While not a true “primrose”, common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) is truly amazing. You might have heard of evening primrose oil as a medicinal supplement (affiliate link), especially if you’re a woman. This foraged wild plant is also amazingly edible! The flowers open at dusk hence the “evening”. Observe them and you’ll notice flowers hanging …
Wild red raspberry syn. American red raspberry (Rubus idaeus var. strigosus) is one of hundreds of wild edible and medicinal brambles. Its fruit is not a true berry, but a cluster of drupelets. So, yeah, bananas are berries and raspberries are not. Around Haliburton you’ll also find purple-flowering raspberry (Rubus odoratus), which will be covered …
Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) is the usual fern called fiddlehead. It’s a traditional dish in Quebec and New Brunswick and the sprouts are a delicacy called kogomi in Japan. It was the first fern in our edible and medicinal plants series! And presently one of many ferns we’ve covered. As per edibility, this one is …
White ash (Fraxinus americana) is a useful tree to know. In fact, it’s one of the top five trees Caleb Kinew Nini Musgrave @canadianbushcraft recommends knowing in our area. The other four being birch, cedar, spruce and basswood. The “white” refers to the pale underside of leaves, twigs, and bark, although it’s really more of …
White trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) is Ontario’s official flower and the standard-bearer of spring. It’s also a traditional edible and mostly medicinal plant. However, it needs our protection. Also called birth root, a hint at its medicinal qualities. And wake-robin, due to being a spring herald. It heralds the black flies too, who I personally suspect …