Northern Fly Honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis)

This shrub produces creamy/yellow blooms in late spring that attract pollinators. By summer, its berries provide food for birds. Grows 90 - 180 cm tall and thrives in a range of light and moisture conditions.

White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)

Blooms from late summer into fall, with clusters of small, fuzzy, cream-coloured flowers. Grows up to 120 cm tall, is common in open clearings, adapts to all soil types, and tolerates partial shade.

Northern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)

Pink to red fiddleheads emerge in early spring, becoming delicate, fanning fronds. Grows 30 - 75 cm tall and spreads slowly by rhizomes. Prefers even moisture and heavy shade.

Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis)

Single white flowers bloom late spring through summer that attract bees. Grows 20 - 80 cm tall and is shade- and wet-tolerant. This perennial spreads aggressively by underground rhizomes and can be used as a groundcover. 

Spikenard (Aralia racemosa)

Greenish-white blooms appear in early summer, followed by clusters of dark purple berries in the fall. Though inedible to humans, birds love them! Grows 60 – 150 cm tall in moist soil and is ideal for shade gardens.

Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)

Groundcover with rough, heart-shaped dark green leaves and flowers that are usually hidden beneath the foliage. It’s an excellent native alternative to hostas. Grows 12 -30 cm tall, thrives in heavy shade and is drought-tolerant.

Bulblet Fern (Cystopteris bulbifera)

Hardy spreading fern with slender fronds that taper to a point. Grows 15 -60 cm tall. Bulblets drop from fronds to form new plants and can be divided by roots.

Marginal Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

Golden-brown fiddleheads unfurl into tapered evergreen fronds. Forms non-spreading clumps 60 - 120 cm tall. Drought- and part-shade-tolerant and prefers shelter from wind.

Canada Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum canadensis)

White blooms appear in late spring to early summer. Its broad leaves look like maple leaves with watermarks, which is how it got its name. Grows 30 - 90 cm tall and forms large colonies in shade. 

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Red, lobed flowers bloom in late summer on stalks reaching up to 1 m tall, attracting pollinators. This flower was chosen to symbolize fallen Canadians and is a native alternative to the poppy. Requires constant moisture and tolerates shade.

Ostrich Fern (Matteucia streuthiopteris)

Feathery green fronds unfurl from early-spring fiddleheads, resembling a bird’s tail. Grows up to 120 cm tall by mid-summer. Spreads by rhizomes, forming dense colonies. Common in shaded forests with rich soil that is moist to wet.

Great Flowered Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)

Drooping yellow blooms with delicate twisted petals appear in spring. Also known as “Merrybells,” this woodland wildflower grows up to 60 cm tall and is shade tolerant.

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

White, multi-petaled flowers with orange stems bloom in early spring. Grows up to 60 cm tall and is a shade-tolerant groundcover. 

The red roots are toxic and should be handled with care to prevent accidental ingestion.

Early Meadow Rue (Thalictrum dioicum)

Blooms in spring, producing male and female flowers on separate plants (yellow and purple) with attractive multi-leaved foliage. Grows up to 80 cm tall and prefers full sun to part shade.

Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

Ontario’s floral emblem, the Trillium has three distinct leaves and three white petals that turn pink as the flower matures. Grows around 40 cm tall and spreads slowly if left undisturbed.

Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Tubular yellow and red flowers bloom in late spring and droop from delicate foliage, attracting hummingbirds. Grows 60 - 90 cm tall and tolerates part shade and drought.