Starting Native Tree Seeds for the Canadensis Native Tree Project

Starting Native Tree Seeds for the Canadensis Native Tree Project

For OHS members interested in starting and growing native tree seeds from some of the less common species native to the Ottawa area, seeds will be available ahead of the OHS meeting on Tuesday, October 27 for volunteers who wish to grow trees for 2027. From 7:00 to 7:30 pm, please visit our table to pick up your seeds along with instructions and guidance on how to plant, grow, and care for them.

The Canadensis Native Tree Project invites volunteers to grow less common and rare native tree species that will be planted across Ottawa to help increase the biodiversity of our urban tree canopy. With leadership and volunteer support from the Ottawa Horticultural Society, the Canadensis Botanical Garden Society, the Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club, and the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library — and participation from organizations such as the Ottawa Stewardship Council, Master Gardeners of Ottawa‑Carleton, the Gloucester Horticultural Society, and others — dozens of uncommon native trees are being grown to heights of two to three feet and donated to community reforestation projects throughout the city.

This year, the native tree seeds and nuts available for volunteers include Ironwood (Hop hornbeam), Cherry birch, Bitternut hickory, and Ohio buckeye. Please stop by our table at St. Mark’s Church on Tuesday, October 27 between 7:00 and 7:30 pm, just before the regularly scheduled Speakers Series presentation featuring Emma Terrell, to receive your sprouted seeds and detailed care instructions for these baby trees.

We look forward to your help in growing native trees for Ottawa’s tree canopy in the coming year.