White birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.)

White birch was selected as Saskatchewan's provincial tree in 1988. It is distributed throughout most of the province, but is found mostly in the northern and central parts. White birch require considerable light and prefer moist sandy soil. They are generally found growing with a mixture of conifers and broad-leafed trees. Pure stands of white birch often occur as a result of a forest fire. The tree is fast-growing and may reach a height of 21 metres and a diameter of up to 60 centimetres. Appreciated for its stately beauty and easily recognized chalk-white papery bark, white birch is frequently planted as an ornamental tree in gardens and as a shelterbelt choice in farmyards. The wood is moderately hard, strong and dense. It is creamy white to light brown in colour and straight-grained, with a fine, even texture. When dried properly, birch wood is well suited for furniture, turnery, flooring, veneer, novelties, joinery and firewood. Essential oils may also be extracted. Traditional Native Uses Wood: snowshoe frames, toboggans, canoe paddles, bows and arrows, wood utensils, drums, rattles and wooden nails Wood fire: tanning, heating and smoking food Bark: canoes, baskets, boxes, utensils, tipi coverings, dye, torches, moose calls and for decorative patterns Other uses: nutritious drinks, tea and medicinal purposes Overall, white birch was most versatile of all the trees.

White elm (Ulmus americana L.)

One of the largest trees, the white elm can reach a height of over 40 meters and diameter of 2 meters or more. In the forest, it forms a tall, straight trunk which rises to a considerable height before branching. A shallow and very widely spread root system gives the tree good support on most sites. The bark is dark grey and broken into interlacing flaky ridges in the trunk. The white elm grows primarily in the south-eastern part of Saskatchewan. It thrives on a rich, moist, well-drained sandy loam or gravelly soil where the water table is near the surface. It is often found in mixtures with other hardwoods. White elm produces one of the most valuable hardwoods in Canada. The wood is tough and used for furniture, flooring, sporting goods and boxes. The tree is widely used for street and ornamental planting. Traditional Native Uses: Bark: Fibrous portion twisted into ropes

Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh . var. subintegerrima (Vahl) Fern.)

The seeds and twigs of this drought tolerant and winter hardy tree provide a good food source for birds and animals. It is a slow growing tree but can reach heights of up to 15 meters. The oval crown and upright nature of the green ash makes it an excellent choice for shelterbelts. Other uses of green ash include furniture stock, interior finishing wood products, flooring and fuelwood.

Plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides var. occidentalis Rydb.)

The plains cottonwood is commonly found along streams and river beds. It has light yellow twigs, hairy in winter and very coarsely-toothed leaves. The branches are stout, strong and wide-spreading on a massive straight trunk. The trees flower in spring prior to the appearance of leaves. The tree has small tufted seeds that appear early in summer. Plains cottonwood are found throughout the Cypress Hills Forest and in some areas of the surrounding grassland area. They require considerable moisture and do not grow well in dry sites. The yellowish heartwood is light, soft, weak and brittle, and is surrounded by a layer of thick, almost white sapwood. A popular shade species, the wood is also used for fuelwood and fenceposts.

Manitoba maple (Acer negundo L.)

The Manitoba maple yields a sap which makes a fine white sugar and was used widely during the depression in western Canada. The tree grows to a height of 6.5 to 14 meters. Though the tree grows quickly, it has a short life span. Manitoba maple is a sprawling type tree with a trunk that often divides near the ground into several stout spreading limbs with bushy crowns. Manitoba maples are found in the portion of the province south of the north fork of the Saskatchewan River, particularly along streams, swamp margins and around lakes. The wood is creamy white to pale brown in color and is relatively light, soft and fine textured. In the summer, the fruit of the tree serves as food for mice, squirrels and birds. It is planted for ornamental or shelterbelt purposes because it is very hardy being able to withstand great extremes in temperature, and fast growing. It has limited commercial use as furniture stock, interior finishing wood, flooring, fuelwood and maple syrup.

Trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.)

Aspen, commonly referred to as poplar, makes up the majority of hardwood volume in Saskatchewan. The wood is white to grayish white, relatively resistant to wear, usually straight-grained, with a fine, even texture and is comparable to spruce in strength. When properly seasoned, it works well, holds nails satisfactorily, and takes a good finish. Due to its availability and increased customer acceptance, aspen use is steadily increasing. It is used for making oriented strand board, pulp and paper, plywood, lumber, pallets, boxes, furniture stock, flooring, chopsticks, fuelwood and for interior finishes and trim. Traditional Native Uses Wood: bowls, snow shovels, and shelter Wood fire: heating, smoking fish, meat and hides. It was the most preferred wood for fires Ashes: soap Bark: medicinal products, horse fodder and when necessary, food during famine.

Balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L.)

Balsam poplar is similar to trembling aspen in most wood characteristics. Balsam poplar is grayer, has a coarser texture and a higher incidence of wet pockets in the wood. These drawbacks and the availability of trembling aspen have detracted from increased use of balsam poplar. The wood can be used for most of the same products as trembling aspen; in Saskatchewan, it is used mostly for pulp. Traditional Native Uses Bark: buttons and toys Buds: scented trap lures