View PDF

Plan checklist

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

The Ball Property

1695 Peninsula Point Road, Severn River

Planting plan created by Muskoka Watershed Council

Survey Date: 06/08/2020

Funded by •

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: 5b

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.

	Yellow Birch Height: 25 m Yellow Birch is a native deciduous tree species that can grow up to 25 m in height. The bark is thin, flaky, shiny, and can be brownish-yellow, bronze, or silvery colored. The leaves are deep greenish-yellow, simple, alternately arranged, oval shaped, have doubly serrated edges, and are about 8-11 cm long. This tree species produces catkins in April-May, which are slim, cylinder shaped, yellowish brown flower clusters. In the Fall, seed pods are produced that are brown colored, cone shaped, and break apart easily. Yellow Birch is a slow growing tree but can live up to 150 years. This tree species is beneficial to wildlife species like birds and mammals.
	Narrow Leaved Meadowsweet Height: 1-2m The Narrow Leaved Meadowsweet is an erect, deciduous shrub, which grows in the shape of a mound. This species develops numerous branches and branchlets, giving it a sparse appearance. Leaves produced are simple and narrow with sharply toothed borders growing alternately along the branches. These bright, light green leaves appear crowded, as they grow close together on the stocks and branches. During the fall, leaves turn a yellow-red or yellow-orange colour. Small white to light pink flower clusters appear in the spring growing in a dense, narrow pyramid at the terminal ends of the branches. During late summer to early fall, these flowers produce smooth, papery seed pods.
	Sweet Gale Height: 1-2m Sweet Gale is a medium-sized shrub which grows into a thick bush about 1-2 m tall. This species produces 1-8 cm long, oblong-lanceolate leaves which are finely toothed at the tip and are spirally arranged. When bruised, these leaves give off a pleasant aroma. Male and female catkins are produced on separate plants. The seeds are dispersed from the female plants via water, as they float on two corky bracts. Sweet Gale grows best in moist or wet conditions, acidic soil, and full to partial sun exposure. It is naturally found in bogs, swamps, marshes, and along wet shorelines. This shrub species has nitrogen fixing bacteria in its root nodules, allowing it to convert nitrogen into a usable form. Thus, Sweet Gale can be used on nutrient poor, acidic sites, which may be difficult to plant on for other species. Additionally, being able to convert nitrogen and add nutrients to the soil can be beneficial for other plants in the area. This shrub also provides a good food source for bird species that eat the seeds including Grouse, Chickadees, and Bluebirds. Mammal species like Beavers and White-Tailed Deer also browse on the twigs and leaves of this plant.
	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.
	Gray Dogwood Height: 2-3m The Gray Dogwood, also referred to as Northern Swamp Dogwood or Panicle Dogwood, is a medium-sized, deciduous shrub. This species is multi-stemmed, with a full, round form. The leaves are green and arranged alternately along the branches. During the fall, leaves turn a bright red to deep purple colour. Between May and June, showy clusters of small white flowers bloom. These flowers turn into white fleshy berries late in the summer. The reddish-pink stems hold the berries throughout the winter, creating an artful contrast to the gray bark and snowy scenery. The Gray Dogwood is tolerant of a variety of environmental conditions and its complex, fibrous root system make it an ideal plant to use for controlling erosion.
	Blue Flag Iris Height: 0.5 m The Blue Flag Iris is a showy perennial wildflower that typically grows about 0.5 m in height. This plant may also be known by the common name Harlequin Blue Flag. The leaves are light green, sword-shaped, slightly arched or erect, and appear growing out as a cluster around the base of the plant. The attractive blue flowers start to bloom in the early spring, emerging from a tall flowering stalk that can reach up to 1 m. The flowers are beneficial to pollinator species, like bees and butterflies. The seeds are also beneficial to wildlife species, like birds and small mammals.
	Royal Fern Height: 1 m Royal Fern is a perennial fern species that typically grows less than 1 m in height. This plant may also be known by the common name Flowering Fern. Fiddleheads appear from the base of the plant and unfurl into green, arching, pinnately compound leaves. The leaves of this fern are well separated, broader, and more rounded than other ferns, giving it the appearance of a pea plant. Erect, spore-bearing fronds grow out of the center of the leaves in the early spring and turn brown in the fall. The fronds of this fern have a flower like appearance.
	Ostrich Fern Height: 1.5 m The Ostrich Fern is a coarse, erect to arching perennial fern, that can grow up to 1.5 m in height. The stems are clustered and arching while the leaves are ostrich-plume shaped, widest near top, and very gradually narrowed to the base. The size of the leaves grow up to 1.5 m long and 12-40 cm wide, with around 40 pairs of leaflets or pinnae. The leaflets are long, narrow-pointed, and ascending. The leaves are fertile, with spore clusters on the undersides of sub-leaflets.
	Shining Willow Height: 10m The Shining Willow is a relatively large deciduous shrub, which grows up to 10 m in height. It thrives in normal to wet soils with high clay, sand, or loam content. The shiny leaves are 5-11 cm long and 1-5 cm wide, which are what give this Willow its name. They are lance shaped, with dark green color on the top, and light green on the bottom. Flowers bloom from May to June and range in colour from yellow to a green/brown. The natural habitats of the Shining Willow include wet meadows, swamps/marshes, riparian edges, and lakeshores. This shrub species is known to be flood tolerant, as is common for willows, but is unable to withstand strong winds.
	Red Osier Dogwood Height: 1.5-4m The Red Osier Dogwood is a medium-sized, deciduous shrub native throughout Northern and Western North America. This species is multi-stemmed with numerous erect and ascending bright red branches that create a loose and spreading form. Leaves produced are simple, two-toned with a dark green upper side and light green underside. They are arranged opposite each other along the branches. During the fall, the foliage turns a brilliant red to dark purple. Clusters of small, creamy white flowers form on the terminal ends of the branches between June and July. The Red Osier Dogwood produces blueish-white fruiting bodies during late summer, which may persist throughout the winter. This shrub's berries provide an important winter food source for numerous species, from large deer to small wintering birds.
	Canadian Serviceberry Height: 3-5 m The Canadian Serviceberry is a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree which grows from 3-5 m in a dense round form. This plant may also be known by the common names: Juneberry, Shadblow, or Shadbush. Early in the spring, prior to leaf development, clusters of fragrant, showy white flowers bloom along the branches. By July, these flowers give way to the fruiting bodies. The fruits are initially small, green berries, which grow to the size of blueberries and turn a deep purple-blue upon maturation during the fall. Leaves produced are finely toothed and spear-shaped. Throughout the summer, leaves are dark green and turn a dramatic orange-red during the fall.
	Buttonbush Height: 2 m Buttonbush is a small to medium-sized deciduous shrub species which typically grows about 2 m in height. This plant may also be known by the common name Button Willow. Twigs are slender to stout and dark red-brown in colour with white speckling. The leaves are bright green coloured, shiny, ovate shaped, oppositely arranged, and have entire margins. The flowers are tiny, tubular, white, fragrant, and appear densely on distinctive, spherical clusters in June. These flowers turn into a dense cluster of seeds, which remain on the plant throughout the winter. The flowers are beneficial for pollinator species, including hummingbirds and butterflies. This is a hardy, adaptable species and an excellent choice for planting on wet shoreline sites.
	Black Cherry Height: 20-30m The Black Cherry is a medium-sized deciduous tree which can tolerate a wide variety of light, soil and moisture conditions. This species is native to North America. The Black Cherry is commonly found in mixed, broad-leafed forests. This cherry species produces a slender trunk and a narrow, irregular crown with arching branches and drooping tips. Leaves are simple and grow alternately along the branch. Small, white flower clusters appear in May and turn to reddish cherries during early summer and ripen by late August. These cherries provide a food source for songbirds and small mammals. Black Cherry Roots are shallow and wide-spreading.
	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.
	Swamp Milkweed Height: 1 m Swamp Milkweed is a beautiful wildflower species that typically grows about 1 m tall. The leaves are light green coloured, narrow, lance shaped, and oppositely arranged. The flowers are showy, fragrant, bright pink, appear in clusters on flowering stems, and bloom between July and August. The flowers give way to large, long and narrow, brown seed pods, which produce an abundance of seeds with tufts of long, white hairs. The flowers are beneficial to pollinator species, like bees and butterflies. As with all Milkweeds, the stem exudes a milky sap when broken, however the sap of the Swamp Milkweed is less milky than other species. This sap is critical for caterpillars of the endangered Monarch Butterfly to deter predators.

