List of Canadian plants by family C facts for kids

Canada is home to many amazing plants! This article explores some of the plant families found across the country, focusing on those whose scientific names start with the letter 'C'. Learning about these families helps us understand how different plants are related and what makes them special.

Cabombaceae: The Watershield Family

The Cabombaceae family is small, with only a few types of aquatic plants. These plants live in water and are often found in ponds and slow-moving streams.

Watershield

• Brasenia schreberi — Watershield is a floating plant with oval leaves. Its leaves and stems are covered in a jelly-like slime, which helps protect it from plant-eating animals. It has small, dull purple flowers that rise above the water.

Cactaceae: The Cactus Family

When you think of Canada, you might not think of cacti, but some types do grow here! Cacti are known for their spiny stems and ability to store water, helping them survive in dry places.

Types of Canadian Cacti

• Escobaria vivipara — Foxtail pincushion cactus is a small, round cactus with many spines. It often grows in clusters and produces bright pink or purple flowers.
• Opuntia fragilis — Brittle prickly-pear is a low-growing cactus with flat, jointed pads. These pads can easily break off, helping the plant spread. It has yellow flowers and reddish fruits.
• Opuntia polyacantha — Panhandle prickly-pear is another type of prickly-pear cactus. It has many sharp spines and can form large patches on the ground. Its flowers are usually yellow.

Campanulaceae: The Bellflower Family

The Campanulaceae family includes plants often called bellflowers because of their bell-shaped flowers. Many of these plants are beautiful and grow in various habitats across Canada.

Common Bellflowers

• Campanula rotundifolia — American harebell is a delicate plant with nodding, blue, bell-shaped flowers. It's often found in meadows and rocky areas.
• Lobelia cardinalis — Cardinal-flower is famous for its bright red, tube-shaped flowers. These vibrant blooms attract hummingbirds. It usually grows in wet areas.
• Lobelia siphilitica — Great blue lobelia has striking blue flowers arranged in tall spikes. It's a common sight in moist woodlands and along streams.

Cannabaceae: The Hackberry and Hop Family

This family includes trees like hackberry and climbing plants like hops. They are known for their unique fruits and uses.

Notable Plants in this Family

• Celtis occidentalis — Common hackberry is a medium-sized tree with rough, warty bark. It produces small, dark purple berries that are a food source for birds and other wildlife.
• Humulus lupulus — Common hop is a climbing vine known for its cone-like flowers, which are used to flavor beer. It can grow quite tall, wrapping around supports.

Caprifoliaceae: The Honeysuckle Family

The Caprifoliaceae family is home to many shrubs and vines, including honeysuckles and elderberries. Many of these plants have fragrant flowers and colorful berries.

Popular Shrubs and Vines

• Diervilla lonicera — Northern bush-honeysuckle is a small shrub with yellow flowers that turn reddish as they age. It's often found in dry, rocky areas.
• Linnaea borealis — Twinflower is a delicate, creeping plant with small, bell-shaped pink flowers that grow in pairs. It's a favorite in cool, shady forests.
• Lonicera involucrata — Four-line honeysuckle has unique dark berries surrounded by reddish-purple bracts (leaf-like structures). It's a common shrub in western Canada.
• Sambucus nigra — Common elderberry is a large shrub or small tree with clusters of white flowers that turn into dark purple berries. These berries are often used for jams and wines.
• Symphoricarpos albus — Snowberry is known for its clusters of white, waxy berries that stay on the plant through winter. It's a hardy shrub found in many parts of Canada.

Caryophyllaceae: The Pink and Carnation Family

This large family includes many common wildflowers like chickweeds, sandworts, and campions. They often have small, delicate flowers, sometimes with notched petals.

