List of Canadian plants by family A facts for kids

Canada is a huge country, and it's home to an amazing variety of plants! From towering trees to tiny mosses, these plants are super important for our environment. They help clean the air, provide food for animals (and us!), and create beautiful landscapes.

Scientists group plants into "families" based on how they are related. Think of it like your own family – you share traits with your parents and siblings. Plants in the same family often have similar flowers, leaves, or ways of growing. This list helps us explore some of the cool plant families you can find across Canada, starting with those whose names begin with 'A'.

Families: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I J K | L | M | N | O | P Q | R | S | T | U V W | X Y Z

Acanthaceae

The Acanthaceae family is known for its beautiful flowers. One plant from this family found in Canada is the Justicia americana, also known as the common water-willow. It often grows in wet places like riverbanks.

Aceraceae

This family is super famous in Canada because it includes all the different types of maple trees! Maple trees are well-known for their unique leaves and, of course, maple syrup.

Types of Maple Trees

• Acer macrophyllum — Bigleaf maple
• Acer negundo — Box-elder
• Acer rubrum — Red maple
• Acer saccharum — Sugar maple
• Acer spicatum — Mountain maple

Acoraceae

The Acoraceae family contains a plant called Acorus americanus, or sweetflag. This plant often grows in marshy areas and has long, sword-like leaves. It's known for its sweet smell when crushed.

Adoxaceae

This family includes plants like the muskroot and various types of viburnum. Viburnums are shrubs or small trees that often have pretty flowers and berries.

Examples from Adoxaceae

• Adoxa moschatellina — Muskroot
• Viburnum edule — Squashberry
• Viburnum lentago — Nannyberry
• Viburnum opulus — Guelder-rose viburnum

Agavaceae

The Agavaceae family might make you think of deserts, but some members, like the yucca, can be found in parts of Canada. They often have tough, spiky leaves.

Yucca Plants in Canada

• Yucca filamentosa — Common yucca
• Yucca glauca — Small soapweed yucca

Alismataceae

Plants in the Alismataceae family are usually found in water or very wet places. They are often called water-plantains or arrowheads because of their leaf shapes.

Water Plants

• Alisma triviale — Northern water-plantain
• Sagittaria cuneata — Wapatum arrowhead
• Sagittaria latifolia — Broadleaf arrowhead

Amaranthaceae

The Amaranthaceae family includes plants like pigweeds and amaranths. Many of these are considered weeds in gardens, but some are grown for food or as ornamental plants.

Common Amaranths

• Amaranthus albus — White pigweed
• Amaranthus powellii — Green amaranth

Amblystegiaceae

This is a family of mosses! Mosses are small, soft plants that often grow in damp, shady places. They don't have true roots, stems, or leaves like larger plants.

Types of Mosses

• Amblystegium serpens — Amblystegium moss
• Calliergon cordifolium — Calliergon moss
• Campylium stellatum — Yellow starry fen moss
• Drepanocladus aduncus — Drepanocladus moss

Anacardiaceae

This family includes sumacs and, importantly, poison-ivy! While sumacs can be beautiful with their bright fall colors, it's good to know which plants to avoid.

Plants in Anacardiaceae

• Rhus glabra — Smooth sumac
• Rhus typhina — Staghorn sumac
• Toxicodendron radicans — Eastern poison-ivy
• Toxicodendron vernix — Poison-sumac

Andreaeaceae

Another family of mosses, the Andreaeaceae are often called "lantern mosses" or "granite mosses." They usually grow on rocks in cold, mountainous areas.

Rock-Loving Mosses

• Andreaea rupestris
• Andreaea nivalis

Andreaeobryaceae

This is a very small family with only one known species, Andreaeobryum macrosporum. It's a unique type of moss found in specific cold, rocky habitats.

Aneuraceae

This family belongs to a group of plants called liverworts. Liverworts are small, simple plants, similar to mosses, that often grow flat on the ground or on rocks in moist places.

Liverworts in Canada

• Aneura pinguis
• Riccardia multifida — Comb liverwort

Annonaceae

The Annonaceae family is known for its fruit-bearing trees and shrubs. In Canada, you might find the Asimina triloba, also known as the pawpaw. It produces a sweet, tropical-tasting fruit.

Anomodontaceae

This is another family of mosses. These mosses often grow on tree bark or rocks and can form dense mats.

Mosses of Anomodontaceae

• Anomodon attenuatus
• Anomodon rostratus

Antheliaceae

The Antheliaceae family contains more liverworts. These tiny plants are often found in very wet, cold environments, sometimes even in alpine or arctic regions.

Small Liverworts

• Anthelia julacea
• Anthelia juratzkana

Anthocerotaceae

This family includes hornworts, which are another type of non-vascular plant, similar to mosses and liverworts. They get their name from their horn-like spore capsules.

Hornworts

• Anthoceros agrestis
• Anthoceros macounii

Apiaceae

The Apiaceae family is also known as the carrot or parsley family. It includes many plants that we eat, like carrots, celery, and parsley, but also some poisonous ones. Many have umbrella-shaped flower clusters.

