Muskrats Archives - Song of the Woods

Water Smartweed – Persicaria Amphibia: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Water Buckwheat of Wild Plants

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 …

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 …

Maybe it’s the name “weed”. Or maybe it’s the location; weedy parking lots and driveways. But I always assumed horseweed was a nonnative plant. Surprise! It’s actually native to Ontario and a powerhouse for small pollinators. Horseweed (Conyza canadensis syn. Erigeron canadensis) is fairly common around Haliburton county in sand flats, disturbed ground, and roadsides. …

Pickerelweed is another edible aquatic plant in Ontario. Many will notice its lush purple blooms covering the shorelines in our area in the summertime. The bees notice too! Pickerel-weed (Pontederia cordata) is a common sight around Haliburton in shallow water, usually in large dense colonies. When flowering it’s a sea of floating purple. Edible Uses …

Variegated pond-lily is not just an edible and medicinal plant to the 2-leggeds, but a favourite of aquatic wildlife. It’s also visited by many pollinators. Variegated or yellow water-lily (Nuphar variegata) is common here in gently flowering shallow waters, up to a few metres deep. There was one small yellow water lily (Nuphar pumila) spotted …

Arrowhead (Sagittaria spp.) is an edible and medicinal plant in the humans case as well as moose. Not to be confused with arrowroot, which you can find at health food stores, you’ll find arrowhead in the marsh instead. Usually surrounded by cattail and the like, arrowhead (Sagittaria spp.) is a common aquatic plant in North …

Muskrats

Water Smartweed – Persicaria Amphibia: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Water Buckwheat of Wild Plants

Docks – Rumex SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Yellow Root of Wild Plants

Horseweed – Conyza Canadensis: Edible & Medicinal Uses of Another Overlooked Pollinator Fav of Wild Plants

Pickerel-weed – Pontederia Cordata: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Purple Sea of Wild Plants

Variegated Pond-lily – Nuphar Variegata: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Yellow Lake Rose of Wild Plants

Arrowheads – Sagittaria SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Marsh Potato of Wild Plants