Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) tends to grow in clusters making for a charming, miniature (~2ft tall) umbrella forest. It’s easy to identify. It’s not listed in Haliburton Flora, being mostly a southern Ontario native. Edible Uses of Mayapple The edible ripe late summer fruits are dull yellow, without any hint of green, with a melon-like sweet … [Read more…]
Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) is not listed in Haliburton Flora, nor would we want it to be. It’s very invasive and can quickly carpet a wetland, choking out the native plants. My sister lives near a park where the entire riverbank for a hundred feet or more – the whole floodplain – is filled with … [Read more…]
There are a couple strawberry look-a-likes that aren’t the real thing. Many of them are called “barren” strawberry. Then there’s our title mock strawberry (Potentilla indica syn. Duchesnea indica). This mock strawberry is actually a cinquefoil species. It’s not listed in Haliburton Flora, but it can be found in Ontario and especially southern Ontario. These … [Read more…]
Poke (Phytolacca americana) isn’t found in Haliburton, Ontario, but it can be found to our south. It is very common the further south you go in North America. I’ve covered many plants in my immediate area and will continue to do so, but I’m also expanding our content to farther reaches of Ontario and eventually … [Read more…]
Common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a widely recognizable edible and medicinal herb that is most common throughout the temperate regions of North America and Europe. Dandelion being easily identifiable is often the gateway plant to exploring foraging. It’s especially dandy for beginner foragers, being generally safe to eat and thanks to the entire plant being edible … [Read more…]
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 … [Read more…]