Does anyone have an Anishinaabemowin word for salsifies? This edible and medicinal plant is like a tall, fluffier version of dandelion. It’s a non-native plant in Ontario, and part of the sunflower family. In the reference book Haliburton Flora you’ll only find goatsbeard (tragopogon dubius), better called yellow salsify (there are unrelated plants called goatsbeard). …
Continue reading “Salsifies – Tragopogon SPP.: Oyster of Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants”
In Chippewa, ma’zana’tig refers to thistles. Despite the popular name Canada thistle, this edible and medicinal plant is not native to Canada. Yup, Canada thistle isn’t from Canada. But it’s common along roadsides and I’ve found it taking over old fields as well. Canada thistles delicate purple-ish flowerheads make it less likely to confuse with burdock …
In Chippewa, name’wuskons, selfheal or heal-all is another edible and medicinal wild plant from the mint family. It doesn’t really heal-all, but it’s still a well rounded astringent plant with many uses. We have a mix of European and native selfheal in Ontario. Common around Haliburton, you’re most likely to find it in your lawn. …
Continue reading “Heal-All – Prunella Vulgaris: Another Woundwort of Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants”
Does anyone have a word for viper’s bugloss in Anishinaabemowin? This edible and medicinal plant is a lot like comfrey and borage in usage. It even has the same toxic PAs (pyrrolizidine alkaloids) as comfrey. That’s something to consider besides the spiny bristles covering this plant. If you’re prone to roadside walks, I’m sure you’ve …
Continue reading “Viper’s Bugloss – Echium Vulgare: Comfrey-like of Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants”
In Chippewa, ode’iminidji’bik meaning “heart berry root”, wild strawberry is one of the first berries to ripen, around the start of summer in cottage country, Ontario. It’s the “queen berry” of our edible and medicinal wild plants. I titled this entry with the main wild strawberry species you’ll find in abundance here, but we also have …
Does anyone have an Anishinaabemowin word for asparagus? One of the most famous edible shoots in the world, asparagus sometimes escapes from gardens becoming a “wild” edible and medicinal plant. Finding asparagus in the wild is uncommon here, but with its legendary title mention in Euell Gibbon’s Stalking the Wild Asparagus and its ability to …
