Wild turkey

Water Smartweed – Persicaria Amphibia: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Water Buckwheat of Wild Plants

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Water Smartweed – Persicaria Amphibia

Water smartweed (Persicaria amphibia syn. Polygonum amphibium) is another edible and medicinal plant from the buckwheat family. It is native to Ontario and has the showiest flower of all our local smartweeds. Water smartweed (Persicaria amphibia syn. Polygonum amphibium) since the compilation of Haliburton Flora got a new genus, Persicaria. It’s common here in wet ditches, shoresides and banks, and … [Read more…]

Sheep Sorrel – Rumex Acetosella: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Sour Spinach of Wild Plants

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Sheep Sorrel – Rumex Acetosella

Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is another tangy nonnative edible and medicinal plant in Ontario. It’s very similar in usage to our native wood sorrel. But it’s an ingredient in the popular and controversial Essiac tea. Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is common here around Haliburton, primarily in ditches and sand flats. This sorrels clusters of reddish … [Read more…]

Witch Hazel – Hamamelis Virginiana: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Most Popular Astringent of Wild Plants

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Witch Hazel – Hamamelis Virginiana

Witch AKA snapping hazel is one of those edible and medicinal plants that many people have used frequently without even thinking once about herbal medicine. Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) isn’t listed in Haliburton Flora. We’re on the border of its natural distribution. It didn’t take off as an understory shrub here around Haliburton like, say, … [Read more…]

New Jersey Tea – Ceanothus Americanus: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Redroot of Wild Plants

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New Jersey Tea – Ceanothus Americanus

New Jersey teas close relation to prairie redroot. Both have red roots and thus redroot as a folk name. They also have the same uses and host the same caterpillars. This edible and medicinal plant will certainly end up in our pollinator series for the Wood Folk Diaries! (Here is the link to that diary!) … [Read more…]

Partridge-berry – Mitchella Repens: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Uterine Tonic of Wild Plants

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Partridge-berry – Mitchella Repens

Partridge-berry, not to be confused with wintergreen or cranberries, also sometimes called partridgeberries, or for lingonberry. Partridge-berries are an edible and medicinal evergreen vine, non climbing, with double-berry fused red fruits. The leaves have white veins. Partridge-berry (Mitchella repens) is common around Haliburton, Ontario. The first specimen I found was on a rocky outcrop along … [Read more…]

American Wintergreen – Gaultheria Procumbens: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Other Snowberry of Wild Plants

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American Wintergreen – Gaultheria Procumbens

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) … [Read more…]