Cool and moist

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

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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…]

Bedstraws (Cleavers) – Galium SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Coffee Cousin of Wild Plants

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Bedstraws Syn. Cleavers – Galium SPP.

Cleavers (Galium aparine) is a widely popular edible and medicinal plant, but there are over a dozen bedstraws in our neck of Ontario to confuse them with. Bedstraws (Galium spp.) include the most notable cleavers (G. aparine), which will be the star of this feature. When I mention “cleavers” in this article it’ll always be … [Read more…]

False Solomon’s Seal – Smilacina Racemosa: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Butterscotch of Wild Plants

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False Solomon’s Seal – Smilacina Racemosa

False Solomon’s seal AKA Solomon’s-plume (Maianthemum racemosum syn. smilacina racemosa syn. vagnera racemosa. For now I’ve left an older Latin name in the title, as it’s the one you’ll find in reference books for the most part. If you’ve seen a plant with a massive cluster of speckled pink and red berries hanging from it … [Read more…]

Common Mullein – Verbascum Thapsus: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Coziest Wild Plant

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Common Mullein - Verbascum Thapsus

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 … [Read more…]