GUIDE FOREST NORTHERN - Ontario Nature
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NORTHERN FOREST FORAGING GUIDE
Northern Forest Foraging Guide
• Although foraging for edible plants Ideally, people will become exceptional
Vladimir Melnikov/Essentials Collection/
is permitted on most public land stewards of Ontario’s natural areas.
in Ontario, obtain permission from Sustainable harvesting methods
the owner before collecting plants relating to trees, shrubs, plants and
on private property. Another best fungi vary, so in some cases additional
Getty Images International
practice is to obtain permission research may be required to ensure
from the local First Nation sustainability. The timing of harvesting
community before harvesting is also important, as some parts of
on traditional territory. a plant (such as flowers or fruit) are
not available year-round, while others
• Management goals vary for protected
(such as tree needles) are. Not taking
areas and nature reserves. Ensure
more than is needed at one time is also
that wild food foraging is permitted in
important, as taking too much reduces
these areas before harvesting.
available resources for other users and
• Most importantly, take only what contributes to increased waste of these
Ontario’s forests, meadows and waters provide an incredible range of nutritious you can use and use what you take. resources. Harvesting too much can
and delicious edible wild plants. Ontario Nature has prepared this foraging guide Edible wild plants are a shared also impact a species’ ability to grow
as an introduction to this local resource, and to encourage people to get outside resource. Users of them must take and reproduce.
and experience the wonders the natural world provides. responsibility for ensuring that they
will continue to thrive year after year.
The trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants and fungi listed in this guide are a
sample of some of the abundant local species that can be harvested Sustainable Harvesting
sustainably in Northern Ontario, though there are many other wild edibles to Improper harvesting techniques and
explore. The guide is intended to be a starting point for people interested in overharvesting can have a significant
foraging for edible wild plants and should not be considered to be a definitive negative impact on the ability of a
resource for their identification and use. species to reproduce. This practice can
lead to the disappearance of a species
Kendal Donahue
from an area and the loss of a local
Basic Rules for Harvesting can positively identify as edible. food source, affecting both humans
Edible Wild Plants and Fungi Learning about plants from a local and other species. A general rule is to
Harvesting edible wild plants can be expert, consulting books and collect only 5 percent of any individual
a fun, educational and sustainable taking courses or workshops are patch of a given species within a
activity for all ages if it is done recommended (see the resources maximum of 25 percent of an area.
properly. Ontario Nature has identified at the end of this guide). Following this guideline helps ensure Practicing sustainable methods of
some basic rules for harvesting that the plants are able to reproduce. harvesting the species listed in this
• Harvest plants in areas where you
wild plants to ensure the safety of For plants that have a long life cycle guide is crucial to minimizing human
know the risk of contamination from
participants and the sustainability and take many years to grow to impact on them and other species that
industrial and other pollution is low.
of plants involved. maturity, sustainable harvesting entails rely on them. Such methods contribute
• Eat only a small quantity of any plant picking even less. to increased food security and
• Be sure you know what you are you have not eaten before and assess
harvesting, and eat only plants you independence, which are particularly
how it affects you before eating more.
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
2 3
TREES
Cedar Thuja spp.
