Clubmosses – Lycopodium SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Not Really a Moss of Wild Plants

Clubmosses - Lycopodium SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Not Really a Moss of Wild Plants

In Haliburton Flora, there are 9 clubmosses (lycopodium spp.) listed. Although, since that survey was taken most of them have been reclassified. Genus flipping aside, by narrowest circumscription just 2 of these are lycopods hereabouts, and 4 Ontario-wide. Clubmoss/lycopodium species are vascular plants often referred to as fern allies, closely related to ferns and plants …

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Speedwells – Veronica SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Green Tea of Wild Plants

Speedwells - Veronica SPP.

Marsh speedwell is the main native speedwell you’ll find here, but we have quite a few species creeping around Ontario. All are edible and medicinal wild plants. Around Haliburton, the most common speedwells are marsh speedwell (veronica scutellata) and thyme-leaved speedwell (veronica serpyllifolia). I most often spot marsh and thyme-leaved in lawns left to grow …

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Bluebead Lily – Clintonia Borealis: Edible & Medicinal Uses of Poisonberry of Wild Plants

Bluebead Lily - Clintonia Borealis

In Anishinaabemowin, odotaagaans+ag, bluebead lily has toxic berries, but it’s still an edible and medicinal wild plant. It’s gorgeous too, with pretty yellow flowers and stunning blue berries that form a gradient and marbled cluster of blue as they ripen. Corn lily AKA bluebead lily (clintonia borealis) is common around Halliburton in deciduous or mixed woods …

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Spring-Beauty – Claytonia Caroliniana: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Fairy Spuds of Wild Plants

Spring-beauty - Claytonia caroliniana

In Anishinaabemowin, miiaatikwek piniik, spring-beauty is one of our first spring flowers. It’s a small, striped edible and medicinal ephemeral and one of our first available bee foods. It even has its own specialist bee, the spring beauty miner. You might see non-natives like crocus and coltsfoot bloom first in the spring, before our bees even …

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Ghost Pipe – Monotropa Uniflora: Edible & Medicinal Uses of That’s Not a Mushroom of Wild Plants

Ghost Pipe - Monotropa Uniflora

Ghost pipes are an herb most will mistake for a mushroom. This pale wildflower has forgone photosynthesis and can often be found in the darkest woods. It’s one of the many edible and medicinal plants that should probably be left alone due to being rarer and in this case, especially hard to propagate. There are …

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