Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) tends to grow in clusters making for a charming, miniature (~2ft tall) umbrella forest. It’s easy to identify. It’s not listed in Haliburton Flora, being mostly a southern Ontario native. Edible Uses of Mayapple The edible ripe late summer fruits are dull yellow, without any hint of green, with a melon-like sweet …
Northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) is the only maidenhair fern in Ontario, Canada. You’ll find it in deciduous or mixed woods in leaf covered hummus. I find it deep in woods that humans haven’t touched too much. It’s a good sign of that (humans not disturbing an area much) when you see it in the …
Heartleaf foamflower AKA creeping foamflower (Tiarella stolonifera syn. cordifolia) is native to Ontario and found on leafy hummus in deciduous or mixed woods. The leaves resemble miterworts, making one of the folk names false miterwort. I spot foamflower on the roadsides often, and mitrewort more on rocks in streams and deeper in the woods. I …
Shinleaf AKA white wintergreen (Pyrola elliptica) is overshadowed in foraging and herbal medicine by its relations wintergreen and to some extent its cousin pipsissewa. It’s not used by foragers that I know of, and it’s a weaker medicinal than American wintergreen. I might have waited to cover this one, except it’s so common in the …
Woodbine AKA American ivy AKA Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a grape relation you can find around Ontario. Locally, it’s found mostly on roadsides and along abandoned railroad tracks. I’ve also found this vine in mixed woods. It’s gorgeously ornamental in Autumn, so you’re likely to find it in town too. In Canada, it’s only …
Largeflower bellwort (uvularia grandiflora) is limited for human uses, but this is a wonderful plant for spring pollinators, so I had to bump it up the list. Large-flowered or largeflower bellwort (uvularia grandiflora) is common in deciduous woods on rich leafy hummus. I see it along trail sides in deciduous woods, and more and more …