Plant Guide
These native plants, shrubs and trees are ideal for shoreline and stream bank plantings. This list is provided to assist you in selecting plants that are considered “native” to the area and are usually available at local retail outlets. All are hardy in our area.
This Plant Guide (in PDF format) shows some of the native plants (trees, shrubs, perennials, wildflowers, vines, grasses and ferns) recommended for shoreline planting in our area. You can download the Plant Guide or view it here online.
It gives you an indication of the height, growth rate, sunlight conditions and soil preferences with a few notes that tell you a little more about the plant's flowers, colours, or popularity with insects, birds, and animals.
Did you know that sweet gale's blue-green leaves can be used in candles?
Or that winterberry is deer resistant?
Your planting will be most successful if you choose plants based on the conditions of your planting location. Does your planting location get 6 or more hours of sunlight per day? That’s full sun. If the planting location gets 3-6 hours of sunlight, you have a partially sunny site. Less than 3 hours of sun per day is considered shady.
Another crucial success factor is soil moisture. Does your planting location ever get flooded (wet), is the water table close to the surface (wet), does it take more than a day to dry out after a heavy rain (moist) or is it dry most of the time?
Your planting will be most successful if you choose plants based on the conditions of your planting location. Does your planting location get 6 or more hours of sunlight per day? That’s full sun. If the planting location gets 3-6 hours of sunlight, you have a partially sunny site. Less than 3 hours of sun per day is considered shady.
The CanPlant Database is now active! Discover over 5,000 Canadian plants, develop your own plant lists for custom landscape designs, learn how to get started with native plant gardening, read their blog, and explore interactive maps that connect you to your region's flora.