Compartment A

Naturalization Area

• pH: acidic
• Depth: potted
• Moisture: normal
• Soil Type: loamy, clay
• Plant Height: max 2m
• Light conditions: full sun, partial sun

Yellow Birch

1

Narrow Leaved Meadowsweet

4

Sweet Gale

1

Bush Honeysuckle

3

Gray Dogwood

1

Blue Flag Iris

4

Royal Fern

6

Ostrich Fern

6

Compartment B

Naturalization Area

• pH: normal
• Depth: potted
• Moisture: normal, moist
• Soil Type: loamy, clay
• Plant Height: max 3m
• Light conditions: partial sun, shade

Narrow Leaved Meadowsweet

12

Sweet Gale

5

Bush Honeysuckle

6

Blue Flag Iris

12

Ostrich Fern

6

Shining Willow

1

Red Osier Dogwood

1

Canadian Serviceberry

2

Buttonbush

1

Black Cherry

1

Lowbush Blueberry

1

Swamp Milkweed

9

Schedule B

Financial Summary

Project by: Muskoka Watershed Council

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:

Muskoka Watershed Council
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 to complete the project. Watersheds Canada will supply all plants, materials, and planting labour. If there are particular dates that you would prefer, we will do our best to accommodate your requests.

About this program

About Muskoka Watershed Council

MWC is a volunteer-based non-profit organization with the mandate to champion watershed health. MWC is comprised of representatives from a wide range of stakeholders and has been providing a coordinated and science-based voice on issues affecting the environmental quality of our watersheds since 2001.

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.