10.0 Recommended Plant Materials
(a) Trees
Deciduous Trees
Botanical Palatability Plant Species Flammability Native Comments Colouring Name (Ungulates)
Rocky Mountain Acer glabrum Medium Very Low Yes Leaves: (Douglas) Maple Summer: green Autumn: dull red Flowers: yellowish- green
Manitoba Maple Acer negundo Medium Very Low No Spreads. Plant Summer: seedless cultivars green only Autumn: yellow
River / Water / Betula Low Very Low Yes Hardy. Can Yellowish- Black Birch occidentalis withstand some green browsing by elk. Sensitive to salt.
Paper Birch / Betula Low Very Low Yes Need lots of water. Dull green papyrifera White Birch
Balsam Poplar / Populus High Very Low Yes The cultivar Balm- Summer: Balm of Gilead balsamifera of-Gilead is a green (sterile) female Autumn: clone of a balsam / yellow eastern cottonwood hybrid. It is frequently planted for landscape purposes
Trembling Aspen Populus High Very Low Yes Prone to elk Summer: tremuloides damage unless green large caliper stock Autumn: is planted (4-5") yellow
Brooks No. 6 Populus X High Very Low No Avoid non-native Poplar Brooks No. 6 poplar varieties. Potential for genetic contamination of wild poplars exists. Suckers and aphids are a nuisance. New
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growth may be prone to elk damage. Short lived in crowded conditions.
Northwest Poplar / Populus X High Very Low No Avoid non-native Summer: Jack's Hybrid jackii poplar varieties. bluish-green Poplar “Northwest” Potential for genetic contamination of wild poplars exists. Tolerates elk browsing. Prune high to minimize elk damage.
Amur Cherry Prunus High Very Low No Attractive to birds. Flowers: Maackii May attract bears white
Mayday Tree Prunus padus Medium Very Low No Attractive to birds. commutata May attract bears. Lots of fruit drop. Elk damage will occur unless large, high-headed stock is planted. Spring blooming. Good shade trees
Pincherry Prunus Medium Very Low Yes Attractive to birds. Summer: pensylvanica May attract bears yellowish- green Autumn: purplish-red Flowers: white
Western Prunus Medium Very Low Yes Attractive to birds. Dark green Chokecherry virginiana / May attract bears. melanocarpa
Schubert Prunus Medium Very Low No Attractive to birds. Chokecherry virginiana May attract bears. “Schubert” Lots of fruit drop. Elk damage will occur unless large, high-headed stock is planted. Suckers and aphids are a nuisance
Sharp Leaf Willow Salix acutifolia Yes
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Laurel Willow / Salix High Yes Thrives on acid Very shiny Bayleaf Willow pentandra soils in northern green regions. Leaves can be used for flavouring foods
American Sorbus High Low No Attractive to birds. Leaves: light Mountain Ash / americana May attract bears. green Dogberry Flowers: white
Showy Mountain Sorbus High Very Low No Attractive to birds. Leaves: blue- Ash / Dogberry decora May attract bears. green Flowers: white
Western Mountain Sorbus High Very Low Yes Attractive to birds. Ash scopulina May attract bears. Prone to elk damage, should be planted in fenced area. Prone to fire blight and sunscald.
Brandon Elm Ulmus No americana “Brandon”
Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila No Dark green
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Coniferous Trees
Botanical Palatability Plant Species Flammability Native Comments Colouring Name (Ungulates)
Alpine Fir Abies Medium High Hardy, long lived. Greyish-green lasiocarpa May be difficult to to light bluish- obtain. May be green browsed in winter.
