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 …
American wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is often called Eastern tea berry now. It’s edible and medicinal, but you have to mind the amount you use because the oil is toxic if overdosed. Similar to Aspirin, just a tsp of pure wintergreen oil is the equivalent of 21 and a half adult aspirins. American wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) …
Catnip isn’t native to Ontario, but at least it’s not as aggressive as many other mints. It’s a surprisingly useful edible and medicinal plant, if you’re not pregnant. And whether or not you’re a cat. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is uncommon around Haliburton, but I find it around old farmsteads. It may also show up in …
Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) 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 as a …
Common junipers (Juniperus communis) “berries” aren’t as sweet as they appear. But common juniper is still an edible and medicinal plant, especially popular in Northern Europe. In Haliburton, Ontario, you’ll find J. communis var. depressa Pursh. It’s been fairly common around here, especially dotting open fields. With our forest taking back the land that was cleared it …
These edible and medicinal fleabane (Erigeron spp.) are smaller daisies, that bloom earliest of daisies here, and they are quickly raggedly looking. From all that you can probably figure out why they’re called eri (early) and geron (old man) in greek. Around Haliburton, we have common fleabane, rough daisy (Erigeron strigosus) – more likely found …