Diverse Wildflowers

• Cerastium arvense — Mouse-ear chickweed is a widespread plant with small, white, star-shaped flowers. It often forms mats on the ground.
• Lychnis alpina — Alpine campion is a beautiful plant that grows in rocky, high-altitude areas. It has bright pink or purple flowers that stand out against the landscape.
• Silene acaulis — Moss campion forms dense, cushion-like mats, especially in Arctic and alpine regions. Its small pink or white flowers bloom directly from the cushion.
• Stellaria longipes — Long-stalked stitchwort is a common plant with slender stems and small white flowers. It's found in many different habitats.

Celastraceae: The Bittersweet Family

The Celastraceae family includes shrubs and vines, some of which are known for their colorful fruits that split open to reveal bright seeds.

Interesting Shrubs

• Celastrus scandens — Climbing bittersweet is a woody vine that wraps around other plants. Its bright orange and red berries are very striking in the fall and winter.
• Euonymus atropurpureus — Wahoo is a shrub or small tree with purplish flowers and bright red, lobed fruits. It's found in woodlands.
• Paxistima myrsinites — Oregon boxleaf is a small, evergreen shrub with shiny, leathery leaves. It grows in western Canada.

Ceratophyllaceae: The Hornwort Family

This family contains only one genus, Ceratophyllum, commonly known as hornworts. These are submerged aquatic plants that float freely in water.

Aquatic Plants

• Ceratophyllum demersum — Common hornwort is a rootless plant that lives entirely underwater. It has stiff, branched leaves that give it a "horn-like" appearance. It's often found in ponds and lakes.
• Ceratophyllum echinatum — Prickly hornwort is similar but has more spiny leaves. Both types provide shelter for small aquatic animals.

Chenopodiaceae: The Goosefoot and Saltbush Family

This family includes many plants that can tolerate salty soils, like saltbushes and glassworts, as well as common weeds like goosefoot.

Plants of Varied Habitats

• Atriplex patula — Halberd-leaf orache is a common plant found in disturbed areas and along coastlines. Its leaves are shaped like a halberd (a type of spear).
• Chenopodium album — Missouri goosefoot is a very common plant, often considered a weed, with leaves that sometimes look like a goose's foot. It's found in many different environments.
• Salicornia rubra — Western glasswort is a succulent plant that grows in salty areas. It turns bright red in the fall, making salt marshes very colorful.
• Sarcobatus vermiculatus — Black greasewood is a spiny shrub that thrives in dry, alkaline soils of western Canada. It's an important plant in desert ecosystems.

Cistaceae: The Rockrose Family

The Cistaceae family includes plants often called rockroses or frostweeds. They are typically small shrubs or herbs that prefer sunny, dry places.

Sun-Loving Plants

• Helianthemum canadense — Canada frostweed is a small plant with yellow flowers that bloom in spring. It's called "frostweed" because in late fall, ice crystals can form on its stems.
• Hudsonia tomentosa — Sand-heather is a low-growing, heath-like shrub found in sandy areas. It has tiny, scale-like leaves and bright yellow flowers.

Clusiaceae: The St. John's-wort Family

This family is well-known for the St. John's-wort plants, many of which have bright yellow flowers and are found in various habitats.

Yellow-Flowered Beauties

• Hypericum boreale — Northern St. John's-wort is a small plant with yellow flowers, often found in wet, boggy areas.
• Hypericum punctatum — Common St. John's-wort has yellow flowers with small black dots on the petals and leaves. It's a widespread plant in many parts of Canada.
• Triadenum fraseri — Marsh St. John's-wort is a plant that grows in wet, marshy areas. It has pinkish flowers, unlike many other St. John's-worts.

Convolvulaceae: The Morning-glory Family

The Convolvulaceae family includes many climbing or trailing plants, often with funnel-shaped flowers, like the morning-glory.

Twining Vines

• Calystegia sepium — Hedge false bindweed is a common vine with large, white, trumpet-shaped flowers. It often twines around fences and other plants.
• Calystegia soldanella — Seashore bindweed is a low-growing plant found on sandy beaches. It has pinkish-purple flowers and kidney-shaped leaves.

