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Flora expertise. 
Plant identification is studied during summer season & rarely in the winter season
Introduction.  
Flora identification is essential & practiced in the field when backpacking, however presents a large biography of knowledge to observe. Identification is priority in plant study & determines wheter the plant is edible, medical or toxic. Knowing the lake & its region will help match & determine plant species & guns listed below. 

Essential inventory. 
- Flora identification book. 
- Edible & medical vegetation book. 
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Tree flora guide. 

Spruce

Picea glauca / White 

Picea engelmannii / Engelmann 

& Picea mariana / Black 

 

Edibility

  • Cadmium (inner bark) is harvested in spring when the sap is sweet & either eaten raw or dried into cakes for storage. 

  • Dried cakes can be ground up & used as a flour. 

  • Young shoots are stripped of their needles & boiled as a temporary food. 

  • Needles & branches are steeped into tea, very rich in vitamin C. 

 

Caution 

  • All evergreens must be used in mild concentrations. Higher concentrations will lead to poisoning.

  • Rashes are developed from extended contact with resin, sawdust and needles. 

 

Medicine 

  • The sap is used in poultices (soft, moist mass of material held with a cast) to treat inflammations, sores & slivers. 

  • Sap mixed with grease or fat, provides salves for insect bites, cuts, burns, rashes, eczema (inflammatory skin condition consisting of scaly rashes & oozing) other skin infections, temporary blindness, blood poisoning, palpitations (fluttering heart rate) + syphilis (bacterial sexually transmitted infection) & arthritic joint pain (swelling of the joints)  

  • Spruce gum made from the resin, is chewed or boiled to relieve sore throats & coughs. This gum aids digestion & gonorrhea (bacterial sexual transmitted infection) + acts as a laxative (stimulation of the bowels to relieve constipation) 

  • Emerging needles are chewed to relieve coughs or boiled to make an antiseptic wash (reduced skin infection).

  • Cadmium steeped into tea, treats kidney stones (hard masses of salt & mini seals that form inside the kidney) rheumatism (arthritis & other conditions that affect ligaments, muscles, joints & muscles) & stomach aches. 

  • Tea steeped from the needles is a survival supply of vitamin C during the winters to prevent scurvy (deficiency of vitamin C) The vapor from this tea is inhaled to relieve bronchitis (airway of the lungs becomes inflamed with mucus) 

  • The cone is used for toothaches, urinary issues & venereal disease (sexually transmitted infection) 

  • Bark is used on its own to aid tuberculosis (bacterial disease that affects the lungs) diarrhea & respiratory ailments (minor illnesses) + used in baths to treat rheumatism (arthritis). 

  • Rotten, dried powdered wood spread over the skin treats skin rashes. 

  • The roots of spruce ingested will treat diarrhea, trembling & stomach aches. 

​
 

Pine 

Pinus contorta / Lodgepole 

& Pinus banksiana / Jack   

 

Edibility

  • Cadmium (inner bark) is harvested in the spring when the sap is sweet & was eaten fresh or dried into cakes for storage.

  • The seeds are high in protein & fat, with a resinous flavor. 

  • Pine needles are steeped into a medical tea. 

  • The tree resin is rolled and chewed like gum. 

 

Caution 

  • All evergreens like pinus are toxic in high concentrations. The teas must be used in mild concentrations. 

 

Medicine 

  • The needle tea is rich in vitamins A & C, it's taken as a temporary solution in the winter to prevent scurvy (deficiency of vitamin C).

  • Cadmium is applied to burns, skin infection & scalds (a burn caused by hot water or steam). 

  • The resin rolled into a mash is chewed to relieve sore throats & ingested to treat kidney problems, tuberculosis (bacterial disease that affects the lungs) stomach aches & as a purgative (medicine to get rid of unwanted waste from the body) & diuretic (diuresis, increased production of urine). 

  • Warmed sap is applied to insect bites, skin infections, sore muscles, arthritic joints, swellings, soreness in the eyes & on the chest for heart problems. 

  • The sap is heated until it darkens, then mixed with bone marrow 1:4 sap, & used as a salve (ointment to heal skin) for severe burns. 

