Trees, Trees, Trees
Article and photo by Monika Smith
Our weather has been promising spring for a while, then dithered between deep freeze, plus temperatures, and snow. I had angst-ridden moments hoping that my trees and shrubs wouldn’t leaf out too early. Fortunately, native trees are not easily fooled; nor are the many trees that do well in our climate. It’s actually a bit hard to grow trees here: our soil is poor; our weather is dry, cool, and temperamental. The chinooks can do a lot of damage, as can extreme wind conditions.
There has been a flurry of scientific reports about the importance of trees, from mitigating climate to evaluating economic importance, and research that trees help our well-being.
Calgary didn’t originally have a lot of trees. Two deciduous trees: balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) were found alongside our rivers, seeps, soaks, and seasonal lakes. The other two are native conifers: white spruce (Picea glauca) and Rocky Mountain Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) found growing on the north-facing slopes, as they require considerable moisture, snow, and protection from drying winds. If you want to see Douglas firs, walk the Douglas Fir Trail in Edworthy Park. Some of them are 500 years old. This is one of the most easterly stands in Canada, but don’t expect the massive coastal variety. The specimens along the trail are a respectable size—up to 2.3 m in diameter. You can also find white spruce along this pathway as they need similar conditions.
We have about 7,000,000 trees in the city; it sounds impressive, but Calgary is very much on the lower end of urban tree numbers and canopy (only about 8.25%), as this isn’t the best location for trees. But we’ve learned how to grow them. Over the next 30 years, the City will aim for 16% canopy cover.
The City of Calgary offered free trees through the Branching Out program (now closed). A good number of species, including flowering and fruit-bearing trees (crab apples and pears), trembling aspen, ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa), and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta, the provincial tree) were listed. Only 2,000 trees were offered, 500 per quadrant.
If you’re curious about City-owned trees, there’s an interactive map at https://maps.calgary.ca/TreeSchedule/. Just type in your address, and City-owned and managed trees show up as variously coloured dots. It’s easy to understand and navigate. Compare the number of trees on private property versus City trees and where they are. In Glendale, there are a lot of trees on private property! The City trees are managed by Calgary Parks and many are assigned a value. Along 45th, the American elm (Ulmus Americana) range from $11,000 to $36,000 in value; there are a lot of elms in Glendale. The line of poplars on the north side of our community association is valued from $6,000 to over $30,000. The City has also planted a burr oak (Quercus macrocarpa) and different species of maples, hawthorns, ponderosa pine, and more.
Consider adding another tree to your property and delight in watching it grow and thrive. There are a lot of resources to plant successfully—we all know of spruces that were planted right against a house or trees that now are too shady.
Along with adding value to your property, shade in the summer, a windbreak, shelter, privacy, and maybe even food for you, the birds, and other critters, trees add beauty and life to your yard.
If you would like to participate in more online (Zoom) talks or even give a talk, please contact me. Think about a summer walk throughout Glendale and check out the great variety of trees here!
Until next time,
from Monika’s Grove
