BALSAM POPLAR – POPULUS BALSAMIFERA
Height: 25m
Leaves: Oval or heart-shaped leaves that are shiny on top, and greenish grey bark
Growth: Fast growing tree
Climate: Commonly found in forestland and riverbanks; prefers wetter areas
Care: Little care required – ensure the soil is rich and well-drained
Pests: Leaf-feeding caterpillars, leaf beetles, mealybugs, scales and poplar petiolegall aphid
Diseases: Cytospora canker and more
COLORADO SPRUCE – PICEA PUNGENS
Height: 12m
Leaves: Rigid needles attach to tree singularly; blue or green colour bark; symmetrical shape
Growth: Fast growing
Climate: Grow best in sunny locations with moist, well-drained, fertile soil; tolerates dry wind and dry soil
Care: Little care required – water regularly during first season and during dry spells thereafter
Pests: White pine weevils
Diseases: Needle cast, canker of spruce and more
LODGEPOLE PINE – PINUS CONTORTA
Alberta's provincial tree
Height: 20-30m
Leaves: Yellow-green needles cluster in pairs of two and reach lengths of 2.5-7.5cm; cones remain on tree for years
Growth: Adaptable tree that grows quickly
Climate: Wet and dry climates; prefer sandy soil; not commonly used for landscaping purposes
Care: Be sure to water young lodgepole pines and fertilize the tree 2-3 times the first year
Pests: Mountain pine beetle and warren root collar weevil
Diseases: Larch dwarf mistletoe, pine needle cast and more
TAMARACK LARCH – LARIX LARICINA
Height: 25m
Leaves: Three-sided blue-green needles that fall to the ground in the fall; red-brown, scaly bark; round, small seed cones
Growth: Fast growing in first 50 years for boreal conifers
Climate: Tolerates varied climates, but commonly found in wetlands and valley slopes
Care: Require constant moisture while growing but little care once established
Pests: Larch sawfly, larch casebearer and spruce budworm
Diseases: Dwarf mistletoe, canker disease and more
WHITE SPRUCE – PICEA GLAUCA
Height: 25-30m
Leaves: Four-sided bluish-green needles are softer than others and stand out from all sides of the twigs in a spiral arrangement
Growth: Relatively fast
Climate: Hardy native tree; prefers sites with acidic soil, sunlight and more moisture than the Colorado spruce
Care: Require little care – be sure to water young plants often
Pests: White pine weevil, balsam fir sawfly, spruce budworm, spruce coneworm and more
Diseases: Red heart rot, root disease, root rot and more
ASPEN (TREMBLING ASPEN, QUAKING ASPEN) — POPULUS TREMULOIDES
Height: 25m
Leaves: Rounded light green leaves with a short, tapered tip
Growth: Very fast growing; aggressive root system
Climate: Found in a wide variety of regions and environments across Canada
Care: Prefers moist, well-drained and slightly acidic soil that’s high in calcium; not commonly used for landscaping purposes
Pests: Bruce spanworm, fall webworm, forest tent caterpillar, gypsy moth, large aspen tortrix, satin moth and more
Diseases: Marssonina leaf spot, silver leaf disease, aspen rust, inkspot and more
WHITE BIRCH (CANOE BIRCH, PAPER BIRCH) — BETULA PAPYRIFERA
Height: 25-35m
Leaves: Dull green oval-shaped leaves with jagged edges and a tapered point
Growth: Fast growing
Climate: Commonly found around forest edges and near moist stream banks and lakesides
Care: Water frequently; prefers full sun and sandy or rocky loam soil
Pests: Fall webworm, forest tent caterpillar, gypsy moth and more
Diseases: Birch leaf blister, brown cubical sap rot, silver leaf disease, sterile conk trunk rot and more
JACK PINE (BANKSIAN PINE, GREY PINE, SCRUB PINE) — PINUS BANKSIANA
Height: 20m
Leaves: Sharp-pointed yellowish-green needles that grow in bundles of two
Growth: Fast growing, up to 2 feet a year
Climate: Commonly found in shallow soils and rocky out-crops
Care: Little care required — tolerates neglect and does best in sandy, well-drained soils
Pests: Jack pine budworm, mountain pine beetle, pine false webworm, Warren root collar weevil, white pine weevil and more
Diseases: Brown cubical sap rot, pine needle cast, red heart rot, scleroderris canker, sirococcus shoot blight and more
BLACK SPRUCE (BOG SPRUCE, SWAMP SPRUCE) — PICEA MARIANA
Height: 20-30m
Leaves: Short greyish-green needles densely packed around the branch tips
Growth: Slow growing
Climate: Commonly found in wetlands such as bogs and swamps
Care: Little care required — very adaptable, grows well in a variety of soils, moisture levels and light conditions
Pests: Balsam fir sawfly, eastern blackheaded budworm, European spruce sawfly, spruce budworm, spruce coneworm, yellowheaded spruce sawfly and more
Diseases: Eastern dwarf mistletoe, spruce broom rust, spruce needle rust, tomentosus root rot and more
MANITOBA MAPLE (ASHLEAF MAPLE, BOX-ELDER) — ACER NEGUNDO
Height: 20m
Leaves: Light green compound leaves composed of 3-9 leaflets
Growth: Fast growing
Climate: Commonly found in seasonally flooded areas and along lakeshores and stream banks
Care: Little care required — cold hardy and tolerant of a wide range of soil moisture conditions
Pests: Pale winged grey, Asian long-horned beetle, fall cankerworm, lesser shothole borer, redcrossed stink bug and whitetriangle leafroller
Diseases: Speckled tar spot and xylaria root rot
Other common tree species can be found at https://www.edmonton.ca/programs_services/tribute_honour/selection-list-of-common-tree