​

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Trembling Aspen

Populus tremuloides 

 

Edibility

  • Cadmium (inner bark) is harvested in the spring when the sap is sweet. 

  • Leaf buds & catkins are edible + very rich in vitamin C.

  • The leaves are edible and contain 20-30% protein. 

  • The bark is steeped into a medical tea. 

 

Medicine 

  • The bark is very rich in salicin & salicylates, these compounds aid inflammation, skin conditioning, fever, jaundice (excessive amounts of bilirubin dissolve in subcutaneous fat underneath your skin, resulting in a yellow appearance of the skin) debility (physical weakness from illness) urinary tract infection, diarrhea & kills parasitic worms. 

  • Syrup made from cadmium is taken as a spring tonic cough medicine. 

 

 

Balsam Poplar

Populus balsamifera  

 

Edibility

  • Cadmium (inner bark) is harvested in the spring or early summers when the sap is sweet. It can be harvested in thin narrow strips and eaten fresh before spoiling. 

  • Young catkins are edible. 

  • Sap is collected in trunks. 

 

Caution 

  • Bud resin irritates the skin in large amounts. 

  • Bark tea is mildly toxic, meaning it's only used as a temporary solution in mild concentration. 

 

Medicine 

  • Poplar leaves are applied on boils, bruises & pulled muscles sores. 

  • The bark is steeped into tea to be used in aid towards tuberculosis (bacterial disease that affects the lungs) whooping cough (highly contagious respiratory tract infection) & colds. 

  • Bark tea boiled into syrup creates a sticky sap to apply to casts on open wounds. 

  • Resins from the aromatic buds (covered in salicylates with anti-adipogenic, anti-inflammatory & analgesic properties) are gathered in late winter & spring and used as painkillers, cough medicine & salves. 

  • Salves are made by mixing buds with fat, when ingested/applied; they relieve congestion from bronchitis (airway of the lungs filled with mucus) , colds, skin infections & tensed muscles. 

  • The poplar tree contains a high variation of salicin derivatives that have analgesic properties. 

 

 

Birch 

Betula papyrifera / Paper 

Betula neoalaskana / Alaska Paper 

& Betula glandulosa / Scrub 

 

Edibility

  • The sap is used as a beverage in the spring & is boiled to make a syrup. 

  • Sap mixed with honey is fermented to make birch beer, wines & vinegar. 

  • Young twigs & bark are boiled to make tea. This tea is also sweetened with honey. 

  • Cadmium (inner bark) is ground into flour and dried into birch bread cakes. This method is used as a temporary solution in winter short supply. 

  • Leaves & catkins are used in flavoring. 

 

 

Caution 

  • The bark of birch trees (especially known in betula lenta) contains up to 99% methyl salicylate, making it extremely poisonous when ingested. These toxins can pass through the skin. As little as 4.7 grams is fatal. 

 

Medicine 

 

  • Bark tea is consumed to expel worms, induced sweating & urination + used as a tonic in cases of dysentery (bloody diarrhea containing mucus) 

  • The bark contains high concentrations of triterpene betulin & contains a small amount of betulinic acid. This acid has antimalarial, antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, anticancer, anti-HIV & anti-inflammatory properties, curing brain tumors, skin cancer, ovarian carcinoma (cancer in the ovaries) cell carcinomas (skin cancer) & leukemia (cancer of the white-blood cells beginning in the bone marrow) 

 

​

Larch 

Larix laricina / Tamarack  

Larix lyallii / Subalpine 

& Larix occidentalis / Western 

 

Edibility

  • Sap is collected through hollowed-out cavities, sap is either mixed with sugar to make syrup or evaporated to the consistency of molasses (sugar substitute). A healthy tree will provide up to 4L of fresh sap. This sap is very rich in galactan (chains of galactose; natural sugar) and is also collected when dried & chewed like gum. 

  • Cadmium (inner bark) is harvested in the spring when the sap is sweetened. The inner bark is also dried, powdered & used as flour. 

  • Dried, powdered larch gum is used to make baking powder. 

  • Young larch shoots are cooked as a vegetable. 

 

Caution 

  • Larch resin & sawdust cause rashes & other skin reactions. 

