In Chippewa, asa’di means aspen. “Balm of Gilead” can be made from various poplar buds including tremuloides/quaking aspen, a common edible, medicinal and useful tree in our area. Last month we talked about balsam poplar. But quaking aspen was my first ID’d poplar. I noticed a set of trees on the one-acre wood that softly trembled […]
Tag Archives: White-tailed Deer
White Ash – Fraxinus Americana: Crafty Tree of Foraged Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants
In Chippewa, a’gimak’, white ash is a useful tree to know. In fact, it’s one of the top five trees Caleb Kinew Nini Musgrave @canadianbushcraft recommends knowing in our area, the other four being birch, cedar, spruce and soon to be covered – basswood. The “white” refers to the pale underside of leaves, twigs, and […]
American Beech – Fagus Grandifolia: This Old Tree of Foraging Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants
In Ojibwe, gawe’mîc, beech is the oldest tree name in the world! It’s also an antique edible and old school medicinal plant. The beechnut tree scarcely grows fruit before it’s 40, 50 years old and produces more with age. Even then, good seed crops won’t happen every year. They tend to hold onto their leaves […]
Balsam Poplar – Populus Balsamifera: Pop’lar Balm of Foraging Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants
In Chippewa, man’asa’di, balsam poplar is often used to make the ever-popular Balm of Gilead. Poplar is a common wild edible, medicinal and useful tree in our area. (And some people think it’s trash!) Next month I’ll cover quaking aspen. For today, the focus is balsam poplar, also called Balm of Gilead. Writing about two populus […]
White Trillium – Trillium Grandiflorum: Ontario’s Official Flower and Most Photogenic Edible & Medicinal Wild Plant
In Chippewa, ini’niwin’dibige’gun, white trillium is Ontario’s official flower and the standardbearer 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 […]
Black Cherry – Prunus Serotina: The Cherry Cough Drop of Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants
In Chippewa, ikwe’mic, black cherry while perhaps the least palatable of our cherries is still a bouncin’ edible and medicinal tree. I absolutely love making stuff with it too! The scent of the sawdust – yum! Black cherry is also called rum cherry because settlers blended the fruit with rum or brandy and called the […]