Dryopteridaceae/Wood fern family

Wood Ferns – Dryopteris SPP.: Inedible Fiddlehead of Not So Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants

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Wood Ferns – Dryopteris SPP.

Also known as male ferns, wood fern’s fiddleheads are toxic. If you’re going to eat ostrich or lady ferns, it’s good to know their look-a-likes like this species! Wood ferns (Dryopteris spp.) are toxic lookalikes to our edible ferns (ostrich, lady, the related Christmas fern..) We have numerous species of wood ferns. Common around Haliburton, … [Read more…]

Christmas Fern – Polystichum Acrosthichoides: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Evergreen Fern of Wild Plants

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Christmas Fern – Polystichum Acrosthichoides

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 … [Read more…]