Native-to-Ontario Trees and Shrubs
Here at The Country Basket Garden Centre we carry many Native-to-Ontario Trees & Shrubs. Below you will find a list of many varieties but please note;
*we may not carry all the trees and shrubs listed, all the time*.
For best availability we recommend you stop in late April or early May. Also, you can always contact us to place an order and we'll do our best to source your desired product.
Native-to-Ontario Trees and Shrubs
Basswood (Tilia americana) - American Linden; fast growing tree has fragrant tiny blooms, tolerates moist soil
Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uvi-ursi) - also called Kinnikinnick; glossy evergreen groundcover bears red berries
Birch - we carry a selection of these fast-growing trees, including some native varieties;
- Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera) - peeling white bark on graceful tree, gives dappled shade. Gold fall colour
- River Birch (Betula nigra) - white bark; North American native resistant to bronze birch borer pest
Bog Rosemary (Andromeda polifolia) - silvery blue foliage, clusters of pink spring flowers; Blue Ice cultivar
Butternut (Juglans cinerea) - also called White Walnut. Spreading shade tree bears edible nuts when mature
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) - tall shrub has fragrant round flowers; tolerates shade, wet soil
Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) - feathery evergreen foliage, prefers moist soil and tolerates some shade
Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) - upright evergreen with dense fan-like foliage; needs full sun
Cucumber Magnolia (Magnolia acuminata) - bears fragrant white spring flowers as large glossy leaves emerge
Dogwood (Cornus) - we carry native and nativar dogwood shrubs and flowering trees;
- Eastern Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) - bears spring flowers before leaves; we have pink cultivars
- Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) - alternate leaf dogwood with flat heads of tiny white flowers
- Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) - shrub with upright twigs that stay red in winter, tolerates wet soil
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) - pink flowers along branches before large heart-shaped leaves emerge
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) - shrub with clusters of white flowers; dark purple berries edible after cooking
Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum) - edible red berries attract birds, foliage turns red in fall
Maple - we carry a variety of native maples and cultivars of native species;
- Red Maple (Acer rubrum) - three-lobed green leaves turn red in fall; brandywine is a seedless cultivar
- Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) - sap is used for maple syrup, green leaves turn red/orange in fall
Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) - hosts blue butterflies; white flower clusters become blue-black berries
New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) - small 1m shrub, fragrant white flowers, hosts spring azure butterfies
Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) - tall shrub bears early yellow flowers, tolerates shade and wet soil
Oak Trees - round-crowned trees are wonderful for shade or privacy. Native selections available;
- Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) - fast growth with shiny deep-lobed leaves that turn red in fall
- Red Oak (Quercus rubra) - stately shade tree has acorns when mature and leaves turn red in fall
- Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolour) - thrives in moist soil, large leaves turn golden in fall
PawPaw Tree (Asimina triloba) - small woodland tree has large leaves, bears edible soft fruit in late fall
Pussywillow (Salix discolor) - tall shrub's fluffy white flowers in early spring turn to catkins; tolerates wet soil
Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) - early spring white flowers, edible purple berries, red/orange fall foliage
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) - tree with glossy mitten shaped leaves on aromatic wood; tolerates poor soil
Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) - narrow tree with tough flaky bark bears edible nuts; tolerates some shade
Spreading Juniper (Juniperus horizonatalis) - we carry a variety of cultivars such as Wiltonii; needs full sun
Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina) - small shrub with aromatic fern-like foliage, hosts gray hairstreak butterfly
Sweet Shrub (Calycanthus floridus) - Carolina Allspice; shrub bears large mahogany-red flowers, tolerates shade
Sweetspire (Itea virginica) - long tassels of white flowers, leaves turn red in fall; shrub tolerates shade and wet soil
Tamarack (Larix laricina) - Eastern Larch; tree sheds its short feathery needles after they turn golden in fall
Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans) - trumpet-shaped red-orange flowers bloom in summer, attract hummingbirds
Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) - tall shade tree, tulip-shaped leaves, yellow spring blooms; tolerates wet soil
Tupelo Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica) - tall narrow tree tolerates waterlogged soil, attracts birds; reddish fall foliage
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) - sprawling vine turns bright red in fall; blue berries attract birds
Virgin's Bower (Clematis virginiana) - small, fragrant, fluffy white flowers cover this drought-tolerant vine
White Pine (Pinus strobus) - evergreen with long soft needles; mature trees develop sculptural shape; full sun
White Spruce (Picea glauca) - hardy evergreen tree with attractive pyramidal shape, needs full sun
Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana) - fragrant yellow thread-like flowers appear in late fall; shrub tolerates shade
