Bog or Swamp Cranberry (Oxycoccus microcarpus)-

Of course, you all know that bog or swap cranberries are the true cranberries; the bush cranberry , high or low(common names )is not even related and is NOT A CRANBERRY. Like many other species of wild berries with domesticated counterparts, wild cranberries are smaller but packed with a real flavour that would seem too many who have previously tasted the engineered/manipulated version to be disproportionate to their size. The tartness of cranberries gives them an enviable versatility for sweet, sour, and savoury dishes.

True Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right. They can be found in acidic bogs throughout the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere.

Bog or Swamp Cranberry (Oxycoccus microcarpus)

Flowers are deep pink, on thread like, creeping stems. .The tiny, leather leaves are dark green above, and whitish underneath; the berry is red. It can be found trailing through moss, in swamps or bogs.

This is a very sour berry; it is used to make sauce, jelly, or juice.

Blueberries-Bog Blueberry or Bilberry,Dwarf Blueberry,Oval Leafed Blueberry, Cascade Bilberry

 Surprise, surprise, all blueberries tend to be blue in colour, hence the common name of this group of plants. You will oft-times read that  blue berries and  huckleberries are a different berry. Colour is the only difference, blueberries are huckleberries.The fruit of this species is generally sweet, rather than tart/sour like cranberries or sweet/tangy like huckleberries. Because blueberries grow close to the ground, they can be difficult and time consuming to collect. But aboriginal peoples, from anywhere in the world, were not worried about any one else and especially not other animals; so they did not concern them selves with such trivial matters as conservation and/or resource management.
 Their only concerns were of survival; at the most primitive level so some people developed a method of combing them from the branches with a wooden comb or rake While this method is admittedly efficient, it unnecessarily damages, and pulls up plants., it collects all available berries , leaving nothing for birds and other animals.
It also results in baskets full of both berries and small hard to pick out blueberry leaves. 
Most importantly, it leaves nothing for reseeding or regrowth; depleting and eventually eliminating the entire food  source. There are only two thing in the world that destroy their own environment-- means of life-- MAN AND CANCERS.
The now, so called, Alaska Blueberry, Vaccinum alaskaense: is remarkably similar to the oval leafed blueberry; but, has flowers that generally appear before the leaves (vs. with the flowers in the oval leafed blueberry), flowers are usually wider than long (vs, longer than wide in the oval leafed, and leaves with coarse stiff hairs along the underside midrib (vs. bare  in oval-leafed. Flowers from April to May. Grows at low to sub-alpine elevations  in most of coastal British Columbia, an area that is, just slightly, larger than all of Alaska.

Bog Blueberry or Bilberry, (Vaccinium uliginosum): berries are bluish-black with a whitish bloom; the leaves are thick, and they grow on shrubs 6-12 inches high, in bogs, along lake shores, and on hillsides and mountain summits .The flowers are pink

They are eaten raw, boiled, or baked in sourdough pancakes, bannock, muffins, and pie.

Dwarf Blueberry, Vaccinium caespitosum: is a low, usually matted shrub, with rounded yellow to red branches and finely toothed, light green leaves. Its 5-lobed flowers produce berries singly in leaf axis from about August to September. Grows at all elevations, in dry to wet forests, bogs, meadows, rocky ridges ,and in tundra, throughout Canada.

Oval Leafed Blueberry, Vaccinium ovalfolium: is a tall shrub, sometimes over 6 feet, with hairless angled branches. Its leaves are entire or only sparsely toothed. Usually produces berries forom early July to September. Grows at low to sub-alpine elevations in dry to moist forests, apenings and also in bogs.

Cascade Bilberry, Vaccinum deliciosum: is a low, often matted, and densely branched, shrub. Stems are green/brown, minutely hairy, inconspicuously angled. Leaves are pale green with a white bloom underneath, often minutely rolled backward. The Fruit is almost globe shaped, singly or in pairs, blue to black, and ripens from early July to September.Inhabits dry to moist forests, open areas, and bogs at low to sub-alpine elevaation.

Low bush Blueberry or Dwarf Bilberry, (Vaccinium caespitosum)

Berries are light blue with a whitish bloom, growing on shrubs 2-12 inches high, on gravelly shores, and in wooded areas. The leaves are lustrous green and thin, the flowers pink. The flavour is sweet, far superior to the farmed, so call "High bush" Blueberries. In supermarkets, they are now much sought after.