Cornaceae: The Dogwood Family

The Cornaceae family is known for its dogwood trees and shrubs, which often have distinctive leaves, flowers, and berries.

Iconic Canadian Trees and Shrubs

• Cornus canadensis — Canada bunchberry is a small, low-growing plant that looks like a miniature dogwood tree. It has white flowers surrounded by four white bracts, followed by bright red berries.
• Cornus florida — Flowering dogwood is a beautiful small tree with large, showy white or pink bracts that look like petals. It's a popular ornamental tree.
• Cornus sericea — Silky dogwood is a shrub known for its reddish stems, especially in winter. It has white flowers and white or bluish berries.
• Cornus suecica — Swedish dwarf dogwood is similar to the Canada bunchberry but is found in more northern and coastal areas.

Crassulaceae: The Stonecrop Family

The Crassulaceae family includes succulent plants, meaning they have thick, fleshy leaves that store water. Many are found in rocky or dry environments.

Succulent Survivors

• Rhodiola rosea — Roseroot stonecrop is a hardy succulent that grows in cold, rocky places. It has yellow flowers and is sometimes used in traditional medicine.
• Sedum lanceolatum — Lanceleaf stonecrop is a common stonecrop with pointed, fleshy leaves and bright yellow, star-shaped flowers. It often grows on rocks and dry slopes.
• Sedum oreganum — Oregon stonecrop forms mats of green or reddish succulent leaves and has yellow flowers. It's found in western Canada.

Cucurbitaceae: The Gourd Family

This family includes many familiar plants like pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons. In Canada, some wild members of this family can be found.

Wild Gourds

• Echinocystis lobata — Wild mock-cucumber is a climbing vine with prickly, cucumber-like fruits. It's often found in disturbed areas and along riverbanks.
• Sicyos angulatus — One-seed bur-cucumber is another climbing vine with small, bur-like fruits.

Cupressaceae: The Cypress Family

The Cupressaceae family includes many well-known coniferous trees and shrubs, such as cedars and junipers. They are important parts of Canada's forests.

Conifers of Canada

• Chamaecyparis nootkatensis — Alaska cedar is a tall, graceful tree with drooping branches. It's found in coastal areas of British Columbia.
• Juniperus communis — Ground juniper is a widespread shrub that can grow low to the ground or form small upright bushes. It has sharp, needle-like leaves and produces small, blue berries (cones).
• Thuja occidentalis — Northern white-cedar is a common tree in eastern Canada, often found in swamps and along shorelines. Its wood is very durable.
• Thuja plicata — Western red-cedar is a very large and important tree in western Canada, known for its reddish-brown bark and fragrant wood. It's culturally significant to many Indigenous peoples.

Cuscutaceae: The Dodder Family

The Cuscutaceae family consists of parasitic plants called dodders. These plants have no leaves and look like tangled orange or yellow threads, getting their nutrients from other plants.

Parasitic Vines

• Cuscuta gronovii — Gronovius dodder is a common dodder species that forms dense, yellowish masses over other plants. It attaches to its host with special root-like structures.
• Cuscuta salina — Saltmarsh dodder is found in salty coastal areas, parasitizing plants that grow there.

Cyperaceae: The Sedge Family

The Cyperaceae family is a very large group of grass-like plants called sedges. They are often found in wet or marshy areas and are important components of many ecosystems.

Diverse Sedges and Rushes

• Carex aquatilis — Water sedge is a common sedge found in wet meadows and shallow water. It can form dense stands.
• Carex lasiocarpa — Slender sedge is a tall sedge with narrow leaves, often found in bogs and fens.
• Eleocharis palustris — Creeping spikerush is a common spikerush that grows in wet, muddy areas. It has slender, round stems.
• Eriophorum angustifolium — Narrowleaf cottongrass is known for its fluffy, white, cotton-like seed heads. It's a beautiful sight in northern bogs and tundra.
• Schoenoplectus acutus — Hardstem bulrush is a tall, stiff-stemmed plant found in shallow water. It's an important plant for wildlife.