In Ojibwe, nisoobag+oon. Not to be confused with white sweet clover, white clover is the blanco version of red clover. Used less medicinally and culinarily as its red cousin, it’s like a runner-up clover, but still useful. Most people looking into white clover are thinking groundcover options. If you hunt you’ll likely find the uncommon hybird …
Continue reading “White Clover – Trifolium Repens: Groundcover of Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants”
In Chippewa, agong’osiminun, false Solomon’s-seal is known by multiple Latin names: smilacina racemosa, maianthemum racemosum, and vagnera racemosa. If you’ve seen a plant with a massive cluster of speckled pink and red berries hanging from it along the border of your woods, this edible and medicinal plant is likely the one. Around Haliburton we have …
In Chippewa, ga’gawan’dagisid meaning deceptive, common junipers “berries” aren’t as sweet as they appear. (I’m not actually sure that is why deceptive is the descriptive name.) But common juniper is still an edible and medicinal plant, especially popular in Northern Europe. In Haliburton, Ontario you’ll find var. depressa Pursh. It’s been fairly common around here, especially dotting …
Does anyone have an Anishinaabemowin word for comfrey? Another escapee from settler cultivation around here, comfrey is an historically renown and presently controversial edible and medicinal plant. Around Haliburton, we have both common comfrey and the blue flowered wild sort (now andersonglossum boreale). The proper one of the title name has creamy yellow flowers. The …
In Chippewa, gi’ziso’muki’ki, goldenrod is a sunny medicinal and edible wild plant. In the past, it was falsely blamed for hayfever allergies, which are actually caused by ragweed. It’s really a medicine to treat allergies! Latin solidare means to join or make whole, and when you come upon the medicinal tags below you’ll see why …
Continue reading “Goldenrod – Solidago SPP.: Sun Medicine of Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants”
I haven’t found a word for sunflower in Anishinaabemowin, but *giizis means sun and waabigwan means flower. While most folks know sunflower is edible, did you know it’s a medicinal plant as well? *The Ojibwe words link to The Ojibwe People’s Dictionary which is the first place I look if Frances Densmore’s book doesn’t include …
Continue reading “Sunflower – Helianthus Annuus: Sunshine of Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants”
