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Plan checklist

• Complete Pre-Survey
• Survey date
• Landowner name
• Plan compartments
• Add Owner signature
• Planting date
• Add Gallery
• Complete Post-Survey

The Sjoholm Property

Island 2, 20 Stewart Lake Road, Stewart Lake

Planting plan created by The District Municipality of Muskoka

Survey Date: 07/13/2025 • Planting Date: 05/10/2018

Funded by • Restore Your Muskoka Shore • Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund •

Schedule A:

Plants & Property

Land Characteristics

This planting plan is designed based on the land characteristics identified during the day of the site visit. Plants are chosen according to the soil and light conditions on your property. The number of plants chosen for each planting compartment takes into account the square metre area of the space, as well as the amount of current vegetation cover. Your property is part of ecoZone: 5a

Land Characteristics by Compartment

Plant Selection Summary

The following shrubs and trees are chosen for their suitability and survivability given the current soil and light conditions in each compartment on your property, as well as preferable features.

Plant Information

The following table summarizes key information about each plant selected for your property.

	Fragrant Sumac Height: 1-2m The Fragrant Sumac is a medium-sized deciduous shrub within the Cashew family. This species grows between 1-2 meters in height, is multi-stemmed, and produces a round, dense crown composed of erect and spreading branches. Between March and April, small yellow flower clusters bloom on the terminal ends of the branches prior to leaf development. Fruit development begins during late summer. Small, red, hairy berries are produced and can remain on the plant throughout the winter. Male catkins develop on the plant in September. Fragrant Sumac leaves are simple and arranged alternately along the branch. Leaves produced are simple and trifoliate with a large center lobe, appearing similar to Poison Ivy. During the spring and summer, the leaves are light green to green-yellow in colour turning a bright yellow to red or dark purple in autumn. Crushed leaves and stems of the Fragrant Sumac produce a fragrant citrus aroma, hence the common name. The aroma of this shrub is attractive to butterfly species, making it the perfect addition to any butterfly garden. The roots of the Fragrant Sumac are shallow, fibrous, and spread rapidly, making it an ideal choice for stabilizing shorelines and mitigating erosion on steep slopes. Unlike other Sumac species, Fragrant Sumac is significantly less aggressive and easily maintained.
	Lowbush Blueberry Height: 60 cm The Lowbush Blueberry is a low growing, deciduous shrub that only reaches about 60 cm in height. This species grows erect, with many spreading and ascending branches. New branch growth is soft and green-brown in colour, while older branches are woody and have shredded looking bark. The leaves are small, simple leaves alternately arranged, and have finely serrated margins. During the fall, this shrub's lustrous blue-green leaves turn into an electrifying bronze, scarlet or crimson colour. Clusters of small, white, bell-shaped flowers bloom between May and June. By July, the flowers give way to clusters of edible blueberries. These berries provide a significant food source for a variety of bird and mammal species.
	Wild Bergamot Height: 1 m Wild Bergamot is a perennial wildflower species that is member of the mint family and can grow about 1 m tall. Its stems are light green and smooth with abundant branching on the upper half. The leaves are oppositely arranged, broadly lanceolate shaped, 6-10 cm long, and have toothed edges. The also leaves emit a aromatic minty/oregano scent when crushed. The flowers are showy, pink/lavender coloured, appear on the ends of flowering stems, and bloom between July and September. The flowers bloom in the center of the head first, moving outwards creating a wreath. The flowers are beneficial to pollinator species, like bees and butterflies. This wildflower spreads well and can be used to naturalize un-vegetated areas. The roots can be useful for controlling erosion and stabilizing shorelines.
	Wild Columbine Height: 0.5 m Wild Columbine is a perennial wildflower that grows about 0.5 m tall and is popular among gardeners due to its beautiful red and yellow coloured flowers. These flowers are nodding flowers, meaning that they droop downwards off the end of the branch. They have five sepals and five petals that stretch upwards creating five long spurs out the back. The leaves are attractive, compound and made up of 9-27 leaflets, appear in groups of three, and are rounded or broadly egg-shaped with rounded lobes. The sweet nectar of this wildflower is a great attractant to hummingbirds and butterflies.
