Bruce Trail Guide to
Exploring the Forests of
the Niagara Escarpment
Bruce Trail & Niagara Escarpment Forests
Walking under the cool shade of a hundred foot high forest canopy
is one of the many delights of the Bruce Trail. In fact, on almost
any hike along the Bruce Trail, you will find yourself in a forest.
To the observant hiker, the wonderful treed oases of the Niagara
Escarpment are a joy to explore. May this booklet help you become
more familiar with diversity of forest life along the Bruce Trail.
Making the most of your forest hike:
• Take this booklet with you for handy reference.
• Slow down and look beyond your boots. There is much to see
at every level of the forest.
• Pick up a trail map at brucetrail.org
• Head out on an organized Bruce Trail hike.
• Seek out a Bruce Trail Heritage Tree (pg. 59-60).
Contents
Map: Exploring Forests along the Bruce Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Forest Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Carolinian Forests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Coniferous, Deciduous & Mixed Forests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Treed Talus & Cliffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Forest Layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Forest Succession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Stewarding Escarpment Forests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Common Escarpment Trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
DECIDUOUS
American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Butternut (Juglans cinerea). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
White Ash (Fraxinus americana) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
White Oak (Quercus alba) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
White Birch (Betula papyrifera) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
DECIDUOUS / CAROLINIAN
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
CONIFERS
Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
White Spruce (Picea glauca) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Heritage Tree Scavenger Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
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For details of the locations
highlighted in this guide, visit
brucetrail.org or call
1.800.665.4453
Find out more about each of these
forest types and the trees that call
them home in the pages to follow.
This map shows just a few of the
many forest types you can explore on
your next trip along the Bruce Trail.
The Bruce Trail Conservancy
(BTC) protects and stewards
over 7,600 acres of land on
the Niagara Escarpment as
part of its mission to
establish a conservation
corridor along the Niagara
Escarpment. Roughly 77% of
that protected land is forest
habitat.
The Bruce Trail runs along
its length for over 885 km,
making it the oldest and
longest public footpath in
Canada and the best way to
explore the Escarpment’s
treasures.
The Niagara Escarpment is
a massive forested ridge of
ancient dolostone stretching
through southern
Ontario from Niagara to
Tobermory.
Exploring Forests
Along the Bruce Trail
Forest Regions of the Niagara Escarpment
The Niagara Escarpment runs through two major forest regions in
Ontario:
Carolinian (or Deciduous) Forest Region
The Carolinian Forest Region reaches its northern limit in Ontario
at an imaginary line running between Grand Bend and Toronto.
Although it covers less than 1 percent of Canada’s land mass, the
region is now home to more than 25% of Canada’s population. In
this warm region, the forest life is the most diverse in Ontario. A
number of nationally rare species of mammals, birds, plants and
insects can be found here.
On the Bruce Trail, you hike in this forest region from Queenston
to Burlington.
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest Region
From the Bruce Peninsula south to Burlington, most of the Niagara
Escarpment is in this region. It is a transition zone between the
Carolinian Region to the south, and the colder Boreal Region
farther north and as such supports a mixture of landscapes and
plant and animal species.
On the Bruce Trail, you hike in this forest region from Burlington
to Tobermory.
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Carolinian Forests
These amazingly diverse deciduous forests are unique in Canada.
Named for North & South Carolina, where similar forests are
more common, only a small portion of this forest region reaches
into Canada.
Even though the Carolinian zone is small compared with other
Canadian vegetation zones, it boasts:
1) More flora and fauna species than any other ecosystem in
Canada, including;
• 70 species of trees
• 64 species of ferns
• 400 species of bird
2) One-third of the rare, threatened and endangered species found
in all of Canada, including forest species like: Tulip Tree,
Pawpaw, Blue Ash, and the Kentucky Coffee-Tree
Carolinian Forest Species
•
•
•
•
Trees: Tulip Tree, Sassafras, Shagbark Hickory
Shrubs & small trees: Flowering Dogwood, Spicebush
Bird: Hooded Warbler, Acadian Flycatcher
Mammals: Southern Flying Squirrel, Opossum
Carolinian forests on the Bruce Trail
● Niagara-on-the-Lake Easement
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Coniferous Forests: Needles & Cones
These forests are dominated by needle-bearing, cone-producing
trees like White Cedar, White Pine or White Spruce.