  • High concentrations of larch can be fatal & is only recommended as a temporary solution. 

  • High concentrations of cadmium (inner bark) will purge the intestines. 

 

Medicine 

  • Larch sap chewed as gum relieves sore throats, enlarged & hardened liver, internal bleeding (oral) & aids digestion. 

  • Larch gum or the inner bark are used as poultices to treat open wounds, burns, cuts, insect bites, frostbite, eczema (skin condition of scaly rashes, oozing & itching) psoriasis (chronic long-lasting disease in which the immune system becomes overactive & produces skin cells rapidly) & ulcers (sores on the mucous membrane/inner lining of the stomach & small intestine) Pitch is used as a bone-setting cast for broken bones. 

  • The gum is steeped into tea & taken internally to treat rheumatism (arthritis affecting tendons, joints, ligaments, bones & muscle) jaundice (excess bile fluid to help digest food known as bilirubin, is absorbed into subcutaneous fat; first layer under the skin) bronchitis (inflammation & excess mucus build-up of the airway to the lungs), asthma, fevers, coughing, tuberculosis (infectious lung disease in which spreads through the air) ulcers & vomiting. When this tea is mixed with needles & bark it will  relieve constipation & diarrhea. This mixed tea is also cooled & used as a wash to help with open wounds & skin infection. 

  • The bark of larch contains arabinogalactans (often attached to proteins) that have immune-enhancing properties. 

  • Larch tops are taken as a blood purifier to treat cancer & used as an antiseptic for sores & deep cuts. 

 

Shrub flora guide.

Juniper

Juniperus communis / Common 

& Juniperus horizontalis / Creeping 

 

Edibility

  • Juniper berries are edible in mild concentrations. 

 

Caution 

  • High concentrations of Juniper can result in kidney failure, irritated digestive tract & convulsions. 

 

Medicine 

  • Juniper berries stimulate sweating, mucous secretion, stomach hydrochloric acid & intestine / uterus contractions. 

  • Antiseptic qualities 

  • Components of Juniper oil. 

  • A-pinene 

  • - Anti-inflammatory, bronchodilator, anxiety-relief & preventing short-term memory impairment. 

  • - Skin allergies & kidney damage.

  • B-pinene 

  • - Anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antioxidant, analgesic & antifungal. 

  • - Irritant to throat & eyes. 

  • Camphene 

  • - Anti-inflammatory, bronchodilator, anxiety-relief & preventing short-term memory impairment. 

  • - Skin allergies & kidney damage.

  • Sabinene 

  • Myrcene 

  • - Increase sleep, Anti-inflammatory.  

  • - High concentrations decrease locomotion. 

  • A-phellandrene 

  • - Increase energy, reduce pain & anti-cancer agents. 

  • - Adverse skin reactions. 

  • B-phellandrene 

  • - Act as a sedative.

  • - Kidney damage, inflammation, blisters & tachycardia. 

  • Y-terpinene 

  • - Act as a sedative.

  • - Kidney damage, inflammation, blisters & tachycardia. 

  • A-terpinene 

  • - Act as a sedative.

  • - Kidney damage, inflammation, blisters & tachycardia. 

  • 1,4-cineole 

  • P-cymene 

  • - Antibiotic, anti-convulsant, painkiller, antioxidant, anti-cancer agents. 

  • - Dizziness, blisters, itching, headaches & nausea. 

  • Terpinen-4-ol 

  • - Anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer agents & antibacterial. 

  • - skin irritation & dermatologic allergic response. 

  • Bornyl acetate 

  • Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibiotic & sedative properties. 

  • Cayophyllene 

 

​

Wild Rose 

Rosa acicularis / Prickly, 

Rosa arkansana / Arkansas 

& Rosa woodsii  / Prairie 

 

Edibility

  • Rose hips are edible all year round on the branches 

  • Rose petals can be eaten alone 

  • Leaves, roots & peeled twigs are used in teas

  • Buds, young shoots & leaves are eaten raw or cooked. 

 

Caution 

  • Seeds are not palatable raw. They may irritate the throat if ingested. 

