Arbor Garden Centre & Nursery native ontario plants

Discover the versatile and resilient serviceberry, a stunning woody plant that thrives across USDA Zones 2 to 9. Growing as a 6 to 25-foot tree or shrub, it flourishes in well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral soils under full sun to partial shade. Its delicate white spring blossoms attract native bees, butterflies, and other vital pollinators, while yielding juicy, dark purple fruits with a sweet, agreeable, and rich blueberry-like flavor. Beyond its delicious harvest and brilliant fall foliage, this plant is an ecological powerhouse that provides essential food and shelter for over 35 species of songbirds and wildlife Guide to Planting a Serviceberry. 

💮 Delicate white flowers in May 

🫐 Fruit in June

Native across all of Canada, the robust Canadian elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) thrives in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 9.  It requires minimal maintenance, preferring full sun and consistently moist, well-drained soils. This fast-growing shrub reaches a mature size of 5 to 12 feet tall and wide. Ecologically, its thick, suckering roots prevent soil erosion and provide vital nesting habitats for songbirds. In early summer, its fragrant, creamy-white blossoms provide essential pollen for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies. By late summer, it produces drooping clusters of deep purple-to-black berries that yield a delightfully tart, earthy, and sweet flavor when cooked into jams, pies, or syrups. These ripe fruits are also a highly sought-after food source for over 50 species of birds. 

💮 White umbels of flowers in June 

🫐 Fruit in mid August - mid September

Native to North America, the chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a resilient, fast-growing shrub or small tree reaching 20 to 30 feet tall. Thriving in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 7, it adapts to diverse, well-draining soils and full sun. Its fragrant spring blossoms attract honeybees and butterflies, while the astringent, tart berries later feed birds and mammals.  Furthermore, this invaluable ecological keystone anchors soils to prevent erosion and hosts hundreds of caterpillar species. 

💮 Cylindrical racemes of white flowers in May 

🫐 Fruit in August

 Transform your landscape with the Eastern Redbud, a stunning native tree ranging from Eastern North America to Southern Ontario. Thriving in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9, it adapts to full sun or part shade and various soils, reaching a mature height of 20 to 30 feet. It offers crucial early-season nectar for bees and butterflies and is an essential host plant for species like Henry's Elfin butterfly. 

💮 Small, bright magenta flowers in May

 Native to the northern boreal forests of Asia, Europe, and Canada, haskap is an incredibly resilient, 4- to 5-foot shrub thriving in Zones 1 to 7. Thriving in full sun and well-drained, organic-rich soil, it produces an early yield of dark blue berries with a unique sweet-tart flavor resembling a cross between a blueberry and raspberry. Beyond its fruit, it offers excellent ecological value by flowering very early, attracting early-season bumble bees and other essential pollinators. Image:  
wildaz on iNaturalist under a Creative Commons license.

💮 Tubular blossoms of white flowers in May 

🫐 Fruit in June

Native across North America, the blueberry (Vaccinium) is a versatile, keystone ecological shrub that thrives in USDA hardiness zones 3–8. To achieve its maximum potential size of 1 to 8 feet depending on the variety, it requires acidic, well-drained soil and full sun. This plant provides immense ecological value, acting as a crucial nectar source for early-season pollinators like native bees and bumblebees, while its bell-shaped flowers and foliage host dozens of caterpillar species. Requiring cross-pollination for peak yields, this hardy grower rewards your garden with incredibly juicy, sweet, and antioxidant-rich fruit that is highly sought after by local wildlife and humans alike. 

💮 Pale pink bell-shaped flowers in May 

🫐 Fruit in August

Elevate your pollinator garden with Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). Native to most of North America, this clump-forming perennial thrives in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9. It requires full to partial sun and moist, wet soils, though it adapts well to average gardens. Growing 3 to 5 feet tall, it provides unmatched ecological value as a critical monarch host plant and a rich nectar source, attracting butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. 

💮 Umbels of pink flowers in August

Native to e astern North America, the Summer Wine Ninebark is a stunning, compact shrub (5–8 feet) that thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-7. Thriving in full sun to partial shade and adaptable to most soils, it requires little maintenance. Its beautiful pink-and-white spring blooms provide vital ecological value by attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. 

💮  Corymbs of white flowers in May and June

• Small native perennials are $4.50 each. 
• 1 gallon native perennials are $12.50 each. 

Including:

• Eechinacea (Coneflower)
• Tiarella (foam flower)
• Jacob's ladder
• Black raspberry
• Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya) 
• Black-eyed Susan
• Brown-eyed Susan
• and many more...