American Hornbeam—Carpinus caroliniana—This tree is an understorey tree that is native to Ontario and southwest Quebec. The bark is smooth, and on mature trees it’s fluted as if rippling with muscles. This trait leads to other names for the tree, such as Blue-beech and Musclewood. The American Hornbeam tree has an attractive round or flat-topped form. The tree can grow to 10 metres tall. This tree is located next to the Arboretum circle road, nearly across from a path leading down into the wooded area of the Arboretum.

Autumn Treasure Ironwood—Ostrya virginiana ‘Autumn Treasure’—Ironwood is a sturdy understorey tree found regularly in the forests around Ottawa. Having no serious pests or diseases, it deserves to be planted more in the city. Its hanging flowers are called catkins, and they develop into hop-like fruits that bear little nutlets sought by birds and other animals. Autumn Treasure is a narrow form of the species, with golden fall colour. The tree can grow to 15 metres tall. This tree is located along the lowland path, about 30 metres southeast of a very large old bur oak.

Bur Oak (2)—Quercus macrocarpa—Bur Oak is a stalwart component of the local forest as well as the urban landscape. It’s been planted in Ottawa’s parks and streets for many years despite its large girth and height. The species grows from New Brunswick to as far west as Alberta, the biggest range of our native oaks. Like other oaks, it is a source of shelter and food for many kinds of wildlife. The tree can grow to 25 metres tall. This tree is located about 20 metres west of the Fletcher Wildlife Garden parking lot entrance to the Arboretum.

Dawn Redwood (2)—Metasequoia glyptostroboides—This unique genus is closely related to Giant Sequoias and Redwoods found in California and, although fossils can be found throughout the northern hemisphere, living specimens were only discovered in China in the 1940’s. It was then introduced to gardens around the world. The tree has a pyramidal shape and attractive feathery foliage that turns reddish brown in the fall. Although the tree can reach 45 metres in a rainforest, in Ottawa it will grow to no more than 25 metres tall. This tree is located on the northeastern tip of Heart Island, reached by a small bridge on its south end.

Firefall Maple—Acer x freemanii ‘Firefall’—Freeman Maples are hybrids of Red and Silver Maple species, exhibiting some attributes of both species. Red and Silver Maples hybridize naturally, but Freeman Maples are controlled for desired traits. This Firefall cultivar has a strong open crown and is reported to be tolerant of difficult soils and climate conditions. The leaves turn a striking orange red in the fall. The tree grows to about 15 metres tall. This tree is located amongst other maple trees, 30 metres south of the entrance road and about 30 metres west of the Arboretum circle road.

Jade Prince Dawn Redwood—Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Jade Prince’—Jade Prince is a cultivar of the Dawn Redwood (see Dawn Redwood species description) with slightly more compact and evenly spaced branching and beautiful fall colours. Although the tree can grow to 45 metres height in rainforest conditions, it will grow to about 25 metres tall in Ottawa. This tree is located in the middle of the northern part of the Arboretum, about 20 metres east of a bench.

Paper Birch (1)—Betula papyrifera—Paper Birch (or White Birch) is the iconic tree of the north, ranging from sea to sea to sea in Canada. All Canadians know of its use by the indigenous people in canoes, baskets, bags, and other essential things. It’s a pioneer, one of the first trees to grow back on disturbed sites. The bark starts out a dark red colour, turning white after several years. The fall leaf colour is bright yellow. The tree can grow to 20 metres tall. This tree is located about 100 metres south of the bench in the Arboretum circle, about 25 metres west of Paper Birch (2).

Prairie Sentinel Hackberry—Celtis occidentalis ‘Prairie Sentinel’—Hackberry is a native North American tree that just barely made it into Canada at Ontario’s southern tip. Yet it can survive extreme conditions of cold and drought and is now being planted extensively in Canadian cities. Prairie Sentinel is a fast-growing cultivar that was cloned from a tree found in the United States prairies. It grows into a tall columnar form. The leaves turn yellow in the fall. The tree can grow to 20 metres tall. This tree is located right at the southwest corner between the lowland path and the south path.

River Birch (1)—Betula nigra—Although the normal range for River Birch is south of the Canadian border, its cold hardiness and heat tolerance suit Ottawa conditions well. It’s also resistant to pests including the bronze birch borer which plagues other birch species. River Birch is an attractive round tree with very interesting bark that peels to show a pink salmon colour on the branches. The tree can grow as high as 20 metres. This tree is located just inside the Arboretum Circle Road, about 15 metres along the road from where the entrance road turns right to follow the Arboretum circle road.

Upright Eurasian Poplar—Populus tremula ‘Erecta’—This tree is a cultivar of a very widespread poplar species. Eurasian Poplar is nearly identical to its North American counterpart, Trembling Aspen, and is just as cold-hardy. The Erecta form is distinctively narrow and tall. Since it’s a male clone, it doesn’t produce the cottony seeds that sail from poplars in the spring. The leaves turn bright yellow in the fall. The tree can grow to 10 metres tall. This tree is located 25 metres west of the lowland path, and 20 metres north of the path that splits off the south path and comes down the hill.

Yellowwood—Cladrastis kentukea—Yellowwood is native to the southeastern United States, although is rarely found there. Yet it is hardy much further north and deserves to be planted here more often. The tree is known mostly for its pretty white clusters of blossoms in spring and clear yellow leaves in the fall. The mature bark is smooth and gray, like a beech. The tree can grow to 15 metres tall. This tree is located on the outside edge of the Arboretum circle road, about 50 metres east of where the road turns into Building 72.