Trout lily (Erythronium americanum), widespread in my area of Ontario, is one of the first edible and medicinal plants to come up in the Spring. But it doesn’t stay for long! A spring ephemeral (which means it springs up and then goes away far too quickly), trout lily’s leaves have the mottled appearance of its … [Read more…]
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 … [Read more…]
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…]
In Anishinaabemowin, eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) is sometimes called giizhik, and also gi’jikan’dug meaning cedar-like, as it’s not a “true cedar”. This Tree of Life is both edible and medicinal. One of the alternative names for eastern white cedar is swamp cedar as it likes to grow in damp woods. Another name is Tree … [Read more…]