Forestry: The Living Tree: Native Saskatchewan Trees

Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) L.

pyramidal crown with slender, horizontal branches
height from 15 to 20 metres
needle-shaped leaves, flat, blunt and soft, dark green on top surface, two white strips on lower surface, 2 to 4 cm in length; arranged singly in two rows on opposite sides of the twig
cones are oblong, purplish in color, 5 to 10 cm long; sit upright in top branches of tree
bark is gray and smooth, becoming rough with age, but retaining smooth patches where resin blisters form
found on a wide range of organic and inorganic soils; can tolerate some acidic conditions
very shade tolerant; wood used for pulp and paper; a common Christmas tree species

Black Spruce (Picea mariana) L.

in stands, develops a straight trunk with very little taper from top to bottom
12 to 20 metres in height
leaves needle-shaped, 1.5 cm in length, sharp, stiff and borne singly on stem
cones about 2.5 cm long, pointed and have an egg shape
bark is thin and scaly with a dark greyish-brown colour
found in pure stands on wet organic soil; can also be found on a variety of mineral soils
wood soft, relatively strong and nearly white
of great importance to the pulp wood industry because its long fibres add strength to paper products

Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) L.;(oskahtik) Cree

branchy with irregular crowns
normal height can reach 12 to 18 meters
leaves are two flat needles in a sheath and slightly twisted
cones are hard and curve slightly
bark is brown to gray, darkening with age; surface flaky, becoming furrowed and plate-like at maturity
survives well on poor sites such as sandy and rocky soil
wood is moderately hard and heavy, not particularly strong
trees are used for general construction, pulp, railway ties and mine timbers

Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) L. ;(minahtik) Cree

tall, slender, narrow crowned tree, reaches height of 15 to 30 metres
winged seeds produced in hard, straight cones (2.5 to 5 cm in length)
needle-shaped leaves, 3 to 7 cm long, twisted, sharp, borne in groups of two on the stem
bark is rough, scaly and brownish to gray or blackish on older trees
found in variety of soil types, but best growth occurs on well-drained loam sites
very intolerant of shade and competition; poor alkali tolerance
naturally confined to Cypress Hills in Saskatchewan, its most easterly location

Tamarack (Larix laricina) L.; (wakinakan) Cree

straight trunk with narrow, open, conical crown
15 to 23 metres in height
deciduous soft green needles grown in clumps; turn orange-yellow in the autumn and fall off
cones are small, brown and oval
bark is brown and smooth on young trees, turning reddishbrown and flaky on mature trees
found growing in cold, wet and poorly drained places such as muskegs
shade intolerant and is rarely found in pure stands
used for railway ties, poles, boat building and pulpwood

White Spruce (Picea glauca) L.; (iyinahtik) Cree

pyramidal shape; 20 to 25 metres
cones are 2-5 cm long, slender and cylindrical
sharp, four-sided bluish-green needles
often found growing on moist, well drained silty soils and growing in a mixture of other trees
quite a shade tolerant tree and able to maintain its branches low on the trunk, except in dense stands with little light penetration
the roots are pliable enough that Indian people could use them to lace together birch bark on canoes
an important tree to the lumber and pulp industries

Balsam (Black) Poplar (Populus balsamifera) L.; (mayimitos) Cree

medium to large tree with straight trunk, narrow open crown
18 to 24 meters
leaves oval, sharp tip, toothed margins, shiny green upper surface and grayish green lower surface
bark smooth, greenish gray to grayish brown, becoming furrowed into thick flat topped ridged with age
male and female flowers borne of different trees
seeds formed in pods; split in late spring to release hairy seeds
adapted to wide range of soil texture and moisture; low shade t tolerance, prolific suckering
shelterbelt tree; buds aromatic

Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) L.; (akimahsk) Cree

Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo) L.; (sokowahtik) Cree

open, spreading crown; has irregular shape where the trunk divides near the ground into a few crooked limbs
6.5 to 14 metres
bark brownish gray to black, becoming furrowed with age
only Canadian maple with leaves that are divided into several parts or leaflets (ranging from 3 to 7 in number); irregularly lobed
male and female flowers borne in clusters on separate trees; winged, paired, straw coloured seeds
often found along lakeshores and banks of streams; winter hardy
children like this tree because the branches make it easy to climb
wood is used for box construction or as 'rough lumber'; the sap can also be used to make maple syrup

Trembling Aspen or White Poplar (Populus tremuloides) L.;(mitos) Cree

slender tree with a long cylindrical trunk and a short rounded crown
tree is known as a 'fire species' because it does so well in reproducing after a fire
roots form new trees by 'suckering'
bark smooth, white to greenish, turning gray and black streaked with age
leaves are circular to heart shaped with a slight point at the tip and small teeth on the edges
leaf stalk is flat which allows the leaf to flutter or 'tremble' in the wind, creating a noise; some Indian people referred to the aspen as 'noisy leaf'
often grows in pure stands on almost every type of soil; intolerant of shade
used mainly for pulpwood, although some select logs may be used for veneer and plywood

Willow (Salix acutifolia) L.; (nipisi) Cree

wide spreading crown, trunk tends to have multiple stems
5 to 14 metres
shiny dark green leaves, 6 to 12 cm in length and 1 - 2 cm wide, finely toothed margins
male and female flowers on separate trees; small fruit pods split when mature releasing seeds on tufts of silky hair
performs well in most well-drained sites but will withstand flooding for up to several weeks
shelterbelts and ornamental plantings

White Birch (Betula papyrifera) L.; (iyinahtik) Cree

narrow, oval, open crown with a slender trunk
6 to 20 metres tall
bark is thin, smooth, reddish-brown on young trees, becoming chalking white with age; peels easily into sheets
leaves triangular or egg-shaped, 8 cm long, toothed margins on majority of leaf
winged seeds, 3 - 4 cm long that hang from branches
does best on moist, well-drained sandy or silty loam soils
shade intolerant, thrives best in burned over areas and is restricted to openings in mature forests
susceptible to Bronze Birch borer and Birch Dieback
Saskatchewan's provincial tree

Saskatchewan is also home to many native shrubs such as the choke cherry, red-osier dogwood, saskatoon, and buffaloberry.