Common Tree Species in Edmonton
There are many different types of trees commonly found in Edmonton and Sherwood Park, Alberta. Our list below includes identifying features so you can determine what type of trees you have on your property, as well as some care tips and what pests and diseases commonly affect each type of tree.
All Season Tree Service is your arborist in Edmonton. We offer a wide range of tree services to Edmonton and Sherwood Park. From disease consultations to tree removal in Edmonton, your trees will be well taken care of when you call us.
Below is a list of common tree species in Edmonton and Sherwood Park. It is by no means a comprehensive list, so if you think you have other types of trees on your property feel free to call us to learn more about them.
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
