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THE OTTAWA NATURALIST 



VOL. XXIII. OTTAWA, JANUARY. IQIO No. 10 



i 



SOME OF THE BEST NATIVE PLANTS FOR 

 CULTIVATION. 



By W. T. Macoun, 



Horticulturist and Curator of the Arboretum and Botanic 

 Garden, Central Experimental Farm. Ottawa. 



There are in Canada about 4,000 species of flowering plants, 

 and 76 species of ferns. In the Province of Ontario alone there 

 are nearlv 2,000 species of flowering plants, and 46 species of 

 ferns. This flora stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific and 

 from latitude 49 to as far north in the Arctic regions as the 

 Canadian territory extends. Over this wide area there are many 

 variations in climate, each great climatic region being again 

 subdivided into habitats, wdiere the different species are found. 

 Some species have a very wide range, extending from the Atlantic 

 to the Pacific and from the 49th parallel to the Arctic circle, 

 while others, such as the Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifcra. 

 American Crab Apple, Pyrus coronaria, Common Papaw, Asimina 

 triloba, Flowering Dogw'ood, Cormis florida, \'irginian Cowslip, 

 Mertensia puhnonariodes, and other plants I might mention are 

 confined to very limited districts in south-western Ontario. 

 though having considerable range south in the United States. 



There is no difference of opinion among lovers of plants as 

 to the l)eauty of the Canadian flora. The great variety, the 

 charming forms, the lovely colours, and the blending of the 

 whole when under natural conditions give us innumerable and 

 varied pictures of which we may well feel proud. 



There is a growing sentiment in .Canada in favour of Can- 

 adian things. We are becoming more proud of our country- 

 everv year. We are looking for an individuality which will 

 stand for Canada, and one of the best ways we can impress our 

 individualitv on the people of other countries and our own is 

 to make Canadian trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants a 

 prominent feature of our landscapes. We have too often in the 



