Enjoy a Taste of Canada Long before the arrival of European settlers, the indigenous people s of Canada consumed a rich and varied diet based on

Transcription

1 Enjoy a Taste of Canada Long before the arrival of European settlers, the indigenous people s of Canada consumed a rich and varied diet based on locally native vegetation. Most of the plants in this garden bed have some culinary use, and can be used in teas, jams, or eaten fresh. We ve done our best to describe each species and offered some ideas on how best to incorporate these native Canadian plants in to your meals. It is still a good idea to do your own research and start slowly when adding novel foods into your diet. Many of these plants were also used traditionally as medicines, but please consult your doctor. This small garden cannot support an entire neighbourhood. It is intended as a demonstration to illustrate how easy it is to grow them in your own spaces in order to make use of their nutrient values. These same plants are also very important to native wildlife, including pollinators. NEVER take plants from wild spaces. You can t be sure if they have been exposed to harmful substances and over harvesting of some species, like wild ginseng, has led to their extirpation in many parts of their natural range. ALWAYS grow edible native plants in your own plot where you can be assured that they are safe to eat. Tea. Generally, the leaves and/or flowers of these plants can be used fresh or dried and used alone or mixed with other herbs to make a tea. As a rule of thumb, cut the stalks before mid morning to preserve the majority of the plants oils. Hang for several days until dry. Jams/Jellies/Preserves Berries and plums can be eaten fresh, dried, or in preserves. There are many recipe sources available on line or in libraries. Fresh Some plants can be eaten alone, in a salad, or cooked. Wild onion, for example, have edible flowers, leaves and bulbs and can be used much like onions or chives from the supermarket. Of course, when harvesting bulbs, the entire plant is lost so those should only be selectively harvested from large established colonies and never from the wild.

2 Smooth Serviceberry Ht: ft 3-10 m Amelanchier arborea Rosaceae (Rose) family Fruit taste can vary tree to tree and ripens unevenly over 2 to 3 weeks making harvesting sometimes difficult. Eaten fresh, cooked or dried. Rich in copper and iron. The Cree used the wood for arrows and it is also suitable for tool handles as the wood is heavy and hard, albeit small. Enjoyed by at least 40 species of birds and most mammals. Blooms April Full sun - part shade, sand, loam or clay, dry - moist soil Pawpaw Asimina triloba Annonaceae (Custard-apple) family The pawpaw provides the largest fruit of any North American tree and is the only tropical fruit found in Canada. It was likely brought northward by travelling indigenous peoples. The pawpaw is pollinated by flies and beetles rather than bees because its flowers smell like rotten meat. Pawpaws are high in vitamin C and can be eaten fresh, pulped or used as a substitute for bananas in recipes. Blooms April, May Part- full shade, loam, moist-wet soil Ht: ft m

3 New Jersey Tea Ht: 2-3 ft m Ceanothus americanus Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn) family Also called Red Root Tea, it, along with a species of goldenrod, was a substitute for tea from China following the Boston Tea Party. Leaves & twigs are best harvested early summer for tea. The roots were also used in traditional medicines. The bark makes a cinnamon coloured dye, the roots a red dye. The flowers are rich in saponins and can produce an effective gentle and fragrant soap. Very popular with a variety of pollinators and some butterfly larvae, it is also visited by deer and rabbits. Blooms June-July Full - part shade, sand - clay, mesic - moist soil American Hazelnut Corylus americana Betulaceae (Birch) family Ht: 4-15 ft m One of three species of Corylus native to North America (beaked hazelnut, California hazelnut), which are similar but much smaller than the European hazelnut or filbert. Its sweet nuts are eaten fresh, roasted, or ground into flour for soups, cakes, sweets, and breads. An edible oil can be obtained from the nuts. The bark, nuts, and roots were used medicinally by indigenous peoples. Although self fertile, nut yields increase if two or more shrubs are planted together. Many insects feed on the leaves and bark. The nuts are widely enjoyed by grouse, turkeys, woodpeckers, bluejays, deer, rabbits, & squirrels. Blooms Full - part shade, sand - clay, mesic - moist soil

4 American Plum Prunus americana Rosaceae (Rose) family Ht: 3-5 ft m Edible fresh, the fruit is widely used for jams, jellies, preserves and pies and can be eaten dried. Only the fruit is edible, all other parts of the plant contain the toxin hydrocyanic acid. The roots were used to make red dye and branches had ceremonial use by some tribes. The tree provides nesting cover and hosts several butterfly species. Very attractive to native and honey bees. Deer browse the twigs. Blooms April, May Full - part shade, loam, mesic - moist soil Wild Black Currant Ribes americanum Ht: 3-5 ft m Grossulariaceae, (Gooseberry) family Like the cultivated European variety, native black currants are used to make jams, jellies, pie, wine and tea. Dried berries were included in trail snacks. The berries are high in vitamin A & C, potassium, phosphorus, and calcium. Very popular with bees and other pollinators. Also host for several butterfly/moth larvae. Several mammals enjoy the berries and deer browse the twigs. Blooms May - June Part sun, sand - clay, mesic - moist soil

