American robins

Lowbush Blueberry – Vaccinium Angustifolium: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Super Berry of Wild Plants

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Lowbush Blueberry – Vaccinium Angustifolium

Lowbush blueberry AKA “low sweet” blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) is common here, as is velvet-leaf blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides) which thrives around marshes. I’ve heard a few personal anecdotes from locals about picking blueberries all the while watching a black bear or bears doing the same nearby. There’s a myth (I originally believed!) that blackflies pollinate blueberry … [Read more…]

Balsam Fir – Abies Balsamea: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Most Resin-ating of Wild Plants

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Balsam Fir – Abies Balsamea

Balsam fir (Abies balsamea) is an edible and mostly medicinal tree that’s the closest local plant to frankincense that I know of, scent-wise. (But it’s not a sedative.) Its resin can also be used to make Balm of Gilead, mentioned in poplar posts. A little ecological history: When the fight against eastern spruce budworm vs … [Read more…]

Common Blackberry – Rubus Allegheniensis: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Cordial Bramble of Wild Plants

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Common Blackberry - Rubus Allegheniensis

Common blackberry syn. Allegheny blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis) is a cordial wild edible and medicinal bramble. It’s distinguishable from black raspberries by having a core instead of being hollow inside when harvested (second picture down this page). There are around 50 species of black and raspberries in North America and up here in the north, aren’t we … [Read more…]

Wild Red Raspberry – Rubus Idaeus Var. Strigosus: Edible & Medicinal Uses of a Berry Sweet Wild Plant

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Wild Red Raspberry Syn. American Red Raspberry - Rubus Idaeus Var. Strigosus

Wild red raspberry syn. American red raspberry (Rubus idaeus var. strigosus) is one of hundreds of wild edible and medicinal brambles. Its fruit is not a true berry, but a cluster of drupelets. So, yeah, bananas are berries and raspberries are not. Around Haliburton you’ll also find purple-flowering raspberry (Rubus odoratus), which will be covered … [Read more…]

Sugar Maple – Acer Saccharum: Edible & Medicinal Uses of Canada’s Flagship Wild Plant

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Sugar Maple – Acer Saccharum

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a Ontario staple. I’m not sure you’re going to come across another edible and medicinal plant quite as “Canadian” as this! My sugar maples are young and mostly line the road-side of my property. Thankfully there is one on my property that’s large enough for a tap. Everyone is doing … [Read more…]

White Pine – Pinus Strobus: Edible & Medicinal Uses of Ontario’s Tallest Wild Plant

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White Pine - Pinus Strobus

White pine (Pinus strobus) was the most towering of edible and medicinal plants here in Ontario 200 yrs ago. Imagine forests of 200-ft tall, 4-ft wide powerful evergreen medicine. This tree has so much life. It has the longest list of mammals and birds and insects allies that I have seen yet in my preparations … [Read more…]