Coniferous forests on the Bruce Trail
▲Hemlock Ridges
▲Boyne River School
▲Madill-Sattler
▲Gutzmer-Wiese
Deciduous Forests: Leaves & Flowers
The canopies of these forests are formed by broadleaf trees that
grow flowers and lose their leaves during the winter months.
Common associated species: Sugar Maple-Beech; Oak-MapleHickory; Birch-Aspen
Deciduous forests on the Bruce Trail
● Burlington Easement
● McNally
● Pollock
● Dinedune-Metheral
Mixed Forests: A bit of everything
Most of the forests you’ll walk through on the Bruce Trail are Mixed
forests, so called because they have the right conditions to support
a mixture of species from Coniferous and Deciduous forests.
Mixed forests on the Bruce Trail
■ McKean
■ Hammer
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Talus: Trees Among the Rocks
Rare vegetation communities exist among the jumble of rocks
called Talus at the base of the Escarpment’s cliff faces. Sugar Maple
and White Cedar each form a “Treed Talus” community.
Treed Talus on the Bruce Trail
■
■
■
Nelles Estates
Hunt
Malcolm Bluff Shores
Cliffs: Forests Clinging to the Edge
Above the rocky Talus slope, the oldest trees in eastern North
America can be found clinging to the cliff face. The stunted White
Cedars (pg. 53) that cling to the Escarpment face endure harsh
conditions that prevent most other species from growing. Although
they may not look it, some of these ancient trees are well over
1000 years old.
Cliff forests on the Bruce Trail
■
Boundary Bluffs
Although not technically forests because of the sparse canopy,
treed talus and cliff communities are important and rare treed
habitats on the Niagara Escarpment.
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Forest Layers: Look up down and all around!
Each layer of the forest from the tallest tree to the soil beneath
your feet is filled with life. All the layers work together in a
balanced partnership between plants, animals and habitat.
Canopy: These are the tallest trees in the forest, receiving direct
sunlight, and affecting much of what goes on below. Forests are
often described by the trees that form the canopy. Common
associated canopy trees: Sugar Maple-Beech; Oak-Hickory;
Hemlock-Maple.
Understory: Here young trees waiting for their chance to pop up
into the canopy. They are the shade-tolerant plants that will form
the future forest here.
Shrub: These are the shrubs and small trees that live beneath the
shade of the trees above.
Ground: Our eyes are often drawn to this layer of wildflowers,
grasses, ferns, mosses and lichen at our feet. Here we also find the
nuts, cones, seeds and berries of the plants above.
Soil: Forest recycling occurs here. Fungi, insects, bacteria, and
earthworms are among the many organisms that break down
organic material and provide nutrients to the forest layers above.
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Forest Succession: Change over time
In the natural growth of a forest, species replace each other over
time through a process called succession.
Shrub Stage: Un-mown fields can be quickly colonized by
“Pioneer Species”, sun-loving shrubs and trees like Trembling
Aspen and White Birch that grow quickly but have a short lifespan.
Young Forest: Pioneer tree species create shade and a moister
environment for the trees of a future forest growing in the
understory. There are still plenty of gaps in the canopy.
Mature Forest: Beneath the canopy created by the mixed woods,
moderately shade-tolerant trees become established like Ashes,
Oaks and Hickories.
Climax Forest: The cycle of succession slows when the most
shade-tolerant trees – like Sugar Maple, American Beech, Eastern
Hemlock – are able to become established. Seedlings of these
species thrive in the shade of their parents. Climax forests are
relatively stable communities that will remain as such until a
disturbance like fire, a falling tree, or human development begins
succession anew.
Early Successional Forests on the Bruce Trail
◆ Springle
◆ Valis
Climax Forests on the Bruce Trail
◆ Harshman
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Stewarding Escarpment Forests
The Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC) protects and stewards over
5,900 acres of forest along the Niagara Escarpment by:
1) Creating Corridors
As one of Ontario’s largest land trusts, the BTC purchases land
in its mission to establish a conservation corridor for Niagara
Escarpment flora and fauna that can be explored using the
Bruce Trail. Conservation corridors provide uninterrupted areas
of habitat to allow dispersal of plants, and safe access to food,
shelter and breeding areas for wildlife.
2) Planting Trees
To connect adjacent forests or increase the size of existing ones,
the BTC has planted over 22,000 native trees on BTC-managed
land since 2000.
3) Restoring Plantations
Conifer tree plantations are stands of a single tree species,
planted in rows. They are usually an effort to reforest an area
quickly but they have little biological diversity. On BTC-managed
land, we are working to improve the diversity in older
plantations by selectively thinning the conifers and planting
native deciduous trees like Sugar Maple and American Beech.
