Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium syn. Epilobium angustifolium) derives its common name from colonizing the charred sites of wildfires. It’s an edible and medicinal plant that is native to Ontario. I’ll be changing the graphic to Chamaenerion angustifolium for its Latin name soon! Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium) is common along roadsides, in logged bush, and in fire scourged … [Read more…]
Water smartweed (Persicaria amphibia syn. Polygonum amphibium) is another edible and medicinal plant from the buckwheat family. It is native to Ontario and has the showiest flower of all our local smartweeds. Water smartweed (Persicaria amphibia syn. Polygonum amphibium) since the compilation of Haliburton Flora got a new genus, Persicaria. It’s common here in wet ditches, shoresides and banks, and … [Read more…]
Currants (Ribes spp.) are spattered everywhere around Haliburton county, Ontario. Gooseberry was covered earlier this year and is also a Ribes. Here we’re covering the rest of our local currants. And there are many currant species, and they are all lookalikes. But these edible and medicinal shrubs aren’t the same “currant” you find dried like … [Read more…]
The nonnative yellow rooted docks, sour and bitter, have a long history of medicinal use. We have a couple dozen (native and nonnative) edible and medicinal docks. Last week’s sheep sorrel is a Rumex species too, but docks stand alone. There are at least 26 species spotted on iNat for Ontario. The three docks listed … [Read more…]
Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is another tangy nonnative edible and medicinal plant in Ontario. It’s very similar in usage to our native wood sorrel. But it’s an ingredient in the popular and controversial Essiac tea. Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is common here around Haliburton, primarily in ditches and sand flats. This sorrels clusters of reddish … [Read more…]
Lilac is not native to Ontario, but it’s pretty easy to find having been a favourite hedge of many homesteaders. It’s more of a candy to our native insects than nutritive (as a native plant would be). With that and the folk name “nose-candy”, candied petals, etc., “candy” seemed an apt title. My extensive library … [Read more…]