	Eastern Red Cedar Height: 10-15m The Eastern Red Cedar is a medium-large sized tree species which produces scale-like evergreen leaves on mature trees that grow to 10-15m. The leaves are needles and are blue-green colored, paired, and grow tight to the twig. This tree's twigs are light green to reddish-brown, slender, and four-sided. Eastern Red Cedar is a dioecious species with separate male and female trees. Male trees produce yellow cones that are 3 mm long, while females produce berry-like cones that are 3-6 mm round, deep blue, and covered in a whitish powder. These berry-like fruits ripen at the beginning of autumn, and are a valuable food source for birds and small mammals. The Eastern Red Cedar produces a single trunk covered in bark, which is brown-grey and exfoliates into strips. This species is branched near the base, produces a conical to cylindrical crown, and has a root system that is fibrous and moderately deep. This tree species is long lived and can reach 150-350 years old.
	Allegheny Serviceberry Height: 3-10 m The Allegheny Serviceberry is an attractive deciduous shrub species that can reach about 3 m as a shrub or up to 10 m as a tree. This plant may also be known by the common name Smooth Serviceberry. It can be grown either in the form of a single stem tree or multi-stemmed shrub comprised of two or three smaller trunks. The leaves are dark green, alternately arranged, oval shaped, and have finely toothed margins. The flowers are showy, fragrant, have 5 petals, appear in drooping clusters, and bloom in April before the leaves emerge. The flowers produce small reddish purple to black berries, which are edible and flavorful to humans. The fruit is beneficial to wildlife species, including birds and small mammals. The root system is valuable for controlling erosion and stabilizing loose soil. This plant is often used for ornamental purposes as a small tree in urban areas.
	Common Juniper Height: 1 m The Common Juniper is a small, low spreading coniferous shrub with stiff branches which typically grows 1m in height. This species can occasionally grow upright in favorable conditions. The Common Juniper is found across North America as well as Greenland, Europe, Siberia, and Asia. This species grows green needles with sharp tips found in whorls of 3 on branches. The seed cones of this plant resemble berries and grow along mature branches. The seed cones of Common Juniper begin green and take eighteen months to ripen, turning a dark purple or black colour and developing a blue wax coating.
	Pearly Everlasting Height: 1m Pearly Everlasting is a medium sized wildflower species which grows up to 1 m in height. The leaves are grey-green, long and narrow, simple, and alternately arranged. The flowers are small, white colored with yellow centers, have silvery hue appearance, appear in attractive clusters, and bloom between July and August. It is also a great attractant for the American Lady Butterfly because it is a host for its larvae. Historically, Pearly Everlasting was used as a salve to treat burns, bruises, swelling, and joint pain.
	Bush Honeysuckle Height: 1m The Bush Honeysuckle is a small, hardy, deciduous shrub that rarely grows taller than 1 m in height. The leaves are simple, oppositely arranged, ovate shaped, and have finely toothed margins. During the spring and summer, the leaves are dark green in colour, then in the fall they take on a variety of colours ranging from a deep purple to light yellow. The flowers are small, showy, yellow to orange colored, trumpet shaped, appear in clusters on the tips of branches, and bloom between June and July. The flowers are beneficial to pollinator species, including hummingbirds and butterflies. The roots of the Bush Honeysuckle are fibrous, giving it the ability to form thickets and making it an ideal shrub to plant for erosion control.
	Smooth Blackberry Height: 2m The Smooth Blackberry, also referred to as Canadian Blackberry, Thornless Blackberry and Smooth Highbush Blackberry, is a medium sized shrub species and member of the Rose family, that reaches heights of 2m. This species forms irregular thickets with reddish-purple to brown stems. Leaves produced are lance-shaped, arranged alternately along the branches and are compounded with five leaflets. During the fall, the leaves turn from light green to dark red or deep purple. During the spring and summer, five-petaled, white flowers grow in clusters of up to 25 at the end of the branches. By mid-summer, the flowers give rise to edible purplish-black fleshy fruits, which ripen by late August. The fruiting bodies of this shrub provide an important abundant food source for many birds and mammal species. This shrub is good for controlling erosion and stabilizing shorelines.
	Purple Coneflower Height: 1m Purple Coneflower is a perennial wildflower that typically grows about 1 m tall. This plant may also be known by the common name Echinacea. The leaves are dark green coloured, alternately arranged, lance shaped with pointed tips, and have serrated margins. The flowers are showy, pale purple to pink, have 15-20 toothed petals, appear atop erect stems, and bloom between June and August. This wildflower spreads well and can be used to naturalize un-vegetated areas. The roots can be useful for controlling erosion and stabilizing shorelines. This flower blooms for long periods. The flowers are beneficial to pollinator species, like bees and butterflies. The seeds are also beneficial to wildlife species, like birds and small mammals.