important in communities where species. Be extremely cautious about
healthy foods are not always available look-alike and poisonous species. IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION
or easy to obtain. • Large conifer tree with rough, crumbly bark • Tea made from the leaves is said to
• Leaves scaly and very fragrant soothe the throat, and tea made from
Caution! the bark is said to aid kidney function
If you are uncertain about the
LOCATION • Soaking in bath water containing cedar
identification of a species, before
leaves is said to soothe rashes, skin
consuming it consult additional • Moist areas in forests and swamps or
Amber DeGrace CC BY 2.0
irritation and shingles
field guides and expert sources to near water
confirm what it is. Experts suggest • Cedar oil can be produced by putting the
that if you have not eaten a plant cedar buds/tips in a jar with olive oil and
HARVESTING TIME
before, try only a small sample of it; letting it sit, sealed, for 4-6 weeks. Some
people’s responses to even known • Year-round people use this oil to treat warts and cold
edible species may vary. When you sores, and as a natural insect repellant
use a plant for the first time, allergic
reactions or other sensitivities may CAUTIONS
occur; if they do, consult a medical
professional. Aboriginal peoples have Acknowledgments • Consume only a small quantity, because
traditional medicinal uses for some Ontario Nature would like to cedar leaves release small amounts
of the plants mentioned in this guide, acknowledge all of the experts of toxins
and many of these uses have been consulted during the preparation of
included in the text. Consult a medical this guide. They are listed at the back
professional or expert Indigenous of the guide, along with other
knowledge holder before using any resources. Additionally, the guide
plant for medicinal purposes. includes Aboriginal knowledge
about using and preparing plants,
Disclaimer and Ontario Nature thanks Indigenous
davelogan/Signature Collection/Getty Images
Ontario Nature takes no responsibility knowledge holders for their sharing
whatsoever for any adverse health and contribution.
effects due to the consumption or
other use of any plant described in this
guide. It is intended to provide general
information only. Check with your
healthcare provider before using wild
plants to treat any medical condition.
Before consuming any wild plants, you
should be absolutely certain of their
identification. Seek expert advice and
use at least two reputable field guides
to confirm the identification of a
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
4 5
TREES
Jack Pine Pinus banksiana Paper Birch Betula papyrifera
IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION
• Short needles in clusters of two that are • Some people use the needles to prepare • Older bark white and papery, younger • Sap can be boiled to reduce it to a syrup,
not twisted together tea high in vitamin C (honey or cinnamon bark smooth which has half the sugar of maple syrup
• Cones closed and tight to the branches may be added to mask the bitter taste) • Triangular leaves with toothed margins and is more savoury (tastes similar to soy
sauce or Worcestershire sauce)
• Some people chew the raw pitch to treat
LOCATION sore throats LOCATION • Inner bark can be added to soups and
stews or dried and powdered to use as
• Throughout boreal forest, but also in • Some people warm the sap and apply • Sunny, moist areas a flour
some open areas it externally as a salve which is said to
relieve joint and muscle pain, swelling, • Catkins and leaves can be added raw to
HARVESTING TIME
bites, burns and irritations salads or cooked in vegetable side dishes
HARVESTING TIME
• Spring to fall • Tea can be made from the twigs and leaves
• Year-round CAUTIONS
• Do not eat this plant if you are pregnant CAUTIONS
(can cause miscarriage) • Harvest the inner bark only from recently
downed branches or small branches
clipped from the main tree to minimize the
impact on overall tree health and growth
nikamata/Signature Collection/Getty Images
Allie KF CC BY-SA 2.0
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
6 7
SHRUBS
Cranberry
Vaccinium oxycoccos and macrocarpon Common Red Raspberry Rubus idaeus
IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION
• Mostly under 20 cm in height • Berries can be eaten raw or processed • Up to 2 m in height • Berries can be eaten raw, made into jams,
