Over 150 commemorative trees grace the grounds of Rideau Hall, the official residence of the governor general of Canada. They mark visits by members of the Royal Family, heads of State and other dignitaries. They also are planted for special anniversaries and at the end of a governor general’s mandate.
The tradition began in 1906, with the visit of Prince Arthur of Connaught, son of Prince Arthur, the Duke of Connaught, and later governor general. The red oak he planted still stands over the far end of the Upper Terrace Garden.
Then, in 1907, Japan’s Prince Fushimi made the first official foreign royal visit to Ottawa. While the Prince did not plant a tree at Rideau Hall, Governor General Earl Grey named one in his honour at Ottawa’s nearby Dominion Arboretum. In Lord Grey’s words: “I selected a young maple, recently planted, in a commanding position, and asked [The Prince] if he would allow the tree to have the honour of being associated with his name. He descended from our motor, walked around the tree, bowed to it, and expressed himself delighted at the suggestion that the tree should be known as Prince Fushimi’s tree.”
Since then, the planting of commemorative trees has become a Canadian tradition, symbolizing friendship and co-operation between nations. His Majesty The King and members of the Royal Family have planted 18 commemorative trees since 1939.
His Majesty King Charles III, King of Canada, planted a tree during his visit in 2025 and four trees when he was still the Prince of Wales: in 1971, 1983, 2009 and 2017. Trees have also been planted by other members of the Royal Family, including Queen Elizabeth II, in 1951 (before becoming Queen), 1957, 1977, 2002 and 2010; and Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (now the Prince and Princess of Wales) in 2011. In addition, 15 foreign kings and queens, more than 63 presidents (six of which were American), one prime minister and three secretaries general of the United Nations have all planted trees. With the exception of Governor General Georges Vanier, who passed away during his mandate, each Canadian governor general has planted a tree at the end of their respective mandates.
Maples and oaks are in abundance on the grounds of Rideau Hall, along with conifers and other species mainly native to Canada. They are selected in collaboration with the National Capital Commission for their beauty and for their ability to endure the Ottawa climate. Some choices are significant to the person or the country being represented during an official tree planting. For example, a Ginkgo tree, indigenous to China, was planted in 1985, by His Excellency Li Xiannian, President of the People’s Republic of China, while in 1999, former Governor General Roméo LeBlanc, chose—aptly for his family name—a white birch.
A bronze plaque at the base of each tree indicates the name and title of the person who planted it, the species, and the date it was planted.
List of Ceremonial Tree Plantings
- 1. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - His Royal Highness Prince Arthur of Connaught and Strathearn
April 1906 - 2. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - The Duke of Devonshire, Governor General of Canada
May 1917 - 3. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - The Duchess of Devonshire
May 1917 - 4. Norway Spruce
Picea abies - The Right Honourable Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister of Great Britain
August 5, 1927 - 5. Norway Spruce
Picea abies - Mrs. Lucy Baldwin
August 5, 1927 - 6. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - His Majesty King George VI
May 21, 1939 - 7. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
May 21, 1939 - 8. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Harry Truman, President of the United States of America
June 11, 1947 - 9. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Mrs. Elizabeth Truman
June 11, 1947 - 10. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh
October 10, 1951 - 11. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh
October 10, 1951 - 12. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Her Majesty Queen Juliana of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
April 22, 1952 - 13. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America
November 13, 1953 - 14. Red Maple
Acer rubrum - Mrs. Mamie Eisenhower
November 13, 1953 - 15. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - His Imperial Majesty Hailé Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia
June 4, 1954 - 16. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Her Royal Highness Mary, The Princess Royal
October 10, 1955 - 17. Red Maple
Acer rubrum - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
October 15, 1957 - 18. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - The Right Honourable Vincent Massey, Governor General of Canada
October 22, 1957 - 19. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Her Royal Highness The Princess Margaret
August 3, 1958 - 20. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - General Charles de Gaulle, President of the French Republic
April 19, 1960 - 21. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - John F. Kennedy, President of the United States of America
May 16, 1961 - 22. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy
May 16, 1961 - 23. Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis - Field Marshall Mohammad Ayub Khan, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
September 20, 1962 - 24. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