There are many historical medicinal uses for this wide ranging plant.

Blueberry roots were boiled to make medicinal teas that were taken to relieve diarrhoea, gargled to soothe sore mouths and throats or applied to slow healing sores. Bruised roots and berries were steeped in hootch which was taken freely(as much as the stomach and head could tolerate!) to stimulate urination, and to relieve kidney stones and water retention.

WARNING:Blueberry leaves contain  moderately high concentrations of tannin; so. while they may, and often are used as tea; they should not be used for extended periods of time.
© Al (Alex, Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.

Low-Bush Cranberry (Vaccinium vitis ideae)

WARNING: Some sources classify raw BUSH cranberries as a toxic poison while others report that they were commonly eaten raw by First Nations people during their usually short lives. A few raw berries may be harmless, but large quantities will cause vomiting and cramps; especially if they are not fully ripe. Despite the common name of Cranberry; and despite the fact that many "Americans" and/or"First Nations" still insist they are;these species are not related to the sour red berries we traditionally enjoy with a Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey dinner.

*Low-bush Cranberry (Vaccinium vitis ideae)-

          Also known as the mountain cranberry or lingonberry, Grows profusely in bogs or spruce covered areas. The leaves are leathery, on creeping stems 1-6 inches high; the flowers are pale pink.

            The berries are ready to pick in September, just before the first frosts; they are smaller,and unrelated,but, in some ways similar to, the commercial cranberry, and are prepared in the same way.

         

          Cranberry Juice

                              6 cups                  cranberries

                             1 tsp.                    lemon juice

1. Simmer cranberries in enough water to cover, until the skins pop open.

            2. Strain juice; stir in lemon juice, and sweeten to taste.

         

          Low- bush Cranberry Ketchup

                              1/2 pounds (8 cups)      low-bush cranberries

                             1 cup                               vinegar

                             2 cups                             brown sugar

                             1 cup                              water

                             2 Tbsp.                           cinnamon

            1. Cook cranberries in vinegar until they burst open.

2. Add sugar, water and cinnamon, and boil down to desired thickness.

            3. Seal in sterilized jars.

High-bush Cranberry,(Viburnum trilobum)

High-bush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum)-also called Kalyna, Low-bush Cranberry, SQUASH BERRY(Viburnum edule)and apparently, MOOSEBERRY and/or Moosomin(supposedly Cree).

Viburnum edule, the squashberry, mooseberry, pembina, pimbina, highbush cranberry, lowbush cranberry or moosomin in Cree language, is another small shrub species.

See my post "What's in a Name" Then, you figure it out.

Interestingly, the "bush" berries are not cranberries at all.
WARNING: Some sources classify raw BUSH cranberries as a toxic poison while others report that they were commonly eaten raw by First Nations people during their usually short lives. A few raw berries may be harmless, but large quantities will cause vomiting and cramps; especially if they are not fully ripe. Despite the common name of Cranberry these species are not related to the sour red berries we traditionally enjoy with a Thanksgiving turkey.

 What I call High-bush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum) Bushes are 1-4 feet high, and they grow in moist, shaded woods and thickets. The leaves are olive-green, and the flowers are white.

The berries when ripe are light red, with a large stone inside; they are best made into juice or jelly.

         Cranberry Jelly

 Put berries into pan with enough water so that you just see it through the fruit, or about 1 part water to 2 parts berries. Simmer until soft enough to mash; strain. The first dripping makes a clear jelly; the second dripping is put through a sieve and made into jam.

 For each cup of juice add 3/4 cup sugar; the sugar should be warmed in the oven beforehand. Boil mixture until it forms 1 large drop or sheet on the spoon., 8-30 minutes.

           

           

Goose-foot, Lambs Quarter, Pigweed, Wild Spinach

Lambs Quarter - Chenopodium album

Lambs Quarter – Chenopodium album Goosefoot, Pigweed, Lambs Quarter, wild spinach-

What is your name?

Are you a despicable weed, or a delicious veggie?