Diverse Plants of Apiaceae

• Angelica atropurpurea — Great angelica
• Cicuta maculata — Spotted water-hemlock (be careful, this one is poisonous!)
• Heracleum maximum — Cow-parsnip
• Daucus pusillus — Southwestern carrot
• Osmorhiza longistylis — Smoother sweet-cicely
• Sium suave — Hemlock water-parsnip

Apocynaceae

This family includes dogbanes. These plants often have milky sap and can be found in various habitats across Canada.

Dogbane Plants

• Apocynum androsaemifolium — Spreading dogbane
• Apocynum cannabinum — Clasping-leaf dogbane

Aquifoliaceae

The Aquifoliaceae family is home to hollies. These plants are often shrubs or small trees known for their bright berries, especially in winter.

Holly Plants

• Ilex verticillata — Black holly
• Nemopanthus mucronatus — Mountain holly

Araceae

The Araceae family includes plants like Jack-in-the-pulpit and skunk-cabbage. Many plants in this family have unique flowers that are often hidden or unusual in shape.

Unique Araceae Plants

• Arisaema triphyllum — Swamp Jack-in-the-pulpit
• Lysichiton americanus — Yellow skunk-cabbage
• Symplocarpus foetidus — Skunk-cabbage

Araliaceae

This family includes plants like sarsaparilla and ginseng. Many are known for their medicinal uses or unique growth forms.

Araliaceae in Canada

• Aralia nudicaulis — Wild sarsaparilla
• Oplopanax horridus — Devil's-club (known for its spiky stems!)
• Panax quinquefolius — American ginseng

Archidiaceae

The Archidiaceae is a family of mosses with a single genus, Archidium. Archidium ohioense is one species found in Canada. These mosses are often very small.

Aristolochiaceae

This family includes wild-gingers. These plants often have heart-shaped leaves and unusual, bell-shaped flowers that grow close to the ground.

Wild-Gingers

• Asarum canadense — Canada wild-ginger
• Asarum caudatum — Long-tailed wild-ginger

Arnelliaceae

Another family of liverworts, the Arnelliaceae are small, green plants that prefer moist environments. Arnellia fennica is an example found in Canada.

Asclepiadaceae

This family is famous for its milkweeds! Milkweeds are super important because they are the only plants that monarch butterfly caterpillars can eat. They often have milky sap.

Important Milkweeds

• Asclepias incarnata — Swamp milkweed
• Asclepias syriaca — Kansas milkweed (also known as common milkweed)
• Asclepias tuberosa — Butterfly milkweed

Aspleniaceae

This family includes various types of spleenwort ferns. Ferns are ancient plants that reproduce using spores instead of seeds. Spleenworts often grow on rocks or in rocky areas.

Ferns of Aspleniaceae

• Asplenium platyneuron — Ebony spleenwort
• Asplenium scolopendrium — Hart's-tongue fern
• Asplenium trichomanes — Maidenhair spleenwort

Asteraceae

The Asteraceae family is one of the largest plant families in the world! It's also known as the daisy or sunflower family. Plants in this group often have flowers made up of many tiny florets, like a sunflower or a dandelion.

Common Asteraceae Plants

• Achillea millefolium — Common yarrow
• Ambrosia artemisiifolia — Annual ragweed
• Anaphalis margaritacea — Pearly everlasting
• Arnica cordifolia — Heart-leaved arnica
• Artemisia campestris — Pacific wormwood
• Balsamorhiza sagittata — Arrowleaf balsamroot
• Bidens cernua — Nodding beggarticks
• Cirsium discolor — Field thistle
• Conyza canadensis — Canada horseweed
• Dendranthema arcticum — Arctic daisy
• Echinacea angustifolia — Narrow-leaved purple coneflower
• Erigeron annuus — Whitetop fleabane
• Eupatorium perfoliatum — Common boneset
• Eurybia macrophylla — Largeleaf wood-aster
• Gaillardia aristata — Great blanket-flower
• Helianthus annuus — Common sunflower
• Hieracium canadense — Canada hawkweed
• Lactuca canadensis — Canada lettuce
• Liatris spicata — Marsh blazingstar
• Matricaria discoidea — Pineapple-weed chamomile
• Rudbeckia hirta — Black-eyed susan
• Solidago canadensis — Canada goldenrod
• Symphyotrichum novae-angliae — New England aster
• Taraxacum officinale — Common dandelion
• Xanthium strumarium — Rough cocklebur

Aulacomniaceae

This is another family of mosses. They are often called "ribbed bog mosses" and can be found in wet, boggy areas.

Bog Mosses

• Aulacomnium palustre — Aulacomnium moss
• Aulacomnium turgidum

Aytoniaceae

This family contains more liverworts, which are simple, non-flowering plants. They often have a flat, ribbon-like body and grow in moist, shady places.

Liverworts of Aytoniaceae

• Asterella gracilis
• Reboulia hemisphaerica

Azollaceae

The Azollaceae family includes tiny floating ferns called mosquito-ferns. These small plants often cover the surface of still water, like ponds.

Floating Ferns

• Azolla caroliniana — Eastern mosquito-fern
• Azolla mexicana — Mexican mosquito-fern