Perennial Plants
Virtually all plants are from locally propagated varieties so you are assured you are getting plants that stand the test of time. All species are growing in our South Georgian Bay microclimate (Canada Zone 6a/5b and USDA Zone 5). Cultivars if not named, are unknown but productive varieties.
Most of our plants are bare-root and dug on-demand (April-May or October-November). Transplanting during active growth is sometimes possible and at your own risk due to transplant shock so extra care is advised.
Why bare root? Bare-root plants are grown in native soil containing microbes naturally in symbiosis with the particular plant, with a larger natural root system not coiled up in a container-bound root, and suffers from minimal transplant shock provided it is kept moist, handled carefully, and transplanted soon. They are also transport easier and are easier to grow so the savings get passed on to you. This ensures you get the healthiest transplants for a good price ($2-$25). A rough guideline for price is $12 for 1' tall trees, and $12 for a 1-gallon pot herb or shrub.
CORONACANCELLED FOR 2020: Once again, look for us at the Grey Sauble Conservation annual tree sale on the last Saturday morning of April 2020.
Some of your trees may benefit from Custom Grafting.
Please Contact Us for delivery opportunities within the Georgian Bay-Toronto corridor and payment options.
Trees
| Common name | Botanical name | Size | Description, Interesting Facts |
|
pawpaw |
Asimina triloba |
1-2' suckers 1-year seedlings |
from 20-year-old Thornbury tree planted by the late conservationist Mac Kirk. Know that these seedlings are among the hardiest pawpaw which is the hardiest member of the tropical custard-apple family. With a mango-banana resemblance, this fruit truly tastes out-of-this-continent with no bitterness or astringency found in some other strains. |
|
sweet chestnut (American-Chinese hyb)
|
Castanea mollissima x dentata | 1' | prefers acidic sandier soils |
|
fig (Natalina, hardy Chicago) |
Ficus sp. | not winter hardy so move indoors | |
|
hazelnut hybrid |
Corylus x hybrid | numerous Zone 5a and 5b varieties available | |
| ginkgo
|
Ginkgo biloba | A living fossil thanks to its medicinal properties having been protected for generations by Chinese monks. | |
| Kentucky coffee tree | Gymnocladus dioicus | native to extreme Southern Ontario, nitrogen fixing(?) leguminous tree | |
|
heartnut
|
Juglans ailantifolia var. cordiformis | 0.5' - 5' | known primarily for its charming nuts, but also known for its beautiful spreading tree form with large exotic compound leaves |
|
hardy Persian/English/Carpathian walnut
|
Juglans regia | 3' incl. full taproot | from centenarian Minnie Sheridan's 70-year-old trees. Specify 5a or 5b variety. |
|
mulberry |
Morus x hybrid | 1-year 1' sapling | from largest and tastiest fruiting locally-sourced tree |
| black locust | Robinia pseudoacacia | nitrogen-fixing leguminous tree | |
| willows | Salix sp. | red corkscrew, green corkscrew, pussy willow | |
|
Japanese pagoda tree |
Styphnolobium (Sophora) japonicum | nitrogen fixing(?) leguminous tree | |
|
fragrant spring tree |
Toona sinensis | 6" | grow the hardiest member of the mahogany family, edible onion-like leaves |
|
yellowhorn
|
Xanthoceras sorbifolium | an edible nut from the soapberry family |
Shrubs and Vines
| Common name | Botanical name | Description, interesting facts |
|
Saskatoon berry |
Amelanchier canadensis (small native tree and higher shade tolerance) Amelanchier alnifolia (large prairie shrub and common commercial cultivar) |
looks and tastes like blueberry, and the seeds taste of almond |
|
Chinese/kousa dogwood
|
Cornus kousa | lovely custard tasting but little fruit |
|
Sea buckthorn |
Hippophae rhamnoides |
Male Female - could be 'citrus gold' or 'Huron sunset') |
|
trailing Oregon grape |