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Stewarding Escarpment Forests
4) Monitoring & Removing Invasive Species
The BTC is working to control invasive forest plants like Garlic
Mustard and Dog-strangling Vine that are choking out native
plants on the forest floor. We are also keeping close watch for
invasive forest insects like the Emerald Ash Borer and Asian
Long-horned beetle that have yet to infect forests on BTCmanaged land.
5) Identifying & Monitoring Species-at-Risk
BTC ecologists have identified 23 forest-associated species-atrisk on BTC-managed lands including: Butternut, Eastern
Flowering Dogwood, and Canada Warbler. Volunteers and staff
monitor these species, share results with other agencies, and
develop policies to aid in their protection.
6) Letting things be
Beyond the Trail corridor, the BTC does not clear away naturally
occurring logs, leaves, branches, stumps or dead trees. As long
as they do not pose a safety risk, these things are left to provide
habitat for wildlife, and rich organic material for decomposition.
7) Teamwork
BTC’s Land Stewardship program is a collaboration of 175
volunteers and 2 BTC staff. You can help. Find out more at
brucetrail.org/pages/land-conservation/landstewardship
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Common Escarpment Trees
Nearly 100 tree species can be found in the forest regions of
southern Ontario.
To follow are a few of the more common native ones you may
encounter on a hike along the Bruce Trail.
Although not a complete or comprehensive guide, we hope this
will help you get to know some of your treed neighbours.
Deciduous Trees
Deciduous Carolinian Trees
Coniferous Trees
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Helpful Tree Characteristics
To identify a tree, it helps to understand a few tree characteristics.
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Compound Leaves
Simple Leaves
Oppositely arranged
Alternately arranged
Lobed Leaves
Toothed Leaves
Clustered Needles
Single Needles
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Scale-like Needles
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American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
Leaf: Simple leaf with straight parallel veins ending in a single
tooth. Bluish-green on top with a lighter shade underneath
arranged alternately along the twig. Leaves become pale and
papery in the autumn remaining on the tree well into the winter
months.
Bark: Thin, smooth, bluish-grey with whitish mottles sometimes
present. Often said to resemble an elephant’s leg.
Flowers and fruits: Male flower are greenish-yellow clusters on
long stalks. Female flowers are similar but only found in leaf axils
of the leaves. Fruits consist of a reddish-brown, four-parted, bristly
husk which contains a three-sided pyramid-shaped nut.
Habitat: Occurs on moist, well-drained slopes and interior forests
where it grows readily in the shade.
Associated species: Sugar Maple, Yellow Birch, Eastern Hemlock,
Trilliums, Blue Cohosh, Jack in the Pulpit.
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Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
Leaf: Compound; 14-22 short-stalked leaflets on a central stalk.
Leaflets are oval with a sharp tip and toothed edges. Terminal
leaflet often missing or much smaller than the others. Leaves have
a strong odour when crushed.
Bark: Young bark is light brown and scaly maturing into a dark
brown deeply-furrowed bark with intersecting ridges.
Flowers and fruit: Male flowers on long drooping catkins and
green in colour. Female flowers are erect yellowish-green clusters.
Fruit is a grooved nut surrounded by a round, thick, green husk.
Habitat: Well-drained, fertile soils in lowland areas, stream and
riverbanks and floodplains.
Associated species: Red Maple, White Elm, Butternut, Wild Leek,
Riverbank Grape, Spotted Touch-me-Not, Sensitive Fern.
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Butternut (Juglans cinerea)
Leaf: Compound; 11-17 leaflets on a central stalk. Leaflets are oval,
toothed, yellowish-green in colour with a rough upper surface and
densely hairy beneath. Terminal leaflet is similar in size to the
others. (Compare with Black Walnut)
Bark: Bark is smooth and light grey with whitish lines when young.
Becomes grey with shallow groves and intersecting flat-topped
ridges.
Flowers and fruit: Male flowers are long, green, drooping catkins.
Female flowers are pinkish-red erect clusters. Fruit is an oval nut
with jagged ridges surrounded by a green oval husk covered in
sticky hairs.
Habitat: Prefers well drained, dry rocky soils on gradual slopes
and shallow valleys. Very shade-intolerant so also grows in open
fields and forest edges.
Associated species: Basswood, Black Cherry, Sugar Maple, Yellow
Birch, Black Walnut, grasses.
