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) …
In Chippewa, muj’omij meaning “moose plant”, alternate-leaved dogwood is one of our many cornus spp. Dogwoods aren’t just edible and medicinal, nor just for the moose. They are one of the main allies of our native bees. Alternate-leaved dogwood (cornus alternifolia) is common in central Ontario, especially around forest edges. Its relation red osier dogwood (cornus stolonifera) …
We have a few edible and medicinal ferns in central Ontario, although ostrich fern is the most popular for fiddleheads. Oh, Merry Christmas fern! This is going out December 24th – happy holidays, folks! Christmas fern (polystichum acrosthichoides) may be common in deciduous or mixed woods around Haliburton, Ontario, usually in damp hummus. It’s this …
Partridge-berry, not to be confused with wintergreen or cranberries, also sometimes called partridgeberries, or for lingonberry. Partridge-berries are an edible and medicinal evergreen vine, non climbing, with double-berry fused red fruits. The leaves have white veins. Partridge-berry (mitchella repens) is common around Haliburton, Ontario. The first specimen I found was on a rocky outcrop along …
In Anishinaabemowin, odotaagaans+ag, bluebead lily has toxic berries, but it’s still an edible and medicinal wild plant. It’s gorgeous too, with pretty yellow flowers and stunning blue berries that form a gradient and marbled cluster of blue as they ripen. Corn lily AKA bluebead lily (clintonia borealis) is common around Halliburton in deciduous or mixed woods …
In Chippewa, be’cigodji’biguk meaning one root, blue cohosh is similar to its name twin black cohosh, but from a whole other genus of plants. They aren’t look-a-likes, but their medicinal uses are similar. “Cohosh” is from an Algonquin word related to pregnancy/women. Both cohoshes are species at risk of overharvest. Presently, motherwort is a more sustainable choice …