The Canby Garden Club will partner with the City of Canby Parks Department to plant a native big leaf maple tree Friday, Oct. 18, in Canby. The club will dedicate the new tree at 10 a.m. at the Maple Street Park, 1300 N. Maple St.
“We love living up to our club mission by planting a tree that the whole community can enjoy for years to come,” said club President Katherine Leppek.
She noted that Ben Johnston and Ken Daniels of the Canby Parks Department helped the club choose a native tree that will offer shade and also attract a host of pollinators.
According to Oregon State University, big leaf maples attract visiting bees including mining bees (Andrena), mason bees (Osmia), bumble bees (Bombus) and honeybees (Apis mellifera).
Early blooms can be an important resource for bees in spring when few flowers have bloomed. These trees grow pretty fast – up to 30 feet in the first 20 years – and will grow to 100 feet tall. The big leaf maple is common in western Oregon and tolerant of varied soils.