 

Medicine 

  • Rich in vitamins A, B, E, K & C 

  • Stem or root bark tea can be used to treat diarrhea, upset stomach, syphilis (bacterial sexual transmitted infection) & labor pain. It can also be used as eyewash for snow-blindness (photokeratitis)

  • Root decoctions (boiling herbal material) reduce swelling, gargled for mouth bleeds, tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils caused by infection). Also is mixed with sugar to make a syrup that can relieve sore throats.

  • Rose petals are taken to relieve colic (prolonged crying in a healthy infant), heartburn, headaches & mouth sores.

  • Cooked seeds are used to treat sore muscles. 

 

​

Cherry 

Prunus virginiana / Choke 

& Prunus  pensylvanica / Pin 

 

Edibility

  • Cherries are the only edible, seeds must be discarded 

 

Caution 

  • Seeds, bark, leaves & wood all produce hydrodynamic acid, excessive amounts of cyanide poisoning is fatal. 

 

Medicine 

  • Bark is steeped into tea & ingested in small concentrations to treat coughs, colds, diarrhea, pneumonia (infection of the lungs caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi), sore throats & also as a strengthening tonic when nursing. 

  • Mashed seeds in very small quantities are used as stomach medicine.  

  • Branches are used in small quantities as a laxative (stimulation of the bowels for discard) for influenza (contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses infecting the nose, throat & lungs) & for nursing. 

 

​

Raspberry 

Rubus arcticus / Arctic Dwarf

Rubus idaeus / Wild Red

Rubus chamaemorus / Cloudberry, 

Rubus pubescens / Dewberry

Rubus pedatus / Trailing Wild 

& Rubus parviflorus / Thimbleberry 

 

Edibility

  • Raspberries are edible. 

  • Young shoots are peeled off their outer layer and edible raw or cooked. 

  • Fresh or dried leaves are steeped into tea. 

  • Flower petals are edible 

 

Caution 

  • Wilted leaves are toxic to ingest. Raspberry tea made from the leaves can only be consumed in small concentrations. Higher concentrations will irritate the bowels & stomach. 

 

Medicine 

  • Raspberry leaf tea is given to prevent miscarriage, reduce labor pain & also slows menstrual flow due to a compound known as a fragarine. Fragarine acts as a stimulant & relaxant on the uterus. These studies are varied & limited. 

  • Raspberry leaf tea boiled with sugar is used to treat throat inflammation. 

 

​

Gooseberry 

Ribes inerme / White-stemmed 

& Ribes oxyacanthoides / Northern 

 

Edibility

  • Gooseberries are edible. 

  • Very rich in pectin. 

  • Are baked into cakes, dried & stored for winter. 

  • Green berries are too ripe & ripe berries fall from the branches quickly. Green berries are left to ripen. 

 

Caution 

  • Too many gooseberries will cause gastrointestinal upset (tract of the digestive system going from the mouth to the anus) & diarrhea. 

  • Some gooseberry shrubs may be infected with blister rust, which spreads through 5-needled pines yet has an alternative host of infecting varied Ribes species. 

 

Medicine 

  • Eating or steeping tea relieves cough congestion & sore throats. 

  • Gooseberry tea, made from its berries & leaves is very rich in vitamin C & relieves poison-ivy rashes & erysipelas (skin infection involving the dermis layer of the skin) & fevers caused by streptococcus infection (spread through nose & throat discharges + skin lesions) 

  • Strong antiseptic properties & extracts are strong against Candida (yeast) infections. 

 

  • Roots & bark from gooseberry shrubs are used as a tonic. 

 

​

Blueberry 

Vaccinium ovalifolium / Oval-leafed

Vaccinium myrtilloides / Velvet-leafed

Vaccinium uliginosum / Bog

Vaccinium scoparium / Grouseberry 

& Vaccinium vitis-idaea / Lingonberry 

 

Edibility  

  • Blueberries are edible fresh or dried. 

  • Crushed to extract & make juice. 

  • Boiled into mush, spread in slabs to then dry in the sun or near a fire to make into cakes. 

 

Caution 

  • Leaves contain high concentrations of tannins. Shall be used in moderation. 