• Flowers pink, berries red/purple into jams or jellies, juices, sauces or teas • Prickly spreading stems, becoming jellies, or juices or added to desserts
• Berries can also be added to both sweet smoother with age • Young, peeled stems are edible in both
LOCATION and savoury foods, such as pies, muffins, • Alternate compound leaves on prickly raw or cooked preparations
soups, stews and salads stalks, usually three to five leaflets per leaf
• Wet areas and near bogs, ponds and lakes • Some people boil the leaves into a tea to
• The health benefits of cranberries are said • Flowers white/green treat diarrhea and cramps
to include reduced risk of the formation
HARVESTING TIME of kidney stones, and relief from bladder LOCATION CAUTIONS
• September to November (best after infections, cramps and nausea
• Moist, temperate regions • Do not consume wilted leaves, which can
first frost) • Tannins in the cranberries are said to be toxic
improve heart health and reduce both
HARVESTING TIME
tooth decay and the formation of plaque
on teeth • Summer
CAUTIONS
• Consume only in moderation to avoid
possible irritation of stomach
Avalon_Studio/Signature Collection/Getty Images
Mako CC BY 2.0
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
8 9
SHRUBS
Northern Bush-Honeysuckle
Diervilla lonicera Prickly Rose Rosa acicularis
IDENTIFICATION HARVESTING TIME IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION
• 1 m or less in height • June to July • Up to 1.5 m in height with prickly stems • Raw petals can be added to salads,
• Leaves usually oval but pointed at end and branches teas and jellies and are said to soothe
(edges tend to curl inwards) USES & RELATED INFORMATION • Red hips (fruit) usually 1 to 2 cm in length, headaches, mouth sores and indigestion
• Flowers yellow for most of the season, flowers pink • Buds, young shoots and leaves can
• Infusions made from the bark and stems
turning orange by late summer are said to flush toxins from the body and be eaten raw or sautéed with other
improve kidney health LOCATION vegetables
LOCATION • Rose hips are high in vitamins and
• This plant was used in traditional • Open woods, thickets, rocky slopes
Aboriginal medicine, though this use is nutrients and can be dried and boiled
• Sunny to moderately shady wet or dry
not common today in teas, or preserved in jams or jellies
areas, edge habitat HARVESTING TIME (though this can be very time-consuming
• Spring to winter due to their small size and the large
number required to make a small to
medium sized batch of jam)
• Three rosehips are said to contain the
same amount of vitamin C as one orange
CAUTIONS
• Use only whole rosehips or their fleshy
outside layer, as the seeds can cause
intestinal discomfort
Homer Edward Price CC BY-SA 2.0
Malcolm Manners CC BY 2.0
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
10 11
SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS
Bluebead Lily (Clinton Lily)
Willow Salix spp. Clintonia borealis
IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION
• Can exceed 10 m in height, depending • Shoots are watery in taste and texture, • Up to 40 cm in height • Leaves can be eaten raw or cooked and
on species and can be used similarly to cucumber • Large leaves with parallel veins and taste similar to cucumber
• Four buds completely encircling the stem • Catkins can be cooked with other smooth margins • A poultice made from the leaves can be
• Flower shape, size and colour variable, vegetables or added to soups for a boost • Yellow-green flowers and blue berries on used on wounds and bruises and is said
depending on species of vitamin C long stalks to prevent infection and promote healing
• Bark contains salicin (similar to Aspirin, or
LOCATION acetylsalicylic acid) and can be chewed or LOCATION CAUTIONS
made into a tea that is said to relieve pain, • Do not eat the berries, which are toxic
• Variable depending on species, but • Forests with open understorey
inflammation and digestive problems
usually moist areas or near water
• Leaves and twigs can be boiled to make a HARVESTING TIME
HARVESTING TIME rinse that is said to increase the shininess
of hair and reduce dandruff • Spring
• Spring to summer (bark and catkins best
in spring, leaves best in summer) CAUTIONS
• Do not consume willow if you have a
known sensitivity to Aspirin
AlinaMD/Essentials Collection/Getty Images
Charles de Milles-Isles CC BY 2.0
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
12 13
HERBACEOUS PLANTS
Burdock Arctium spp. Cattail Typha spp.
IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION
• 0.5 to 1.5 m in height (on average, will vary • Young leaves (picked in spring or early • 1 to 3 m in height • The core of the stem tastes similar to
by species) summer) can be added raw to salads, • Leaves long, slender and stiff cucumber and can be eaten raw, boiled,
• Pink/purple flowers with large burrs cooked in soups and stews, or boiled sautéed or fried
(one or two changes of water may be • Flowers forming tight cylindrical clusters
• Heart-shaped hairy green leaves with soft • When green, flower heads can be
needed to reduce the bitter quality of
white undersides LOCATION steamed or roasted once the stalk and
the leaves) papery outer layer are removed
LOCATION • Peeled roots can be boiled, stir-fried • Marshes, lakes, and streams with • The pollen can be collected by shaking
or pickled calm waters
the flower head into a bag and then sifting
• Roadsides, disturbed areas •M
edicinal teas made from the leaves the contents to separate out the pollen,
are thought to help purify the blood and HARVESTING TIME and can be used in both savoury and
HARVESTING TIME improve liver and kidney function sweet recipes
• Spring for flowers and pollen, fall to early
• August to October spring for roots and shoots
CAUTIONS CAUTIONS
•D
o not consume if you are pregnant (can • Ensure that you have correctly identified
cause spotting or miscarriage) or diabetic this plant before eating it, because young
(can affect blood sugar levels) cattails may be mistaken for some wild
members of the Iris family, which are
poisonous
• Avoid cattails growing in stagnant water
due to their unappealing taste and
possible uptake of contaminants
• Do not eat brown flower heads
larslentz/Signature Collection/Getty Images
rtyree/Signature Collection/Getty Images
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
14 15
HERBACEOUS PLANTS
Common Dandelion Common Evening-Primrose
Taraxacum officinale Oenothera biennis
IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION
• 5 to 45 cm in height, with a long taproot • Leaves can be eaten fresh in salads, • 0.5 to 1.5 m in height with a hairy stem
• Rubbery stem containing a milky cooked in soups and stews, or dried • Leaves slightly toothed at margins and
white liquid and used to make tea (young leaves are attached directly to the stem
preferable as older leaves become bitter)
• Bright yellow flower at the end of the stalk • Leafy spike of large yellow flowers at the
• When roasted in the oven for several top of the plant
LOCATION hours, the roots develop a coffee/cocoa
like flavour and when ground are good for LOCATION
• Disturbed areas, roadsides, lawns and making tea or using in baking
gardens, meadows • Moderately dry, open sites, roadsides
• Stems can be boiled and used as a
substitute for pasta
HARVESTING TIME HARVESTING TIME
jferrer/Essentials Collection/Getty Images
• Flowers can be added to salads
• May to August (flowers increasingly bitter • June to August
• Dandelion is thought to decrease blood
later in the season)
pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol
USES & RELATED INFORMATION
• The leaves of dandelion plants grown in
• Roots, which are similar in taste and
shady areas are less bitter than the leaves
texture to parsnips, can be eaten raw or
of plants grown in sunny areas
boiled for two hours (changing the water
• Drying or freezing dandelions best several times lessens the peppery flavour)
preserves them for later use
• Cooked roots can be fried, pickled,
roasted and served as a side dish, added
CAUTIONS to soups and stews or candied in syrup
• Avoid eating dandelions from lawns or • Young leaves, flower buds and green
urban landscapes on which pesticides pods can all be boiled like other leafy
and pollutants may have been deposited greens (changing the water several times)
Ontario Nature
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
16 17
HERBACEOUS PLANTS
Common Mullein Verbascum thapsus Common Plantain Plantago major
IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION
• First year of growth produces soft, • Leaves and flowers can be used in salads • Up to 15 cm in height
woolly leaves similar to lamb’s ears or teas, though teas must be strained to • Leaves egg shaped with wavy margins
• Second year of growth produces a remove seeds and almost parallel veins
flowering stalk up to 1.8 m in height • Teas made with the flowers and leaves
with yellow flowers are said to be useful in treating colds and LOCATION
diarrhea, while teas made with the stalks
LOCATION are said to be useful in treating cramps • Disturbed areas, clearings, roadsides,
and fevers edge habitat
• Dry, sunny, disturbed areas such as
roadsides, open fields and areas • Some people use the leaves in a poultice
HARVESTING TIME
near railways to treat ulcers and hemorrhoids
• Mullein contains a variety of vitamins • Summer to early fall
HARVESTING TIME and nutrients essential for healthy growth