July 3, 1971 - 25. Red Maple
Acer rubrum - The Right Honourable Roland Michener, Governor General of Canada
November 12, 1971 - 26. White Pine
Pinus strobus - Mrs. Norah Willis Michener
November 12, 1971 - 27. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Richard M. Nixon, President of the United States of America
April 14, 1972 - 28. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Mrs. Patricia Nixon
April 14, 1972 - 29. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Chief Scout of Canada
May 9, 1974 - 30. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - His Majesty Baudouin, King of the Belgians
September 20, 1977 - 31. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Her Majesty Fabiola, Queen of the Belgians
September 20, 1977 - 32. White Ash
Fraxinus americana - The Right Honourable Jules Léger, Governor General of Canada
September 22, 1977 - 33. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Madame Gabrielle Léger
September 22, 1977 - 34. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Silver Jubilee visit
October 19, 1977 - 35. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh
October 19, 1977 - 36. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Her Royal Highness The Princess Margriet of the Kingdom of The Netherlands
June 8, 1978 - 37. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - His Royal Highness The Prince Andrew
July 28, 1978 - 38. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - International Year of the Child
November 15, 1979 - 39. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne, The Princess Royal
November 18, 1979 - 40. White Elm
Ulmus americana - José López Portillo, President of the United Mexican States
May 27, 1980 - 41. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Juvenal Habyarimana, President of the Republic of Rwanda
September 24, 1980 - 42. Silver Maple
Acer saccharinum - Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America
March 11, 1981 - 43. Silver Maple
Acer saccharinum - Mrs. Nancy Reagan
March 11, 1981 - 44. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Their Majesties King Hussein I and Queen Noor of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
November 15, 1981 - 45. Norway Maple
Acer platanoides - 75th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of Canada
May 29, 1982 - 46. Pin Oak
Quercus palustris - Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales
June 21, 1983 - 47. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - The Right Honourable Edward Schreyer, Governor General of Canada
Mrs. Lily Schreyer and Family
April 24, 1984 - 48. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - First Canadian Christian Festival
May 24, 1984 - 49. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Captain M.D. Marshall (Retired) C.D. In recognition of his contribution to the
Ontario Horticultural Association and to the Ottawa Horticultural Society
May 16, 1985 - 50. Ginko
Ginko biloba - Li Xiannian, President of the People’s Republic of China
July 15, 1985 - 51. Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa - François Mitterrand, President of the French Republic, and Mrs. Mitterrand
May 25, 1987 - 52. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
May 11, 1988 - 53. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Chaim Herzog, President of the State of Israel
June 27, 1989 - 54. Pin Oak
Quercus palustris - Mrs. Vigdis Finnbogadottir, President of Iceland
August 1, 1989 - 55. Red Maple
Acer rubrum - The Right Honourable Jeanne Sauvé, Governor General of Canada
November 3, 1989 - 56. Red Maple
Acer rubrum - The Honourable Maurice Sauvé
November 3, 1989 - 57. Red Maple
Acer rubrum - Corazón Aquino, President of the Republic of the Philippines
November 6, 1989 - 58. Tamarack
Larix laricina - Forestry Canada
May 4, 1990 - 59. Red Maple
Acer rubrum - Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Secretary-General of the United Nations
May 21, 1990 - 60. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Mikhaïl Gorbachev, President of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
May 23, 1990 - 61. American Linden
Tilia americana - Dr. Richard Von Weizsäcker, President of the Federal Republic of Germany
September 17, 1990 - 62. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Robert Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe
September 26, 1990 - 63. Asian White Birch
Betula platyphylla - Mauno Koivisto, President of the Republic of Finland
October 11, 1990 - 64. Norway Spruce
Picea abies - Carlos Salinas de Gortari, President of the United Mexican States
April 8, 1991 - 65. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Luis Alberto Lacalle Herrera, President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay
May 16, 1991 - 66. White Ash
Fraxinus americana - Roh Tae Woo, President of the Republic of Korea
July 5, 1991 - 67. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
October 11, 1991 - 68. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Arpád Göncz, President of the Republic of Hungary
October 21, 1991 - 69. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - National Wildlife Week
April 2, 1992 - 70. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Trees and People 1992
June 6, 1992 - 71. Norway Spruce
Picea abies - Boris N. Yeltsin, President of the Russian Federation
June 20, 1992 - 72. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Carlos Saul Menem, President of the Argentine Republic
June 21, 1994 - 73. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Lech Walesa, President of the Republic of Poland