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Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
Leaf: Lobed; Alternately arranged along the twig with several deep
lobes ending in bristly teeth. Dark green upper surface and paler
underside.
Bark: Smooth and dark grey when young. Mature bark has wide
shallow furrows with pale grey ridges.
Flowers and fruit: Female flowers are red spikes in the leaf axils
and male flowers are greenish-yellow catkins hanging down from
the twigs before the leaves emerge. Fruit is an acorn – a nut
nestled into a cup-shaped, thin-scaled saucer.
Habitat: Moist, fertile soils in interior forests, edges and fencerows.
Associated species: White Oak, ashes, hickories, Squawroot,
Eastern Bracken Fern, White Pine, Starflower.
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Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Leaf: Familiar leaf profiled on the Canadian flag. 5 pointed lobes
with irregular wavy teeth arranged oppositely along the twig.
Green in colour; turning a brilliant yellow, orange or red in the
autumn.
Bark: Smooth and grey when young becoming dark grey with
long, vertical, irregular ridges which curl outward from the trunk.
Flowers and fruits: Small, petal-less, greenish-yellow flowers on
long, drooping stalks forming clusters among the emerging leaves
in Spring. Fruits in drooping clusters of paired plump seedcases
with extended wings often referred to as keys.
Habitat: Grows in a variety of areas but prefer deep, fertile, well-
drained soils in interior forests, edges, slopes and open gaps.
Associated species: American Beech, ashes, White Trillium,
violets, hazels, Wild Ginger, Trout Lily, Blue Cohosh, Wild
Sarsaparilla.
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Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
Leaf: Broad and heart-shaped with a fine toothed edge on long
stalks. Upper surface is green with a pale, whitish colour beneath.
Bottom of the leaf is rounded and the tip is small and pointed.
Bark: Smooth and pale green to white with a waxy appearance
when young; turning grey and furrowed with age. Bark tends to be
more furrowed at the base of the tree and smoother as it ascends
up to the canopy.
Flowers and fruit: Long (5-10 cm), light green, hanging catkins
which produce small oval seeds.
Habitat: Moist, well drained soils in forest openings, ridges,
lowlands and disturbed sites.
Associated species: White Birch, Balsam Poplar, Balsam Fir, White
Spruce, Chokecherry, Mountain Maple, sedges, Bunchberry.
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White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
Leaf: Compound; 5-9 oval leaflets on a central stalk with smooth
edges or infrequent rounded teeth. Upper surface is a dark green
with the underside being much paler.
Bark: Young bark is light grey and smooth; becomes deeply
furrowed with intersecting ridges producing a diamond pattern.
Flowers and fruit: Small tufts of purple flowers emerge before the
leaves in the spring. Fruit is a seedcase with a wing emerging from
the tip. These hang off the tree in clusters.
Habitat: Prefers deep, well-drained soils in interior forests.
Associated species: Sugar Maple, Blue Cohosh, Red Elderberry,
Alternate-leaved Dogwood, Wild Leek.
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White Birch (Betula papyrifera)
Leaf: Oval or triangular in shape, dull green with a lighter
underside and a multi-toothed edge.
Bark: Young bark smooth and reddish-brown with distinct narrow
lines called lenticels. Mature bark becoming white and often
shedding from the tree in large sheets.
Flowers and fruits: Both male and female flowers are yellowish-
green catkins with the males being 9 cm in length hanging from
the twigs and the smaller females (1-3 cm) standing upright from
the leaf axils. Very small nutlets or scales (1-3 mm) are produced
and spread by the wind.
Habitat: Grows in a wide variety of soils on forest edges, forest
openings, lakesides, disturbed sites and ridges.
Associated species: Red Maple, aspens, poplars, White Spruce,
Red Osier Dogwood, Bunchberry, Fragrant Bedstraw.
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White Oak (Quercus alba)
Leaf: Lobed; Alternately arranged along the twig with several deep
lobes ending in smooth, blunt ends with a dark green upper
surface and paler underside.
Bark: Pale grey with a reddish tinge and narrow, scaly ridges
broken into rectangular sections.
Flowers and fruit: Male flowers are clustered on long, drooping
stalks and are yellowish-green in colour. Female flowers are
reddish spikes in the leaf axils. Fruit is an acorn – a nut nestled in a
cup-shaped, thick-scaled saucer.
Habitat: Grows in a variety of soils in interior forests, forest gaps,
edges and fence rows.