and development USES & RELATED INFORMATION
• July to September
• Campers know this plant as “cowboy’s • Leaves can be eaten raw in salads,
toilet paper,” but when used as such it steamed or sautéed, or tossed in oil
may irritate sensitive skin and cooked in the oven (prepared like
kale chips)
CAUTIONS • Some people use the leaves in a
poultice to treat insect bites and stings
Rasbak CC BY-SA 3.0
• Before consuming tea made from mullein,
strain out the seeds, as the seed hairs • Some people make tea from the
may irritate the throat leaves which is said to soothe
toothaches, coughs, sore throats
and breathing problems
• To preserve the taste, texture and
nutritional properties of the leaves,
plantain should be stored in a dark place
Mallory Vanier
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
18 19HERBACEOUS PLANTS
Common Yarrow Achillea millefolium Field Horsetail Equisetum arvense
IDENTIFICATION IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION
• 10 to 80 cm in height • Two forms of growth: in spring, stiff, • Some people use the leaves and shoots
• Leaves long and slender, similar in branchless stem (10 to 20 cm in height); to prepare tea which is said to be useful in
appearance to a fern from summer to early fall, flexible, green, treating kidney stones and inflammation;
feather-like plant (10 to 80 cm in height) this tea can also be used as a hair rinse
• Flowers yellow, white or pink, forming for shinier hair
flat clusters • Usually growing in large clusters
• Shoots, which contain essential nutrients,
LOCATION LOCATION can be cooked thoroughly with other
vegetables
• Meadows, disturbed areas, roadsides, • Clearings, open areas in conifer and
mixed-wood forests, roadsides and • The whole plant can be used as a steel
waste areas
disturbed areas wool substitute when camping because
of the high levels of silica in the stem
HARVESTING TIME and leaves
Victor_Kitaykin/Signature Collection/Getty Images
HARVESTING TIME
• June to September • Outer layers are tough and fibrous and
• Early summer should be removed before use
USES & RELATED INFORMATION • Because horsetail contains high levels
• Leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, but of silica, it is said to strengthen hair,
young leaves are best in raw preparations nails and bones when consumed
like salad
• Tea made by boiling the flowers and CAUTIONS
leaves is said to be useful in treating • Do not consume horsetail growing in
sore throats, colds and fevers contaminated soil, because these plants
• Some people use the leaves as a poultice can absorb toxins from it
alantobey/Signature Collection/Getty Images
to stop bleeding, as well as a natural • Because horsetail contains silica and the
band aid due to the plant’s antibacterial kidneys cannot process large amounts
properties of it, consume only small amounts of
• Hang the plant to dry at room this plant
temperature, away from direct sunlight
CAUTIONS
• Do not consume this plant if you
are pregnant
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
20 21HERBACEOUS PLANTS
Lamb’s Quarters (White Goosefoot)
Goldenrod Solidago spp. Chenopodium album
IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION
• 30 to 150 cm in height, depending • Flowers can be added to salads, and • Stems 30 cm to 1 m in height • Fresh young leaves are best and can
on species leaves can be cooked like spinach or • Leaves variable in shape, with a white be eaten raw in salads or added to
• Long slender leaves with sharply added to soups, stews or casseroles coating on the underside smoothies and soups or other cooked
toothed margins preparations
• Some people boil the flowers and leaves • Flowers forming long green clusters
• Long clusters of yellow flowers at the top to make a tea which is said to be useful • Leaves are similar in taste and
of the plant in treating cold or flu symptoms, gas, LOCATION preparation to spinach, with four times
cramps and headaches as much calcium and 50 percent more
LOCATION • Gardens, disturbed areas, areas near protein – six cups of raw leaves cook
• Blanched leaves can be frozen and
agricultural activity down to about 1/2 cup
used at a later date
• Moist areas, forests, fields, roadsides, • The plant produces small seeds in late
disturbed areas • When eaten raw or cooked, goldenrod HARVESTING TIME summer or early fall, similar in appearance
has a licorice-like flavour
• Summer to quinoa (as the plants are relatives),
HARVESTING TIME • Roots contain inulin, which is said to which can be sprinkled on salads
promote healthy stomach bacteria
• July to September for flowers and leaves,
fall or early spring for roots CAUTIONS
NOTE
• Because it contains some oxalic acid,
• Many people believe they are allergic to consume only small amounts of this plant
insect-pollinated goldenrod, but usually
• Do not consume large amounts of seeds,
it is ragweed (which is wind pollinated)
due to the saponins they contain
that causes their symptoms.
