Here are three relatively rare tree species you’ll find in Mississauga

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Published April 10, 2023 at 1:56 pm

Shagbark hickory trees can be found in several Mississauga locations. They're a less common species in southern Ontario. (Photo: City of Mississauga)

Mississauga is home to some 2.1 million trees and growing, and City officials say you’ll find at least a few relatively rare species among the more than 200 tree types.

“Trees range from coniferous, deciduous, flowering and fruit trees. You may have heard of oak and maple trees, but Mississauga is also home to some rare tree species, too,” a City of Mississauga spokesperson said in a news release. “With spring now here, you can walk around in Mississauga’s parks and neighbourhoods to see if you can spot one of these rare trees.”

The Sassafras tree, native to the Carolinian forests of southern Ontario, can be found in south central Mississauga at Hancock Woodlands park, near Camilla Rd. and the QEW.

“This beautiful native tree has three unique leaf shapes on a single tree. The flowers are small and yellow, and the fruit is dark blue on a red stalk,” City officials say. “It’s a source of food for birds. All parts of the plant have a spicy odour when bruised.”

Sassafras trees

In the Park Royal neighbourhood in southwest Mississauga, City officials say residents will find 20 large, rare Siberian elms along Padstow Cr., Bonner Rd. and Lewisham Dr.

“While Siberian elms are considered a non-native invasive species and are found throughout the city, the Park Royal elms were developed specially for the site and are believed to be the only remaining ones in Mississauga,” the City says. “In more than 50 years, these large trees have grown to be very impressive in size, despite difficult growing conditions. Many of these trees are more than 24 metres tall and have impressively long and straight trunks. These are rare trees.”

Siberian elms

Finally, the Shagbark Hickory can be found in several groves across the city, officials note, including at Bidwell Trail Common, Deer Run, Dr. Martin L. Dobkin Community Park, Erin Woods and Windrush Woods.

“This tree is named after its greyish bark that starts to ‘shag’ off in vertical strips, peeling away from the trunk on one or both ends as the tree ages,” officials say. “It has a sweet-tasting hickory nut that squirrels, chipmunks and birds eat. Shagbark hickories are a less common species in southern Ontario and can be found in several groves throughout Mississauga.”

For more information on Mississauga’s trees, including an online interactive tree map, visit the City’s website.

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