 

Medicine 

  • Contains high concentrations of vitamin C & additional 25 anthocyanins, rich in antioxidants. These anthocyanins help prevent diabetes, cancer, inflammation & heart disease. 

  • Blueberry roots boiled into a tea relieve diarrhea, sore throats & applied to skin sores.  

  • Blueberry leaves or dried blueberries also relieve diarrhea & urinary tract infection. 

  • Leaf teas mellows out/lowers blood sugar levels. 

  • Extracts containing anthocyanins protect against retinopathy (damaged blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the retina/eye) & degeneration of the retina in diabetes. These compounds are highly concentrated in dried berries and may have lasting effects up to 5-6 hours. 

  • Anthocyanins reduce capillary leakage (branching blood vessels that form a network between the arterioles leading into capillaries & venules; a small vein collecting blood from the capillary). 

  • Blueberries are used for aid in water retention during pregnancy, hemorrhoids (swollen veins in the anus & lower rectum) & varicose veins (twisted veins underneath the skin’s surface). 

  • The berries are also used to reduce inflammation from acne to prevent cataracts (clouding of the lens in the eye, leading to blurry vision & blindness). 

  • Anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols & tannins reduce the risks of chronic disease, such as cancer. Delphinidin inhibits formation of new blood cells feeding into a tumor.  

  • Higher consumptions of blueberries increase cognitive function (thought-process & awareness through one’s senses) with reduced risks of Alzeimer’s disease with aging & improved memory. 

  • Lowers high rates of cholesterol & blood lipid levels (fat within the blood including triglycerides). 

  • Attenuates inflammation, suppresses resistance of insulin (allowing sugar to be utilized for energy within your muscles, fat & liver + blood pressure to remain at a normal rate) & deters obesity & weight gain. 

​

 

Cranberry 

Oxycoccus oxycoccos / Bog

 

Edibility  

  • Cranberries are edible. 

  • Mashed into jams & jellies, or chopped & steeped into tea. 

  • Cranberry sauce is made from boiling berries with sugar/water or mixed with maple sugar & cider. 

  • Washed berries are stored frozen for up to several months. 

  • Are added into pemmican, soups & stews. 

  • Cranberries mixed with fish oil & whipped with snow make a nutritious dessert. 

  • Cranberries are sweeter after the first heavy frost freezes over & will remain on the branches throughout winter. 

 

Caution 

  • Large quantities of cranberries will cause diarrhea.  

 

Medicine 

  • Cranberries contain arbutin, which prevents bacteria from adhering to the walls of the bladder & urinary tract and causing an infection. The juice is a viable source of medicine to aid that infection. 

  • The juice also increases acidity in urine, inhibiting bacterial activity & even relieves infections + lessens urinary odor from incontinence (loss of bladder control) 

  • Cranberries contain tannins with anti-clotting properties, these reduce the amount of plaque build up within the gums & teeth, preventing gingivitis (mild form of disease in the gums)  

  • A high molecular weight non-dialyzable material (NDM) reverses plaque formation & tooth decay by preventing streptococcus mutans from building up orally.  

  • Cranberries contain antioxidant polyphenols that are beneficial to cardiovascular performance (rate of your heart & lungs supplying oxygen during exercise), immunity, prevent cancer & prevent kidney stones (hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside the kidney) Cranberry juice is the source of aid against these health problems. 

  • Cranberries are used to relieve labor pain, nausea & settle hysteria (excessive emotional behaviors) + convulsions (seizures). 

  • Crushed up cranberries are used as poultices (soft, moist material) on wounds. 

 

​

Soapberry 

Shepherdia canadensis / Soopolallie 

& Shepherdia argentea / Silver Buffaloberry 

 

Edibility  

  • Soapberries are eaten fresh, boiled & dried into cakes for storage. 

  • Mashed & made into jams & jellies. 

  • Soapberry juice is rich in saponin, and becomes foamy when beaten. These berries are mixed with 4:1 water & whipped like egg whites to make a salmon-colored foamy dessert. This foam is bitter & sweetened with sugar or other berries. 

  • Cooked into syrups & sauce to add to different meats. 