Associated species: Red Oak, hickories, Black Cherry, White Ash,
White Pine, Wintergreen, Starflower.
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Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Leaf: Has 3 variable leaf shapes: 3 lobes, 2 lobes resembling a
mitten, or a simple leaf with no lobes. Alternating up the twig, they
are smooth and dark green in colour and give off a citrus-like scent
when crushed.
Bark: Brown, rough and corky when young. Dark brown with
deep grooves and corky ridges when mature.
Flowers and fruits: Small, greenish-yellow, multi-petaled flowers
which produce dark blue berries on a long red stalk.
Habitat: An uncommon tree in Ontario, they prefer nutrient-rich
soils in forest openings or edges and can grow in shade or sun.
Carolinian species.
Associated species: Black Cherry, oaks, cottonwoods, Ironwood,
American Beech.
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Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)
Leaf: Compound; 5 finely-toothed, yellowish-green leaflets on a
central stalk. Terminal leaflet is often larger than the others.
Bark: Dark grey and rough separating into loose plates or strips
giving the tree a shaggy look.
Flowers and fruits: Female flowers small and green; Male flowers
form long, cylindrical clusters or catkins which hang from the
twigs. Fruit is a round, thick husk which splits into 4 pieces
revealing a hard nut.
Habitat: Rich, moist soils in interior forests and edges. Carolinian
species.
Associated species: Bitternut Hickory, Sugar Maple, Blue Beech,
oaks, Wild Geranium.
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Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Leaf: Lobed; Distinctive shape resembling a Tulip flower.
Alternating growth pattern along the twig. Leaves are smooth and
dark green with prominent centre vein.
Bark: Young bark is smooth and dark green with whitish spots.
Mature bark is brown with deep intersecting ridges or grooves.
Flowers and seed: Large showy flowers greenish-yellow in colour
which also resemble a Tulip flower. Fruits are large (3-5 cm) cone
shaped pods.
Habitat: A southern tree which occur in deep, rich, moist soils
along streams and swampy areas where it enjoys full sun. Often
planted as an ornamental or along urban streets. Carolinian
species.
Associated species: Eastern Hemlock, Red Maple, oaks, hickories.
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Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)
Leaf: Single needles; Flat; 2-3 cm long, rounded, shiny green above
with 2 white lines of dots underneath. Needles often curve
upwards and have a strong odour when crushed.
Bark: Grey and smooth when young with raised resin-filled blisters.
With age, the bark roughens and develops irregular brownish
scales.
Flowers and fruits: Seed cones form into erect clusters of 5-10 cm
long, greyish-brown/purple cones with tight scales that ooze resin.
Habitat: Prefer moist lowland forests or sandy uplands but can
also be found in a variety of other sites as the tree is very
adaptable.
Associated species: White Birch, Black Spruce, Trembling Aspen,
White Spruce, Eastern Hemlock.
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Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
Leaf: Single needles; Flat; 1-2 cm, tapered, shiny green, organized
in 2 rows on the central stem giving the branch a flattened look.
Undersides of needles have 2 distinct white lines of dots.
Bark: Young bark greyish and scaly. Matures to a deeply-furrowed,
brown surface with flat-topped ridges.
Flowers and fruit: Seed cones are oval, small and purplish-brown
with thin, roundish scales.
Habitat: Prefers cool, moist, shady sites on a variety of soils or
rocky locations and often found on north-facing slopes or ravines.
Associated species: Yellow Birch, White Pine, White Spruce,
Sugar Maple, ferns.
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Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
Leaf: Scale-like, flattened needles; Yellowish-green and waxy.
Bark: Smooth, shiny and reddish-brown when young. Turning grey
with long, narrow strips when mature.
Flowers and fruits: Seed cones are small and green in clusters of
5 or 6 pairs at the tips of the branches. Turn brown when ripe and
are then shed from the twigs.
Habitat: Occur mainly in swampy areas and dry soils over
limestone bedrock. Also able to grow in harsh areas such as talus
slopes and open cliffs.
Associated species: Black Ash, White Birch, White Spruce, Yellow
Birch, ferns, Rattlesnake plantains, Coralroots.
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Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)
Leaf: Clustered needles in bundles of 5. Bluish-green needles are
5-15 cm long, slender, straight and flexible. Can be wrapped
around finger without breaking.
Bark: Smooth and greyish-green when young. Dark grey/brown
with deep furrows, broken up by broad scaly ridges when mature.
