN |
| PLUMS AND CHERRIES | |
| Prunus americana | AMERICAN WILD PLUM |
| Prunus nigra | CANADA PLUM |
| Prunus pensylvanica | PIN CHERRY |
| Prunus serotina | WILD BLACK CHERRY |
| OAKS | |
| Quercus alba | WHITE OAK |
| Quercus bicolor | SWAMP WHITE OAK |
| Quercus macrocarpa | BUR OAK |
| Quercus muehlenbergii | CHINQUAPIN OAK |
| Quercus rubra | RED OAK |
| Quercus shumardii* | SHUMARD OAK |
| Quercus velutina | BLACK OAK |
| SUMACS | |
| Rhus glabra | SMOOTH SUMAC |
| Rhus typhina | STAGHORN SUMAC |
| ELMS | |
| Ulmus americana | AMERICAN ELM |
| Ulmus rubra | SLIPPERY ELM |
| CONIFERS | |
| Juniperus virginiana | RED-CEDAR |
| Larix laricina | TAMARACK |
| Pinus strobus | WHITE PINE |
| Thuja occidentalis | EASTERN WHITE CEDAR |
| Tsuga canadensis | HEMLOCK |
| OTHERS | |
| Asimina triloba* | PAWPAW |
| Carpinus caroliniana | BLUE-BEECH |
| Castanea dentata* | AMERICAN CHESTNUT |
| Celtis occidentalis | HACKBERRY |
| Fagus grandifolia | AMERICAN BEECH |
| Gymnocladus dioicus* | KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE |
| Juglans cinerea* | BUTTERNUT |
| Juglans nigra | BLACK WALNUT |
| Liriodendron tulipifera | TULIP TREE |
| Magnolia acuminata* | CUCUMBER MAGNOLIA |
| Malus coronaria | WILD CRAB |
| Morus rubra* | RED MULBERRY |
| Nyssa sylvatica* | BLACK GUM |
| Ostrya virginiana | HOP HORNBEAM |
| Platanus occidentalis | SYCAMORE |
| Salix amygdaloides | PEACH-LEAVED WILLOW |
| Sassafras albidum | SASSAFRAS |
| Tilia americana | BASSWOOD |
| USE WITH CAUTION | |
| These species do not grow naturally in the London area. Some of them are native to Ontario. Those in grey are non-native species that are not likely to become problem weeds. These trees may be used in landscaping projects, but should not be used for naturalization projects. | |
| BUCKEYES AND HORSE CHESTNUT | |
| Aesculus glabra* | OHIO BUCKEYE |
| Aesculus hippocastanum | HORSE-CHESTNUT |
| CATALPAS | |
| Catalpa bignonioides | SOUTHERN CATALPA |
| Catalpa speciosa | NORTHERN CATALPA |
| PLUMS AND CHERRIES | |
| Prunus cerasifera | CHERRY PLUM |
| Prunus cerasus | SOUR or PIE CHERRY |
| Prunus domestica | COMMON PLUM |
| Prunus persica | PEACH |
| Prunus spinosa | SLOE, BLACKTHORN |
| Prunus tomentosa | NANKING CHERRY |
| APPLES AND PEARS | |
| Malus pumila | APPLE |
| Pyrus communis | PEAR |
| WILLOWS | |
| Salix nigra | BLACK WILLOW |
| Salix pentandra | BAY-LEAVED WILLOW |
| MOUNTAIN ASH | |
| Sorbus americana | AMERICAN MOUNTAIN-ASH |
| Sorbus decora | MOUNTAIN-ASH |
| CONIFERS | |
| Abies balsamea | BALSAM FIR |
| Larix decidua | EUROPEAN LARCH |
| Picea abies | NORWAY SPRUCE |
| Picea glauca | WHITE SPRUCE |
| Picea mariana | BLACK SPRUCE |
| Pinus banksiana | JACK PINE |
| Pinus nigra | AUSTRIAN PINE |
| Pinus resinosa | RED PINE |
| Pinus virginiana | SCRUB PINE |
| OTHERS | |
| Acer pensylvanicum | STRIPED MAPLE |
| Betula lenta | CHERRY BIRCH |
| Cercis canadensis* | REDBUD |
| Crataegus phaenopyrum | WASHINGTON HAWTHORN |
| Gleditsia triacanthos* | HONEY LOCUST |
| Juglans regia | ENGLISH WALNUT |
| Maclura pomifera | OSAGE ORANGE |
| Platanus hybrida | PLANE TREE |
| Populus nigra | LOMBARDY POPLAR |
| Quercus palustris* | PIN OAK |
| Robinia viscosa | CLAMMY LOCUST |
| AVOID | |
| These are non-native species that have become problem weeds in southwestern Ontario. They grow fast and reproduce prolifically. When they escape into the wild they compete with native species and disrupt local ecosystems. They trees should not be planted under any circumstances and should be removed where possible to prevent further invasion. | |
| MAPLES | |
| Acer ginnala | AMUR MAPLE |
| Acer platanoides | NORWAY MAPLE |
| Acer pseudoplatanus | SYCAMORE MAPLE |
| PLUMS AND CHERRIES | |
| Prunus mahaleb | PERFUMED CHERRY |
| Prunus avium | SWEET CHERRY |
| WILLOWS | |
| Salix alba | WHITE WILLOW |
| Salix fragilis | CRACK WILLOW |
| Salix X rubens | HYBRID WILLOW |
| CONIFERS | |
| Pinus sylverstris | SCOTS PINE |
| OTHERS | |
| Ailanthus altissima | TREE-OF-HEAVEN |
| Alnus glutinosa | BLACK ALDER |
| Betula pendula | EUROPEAN WHITE BIRCH |
| Crataegus monogyna | ENGLISH HAWTHORN |
| Elaeagnus angustifolia | RUSSIAN-OLIVE |
| Morus alba | WHITE MULBERRY |
| Populus alba | EUROPEAN WHITE POPLAR |
| Pyrus calleryana | BRADFORD PEAR |
| Rhamnus cathartica | COMMON BUCKTHORN |
| Robinia pseudoacacia | BLACK LOCUST |
| Sorbus aucuparia | EUROPEAN MOUNTAIN-ASH; ROWAN |
| Ulmus pumila | SIBERIAN ELM |
| * listed as rare in Ontario | non-native species in gray |
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