You were a weed, last summer, But, now that I know you,I put you near the top of the list for wild edible plants. You are widespread, almost friendly as you are often found where people are living. You are a rapid grower, easy to identify and outstandingly nutritious. Nearly all parts of the plant are usable during one season or another. The flavour is very enjoyable.
Chenopodium comes from the Greek chen meaning "goose" and podos, meaning "foot This refers to the leaf shape of some species. Album means "white" and is used to describe the colour of the leaf under surface.

Note: Although this plant is sometimes called pigweed, a name also often applied to an entirely different plant--green amaranth. Partially because we live in such close proximity to The United States of The Americas, It is not unusual for a single common name to be attached to two very different plants, and is a good example of the of the plants's botanical name to ensure that it is exactly the plant you think you are talking about
You’re a veggie and You’re a medicine.

Isn't it interesting

How you change,
When what’s in my head
decides to listen.

This European immigrant is an odourless, branching, annual weed, with stalked, opposite, simple leaves which are clammy-feeling, and have a whitish coating underneath. The first leaves are diamond-shaped and toothed toward the point. The later leaves are narrow and toothless. Now this always confused me. I think Lambs Quarter when it’s young, looks nothing like the older plant. Even after I've come to know this, it still baffles me!

Lamb’s-quarters grows everywhere, even through the cracks in side walks. It generally grows from 1 to 3 feet tall, under favourable conditions. If you listen, you can here these ‘children’ screaming-

“Eat me! Eat me! Take me home and Eat me- please!”

This is one of those weeds that just might become a favorite veggie for you. It’s a cousin to spinach and the young leaves can be eaten as greens or when freshly picked, added to salads.

My friend says you haven’t tasted anything until you've eaten Lambs Quarter leaves fried in hot bacon grease! I’ll try this for sure next summer. He never lies, so I know it’ll be a real treat!

I've also heard that the seeds can be ground into a meal for cakes, gruel or boiled into a cereal. Or, they can be sprouted and used in a stir fry meal. (This weed is a relative of quinoa, a grain, which is eaten mostly in Chili and Peru, but now available here also.)

Medicinally, Lamb’s-quarters has been used to treat nutritional deficiencies, such as scurvy, as it’s very high in vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus and is also a good source of protein, trace minerals, the B vitamins- thiamine, riboflavin and niacin, iron, and fibre.

Collect the young tender plants whole, and then when the stems become tough, collect just the leaves and tender tips. Do not collect Lamb’s-quarters growing in artificially fertilized or treated soils. It will absorb pesticides from the soil and is also prone to accumulate high levels of nitrates. Just go ‘harvest’ it in the wild, or gather some seeds from the wild and plant them in your garden. That’s the safest way and you’ll know exactly what you’re getting in your food.

Medicinally, Lambs Quarter is said to have sedative and refrigerant properties- people have used the poulticed leaves to soothe burns.

The leaves are also used for stomach aches and diarrhea in tea form. Traditionally, it has been used internally for roundworms, hook worms, small tapeworms, amebic dysentery, asthma and excess mucus. Externally, it can also be used to treat athlete’s foot and insect bites.

This weed comes with a caution:
Not to be given to pregnant women, as excess could cause dizziness and vomiting.

©Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.

Plantain

Very wide spread, the plantains are a troublesome, invasive weed to many gardeners  On a casual walk around most any yard, play field, or pasture one should be able to spot at least two types of this easy recognised plant.

English Plantain: Plantago comes from the Latin planta," the sole of the foot" descriptive of the leaf shape of some plantains. The specific name lanceolata, points out the characteristic lance shape of the leaf of English plantain

Common Plantain  Plantago major pictured below has broadly elliptical leaves.

Plantain

Botanical: Plantago major 
Family: N.O. Plantaginaceae

Synonyms---broad-leaved plantain, ripple grass, waybread, slan-lus, waybroad, snakeweed, cuckoo's bread, englishman's foot, white man's foot, buckhorn plantain, dog's ribs, hock cockle, lance-leaved plantain, rub grass, dooryard plantain, round-leaved plantain, (Anglo-Saxon) weybroed, Che Qian Zi (China), Breitwegerich (German), Tanchagem-maior (Portuguese), Llantén común (Spanish), Llantén major (Spanish)

Parts Used---Root, leaves, flower-spikes.

Growth & Habitat --- A perennial "weed" that can be found almost anywhere in North America and much of Europe. You probably have some in your backyard! Plantain is thought to be indigenous to Eurasia. It will grow in sun to shade and in almost any soil - plantain is very adaptable. Plantain spreads by seeds. 