Elenathewise/Essentials Collection/Getty Images
MIMOHE/Essentials Collection/Getty Images
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
22 23HERBACEOUS PLANTS
Pearly Everlasting
Ostrich Fern Matteuccia struthiopteris Anaphalis margaritacea
IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION HARVESTING TIME
• Approximately 1 m in height • A popular way to prepare fiddleheads • 10 to 90 cm in height, covered in smooth • July to September
• Two forms of fronds: long, feather-like is to first boil them and then fry or sauté white hairs
green fronds and short brown fronds with butter and seasoning • Leaves long, narrow and hairy on the USES & RELATED INFORMATION
• Bright green emerging fronds (fiddleheads) • Cooked fiddleheads can be added to underside • Some people use the leaves in a tea
tightly coiled with a scaly brown paper-like salads and soups and taste similar to • Flowers small and white with yellow eyes, which is said to relieve sore throats,
covering and a U-shaped groove in celery- asparagus usually clustered at the top of the plant indigestion, nausea or diarrhea
like stem • Fiddleheads should be collected when (younger leaves are more palatable
less than 15 cm in height and still LOCATION than older leaves)
LOCATION tightly curled
• Sunny open areas, disturbed areas, • A poultice made from the leaves is said
• Moist areas, near water (streams, lakes), • They keep in the fridge for about two edge habitat to relieve joint pain or arthritis
swamp edges, some open forests weeks or can be stored either dried or • Aboriginal peoples smoked the dried
frozen (clean and blanch before freezing) leaves of this plant both to relieve
HARVESTING TIME headaches and breathing problems,
CAUTIONS and also used the leaves in traditional
• Mid-spring smudging ceremonies to promote health
• Consume only cooked ostrich ferns,
because raw preparations may cause and wellness
stomach irritation
CAUTIONS
• To ensure the plant’s survival, take no
more than half the fiddleheads on it • Use only the leaves in edible applications
as they contain the beneficial nutritional
and medicinal properties
vblinov/Essentials Collection/Getty Images
Jay Sturner CC BY 2.0
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
24 25HERBACEOUS PLANTS
Red Clover Trifolium pratense Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica
IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION
• 5 to 40 cm in height with hairy stems • Flowers can be eaten raw in salads, made • From 1 m to 2 m in height, and covered • Leaves are very similar to spinach and
• Classic clover leaf with three leaflets into a detoxifying tea or lightly battered in stiff “guard hairs” can be boiled as a side dish, sautéed
and deep-fried • Flowers green, sometimes with a with other vegetables or (like carrot or
• Light green V-shaped mark on each leaf zucchini) chopped and added to muffins
• Flower round and red/pink • Clover is said to relieve premenstrual pinkish hue
and breads
syndrome symptoms, such as cramping
and hot flashes, and is thought to reduce LOCATION • Fibres from the stem can be made into
LOCATION bad cholesterol and plaque that causes twine for fishnets, snares and so on
• Fields, pastures, roadsides, backyards heart disease • Disturbed areas, hillsides, stream banks,
moist woodlands • Boiling the leaves (as if making a tea)
• The flowers and leaves can be dried creates a rinse that improves the
HARVESTING TIME and stored for later use shininess of hair
HARVESTING TIME
• Late spring to fall • Cooking, crushing, drying and soaking
CAUTIONS • Spring to early summer the plant eliminates the stinging hairs,
• Consume the leaves and flowers only making the leaves safe to eat
in moderation, because they may • The health benefits of the plant are said to
cause bloating include relief from muscle and joint pain,
• Do not consume clover if you are as well as cleansing of the kidneys and liver
