Spikenard is another edible and medicinal plant from the sarsaparilla family. We’ve covered its relation sarsaparilla before and eventually we’ll cover its other local close relation American ginseng. Be aware, sometimes wild sarsaparilla is also called “spikenard” (plus a few others plants too, who are less related!) American spikenard (Aralia racemosa) was common in shrubby …
Lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina) is another edible fiddlehead in Ontario. It is tricky to tell the edible and medicinal ferns from the entirely toxic and even poisonous ones. And then even the edible ones are often toxic if not prepared correctly. Lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina), called upland lady fern in Haliburton Flora, is common here. …
Wild chive usually refers to the very same chives you’d get from a seed packet for your garden or from a grocery store. The big surprise – there’s a variety native to Ontario! Wild chive (Allium schoenoprasum) is typically a rare escapee from cultivation around here, more specifically it tends to be the European version …
Avens (Geum spp.) are in the rose family, closely related to cinquefoils and strawberries. There is a resemblance. In milder climates they are evergreen. Our chocolatey title is after the edible usage of the purple avens. We’ve got many avens species in Ontario, Canada! Our fairly common avens in the wilds of central Ontario are …
Alternate-leaved AKA pagoda dogwood is one of our many Cornus spp. Dogwoods aren’t just edible and medicinal, nor just for the moose. They are one of the main allies of our native bees. Every year I watch various bees and other pollinators swarm my pagoda dogwoods. Alternate-leaved dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) is common in central Ontario, …
Marsh speedwell is the main native speedwell (Veronica spp.) you’ll find here, but we have quite a few species creeping around Ontario. All are edible and medicinal wild plants. Around Haliburton, the most common speedwells are marsh speedwell (Veronica scutellata) and thyme-leaved speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia). I most often spot marsh and thyme-leaved in lawns left …