Siberian Larch Larix sibirica Medium Medium No Green to greyish-blue
Engelman Spruce Picea Low High Yes Hybrids occur where Bluish-green engelmanii range overlaps that of White or Colorado spruce
White Spruce Picea glauca Low High Yes Green to bluish-green
Black Spruce Picea mariana Low Very High Yes Dull greyish- green
Colorado Spruce Picea pungens Low High No Bluish-green
Lodgepole Pine Pinus contorta Low High Yes Saplings may be Dark green to var. latifolia harmed by elk yellowish- during rutting green season and winter
Limber Pine Pinus flexilis Low High Not commonly Greenish- available brown
Rocky Mountain Pseudotsuga Medium Medium Yes May be browsed Bluish-green Douglas Fir / Blue menziesii var. when young and Douglas Fir / glauca flexible Interior Douglas Fir
(b) Shrubs & Ground Cover
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Deciduous Shrubs & Ground Cover
Botanical Palatability Plant Species Flammability Native Comments Colouring Name (Ungulates)
Gout Weed Agapodium High Low No variogardum
Green Alder Alnus crispa Medium Very Low Yes More shade tolerant Bright shiny than other alders. green Able to colonize exposed sites low in nutrients and improve soil fertility. Fallen leaves supply nitrogen to the soil. Buds, twigs, bark, and fruit are eaten by birds and mammals.
Saskatoon Berry / Amelanchier High Low Yes Berries edible. Leaves: dark Western alnifolia Twigs, bark, and fruit green Serviceberry may attract birds and Flowers: white animals.
Bearberry / Arctostaphylos Low High Yes Kinnikinnick uva-ursi
Common Caragana Caragana High No Umbrella-shaped Flowers: / Siberian Pea-Tree arborescens weeping cultivars yellow / Siberian Pea- commonly grown as Shrub a lawn tree. Easy to grow, very cold hardy, tolerant of drought, poor soil, salt and wind.
Pygmy Caragana Caragana High No pygmaea
Red-Osier Cornus High Low Yes stolonifera
Peking Cotoneaster Cotoneaster High Low No acutifolius
Silverberry / Silver Eleagnus Medium Low Yes Tolerant of harsh Dense coating Elaeagnus / Wolf commutata conditions of silvery (or Willow rusty brown) scales on the leaves, twigs, flowers, and other parts.
Shrubby Cinquefoil Potentilla Low Low Yes
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fruticosa
Wild Red Rhubus idaeus Medium Low Yes Raspberry
Alpine Currant Ribes alpinum Medium Yes
Golden Flowering Ribes aurem Medium No Currant
Wild / Northern Ribes Low Low Yes Gooseberry oxycanthoides
Prickly Rose Rosa acicularis High Low Yes
Common Wild Rose Rosa woodsii Medium Low Yes
Canada Sheperdia Medium Low Yes Red berries Buffaloberry / canadensis Soapberry/ Soopalallie
False Spirea Sorbaria Medium sorbifolia
Meadowsweet / Spirea Low Low Yes Birch-leaved Spirea betulifolia
Three-Lobed Spirea Spirea trilobata Low No
SS Snowberry Symphoricarpo Medium Low s albus
Late Lilac Syringa villosa Medium No
Common Lilac Syringa Medium Low No Leaves: dark green vulgaris Flowers: purple, pink, or white
Highbush Virburnum No Fruit is edible. Flowers: white Cranberry / trilobum Fruit: orange Cranberry to red Viburnum/ Cranberry Bush
Pussy Willow Salix discolor High Very Low Yes Immature catkins Mature often used in floral leaves: green decorations. Young leaves: reddish
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Coniferous Shrubs & Ground Cover
Botanical Palatability Plant Species Flammability Native Comments Colouring Name (Ungulates)
Common Juniper Juniperus Medium Very High Yes "Berries" ripen in 3rd communis year.
Creeping Juniper Juniperus Medium Very High Yes Leaves horizontalis prominently whitened, turning purplish over winter
Savin Juniper Juniperus Medium No "Berries" ripen in 1st Needles sabina year whitish with a prominent mid-vein; green with a resinous depression beneath.
Rocky Mountain Juniperus Low Very High Yes Very small tress up Pale Juniper scopulorum to 10m high, yellowish- occasionally 25m green to high. A shrub on whitish-green poor sites. in both summer and winter. "Berries" blue with a powdery white coating.
Mugho Pine Pinus mugo Low No Dark green
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