Wild Lettuces – Lactuca SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Opium of Wild Plants

Wild Lettuces – Lactuca SPP.

In Chippewa, odjici’gomin refers to Canada wild lettuce (lactuca canadensis), one of many edible and medicinal wild lettuces (lactuca spp.) you’ll find in Ontario. They are often confused with chicory, dandelion or sow thistles, but fortunately these tall wild lettuces have no poisonous lookalikes. Although, at a glance rattlesnake roots have a similar look and height. …

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Elms – Ulmus SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Slippery Bark of Wild Plants

Elms - Ulmus SPP.

In Chippewa, gawa’komic, slippery elm is the medicinal star of the elms (ulmus spp.) native to Ontario. It’s also most popular local/Haliburton elm for foraging. But elm is at risk due to Dutch elm disease. Around cottage country Ontario there are three main native elm (ulmus spp.) trees. The most common is American/white elm (ulmus americana) …

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

Hickories – Carya SPP.

In Ojibwe, mitigwaabaak meaning “bow tree”, 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 …

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Bush-Cranberries – Viburnum SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Alt Cranberry of Wild Plants

Bush-Cranberries – Viburnum SPP.

Bush cranberries are a common sight in Cottage country, Ontario. These berried shrubs include hobblebush, wild raisin, nannyberry, maple-leaved viburnum and highbush cranberry. All mentioned have edible and medicinal uses. Bush-cranberries (viburnum SPP.) are common here around Haliburton. Hobblebush (viburnum lantanoides), pictured in the featured image, is common along wooded roadsides and edges of woods. …

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Witch Hazel – Hamamelis Virginiana: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Most Popular Astringent of Wild Plants

Witch Hazel - Hamamelis Virginiana

Witch hazel is one of those edible and medicinal plants that many people have used frequently without even thinking once about herbal medicine. Witch hazel (hamamelis virginiana) isn’t listed in Haliburton Flora. We’re on the border of its natural distribution. It didn’t take off as an understory shrub here around Haliburton like, say, its floral …

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Wood Sorrel – Oxalis SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Sourgrass of Wild Plants

Wood Sorrel - Oxalis SPP.

Like red osier berries, wood sorrel (oxalis spp.) is a sour edible to spice up your culinary adventures. It’s almost as easy of an edible and medicinal wild plant to find as dandelion. We have at least two fairly common sorrels. Firstly, mountain wood-sorrel (oxalis montana), whose flower looks like spring beauties, only with shamrock …

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