Native Trees!

Native trees

Garden Clippings for August 1, 2026

The last decade or two has seen a surge in realizing the value of native plants. In the rear half of my own sizable backyard, five years ago I planted 24 native trees and 3 years ago planted 21 more. The setting is a grassland meadow, home to milkweed, grasses and a mix of native and non-native wildflowers.

By many counts, my mini-forest is beginning to show success. The two River Birch (Betula nigra) have quadrupled in size. Two White Pine (Pinus strobus) are equally impressive. The pair of Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) are so robust that I chose to add two more. One of the 5 Oaks (Quercus palustris) is growing a mile a minute. Two Red Maples (Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’) have doubled in size.

Full disclosure note: Red Maple ‘October Glory’ is a selection of the original Red Maple, so technically not a pure native tree.

But there have been disappointments. The two Basswood (Tilia americana) died soon after planting, but their roots have grown suckers and have become big unwieldy bushes. One of the two Tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera) died for no reason, while the other refuses to grow straight. The Beech (Fagus), Juneberry (Amelenchier canadensis) and Coffee Tree (Gymnocladus dioicus) have not grown more than a few inches. The Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) and Redbud (Cercis canadensis) do not look happy. And 4 of the five Oaks are living but not thriving.

I suppose I should be pleased with my success. In the bush, in a natural setting, only a few of the thousands of seeds that drop finally grow to become trees. My backyard native soil is hopelessly sandy and the soil amendments I added, along with a thick layer of moisture retaining mulch has certainly contributed to strong tree growth.

I should also be pleased with the unpredictable growth habit of my native trees. I have grown up expecting nursery grown trees to grow straight, with an almost perfect shape. A walk in the woods will show that native trees have a mind of their own.

Many municipalities are leading the charge with native plants. Municipalities often have university educated staff who know the benefits of using native plants. They also understand the challenges of growing native trees in non-native environments.

In Sarnia-Lambton, in fall of 2025, a group of anxious citizens planted hundreds of native tree seedlings, choosing locations near established walking paths and along the Howard Watson Nature Trail north of Confederation St. To protect the seedlings, a small mulch disc was placed at the bottom of each seedling, and a plastic wrap was used to protect seedlings from bunny and lawn mower damage. My unofficial inspection indicates a survival rate of over 75%, a remarkable success rate by any standards.

Time will tell how many tree seedlings will survive to become healthy tall trees. No doubt, in the coming years many will succumb to pests, weeds, rodents, or physical damage of mowers, bicycles, and snowmobiles. If we see a success rate of 25%, we should be more than satisfied.