Mahonia repens | |
|
chum (cherry plum hybrid) 'Opata' |
Prunus x hybrid | |
|
currants: red currant, white currant, gooseberry, black currant, clove currant, jostaberry
|
Ribes silvestre, uva-crispa, nigrum, odoratum, x culverwellii |
Red currant likely 'Red Lake' Black currant is 'Titania' |
| thornless blackberry | Rubus fruticosus | likely 'Chester' |
| raspberry | Rubus idares |
big red summer fruit or golden fruit autumn variety |
Seeds and Sprouted Seeds from well-established, locally adapted trees (seasonal)
| Common name | Botanical name |
| black alder | Alnus glutinosa |
| speckled alder | Alnus rugosa |
|
ultra-hardy northern pecan
|
Carya illinoinensis |
|
shellbark hickory |
Carya laciniosa |
|
shagbark hickory |
Carya ovata |
|
northern catalpa |
Catalpa speciosa |
|
redbud |
Cercis canadensis |
| sweetgum | Liquidamber styraciflua |
| tulip tree | Liriodendron tulipifera |
| Amur maackia
|
Maackia amurensis |
| dawn redwood | Metasequoia glyptostroboides |
| London plane | Platanus × acerifolia |
Perennial Vegetables
Common name
| Common name | Botanical name | Tastes like and replaces |
| horseradish | Armoracia rusticana | wasabi |
| asparagus 'Jersey giant' | Asparagus officinalis | |
| Turkish rocket | Bunias orientalis | rapini |
| strawberry (everbearing) | Fragaria hybrid | |
| Jerusalem artichoke | Helianthus tuberosus | potato |
| yacon | Smallanthus sonchifolius | jicama, water chestnut, Asian pear |
|
rhubarb
|
Rheum x cultorum | |
|
sorrel
|
Rumex acetosa | |
| salad burnet | Sanguisorba minor | borage flowers |
| skirret | Sium sisarum | parsnip |
| Chinese artichoke | Stachys affinis | |
| stinging nettle | Urtica dioica | |
| sea kale | Crambe maritima | kale, collards |
Herbs
| Common name | Botanical name | Tastes like and replaces | |
|
anise hyssop
|
Agastache foeniculum | ||
| tarragon | Artemisia dracunculus | ||
| yomogi | Artemisia princeps | ||
| dwarf canebrake bamboo | Arundinaria gigantea | a true hardy bamboo that may keep its evergreen leaves during mild winters | |
| Chinese milkvetch/astragalus, huang qi | Astragalus membranaceous | traditional Chinese medicine herb | |
| mitsuba | Cryptotaenia japonica | parsley, chervil, garnish | shade-loving herb with an aromatic taste |
| cinnamon yam, shan yao, Chinese yam | Dioscorea opposita/polytachya | productive, perennial medicinal root vegetable. What more can you ask for? | |
|
sweet fennel, bronze fennel
|
Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce, var. purpureum | ||
| sweetgrass | Hierochloe odorata | smudge for First Nations | |
| hosta | Hosta sp. | ||
| hyssop | Hyssopus officinalis | ||
| lavender | Lavandula angustifolia | ||
| lovage | Levisticum officinale | celery | I love a lot of lovage! |
| lemon balm 'citronella' | Melissa officinalis | plant with sweetgrass as its benefits keep you calm and tranquil | |
|
mints (apple, chocolate, spear, pepper, mountain)
|
Mentha sp., Pycnanthemum virginianum | ||
| sweet cicely | Myrrhis odorata | sweet juicy and licorice tasting herb, with most of the sugars in the root and early flowerheads. Edible leaves and early flowerheads both make a delightful garnish. | |
| catnip | Nepeta cataria | ||
| fuki | Petasites japonicus | ||
| sage | Salvia officinalis | ||
| winter savory | Satureja montana | savory | great all-round herb for soup |
| comfrey | Symphytum officinale | very effective soil builder, green manure, compost tea, livestock forage, and medicinal plant | |
| valerian | Valeriana officinalis | plant beside sweetgrass and lemon balm as its benefits keep you calm and tranquil |
Ontario Native Wildflowers
predominately oak-savannah species from local if not Toronto genetics
yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, sky-blue aster, wild quinine, tall sunflower, Maximillian sunflower, pearly everlasting
prickly-pear cactus (Opuntia humifosa)