  • The berries are crushed & boiled to use as a soap. 

 

Caution 

  • Saponin will irritate the stomach & cause vomiting, diarrhea & cramps if consumed in high concentrations. 

 

Medicine 

  • Soapberry is very rich in vitamin C & iron.  

  • A tea made of soapberry treats flu symptoms, indigestion (discomfort in the upper abdomen) & relieves constipation.  

  • Soapberry juice mixed with water aids acne, digestive issues, boils (pus-filled bumps caused by bacteria in one or more hair follicles) & gallstones (hardened deposits of digestive fluid formed in the gallbladder, located on the right side of the abdomen & underneath the liver).  

  • Soapberry bark steeped into a tea is used as an eyewash once cooled. 

 

​

Bearberry 

Arctostaphylos uvu-ursi / Common 

Arctostaphylos alpina / Alpine 

& Arctostaphylos rubra / Red 

 

Edibility  

  • The berries remain on the shrub branches throughout the winter. 

  • Boiled berries are preserved in oil & whipped with snow. 

  • Crushed into jams & jellies. 

  • Fried in grease over a fire until they pop like popcorn. 

  • Scalded mashed berries soaked in water produce a spicy cider used to make wine. 

  • Dried bearberry leaves are steeped into tea. 

 

Caution 

  • High concentrations of bearberry results in constipation +  stomach & liver problems. This is due to its very rich concentration of tannin & arbutin.   

  • High consumption will damage the placenta-uterine membrane 

 

Medicine 

  • The leaves are steeped into a tea and used in treatment of urinary tract infection. Bearberry has an antiseptic effect on the urinary tract inhibiting the growth of gram-positive bacteria. 

  • Bearberry has a vaso-constricting effect of the uterus & relieves menstrual cramps. 

  • The tea also treats bronchitis, gonorrhea, bleeding, diarrhea, bladder & kidney pain. 

  • The tea is cooked & used in sitz baths & washes for infection & inflammation.

​

​

Labrador Tea

Ledum groenlandicum / Common 

Ledum Palustre / Marsh 

& Ledum glandulosum / Glandular 

 

Edibility  

  • The leaves were either dried or steeped in boiling water for many hours to make a fragrant brew.

 

Caution 

  • Contains narcotic compounds & toxins, moderate concentrations cause drowsiness. Increased urination, intestinal disturbance, cramps, palpitations, delirium, paralysis & eventually leads to death. 

  • Boiling destroys alkaloids, however, releases ledol; a poisonous sesquiterpene compound that causes cramps, paralysis (unable to make voluntary muscle movements) & delirium (confusion & lack of setting awareness) 

 

Medicine 

  • The tea treats sore throats, & allergies. 

  • The tea is a laxative & aids stomach aches & diarrhea 

  • Alcohol extracts of the leaves act as a sedative (induced sleep) to treat scabies (parasitic infestation of mites that burrow within the skin lay eggs, this will cause rashes & itching) chigger bites (berry bugs), lice & fungal foot disease (athlete’s foot) 

  • Decoctions (steeping Labrador tea in water) is used as a wash for inflamed, itchy & burned skin conditions. 

​

Herb flora guide. 

Strawberry 

Fragaria vesca / Wood 

& Fragaria virginiana  / Wild 

 

Edibility

  • Strawberries are edible. 

  • Berries or leaves are steeped into a tea & served hot or cold. 

  • Preservation of strawberries, done by either freezing, making jam, or by sun-drying them. Historically mashed & dried in cakes by being spread out in short-grass or mats, either eaten re-hydrated or dried out. 

  • Flowers stems & leaves are mixed with roots in a cooking pit and used as seasoning         

 

Caution 

  • Wilted leaves are toxic, fresh or dried out leaves minimize the toxins. 

  • High quantity of strawberries develops rashes & hives. 

 

Medicine 

  • A supplement of vitamin C is made from adding cold water to fresh leaves, blending them into a pulp and simmering the mixture for 15 minutes. Strained the following hour & frozen for later use. 

