We’ve covered almost every native cherry in Ontario and this fire cherry, also called bird cherry for one, is no exception to the fact cherries are fantastic for birds and other wildlife. And not just jam! Pin cherry / Fire cherry (Prunus pensylvanica) was common along roadsides, woodland slopes, lake banks, and stream banks in … [Read more…]
Around the world the most popular cinquefoils are tormentil and silverweed, neither of which are in Haliburton, Ontario. You can find at least seven species of Potentilla in our area of Central Ontario, with varying levels of edibility and medicinal quality. In my herbal library the popular cinquefoils (Potentilla spp.) are the Pacific silverweeds (P. … [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…]
Partridge-berry, not to be confused with wintergreen or cranberries, also sometimes called partridgeberries, or for lingonberry. Partridge-berries are an edible and medicinal evergreen vine, non climbing, with double-berry fused red fruits. The leaves have white veins. Partridge-berry (Mitchella repens) is common around Haliburton, Ontario. The first specimen I found was on a rocky outcrop along … [Read more…]
American wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is often called Eastern tea berry now. It’s edible and medicinal, but you have to mind the amount you use because the oil is toxic if overdosed. Similar to Aspirin, just a tsp of pure wintergreen oil is the equivalent of 21 and a half adult aspirins. American wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) … [Read more…]
In Chippewa, bima’kwud meaning “twisting around”, American bittersweet is much less edible and medicinal than our usual featured plants, but the berries on this vine are stunning in the fall and winter. Cheers to our 100th plant! Is it bittersweet? Yes and no. Is it very edible and medicinal? Nah. The berries are poisonous, although that’s … [Read more…]