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Native Trees of Prince Edward IslandNative Trees of Prince Edward Island
Introduction
Prince Edward Island's forests belong to the Acadian Forest Region classification. It is also sometimes refered to as the Atlantic Maritime region. At present however, very little of this original forest remains. In 1806, John Stewart wrote an excellent description of Forest Trees and Other Vegetable Productions on Prince Edward Island at that time. At one point or another in PEI's past, most of the original Acadian forests were harvested or lost through fire. In it's place, many abandoned agricultural lands have grown up with what's termed "old field" white spruce. At the Macphail Woods, we are trying to return this abandoned farmland into restored acadian forests through sound ecological forestry practices. The following is an almost complete list of the native trees that may be seen on PEI, as well as along the Macphail trails.
CONIFEROUS TREES:
Conifers are also known as evergreeens, needle-leafed trees, or softwoods. Mature coniferous trees generally have a straight central trunk with short branches which spread to form a conical or columnar crown. The leaves are either very narrow compared to their length (needle-like), or small and scale like, with straight veins unconnected by cross veins. All conifers with the exception of larch, keep their green colour over winter and leaves are retained for two or more years.
Black Spruce (Picea mariana).
- White Spruce (Picea glauca)
- Black Spruce(Picea mariana)
- Red Spruce (Picea rubens)
- Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)
- Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)
- Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana)
- Eastern Larch (Larix laricina)
- Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
- Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
- Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)
DECIDUOUS TREES:
Deciduous trees are also known as broad-leafed trees or as hardwoods. The form of deciduous trees varies, but the commonest has a broad rounded crown with branches often as long or longer than the short tapered trunk. The leaves are broad compared to their length, and are retained on the tree for only one season before being shed each fall.
- Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
- Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
- Striped Maple (Acer pensylvanicum)
- Mountain Maple (Acer spicatum)
- Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
- Yellow Birch (Betula lutea)
- White Birch (Betula papyrifera)
- Grey Birch (Betula populifolia)
- Pin Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica)
- Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana)
- American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
- White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
- Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra)
- Large-toothed Aspen (Populus grandidentata)
- Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
- Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera)
- American Elm (Ulmus americana)
- Butternut (Juglans cinerea)
- Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana)
- Apple (Malus)
Ironwood tree (Ostrya virginiana).
From the Nursery:
- Native Trees and Shrub Nursery Section
- Macphail Woods Native Tree and Shrub Nursery Pricelist
- How to Create Your Own Community Nurseries
- Tips on Transplanting
- Planting a White Spruce Hedge
- How to Plant Trees and Shrubs
- Planning a Productive Acre
- Areas to be Planted and Appropriate Species
- Native Trees and Shrubs propagation methods
More Dendrology -Links to other sites:
Native Trees of Prince Edward Island and the More Common Woodland Shrubs - PDF from PEI Gov't Website A Handbook of Maritime Trees New Brunswick Trees and Shrubs: Species of Concern Dendrology at Virginia Tech Iowa State University Trees and Shrubs of Ontario Introduction to Tree Identification Basics of Tree ID Key to Leaves of Virginia Trees An Interactive Key of Common Iowa Trees Dendrology Species Quizzes Natural Resource Skills
In 1806, John Stewart wrote an excellent description of Forest Trees and Other Vegetable Productions on PEI at that time.
Read more here.
We offer a number of workshops and guided tours at the Macphail Woods and it is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the native trees of Prince Edward Island. Check out the Events Calendar for more information. Web development and maintenance by Chris Martin.
