Tamarack (Larix laricina) is common in low, damp areas, treed bogs (especially fens) and shore banks. If you’ve read about other trees here on the Song of the Woods blog and you’re expecting a lot, you won’t be disappointed. When I moved up north I was surprised to see an “evergreen” (it’s not an evergreen) …
Willow (Salix spp.) is an edible, mostly medicinal and heavily utilized plant. Its powerful component salicin was synthesized to make the well known OTC medicine Aspirin. “Sal lis” means “near water”. And our many Haliburton waters are surrounded by salix species! The marshes I visit for birding and herping are filled with a wide variety …
Pineapple-weed (Matricaria discoidea) is an easy to identify introduced edible “weed” that locals have probably noticed in their driveways if not paved. It’s also called wild chamomile, which is more alluring on the medicinal side of naming. I suppose “pineapple” triggers a thirst for learning about its edible qualities. I would rather have titled this …
Joe from *Creator’s Garden calls it mskwabiimnagohns. Red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) is our most recognizable dogwood thanks to its bright red bark. It’s both a wild edible and a medicinal that you may be aching to know. *Link is to Joe’s video about red osier on Facebook, have a listen and follow 🙂 Our local …
In Anishinaabemowin, mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is sometimes called waabooyaanibag (blanket leaf). Its uses are blanketly more medicinal than edible. But you can eat the delicate yellow flowers too! Mullein’s folk names include but are not limited to flannel leaf (leaves stuffed in shoes for warmth), tinder plant/torches/torch-wort, candlewick (dried stems used to be dipped in …