White Trillium – Trillium Grandiflorum: Edible & Medicinal Uses of Ontario’s Official Flower and Most Photogenic Wild Plant

White trillium - Trillium grandiflorum

In Chippewa, ini’niwin’dibige’gun, white trillium is Ontario’s official flower and the standard-bearer of spring. It’s also a traditional edible and mostly medicinal plant. However, it needs our protection. Also called birth root, a hint at its medicinal qualities. And wake-robin, due to being a spring herald. It heralds the black flies too, who I personally …

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Black Cherry – Prunus Serotina: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Cherry Cough Drop of Wild Plants

Black cherry – Prunus serotina

In Chippewa, ikwe’mic, black cherry while perhaps the least palatable of our cherries is still a bouncin’ edible and medicinal tree. I absolutely love making stuff with it too! The scent of the sawdust – yum! Black cherry is also called rum cherry because settlers blended the fruit with rum or brandy and called the …

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Wild Sarsaparilla – Aralia Nudicaulis: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Rootbeer of Wild Plants

Wild sarsaparilla - Aralia nudicaulis

In Chippewa, wabos’odji’bik meaning “rabbit root”, wild sarsaparilla is a prized edible and medicinal herb. And not just for the rootbeer. (Though that’d be enough for me!) Wild sarsaparilla’s folk names include rabbit foot and wild licorice. In some of my herbal books, it’s called spikenard instead. But there are many plants called spikenard. And …

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Yarrow – Achillea Millefolium: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Woundwort of Wild Plants

Yarrow - Achillea millefolium

In Chippewa, a’djidamo’wano meaning ajidamoo (squirrel or red squirrel) and wano (tail), yarrow is a “wounderful” edible and medicinal herb. A yarrow salve for healing cuts and scrapes was my first ever herbal medicine maker’s recipe! Yarrow is another European import. It’s most descriptive folk name is woundwort. It’s not the only “woundwort”, so cheers …

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