pregnant or nursing as it can affect the
hormonal balance of the body CAUTIONS
• Wear thick gloves when harvesting this
plant – the hairs on it can pierce through
latex gloves and inject chemicals that
davidmartyn/Essentials Collection/Getty Images
cause skin to burn and itch
Chushkin/Signature Collection/Getty Images
• Do not consume this plant if you are
pregnant (stimulates the uterus and can
cause miscarriage) or diabetic (affects
blood sugar levels)
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
26 27HERBACEOUS PLANTS
Wild Mint Mentha spp. Wild Sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis
IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION
• 15 to 75 cm in height • Steeping a small handful of leaves and • Up to 50 cm in height • Roots can be prepared and cooked like
• Square stem with opposite, toothed leaves stems for 15 minutes creates a delicious • Leaves pointed at the tip and compound, potatoes, or boiled down to make a tea
ending in a sharp point tea that is said to be useful in treating with three to five leaflets per leaf with a mild bite
menstrual cramps
• Strong peppermint smell • Flowers small and green or white • Some people use the roots as poultices
• Dried, ground mint can be added to a for skin problems and tinctures for
LOCATION variety of sweet and savoury dished such LOCATION stomach and joint pain
as cakes, scones, pastas, pestos and so on • Sarsaparilla roots are a traditional
• Low-lying areas, near marshes or • Moist areas, uplands, usually mature
ingredient in root beer
swamps, near beaver dams CAUTIONS forest stands, often near oak trees
• Do not use the plant if it is covered in CAUTIONS
HARVESTING TIME HARVESTING TIME
white mould (typically in fall) • Do not consume the berries, which have
• Spring to fall • Late summer through fall an unpleasant taste and may cause illness
• Do not confuse sarsaparilla with poison
ivy, which has similarly shaped leaves; the
stem of sarsaparilla is non-woody unlike
the stem of poison ivy
Superior National Forest CC BY 2.0
Ontario Nature
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
28 29HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
Woodland Strawberry Fragaria vesca Chanterelle Cantharellus cibarius
IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION USES & RELATED INFORMATION
• 7.5 to 15 cm in height • The fruit, which ripens in June, can be • Caps 2 to 10 cm in diameter • Chanterelles can be added to any dish in
• Trailing plant with dark green leaves in made into jam, but doing so is highly • Cap edge wavy (instead of smooth and flat) which mushrooms are used
groups of three labour intensive due to their small size
• Caps and gills (long, thin tissues found • Drying chanterelles makes them tough
and the large number required to make
• Flowers small and white with five petals; under the cap) yellow to dark yellow in and chewy; fresh or frozen preparations
a small to medium sized batch of jam
bloom in spring colour, stalk colour generally paler are recommended
• Leaves are high in vitamin C and can be • These mushrooms keep best if boiled in
LOCATION used to make a subtly flavoured tea LOCATION salt water and then frozen
• Trails, roadsides, meadows, forest CAUTIONS • Moist, shaded areas, near hardwoods
edges, clearings CAUTIONS
• Do not consume wilted leaves, which may
HARVESTING TIME • Do not confuse the chanterelle with
be toxic
HARVESTING TIME the false chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis
• Spring to summer aurantiaca), which has a significantly
• Late spring to early summer skinnier stalk and is orange rather
than yellow
Mantonature/Signature Collection/Getty Images
Stefan Holm/Essentials Collection/Getty Images
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
30 31FUNGI
Lobster Mushroom
Hypomyces lactifluorum Morel Morchella spp.
