Polygonaceae/Buckwheat family Archives

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

Water Smartweed - Persicaria Amphibia: Shore Buckwheat of Edible & Medicinal 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 …

In Chippewa, oza’widji’bik meaning “yellow root” refers to bitter dock (rumex obtusifolius), a nonnative here in Ontario. 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 too, but docks stand alone. …

Sheep sorrel (rumex acetosella) is another tangy nonnative edible and medicinal plant in Ontario. It’s very similar in usage to our native wood sorrel. But it’s an ingredient in the popular and controversial Essiac tea. Sheep sorrel (rumex acetosella) is common here around Haliburton, primarily in ditches and sand flats. This sorrels clusters of reddish …

A type of buckwheat, lady’s-thumb is a common garden “smartweed” here. It’s a smart beginner wild edible and medicinal green because of the distinguished triangular purple spot on the leaf making it easily identifiable. Syn. persicaria maculosa. Check out the nice, clearest “thumb”print, bottom-left: There are lookalikes throughout Ontario, primarily also in the buckwheat family, …

Polygonaceae/Buckwheat family

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

Sheep Sorrel – Rumex Acetosella: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Sour Spinach of Wild Plants

Lady’s-Thumb – Polygonum Persicaria: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Buckwheat of Wild Plants