September 13, 1994 - 74. Ohio Buckeye
Aesculus glabra - Leonid Danylovych Kuchma, President of Ukraine
October 24, 1994 - 75. Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa - The Right Honourable Ramon John Hnatyshyn, Governor General of Canada
November 18, 1994 - 76. Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa - Mrs. Gerda Hnatyshyn
November 18, 1994 - 77. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America
February 23, 1995 - 78. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Kim Young Sam, President of the Republic of Korea
October 21, 1995 - 79. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary-General of the United Nations
November 23, 1995 - 80. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Abdou Diouf, President of the Republic of Senegal
May 3, 1996 - 81. Silver Fir
Abies concolor - Ernesto Zedillo, President of the United Mexican States
June 12, 1996 - 82. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Eduardo Frei, President of the Republic of Chile
November 19, 1996 - 83. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Fernando Henrique Cardoso, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil
April 23, 1997 - 84. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, President of the Italian Republic
June 27, 1997 - 85. Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa - The CRB Foundation’s National Heritage Fair
July 21, 1997 - 86. Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa - Jiang Zemin, President of the People’s Republic of China
November 28, 1997 - 87. Ohio Buckeye
Aesculus glabra - Fidel V. Ramos, President of the Republic of the Philippines
November 30, 1997 - 88. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations
December 3, 1997 - 89. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Emil Constantinescu, President of Romania
May 26, 1998 - 90. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - In Memory of John F. Kennedy / in Honour of Continued Friendship Between
Countries / The Ancient and Honourable Artillery Company of Massachusetts
October 3, 1998 - 91. Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa - Mary McAlesse, President of Ireland
October 5, 1998 - 92. Black Walnut
Juglans nigra - Alberto Fujimori, President of the Republic of Peru
October 28, 1998 - 93. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Nelson Mandela, President of the Republic of South Africa
September 24, 1998 - 94. Ironwood
Ostrya virginiana - Vaclav Havel, President of the Czech Republic
April 30, 1999 - 95. Red Oak
Quercus Rubra - Their Majesties King Abdullah Bin Al-Hussein and Queen Rania Al-Abdullah
of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan May 14, 1999 - 96. Maple
Acer saccharum - Andrés Pastrana Anago, President of the Republic of Colombia
June 1, 1999 - 97. Korean Fir
Abies koreana - Kim Dea-Jung, President of the Republic of Korea
July 6, 1999 - 98. Weeping Willow
Salix alba tristis - To honour the Celebration of Life, hosted by Mrs. Diana Fowler LeBlanc
July 27, 1999 - 99. White Birch
Betula papyrifera - Mrs. Diana Fowler LeBlanc
October 1, 1999 - 100. White Birch
Betula papyrifera - The Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc, Governor General of Canada
October 1, 1999 - 101. Ohio Buckeye
Aesculus glabra - His Excellency Miguel Angel Rodriguez, President of the Republic of Costa
Rica, and Mrs. Lorena Clare de Rodriguez
February 1, 2000 - 102. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - His Excellency Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of the Republic of Yemen
March 28, 2000 - 103. Ohio Buckeye
Aesculus glabra - His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Mrs. Stella Obansanjo
May 12, 2000 - 104. Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa - His Excellency Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of the People’s Republic of Algeria
May 16, 2000 - 105. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - His Excellency Constantinos Stephanopoulos, President of the Hellenic Republic
May 30, 2000 - 106. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - His Excellency Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation and Mrs. Lyudmila Putina
December 18, 2000 - 107. White Ash
Fraxinus americanum - His Excellency Vincente Fox Quesada, President of the United Mexican States
April 18, 2001 - 108. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - His Excellency Jorge Sampaio, President of the Portuguese Republic and Mrs. José Ritta
May 28, 2001 - 109. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - His Excellency John Agyekum Kufor, President of the Republic of Ghana and Mrs. Theresa Kufuor
November 5, 2001 - 110. American Beech
Fagus grandifolia - His Excellency Moshe Kastav, President of the State of Israel, and Mrs. Gila Kastav
March 7, 2002 - 111. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway
May 8, 2002 - 112. Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis - His Excellency Rudolf Schuster, President of the Slovak Republic and Mrs. Irene Schusterova
June 6, 2002 - 113. Bur Oak
Quecus macrocarpa - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Golden Jubilee visit
October 14, 2002 - 114. Silver fir
Abies concolor - His Excellency Joaquim Chissano, President of the Republic of Mozambique
March 18, 2003 - 115. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - The 11th Earl of Elgin and 15th Earl of Kincardine
April 3, 2003 - 116. White Spruce
Picea glauca - Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa
November 3, 2003 - 117. Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis - Natasagiin Bagabandi, President of Mongolia
October 20, 2003 - 118. Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis - Amadou Toumani Toure, President of Mali
May 11, 2005 - 119. American Linden
Tilia americana - His Excellency Hu Jintao, President of the People’s Republic of China and Mrs. Liu Yongquing
September 8, 2005 - 120. Swamp White Oak
Quercus bicolor - The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada
September 26, 2005 - 121. Swamp White Oak
Quercus bicolor - Mr. John Ralston Saul
September 26, 2005 - 122. American Beech
Fagus americana - Her Excellency Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of the Republic of Latvia
September 26, 2006 - 123. Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus - Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden
October 24, 2007 - 124. Silver Fir
Abies concolor - His Excellency László Sólyom, President of the Republic of Hungary
April 25, 2007 - 125. Ohio Buckeye
Aesculus glabra - His Excellency Victor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine, and Mrs. Kateryna Yushchenko
May 26, 2008 - 126. Canadian Hemlock
Tsuga Canadensis - Their Imperial Majesties Akihito and Michiko of Japan
July 6, 2009 - 127. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall
November 12, 2009 - 128. Bur Oak
Quercus rubra - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
June 30, 2010 - 129. Swamp White Oak
Quercus bicolor - The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada,
Mr. Jean-Daniel Lafond and their daughter Marie-Éden
September 30, 2010 - 130. Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis - Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
July 2, 2011 - 131. White Pine
Pinus strobes - His Excellency Shimon Peres, President of the State of Israel
May 8, 2012 - 132. Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa - His Excellency Jayaka M. Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania
October 4, 2012 - 133. Red Maple
Acer rubrum - His Excellency Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of the Republic of Estonia, and Mrs. Evelin Ilves
May 1, 2013 - 134. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - His Excellency Sebastián Piñera, President of the Republic of Chile, and Mrs. Cecilia Morel
May 30, 2013 - 135. Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga Canadensis - His Excellency Ollanta Humala Tasso, President of the Republic of Peru, and Mrs. Nadine Heredia
April 10, 2014 - 136. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - 100th anniversary of service to Canada by Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry
September 18, 2014 - 137. Bitternut Hickory
Carya cordiformis - Her Excellency Park Geun-hye, President of the Republic of Korea
September 22, 2014 - 138. Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa - His Excellency Joachim Gauck, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, and Ms. Daniela Schadt
September 24, 2014 - 139. Red Maple
Acer rubrum - His Excellency Sauli Niinistö, President of the Republic of Finland, and Mrs. Jenni Haukio
October 9, 2014 - 140. Bitternut hickory
Carya cordiformis - His Excellency François Hollande, President of the French Republic
November 3, 2014 - 141. Red Maple
Acer rubrum - Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal and the Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence
November 10, 2014 - 142. Red Spruce
Picea rubens - His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III, President of the Republic of the Philippines
May 7, 2015 - 143. White Pine
Pinus strobes - Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
May 27, 2015 - 144. Hemlock
Tsuga Canadensis - His Excellency Enrique Peña Nieto, President of the United Mexican States
June 28, 2016 - 145. Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis - Her Excellency Michelle Bachelet, President of the Republic of Chile
June 5, 2017 - 146. Regal Celebration Maple
Acer x freemanii 'Regal Celebration' - The Right Honourable David Johnston Governor General of Canada, Mrs. Sharon Johnston, the provincial lieutenant governors and the territorial commissioners, in celebration of the 150th of Confederation
June 20, 2017 - 147. Buckeye
Aesculus glabra - His Excellency Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic
June 27, 2017 - 148. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall
July 1, 2017 - 149. White Pine
Pinus strobus - The Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and Mrs. Sharon Johnston
September 28, 2017 - 150. Bitternut Hickory
Carya cordiformis - His Excellency Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, President of the Republic of Colombia
October 30, 2017 - 151. Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum - Their Majesties the King and Queen of the Belgians
March 12, 2018 - 152. Blue-Beech
Carpinus caroliniana - His Excellency Reuven Rivlin, President of the State of Israel
April 1, 2019 - 153. Blue-Beech
Carpinus caroliniana - Her Excellency Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, President of the Republic of Croatia, and Mr. Jakov Kitarović
May 13, 2019 - 154. Red Oak
Quercus rubra - His Excellency Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, President of Iceland and Ms. Eliza Reid
May 29, 2023 - 155. Bitternut Hickory
Carya cordiformis - Her Excellency Zuzana Čaputová, President of the Slovak Republic and Mr. Rizman
January 30, 2024 - 156. Blue-Beech
Carpinus caroliniana - Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla
May 26, 2025