IDENTIFICATION HARVESTING TIME IDENTIFICATION HARVESTING TIME
• Cap size around 5 to 12 cm, though this • Midsummer • Heads are long (conical or ellipsoid • Spring
will vary based on the original mushroom in shape) with a series of ridges and
parasitized USES & RELATED INFORMATION pitted chambers USES & RELATED INFORMATION
• Bright orange mushroom with firm cap • Hollow inside from tip of cap to bottom
• Lobster mushrooms can be sliced and • Morels, which have a meaty flavour even
and stem of stalk
pan-fried in butter, and pair well with soy when they have been dried, make great
• Irregular or seemingly deformed sauce or other Asian sauces stuffed mushrooms and pair well with
appearance LOCATION butter or light cream sauces
• They should be firm and white inside,
• Lobster mushrooms result from a
not grey, soft or spotted • Forests, open meadows and highly • Dried morels can be stored for a relatively
relationship between Lactarius mushrooms disturbed (e.g., burned or grazed) long period of time and should be
and a parasite; this parasite turns the • Part of the mushroom cap may have to
landscapes rehydrated in hot water before use
mushrooms bright orange and affects the be removed to get rid of all dirt
shape and growth • They can be dried and stored CAUTIONS
LOCATION • Do not confuse the morel with the false
morel, which is poisonous; always
• Wooded areas confirm identification by consulting
guides, images and experts
• Do not eat raw morels
• Cook morels very thoroughly, to avoid any
possible stomach pain or discomfort
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Jason Hollinger CC BY 2.0
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
32 33Resources
Experts Consulted Text Resources Gray, B. 2011. The Boreal Herbal: Minnesota Forest Stewardship Program
Gammond, Pete: Wild food enthusiast, Barron, G. 1999. Mushrooms of Ontario Wild food and medicine plants of the et al. Balsam Bough – Careful Harvest Fact
who focuses on edible and practical and Eastern Canada. Lone Pine Publishing. north (A guide to harvesting, preserving Sheet. U.S. Forest Service.
applications of plants Edmonton, Alberta. and preparing). Aroma Borealis Press. http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/um/
Whitehorse, Yukon. carefulharvest_brochure.pdf.
Moses, Raphael: Traditional elder in Boulet, A. et al. 2014. Beyond the Fields:
northwestern Ontario, who focuses on The value of forest and freshwater foods Legasy, K., S. Labelle-Beadman and Reeves, L. 2011. Laura’s Guide to Useful
traditional uses of plants (both medicinal in northern Ontario. Ontario Nature. B. Chambers. 1995. Forest Plants Plants: From acorns to zoom sticks.
and edible) by Aboriginal people of Northeastern Ontario. Lone Pine Laura Reeves. Manitoba.
Evergreen. 2014. Native Plant Database. Publishing. Edmonton, Alberta.
Reeves, Laura: Botanist/wild food nativeplants.evergreen.ca/search/view- Stephenson, K. 2012. Fields of
enthusiast, who focuses on increasing plant.php?ID=00258. Lincoff, G. 2011. The Complete Mushroom Nutrition. Ontario.
public knowledge of and respect for Hunter: An illustrated guide to finding,
the beauty, diversity and usefulness Freedman, L. 1991. Wild about harvesting and enjoying wild mushrooms.
of wild plants Mushrooms: The Mycological Society of Quarry Books. Beverly, Massachusetts.
San Francisco cookbook. Addison-Wesley.
St. Amand, Dave: Local mushroom expert, mssf.org/cookbook. MacKinnon, A., L. Kershaw, J.T. Arnason,
who focuses on edible wild mushrooms P. Owen, A. Karst and F. Hamersley
Gibson, W.H. 1895. Our Edible Toadstools Chambers. 2009. Edible and Medicinal
Stephenson, Karen: Owner of and Mushrooms and How to Distinguish Plants of Canada. Lone Pine Publishing.
ediblewildfood.com, who focuses on Them. Library of Alexandria Publishing. Edmonton, Alberta.
nutritional aspects of plants, as well as Ithaca, New York.
both medicinal and edible applications
Diane Labombarde/Signature Collection/Getty Images
Todd Van Hoosear CC BY-SA 2.0
TREES SHRUBS HERBACEOUS PLANTS FUNGI
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