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) …
Common junipers (Juniperus communis) “berries” aren’t as sweet as they appear. But common juniper is still an edible and medicinal plant, especially popular in Northern Europe. In Haliburton, Ontario, you’ll find J. communis var. depressa Pursh. It’s been fairly common around here, especially dotting open fields. With our forest taking back the land that was cleared it …
Here in Canada, cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is a legal medicinal and industrial plant. When Haliburton Flora was compiled, there was one Cannabis sativa noted on waste ground up in the northeast corner of Haliburton county. In the Haliburton Flora entry it’s called “marijuana”, but that name is used less and less for its racist origins. …
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 …
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) is a sunny medicinal and edible wild plant. In the past, it was falsely blamed for hayfever allergies, which are actually caused by ragweed. As a medicinal plant, goldenrod can actually be used to treat allergies! Latin solidare means to join or make whole, and when you come upon the medicinal tags …
Balsam fir (Abies balsamea) is an edible and mostly medicinal tree that’s the closest local plant to frankincense that I know of, scent-wise. (But it’s not a sedative.) Its resin can also be used to make Balm of Gilead, mentioned in poplar posts. A little ecological history: When the fight against eastern spruce budworm vs …