Poke – Phytolacca Americana: Edible & Medicinal Uses of America’s Favourite Poisonous Plant

Poke - Phytolacca Americana

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 …

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Lowbush Blueberry – Vaccinium Angustifolium: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Super Berry of Wild Plants

Lowbush Blueberry – Vaccinium Angustifolium

Lowbush blueberry AKA “low sweet” blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) is common here, as is velvet-leaf blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides) which thrives around marshes. I’ve heard a few personal anecdotes from locals about picking blueberries all the while watching a black bear or bears doing the same nearby. There’s a myth (I originally believed!) that blackflies pollinate blueberry …

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Red Oak – Quercus Rubra: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Bitter Acorn of Wild Plants

Red Oak - Quercus Rubra

Red oak (Quercus rubra) is an edible and medicinal tree we’re lucky to have even if just admiring it’s deep red foliage in the autumn. Carrying a piece of oak is said to bring good luck. And it’s a lucky tree to have around for many wild ones. It’s a long list: opossum (which nowadays …

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