In Chippewa, gijib’inuskon meaning “it is round”, refers to scouring rush. Common horsetail is used to scrub and clean too, but it also has edible uses. And scouring rush is the equisetum plant preferred for medicinal uses. Related to ferns, common horsetail (sometimes called horsetail fern) is the only living genus of the subclass equisetidae. Its …
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Does anyone have an Anishinaabemowin word for ragweed? This maligned plant while rare-ish in Haliburton and considered a “weed” in this part of Ontario is actually native to North America. It’s at least as valuable to a wide swath of wildlife (mainly pollinators) as it is likely to cause a human to sneeze. You might …
Continue reading “Ragweed – Ambrosia Artemisiifolia: Sneeziest of Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants”
Does anyone have an Anishinaabemowin word for lady’s-thumb? A type of buckwheat, lady’s-thumb 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. Syn. persicaria maculosa. Check out the nice, clearest “thumb”print, bottom-left: Edible Uses of …
Continue reading “Lady’s-Thumb – Polygonum Persicaria: Buckwheat of Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants”
In Chippewa, a’djidamo’wano meaning ajidamoo (squirrel or red squirrel) and wano (tail), yarrow is a “wounderful” edible and medicinal herb. A yarrow salve for healing cuts and scrapes was my first ever herbal medicine maker’s recipe! Yarrow is another European import. It’s most descriptive folk name is woundwort. It’s not the only “woundwort”, so cheers …