Flowers and fruit: Seed cones are supported by a long stalk and
are cylindrical and long (8-20 cm) with a green to light brown
colour and numerous round tipped scales along the length.
Habitat: Occurs on a variety of sites from dry, sandy soils,
lakeshores and islands to rocky ground. Fast growing and thrive in
the sunlight.
Associated species: Red Pine, Hemlock, Red Osier Dogwood,
White Spruce, Wild Lily-of-the-Valley.
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White Spruce (Picea glauca)
Leaf: Single needles; 4-sided (individual needles will roll between
your fingers); 2-3 cm long, 4-sided, green in colour occasionally
with a bluish tint and curve inwards towards the tip of the branch.
Bark: Smooth and light grey when young; dark grey and scaly in
older trees.
Flowers and fruit: Seed cones are slender, cylindrical and 3-6 cm
in length. Flexible scales are light brown, thin and close together
on the cone.
Habitat: Common in northern forests and occur on a wide variety
of soils and sites.
Associated species: Balsam Fir, aspens, White Birch, pines,
Beaked Hazel, Chokecherry, Red Osier Dogwood.
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Heritage Tree Scavenger Hunt
We’ve identified 16 amazing trees and groves along the Bruce Trail.
Can you find one on your next hike?
From a White Ash that’s over 230 years old to a Beech tree whose
bark bears the carvings from a WWII soldier, these are trees or
groves of trees that are particularly remarkable for their size, age,
species, or for the story they tell.
Each of these trees are along the Trail, only a short distance
(<4 km) from a trail access point.
At each tree you’ll find a sign with a code word. Record that code
word and submit it to forests@brucetrail.org along with your
name and the name of the tree to take part in the Heritage Tree
Scavenger Hunt.
Find out more about these fantastic trees and how to visit
them at brucetrail.org/pages/scavenger-hunt
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Resources
The Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC)
PO Box 857, Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9
1-800-665-4453 info@brucetrail.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . brucetrail.org
Ontario Power Generation (OPG)
Biodiversity Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . opgbiodiversity.ca
Books:
Trees in Canada. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by J.L. Farrar
Ontario’s Old-Growth Forests . . . . . . . . . . by Michael Henry & Peter Quinby
Trees of the Carolinian Forest:
A Guide to Species, Their Ecology and Uses . . . . . . . . . . by Gerry Waldron
The Last Stand: A Journey Through
the Ancient Cliff-Face Forest
of the Niagara Escarpment . . . . . . . . . by Peter E. Kelly, Douglas W. Larson
Websites:
Ontario Trees & Shrubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ontariotrees.com
Carolinian Canada. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . carolinian.org
Ontario Forests (MNR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Forests
U.N. International Year of Forests . . . . . . . . . . . . . un.org/en/events/iyof2011/
(These links are active at time of publication.)
Support The Bruce Trail Conservancy by:
• Becoming a member
• Volunteering
• Donating
Help support our mission to secure a conservation corridor
containing a public footpath along the Niagara Escarpment.
OPG Biodiversity is a series of conservation-focused, familyfriendly events sponsored by Ontario Power Generation in
partnership with Ontario Nature, the Bruce Trail Conservancy,
Earth Rangers, LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of
Forests), Rouge Park and Trees Ontario. Its goal is to spread the
word about protecting and conserving biodiversity in our urban parklands and
forest ecosystems, making it easy for people to get involved with the
environment and help fight climate change. OPG Biodiversity is part of OPG’s
commitment to conserve, sustain and protect nature.
For further information on these and other upcoming events, visit
opgbiodiversity.ca.
Photo credits: From Bugwood.org: Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service; Bill Cook,
Michigan State University; Franklin Bonner, USFS; Paul Wray, Iowa State University;
Keith Kanoti, Maine Forest Service; Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne;
Chris Evans, River to River CWMA; Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation and Natural
Resources. And: Bruce Martin; Doug McAbee; Kelly Colgan Azar; Sheri Amsel,
exploringnature.org; Florida Centre for Instructional Technology; Geneva Wirth; Daniel
Wilson; Tamas Mozer; Angela Larsen; Michael McDonald.
All other photographs are in the public domain or are courtesy of the BTC.
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Visit brucetrail.org to download this
booklet and share with your friends.
Produced by The Bruce Trail Conservancy with the proud support of its partner
Ontario Power Generation as a companion to the Escarpment Forest Hike Series 2011.
© 2011 The Bruce Trail Conservancy