Northern Maidenhair Fern – Adiantum Pedatum: Medicinal & Alternative Uses of the Prettiest Fern

Northern Maidenhair Fern – Adiantum Pedatum

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 …

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Polypody Ferns – Polypodium SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Rock Fern

Polypody Ferns – Polypodium SPP.

The polypody ferns (Polypodium spp.) used to include maidenhair (next month’s feature plant), lady fern and wood ferns amoung other ferns. But the family has been narrowed down to 31 polypody species presently (2024). Rock polypody (Polypodium virginianum) is the most prevalent in Ontario, Canada by far. It’s common on rocky banks and rocky outcrops …

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Dead Nettles (Incl. Henbit) – Lamium SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of Stinging Nettles Lookalike

Dead Nettles (Incl. Henbit) – Lamium SPP.

Dead nettles (Lamium spp.) look like stinging nettles before flowering, but they don’t have the sting, hence the dead. Some of the species could be confused with other mint family plants; a common example being henbit and purple dead nettle resembling ground ivy/creeping charlie. It won’t take long in a foraging meme group to find …

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Virginia Creeper – Parthenocissus Quinquefolia: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the American Ivy

Virginia Creeper – Parthenocissus Quinquefolia

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 …

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Lungwort (Herb) – Pulmonaria Officinalis: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Herb Lungwort

Lungwort (Herb) – Pulmonaria Officinalis

In our previous post, we covered tree lungwort, a lichen. Today’s lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis) is an herb related to borage. Often in my herbal book collection, one will always be mentioned in the others entry. Perhaps they get confused? While the namesake lichen is native, the herb lungwort is introduced to Ontario. The species is …

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Tree Lungwort (Lichen) – Lobaria Pulmonaria: Medicinal & Alternative Uses of the Sign of a Healthy Forest

Tree Lungwort (Lichen) – Lobaria Pulmonaria

This isn’t the herb lungwort, which we’ll be covering next month. This is a very special lichen also called lungwort. Tree lungwort AKA lung lichen (Lobaria pulmonaria) wowed me the instant I saw it. This is a large distinct lichen, named after its pulmonary appearance. I first spotted it on a tree in damp woods …

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