Compartment A

Naturalization Area

Beaver & deer concerns

• pH: acidic
• Depth: wildflowers
• Moisture: dry, normal
• Soil Type: loamy
• Light conditions: full sun

Fragrant Sumac

3

Lowbush Blueberry

3

Wild Bergamot

2

Wild Columbine

6

Compartment B

Naturalization Area

• pH: acidic
• Depth: potted
• Moisture: dry, normal
• Soil Type: loamy
• Light conditions: full sun

Eastern Red Cedar

1

Allegheny Serviceberry

2

Compartment C

Naturalization Area

• pH: acidic
• Depth: potted
• Moisture: dry, normal
• Soil Type: loamy
• Light conditions: full sun

Lowbush Blueberry

2

Wild Bergamot

2

Common Juniper

1

Pearly Everlasting

2

Compartment D

Naturalization Area

• pH: acidic
• Depth: potted
• Moisture: dry, normal
• Soil Type: loamy
• Light conditions: full sun, partial sun

Wild Bergamot

3

Eastern Red Cedar

1

Bush Honeysuckle

3

Smooth Blackberry

2

Compartment E

Naturalization Area

• pH: acidic
• Depth: wildflowers
• Moisture: dry
• Soil Type: loamy
• Light conditions: full sun

Fragrant Sumac

2

Wild Columbine

3

Purple Coneflower

6

Compartment F

Naturalization Area

• pH: normal
• Depth: potted
• Moisture: dry, normal
• Soil Type: loamy
• Light conditions: full sun, partial sun

Eastern Red Cedar

1

Allegheny Serviceberry

3

Bush Honeysuckle

2

Schedule B

Financial Summary

Project by: The District Municipality of Muskoka

Shoreline Re-Naturalization Starter Kit includes: free site visit, customized re-naturalization planting plan for your shoreline property, native plants including free bare root (small) and potted (large) plants and wildflowers, coconut fibre pads to deter grass from growing around new plantings, tree guards for all deciduous trees, mulch for your wildflowers, Plant Care Guide with instructions on how to take care of your new plants, Habitat Creation Guide and a Wildflower Garden Guide.

Our planting plans are created onsite with you and provide detailed information and plans to re-naturalize your shoreline property. We take photos of areas for planting and overlay native plants that are well suited to your property based on site conditions such as soil type and sunlight availability.

We will work with you to create a plan that works for you including options for low growing plants in areas where views are important.

Schedule C

Project Agreement

Stewardship Agreement

Please indicate your agreement to this proposed plan by signing the following Stewardship Agreement and submitting it, along with your financial contribution, to:

The District Municipality of Muskoka
70 Pine Street Bracebridge, Ontario P1L 1N3

Plant Availability

Please note that plant species may need to be changed based on plant stock availability at the time of ordering.

Project Completion

Upon receiving your signed stewardship agreement and financial contribution, a date will be booked for you to pick up your Natural Edge Kit. The District Municipality of Muskoka will supply all plants and materials. If you are paying for the planting to be completed for you, a date will be arranged for The District Municipality of Muskoka to plant your shoreline, bringing the plants and materials with them. If there are particular dates that you would prefer, we will do our best to accommodate your requests.

About this program

About The District Municipality of Muskoka

The District of Muskoka is an upper-tier municipality that has monitored water quality in Muskoka area lakes since 1980. Since 2002, the Muskoka Water Strategy has provided integrated and strategic initiatives for the protection of Muskoka's water resources. The purpose of the strategy is to guide and minimize the impact of human activities on water resources; ensure human and environmental health; and preserve the quality of life in Muskoka.

This program was created by Watersheds Canada

We believe that every person has the right to access clean and healthy lakes and rivers in Canada. At Watersheds Canada, we work to keep these precious places naturally clean and healthy for people and wildlife to continue using for years to come. We love working with others to meet the needs of local communities, whether you’re a concerned citizen, a landowner, a lake association looking for help, or a coalition of groups interested in activating your local community.