Common Hackberry – Celtis Occidentalis: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Wartiest Tree

Common Hackberry - Celtis Occidentalis

Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) isn’t listed in Haliburton Flora, but this rapidly growing Ontario native can be found in the south. The bark, especially characteristic on younger trees, is unique: This plant is in the same family as hops and cannabis. While I’m writing this I noticed a thread in my native plants group asking …

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Honey Locust – Gleditsia Triacanthos: Edible & Medicinal Uses of The Thorn Tree

Honey Locust - Gleditsia Triacanthos

Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is not listed in Haliburton Flora, as it’s another southern Ontario native. And even there it is rare. The tree has rather nefarious looking clusters of large thorns. And memorable large, brown boomerang shaped seed pods. Where I grew up, quite a ways south of Ontario, honey locust had filled a …

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Walnut – Juglans Spp.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of a Highly Prized Wild Nut Tree

Walnuts - Juglans Spp.

In Ontario, black walnut (Juglans nigra) and butternut AKA white walnut (Juglans cinerea) are our native walnut species. Around Haliburton we’re barely in range, with only a few black walnuts and butternuts noted on iNaturalist. Both species are more abundant to the south. There are a few nonnative Juglan species around Ontario too. As a …

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Hickories – Carya SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Sweet “Nuts” of Wild Plants

Hickories – Carya SPP.

Hickories (Carya spp.) are diverse and native, but not very abundant in our area of Ontario. They are part of the walnut family and more edible than medicinal. Hickories (Carya spp.), like the shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) sapling that’s pictured and bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis), are two of the four most common walnut family trees …

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Bunchberry – Cornus Canadensis: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Little Dogwood of Wild Plants

Bunchberry – Cornus Canadensis

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) is a small, creeping dogwood. And just like the other native dogwoods, it’s a great nectar and pollen plant and somewhat of an edible and medicinal plant for humans too. Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) is common around cottage country, Ontario. This dogwood likes wet and cool deciduous and mixed woods, and shaded banks. …

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Fire Cherry – Prunus Pensylvanica: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Bird Cherry of Wild Plants

Fire Cherry – Prunus Pensylvanica

We’ve covered almost every native cherry in Ontario and this fire cherry, also called bird cherry for one, is no exception to the fact cherries are fantastic for birds and other wildlife. And not just jam! Pin cherry / Fire cherry (Prunus pensylvanica) was common along roadsides, woodland slopes, lake banks, and stream banks in …

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