  • The tea steeped in leaves aids in stomach aches, fevers, dysentery (diarrhea containing blood & mucus) & liver pain. When cooled its used as a wash for eczema (skin condition with severe itches, rashes & oozing) 

  • Dried ground-up leaves are used as a disinfectant on open wounds. When mixed with fat is then used as a salve (skin ointment) 

  • Strawberries themselves contain sodium, iron, potassium, silicon, calcium & sulphur. All of these are quick-assimilated minerals. They also contain malic & citric acids overall enriching the blood-stream. 

  • Leaf tea & fresh strawberries are used in aid of rheumatism (arthritis, conditions that affect muscles, joints, ligaments, bones & tendons) gallbladder pain (located to the right side of the abdomen & underneath the liver) kidney & liver pain, inflamed mucous membranes (moist inner lining of the nose, mouth, stomach & lungs) & gout (arthritis within the big toe or lower limb) Late season roots & stems are boiled into tea to soothe sore throats & to strengthen convalescents (recovery time afterward an illness). The tea also aids cholera (bacterial disease spread through contaminated water) & diarrhea. 

  • Theoretically thought to cure insanity if root & stem tea were mixed with yarrow root. 

  • Strawberry plants are cooked & used to soothe sore eyes, fasten teething, relieve hayfever (allergic reaction resulting in congestions, watery eyes & sneezing) 

  • A compound known as D-catechin in the leaves inhibits histamine (released from white blood cells during an allergic reaction, causes swelling). The leaf tea enhances actions of antihistamine aid.  

  • Strawberries are a high source of ellagic acid with anticancer properties. 

 

​

Bunchberry 

Cornus canadensis 

 

Edibility

  • Bunchberries are edible. 

  • Berries are cooked into puddings & strained to make syrup & jelly. 

  • The seeds are also edible within the berry. 

 

Caution 

  • Unripe berries cause stomach aches & high quantities cause diarrhea. 

 

Medicine 

  • Bunchberry has anti-inflammatory, painkiller & fever-reducing properties without salicylates (potential stomach irritation & allergic effects). It treats headaches, fevers, dysentery, or inflammation of the stomach, this berry is also rich in pectin. 

  • Berries eaten & applied to reduce potency of poisons. 

  • The berry is chewed & applied to burns. 

  • The berries are steeped into a tea & ingested to treat paralysis (inability to make muscle movements due to a damaged nervous system). Bunchberry is also steeped with bearberry (tannin-rich vegetation) to create a wash to apply to insect bites/stings, poison ivy rashes & stinging nettle. 

  • The entire plant is boiled into a tea to treat fevers, lung pain, kidney pain, coughing & headaches. 

  • Roots steeped into a tea are given to treat colic (pain in the abdomen caused by internal gas, mostly noticed in infants). 

​

​

Fireweed 

Epilobium angustifolium / Common 

& Epilobium latifolium / Broad-leaved 

 

Edibility

  • Used as greens raw or cooked, shoots mixed with asparagus & leaves added to spinach.  

  • Flower bud clusters are cooked as a vegetable. 

  • Fireweed is steeped into a tea, enlightened with honey. 

  • Stem pith of fireweed is dried, boiled & fermented to make ale.  

 

Caution 

  • Mild quantities are recommended due to a strong laxative effect. 

 

Medicine 

  • A compound known as oenothein B (A macrocyclic ellagitannin) is vital as a 5a-reductase inhibitor (5ARIs increase the risk of prostate cancer) making fireweed a medicine towards prostate problems. 

  • Leaf & flowers steeped into a tea treat whooping cough & asthma. 

  • Peeled roots are used as poultices towards rashes, boils, burns, sores & swelling, the leaves alone are applied to mouth ulcers (erosion of the mucous membrane/delicate lining in the mouth). 

  • Extractions of fireweed leaves used as a tea or as a wash contain anti-inflammatory properties & treat candidiasis (yeast infection) digestive-tract inflammation (mouth, intestine or stomach pain), diarrhea & hemorrhoids (swelling of veins around the lower rectum & anus). 

​
Disclaimer - This guide is not liable enough to confidently identify & ingest wild plants. The essential inventory stated at the beginning of the guide is best used in the field  before practicality. 
​
A theoretical, historical & practical documentation.
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