Plantain is a low-growing, green plant with oval, ribbed short-stemmed leaves. The leaves form basal rosettes which tend to hug the ground. The leaves may grow up to about 6" long and 4" wide, but tend to vary greatly in size depending on their soil and light conditions. Plantain sends up a leafless flower stock in summer/fall - the stalks can be up to ten inches tall.

There are over 200 species in the plantain family, and they are found worldwide. Many have herbal uses. Plantago major is the most common one in North America, but Plantago lanceolata can also be found. Both have the same medicinal uses, and are very similar in appearance. Plantago major has wide rounded leaves, with a flowering spike covered with small nubbly seeds; Plantago lanceolata has longer, slender leaves, and a mostly bare flowering stem, with a cone like cluster of flowers on the top.

(Please note that plantain - the starchy, banana-like fruit, is completely different and not related to the plantain "weed" we are talking about!)

Plantain is  considered to have only fair edibility, because their leaves, except when very young, are rather hairy and tough- harvest the young, tender leaves for use in a salad, or steamed and used as a spinach substitute. The leaves do get tough quickly, so make sure to harvest only the youngest leaves. In areas where winters are severe enough to kill the old foliage each year, the new leaves of spring are especially juicy and flavourful The immature flower stalks may be eaten raw or cooked. If you're really adventuresome, you can harvest the seeds. They are said to have a nutty flavour and may be parched and added to a variety of foods or ground into flour. The leaves, seeds and roots can all be made into an herbal tea.

Plantain was brought to Canada and also to New Zealand by European settlers who valued it for its culinary and medicinal properties. The settlers seemed to leave the plant wherever they went, thus earning it the name "White Man's Foot' or "Englishman's Foot" by the natives of both countries.

Plantain has been used medicinally by Europeans for centuries. Herbals dating from the 1500's and 1600's are full of recipes and uses for plantain. It was considered to be almost a panacea - a cure-all, and a quick search shows that is has historically been recommended as a treatment for just about everything, up to and including dog bites, ulcers, ringworm, jaundice, epilepsy, liver obstructions, and haemorrhoid's! Plantain was so commonly known it is even found referenced in works by both Chaucer and Shakespeare.

Plantain is usually plentiful and can be easily harvested anytime from early spring until frost. Please do be careful where you harvest it - roadsides are notoriously dirty and dusty, and ditches are often sprayed with herbicides. Leave a spot in your backyard where you allow it to grow, and you can harvest your own all growing season! If your neighbours think you are crazy, let them know that plantain is a food source for some friendly wildlife such as butterfly caterpillars, and that the seeds are a food source for many varieties of birds.

Plantain is very high in beta carotene (A) and calcium. It also provides ascorbic acid (C), and vitamin K. Among the more notable chemicals found in plantain are allantion, apigenin, aucubin, baicalein, linoleic acid, oleanolic acid, sorbitol, and tannin. Together these constituents are thought to give plantain mild anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antihemorrhagic, and expectorant actions. Acubin has been reported in the Journal Of Toxicology as a powerful anti-toxin. Allantoin has been proved to promote wound healing, speed up cell regeneration, and have skin-softening effects.

Modern medical research is proving to uphold many of the historical uses of plantain - especially as a wound healer, and as a treatment for lung conditions such as bronchitis or asthma. Medicinally, plantain is astringent, demulcent, emollient, cooling, vulnerably  expectorant, antimicrobial, antiviral, antitoxin, and diuretic. Plantain is approved by the German Commission E (a sort of German "FDA" that studies and regulates herbs and herbal uses) for internal use to ease coughs and mucous membrane irritation associated with upper respiratory tract infections as well as topical use for skin inflammations. Two Bulgarian clinical trials have suggested that plantain may be effective in the treatment of chronic bronchitis.

