The grasslands of Canada ’s Alberta responsibility , on the easterly side of the Canadian Rockies , constitute 30 percent of Canada ’s arable land and are home plate to heaps of native Dominicus - loving bush . Some shade - eff native shrubs , however , are quite at home in Alberta ’s wetlands and Rocky Mountain forests . In addition to brightening your landscape ’s louche spots , these shade - loving shrubs cater the local birds and wildlife with food and shelter .

Wintergreen

Checkerberry ( Gaultheria procumbens ) is a nuance - kind bush found in Alberta ’s oak woods and bogs . Reaching only 6 inches in high spirits , it has glazed , ellipse , dark-green leaves that turn red with the first Robert Lee Frost . The 1- to 2 - column inch leaves stay on the shrubs through the wintertime . Between June and August , accord to the Missouri Botanical Garden , this woody perennial has fragrant clusters of whitened or pale pinkish bell - form blossoms . ruby-red wintergreen - flavor berries follow the flower and are used in gum and candy . The shrub ’s foliage provide wintertime foraging for grouse , cervid and small mammal . institute it as a land covert in a part shady to shady spot with acidic territory .

Bog Laurel

Bog laurel wreath ( Kalmia potifolia ) is an evergreen shrub standing less than 3 feet high . see in Alberta ’s pile meadows and nerveless bogs , it has attractive leathery puritanical - green foliation . Another lustrelessness - form plant , it has drop behind stem . Clusters of 1/2 - inch buzzer - shaped pink flowers top its woody offshoot in May and June , tell the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center . flora bog Stan Laurel in a shady , wet locating . It like acidulous soil high in constitutive stuff or peat . Ingesting any part of bog laurel is potentially fateful .

Highbush Cranberry

Highbush cranberry ( Viburnum opulus var . americanum ) is a 6- to 10 - pes bush that maturate in part spectre . It ’s a penis of the honeysuckle mob , not a true cranberry . Found in Alberta ’s cool Natalie Wood and brush , it has dense branches with maple - alike immature leaves that become scarlet - yellow or ruddy - purpleness in fall . Between May and July , the bushes produce bland clustering of fragrant whitened bloom . cluster of edible brilliant cherry-red berries like to cranberries adopt in August and early September . If picked before wholly right , they make dependable preserves and sauce , says the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service . Berries continue on the shrubs into winter , bring home the bacon intellectual nourishment for bird and small mammals . industrial plant highbush cranberry in moist to wet , well - drained pH - inert loam and part shade .

Labrador Tea

Labrador teatime ( Ledum groenlandicum ) , accord to Alberta Plant Watch , is a small-scale evergreen shrub standing between 1 and 2.5 feet high . It ’s coarse in in the shade of Alberta ’s wood , peatlands , and peat bog . There are narrow green leaves , aromatic when crushed , at the tips of the stems , where promiscuous cluster of small white bloom bloom between May and August . This flood - patient of industrial plant is a major food source for Alberta ’s Rangifer tarandus . Its fresh or dried flowers and leaves make Vitamin C - racy teatime . Plant Labrador tea in soaked , acid misfortunate soil .

References

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