Common Dandelion – Taraxacum Officinale: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the #1 Gateway Herb to Foraging Wild Plants

Common Dandelion - Taraxacum Officinale

Common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a widely recognizable edible and medicinal herb that is most common throughout the temperate regions of North America and Europe. Dandelion being easily identifiable is often the gateway plant to exploring foraging. It’s especially dandy for beginner foragers, being generally safe to eat and thanks to the entire plant being edible …

Read more

Wild Lily-Of-The-Valley – Maianthemum Canadense: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Mayflower of Wild Plants

Wild Lily-Of-The-Valley – Maianthemum Canadense

Wild lily-of-the-valley AKA Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) is not a true lily. Wild lily-of-the-valley is of the Asparagaceae family (as of 2016). It’s an edible and medicinal plant, but be sure not to confuse it with true lily-of-the-valley! Another lookalike to be ware of is 3-leaved Solomon’s seal. Chipmunks are cute, but the alternative name …

Read more

Common Comfrey – Symphytum Officinale: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Healing Herb of Wild Plants

Common Comfrey – Symphytum Officinale

Another escapee from settler cultivation around here, comfrey is an historically renown and presently semi-controversial edible and medicinal plant. Around Haliburton, we have both common comfrey (Symphytum officinale) and the blue flowered wild sort (now classified as Andersonglossum boreale). The proper one of the title name has creamy yellow flowers. The pictured purple flowered I …

Read more

Cannabis – Cannabis Sativa: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Weed of Wild Plants

Cannabis – Cannabis Sativa

Here in Canada, cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is a legal (and hopefully decriminalized someday) edible, medicinal and industrial plant. In Haliburton, we even have our own pot shop Capturing Eden. It’s a December day as I post this, the 24th! Mary Christmas! When Haliburton Flora was compiled, there was one Cannabis sativa noted on waste ground …

Read more

Ox-eye Daisy – Leucanthemum Vulgare: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Beloved Daisy of Wild Plants

Ox-eye Daisy – Leucanthemum Vulgare

The daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), commonly seen woven into a crown on the heads of ethereally dressed children in aesthetic photography.. who knew this familiar flower is edible and medicinal too? Daisies are quite neglected in my herbal library. Yet they’re one of the first plants many young folks will recognize; the token “he loves me, …

Read more