How much is usually taken? The German Commission E officially recommends using 1/4-1/2 teaspoon (1-3 grams) of the leaf daily in the form of tea made by steeping the herb in 1 cup (250 ml) of hot water for 10-15 minutes (making three cups (750 ml ) per day). The fresh leaves can be applied directly three or four times per day to minor injuries, dermatitis, and insect stings. Syrups or tinctures, approximately 1/2 teaspoon (2-3 ml) three times per day, can also be used, particularly to treat a cough. Finally, 1/2-1 1/4 teaspoons (2-6 grams) of the fresh plant can be juiced and taken in three evenly divided oral administrations throughout the day. Of course as with all herbal medicines, you are your own best doctor - listen to your body and pay attention to its interaction with the herb, and you will undoubtedly figure out your own best uses and dosages.

Plantain is not associated with any common side effects and is thought to be safe for children Plantain is classed as "able to be safely consumed when used appropriately" Some preliminary research does show, however, that some allergy sufferers may have a reaction to plantain pollen, so if you feel this may be a problem for you, you may want to only use the plantain leaves for your herbal preparations.

One of plantain's most common uses is as a poultice for stings, bites, scrapes and rashes. The simplest way to harness plantain's healing powers is to crush a few fresh leaves, and apply to the affected area. Replace fresh leaves as necessary. The fresh plantain "juice" takes the pain away and seems to work wonders at staunching blood flow and closing wound edges. It's also wonderfully refreshing and soothing to sunburn.

Plantain infusion (tea) can also be used as a soothing wash for sunburn, windburn, rashes, or wounds. To make a plantain infusion, simply add a small handful of fresh plantain leaves to a cup or two of water, and bring to a gentle boil. Turn off heat, and let steep, then strain out the leaves. The infusion is best when fresh, although it can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.

One favourite way to use plantain is in a herbally infused oil. Gently fill a container with fresh plantain leaves that have been lightly bruised or crushed. (Dried plantain can be used - if you are using dried plant material, you only need to fill the jar one-half full). Cover the leaves with oil - any vegetable oil will do, cover the container, and let sit in the sun for a couple of weeks. The will turn a beautiful dark green colour. Strain out the leaves and you have a lovely herbal oil to use. It's wonderful to soften, soothe and heal any manner of skin conditions. We love to make a herbal salve from this oil - simply add 1-2 oz. melted beeswax to warmed infused oil. Stir over low heat until the beeswax and oil are uniformly combined, and then pour into clean jars or tubs.

Use plantain oil on babies and small children instead of lotions or Vaseline. Natural vegetable oil that has been infused with the gentle, healing essence of plantain is far healthier to put on a baby's delicate skin than chemical-laden lotions or petroleum by-products. She also recommends using whole, clean, gently crushed fresh plantain leaves directly on a baby's diaper rash as an overnight poultice. This will help heal common diaper rash, as well as a yeast-infection diaper rash. Of course a plantain oil or salve can also be an excellent cure for diaper rash or cradle cap.

Here's an excellent picture of a plantain,

with its seed spikes. 

©Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.

Shepherd's-Purse

http://www.aragriculture.org/horticulture/ornamentals/weed_id/shepherds_purse.htm

Shepherds Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris):

·        Is a non-native, imported annual plant, in the mustard family; which grows erect to from three to about thirty inches.

·        It has deeply divided rosette leaves and flattened triangular seed pods that can produce over 33,000 seeds per plant.

·        Shepherds purse has the reputation of being able to stop bleeding-both internally and externally.

It contains quantities of vitamins C and also K which are both useful for blood clotting. Although they should never be used without first consulting a qualified physician, contemporary herbalists often recommend dried shepherds purse internally for bloody urine, nosebleeds, bleeding after childbirth and diarrhoea . Externally it is used to treat wounds and haemorrhoids. More than 300 years ago Nicholas Culpepper wrote “Few plants possess greater virtues than this, and yet it is utterly disregarded”. Some authorities say no one is interested because this common weed is medically worthless. Other say it is just too common and the few real studies done to date have revealed intriguing possibilities both for treating bleeding and for inducing labour.

Although it was undoubtedly introduced into Canada and Newfoundland (not then part of Canada) long before, according to United States OF THE Americas fictionalization and occasional belief; shepherds purse may have been introduced into North America by the pilgrims, where, like the also intentionally introduced dandelion, it quickly became a weed. People with ulcers, colitis, Crohns disease, or bleeding disorders might try this herb after consultation with their doctor. To use shepherds purse externally on wounds of haemorrhoids, soak a clean  cloth in either a tincture or infusion and apply thoroughly to cleaned wound. 

©Al (Alex- Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved