Found in sandy disturbed sites

Wild Geraniums – Geranium SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of One of the Strongest Astringent Herbs

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Wild Geraniums – Geranium SPP.

Wild geraniums are not your common garden centre “geraniums” (Pelargonium spp.). Today’s featured plant is from a different genus. Sometimes called cranesbills, this species is slightly edible, a popular medicinal astringent and also wonderful for native landscaping. Around Haliburton, Ontario, Northern Cranes-bill (Geranium bicknellii) and the more common herb Robert (G. robertianum) are found. In … [Read more…]

Catnip – Nepeta Cataria: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Nightcap of Wild Plants

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Catnip – Nepeta Cataria

Catnip isn’t native to Ontario, but at least it’s not as aggressive as many other mints. It’s a surprisingly useful edible and medicinal plant, if you’re not pregnant. And whether or not you’re a cat. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is uncommon around Haliburton, but I find it around old farmsteads. It may also show up in … [Read more…]

Coltsfoot – Tussilago Farfara: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Salt of Wild Plants

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Coltsfoot – Tussilago Farfara

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) is another settler import to North America with a longstanding edible and medicinal history. But keep reading because things have gotten complicated due to health concerns about one of the constituents. Coltsfoot has gone out of vogue for a couple reasons. Firstly, antihistamines and new cough syrups surpassed “coughwort” in popularity. And … [Read more…]

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

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Lady’s-Thumb – Polygonum Persicaria

A type of buckwheat, lady’s-thumb (Polygonum persicaria syn. Persicaria maculosa) 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. Check out the nice, clearest “thumb”print, bottom-left: There are lookalikes throughout Ontario, primarily also in the … [Read more…]

Queen Anne’s-lace – Daucus Carota: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Carrot of Wild Plants

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Queen Anne's-lace Syn. Wild Carrot - Daucus Carota

Queen Anne’s-lace (Daucus carota) is literally a wild carrot. It’s another likely garden escapee, naturalized to Haliburton, and a surprisingly edible and medicinal wild plant. (If you’re not possibly pregnant, anyway!) You’ll want to make sure to distinguish it from other carrots. A lookalike that comes to mind is goutweed. The purple dot in the … [Read more…]

Wild Sarsaparilla – Aralia Nudicaulis: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Rootbeer of Wild Plants

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Wild Sarsaparilla - Aralia Nudicaulis

Wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) is a prized edible and medicinal herb. And not just for the rootbeer. (Though that’d be enough for me!) Wild sarsaparilla’s folk names include rabbit foot and wild licorice. In some of my herbal books, it’s called spikenard instead. But there are many plants called spikenard. And confusingly, a more popular … [Read more…]