Canada wild lettuce (Lactuca canadensis) is one of many edible and medicinal wild lettuces (Lactuca spp.) you’ll find in Ontario. They are often confused with chicory, dandelion or sow thistles, but fortunately these tall wild lettuces have no poisonous lookalikes. Although, at a glance rattlesnake roots have a similar look and height. In Haliburton Flora … [Read more…]
Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) is a nonnative (to Ontario) edible and medicinal plant that you can easily grow in a pot indoors if you love it, rather than have it take over yours and your neighbors lawns. If it hasn’t taken over already! Called gill-over-the-ground in Haliburton Flora, ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea syn. Nepeta glechoma, … [Read more…]
Catnip isn’t native to Ontario, but at least it’s not as aggressive as many other mints. It’s a surprisingly useful edible and medicinal plant, if you’re not pregnant. And whether or not you’re a cat. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is uncommon around Haliburton, but I find it around old farmsteads. It may also show up in … [Read more…]
Selfheal or heal-all (Prunella vulgaris) is another edible and medicinal wild plant from the mint family. It doesn’t really heal-all, but it’s still a well rounded astringent plant with many uses. We have a mix of European and native selfheal in Ontario. Common around Haliburton, you’re most likely to find it in your lawn. You … [Read more…]
Strict blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium montanum) is in the iris family, and isn’t truly a grass. This edible and medicinal wildflower is widespread and around here may be one of the first you see dotting your lawn when you haven’t mowed. Sisyrinchium montanum is Halliburton’s only blue-eyed grass, but the whole species is similar. If you’ve … [Read more…]
Like red osier berries, wood sorrel (Oxalis spp.) is a sour edible to spice up your culinary adventures. It’s almost as easy of an edible and medicinal wild plant to find as dandelion. We have at least two fairly common sorrels. Firstly, mountain wood-sorrel (Oxalis montana), whose flower looks like spring beauties, only with shamrock … [Read more…]