5 Smooth Wild Rose Ht: 1-6 ft 0.3-2m Rosa blanda Rosaceae (Rose) family Host of Hairstreak Butterfly Attracts pollinators such as short tongued bees, hummingbirds Blooms June, July Full-part sun, dry-moist soil, sand-loam Summer Grape The flower petals are edible and can be processed into rose water, used in salads, desserts and teas. Rose hips are a good source of vitamins A, C, E, flavonoids, and essential fatty acids. The small hairs surrounding the seeds can be irritating and should be removed. Roses have many medicinal uses. Ht: 3-65 ft 1 20 m Vitis aestivalis Wild grapes can be eaten fresh, dried, fermented into wine, or cooked as jams, jellies, preserves or pies. The leaves can be wrapped around savoury mixtures and baked. A watery sap from its stems makes a refreshing drink. Young climbing tendrils are eaten raw or cooked. This fast growing vine is often used in basketry and other wild crafting. Fresh or dried leaves produce a yellow dye. Pollinated by bees. Birds use the peeling bark in nest building. Wild turkeys in particular enjoy the grapes. Blooms June-July Full sun - part shade, sand, loam or clay, dry - moist soil Vitaceae (Grape) family

6 Wild Ht: 1-2 ft m Nodding Onion Allium cernuum Liliaceae (Lily) family Bulbs are eaten raw, boiled, pickled or dried. Leaves and flowers are generally used fresh or as seasoning. Host of Hairstreak Butterfly. Attracts pollinators such as short tongued bees, hummingbirds. Chicago was named from the Algonquin word for this plant chigagou. Booms June, July, August Full-part sun, dry-moist soil, sand-loam Wild Ginger Asarum canadense Ht: 2-5 in 5 = 10 cm Aristolochiaceae (Birthwort) family Far less robust roots than the commercial Indonesian variety. Its strong flavour was used by indigenous peoples as a flavouring and sometimes to disguise the taste of rotten meat. Prized for its medicinal properties, the herb was prepared as decoctions, infusions, and dried. Caution: the plant contains Aristolochic acid which has been associated with kidney damage. Forms a thick ground cover in shady areas. Pipeline swallowtail host. Blooms April - May Full - part shade, moist rich soils

7 Canada Wild Rye Elymus canadensis Poaceae (Grass) family Ht: 1-5 ft m Grasses are one of the most important food crops around the world. Like its cultivated cousin, the seed of Cananda Wild Rye, although small, can be ground into flour for bread or cooked like porridge. Like most native grasses, wild rye has an extensive root system which helps to reduce weeds and improves soil. It is eaten by a range of wildlife and also provides winter cover and nesting material. Blooms mid summer-fall Full - part sun, dry sand 0 clay Giant Sunflower Helianthus giganteus Asteraceae (Composite) family Sunflowers were likely cultivated even before corn in the America s. Seeds were pounded into flour for cakes, mush & bread and to extract oil. Has edible tuberous roots. The plant was also used for dyes, textiles, medicine, and as a building material. There are 67 species of sunflower all in NA. Commercial sunflowers were hybridized by Russia before 1716 and later refined in Canada c1930. Attracts a variety of native bees, butterflies and other insects to its flowers and foliage. Hosts caterpillars of Painted Lady and checkerspot butterflies. Seeds are eaten by a variety of birds and rodents, including Mourning Dove, Crossbills, Goldfinch, chickadee, & nuthatches Blooms mid summer-fall Full sun moist-wet sandy soil preferred Ht: 3-13 ft 1-4 m Thomas G. USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

8 Oswego Tea Monarda didyma Lamiaceae (Mint) family Ht: 2-4 ft m Primarily distinguished from M. fistulosa by the bright red petals which are especially attractive to hummingbirds. Leaves make Earl Grey flavoured tea. Imparts flavour to meat. Petals can be added to salads. Many medicinal uses. Called Oswego Tea because of its use by the Oswegos of New York state. Both species are also called Beebalm because their crushed leaves are said to soothe bee stings. Excellent cut flower Remove seed heads for successive blooms. Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds Blooms June-September. Drought tolerant, full sun - light shade, dry-mesic, sand/rocky-loam Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa Lamiaceae (Mint) family Ht: 2-4 ft m Leaves make Earl Grey flavoured tea. Imparts flavour to meat. Many medicinal uses. Add the petals to salads or sugar to impart a distinctive flavour. Excellent cut flower Remove seed heads for successive blooms. Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The monada s were named after botanist Nicolas Bautista Monardes ( ) who received the plants for study in his Spanish homeland. Blooms June-September. Drought tolerant, full sun - light shade,

9 Smooth Aster Symphyotrichum laeve Ht: ft m Asteraceae (Composite) family The bright blue flowers are attractive served in salads or as candied decorations. Smooth aster is distinguished by its hairless leaves. Asters are an important late season pollinator food, including migrating monarch butterflies. Blooms late summer-autumn Full sun - part shade, dry-mesic, sand-clay rolls Sky Blue Aster Ht: ft m Symphyotrichum oolentangiense Asteraceae (Composite) family The bright blue flowers are attractive served in salads or as candied decorations. Bees that are specialist pollinators (oligoleges) of asters include Andrena asteris, A. nubecula, A. simplex, Colletes simulans armatus, and Melissodes dentiventris. Sparrows, wild grouse and turkeys feed on the seeds as do several small mammals. Rabbits, groundhogs and deer browse on young growth. Blooms late summer-autumn Full sun - part shade, dry-mesic, sand-clay rolls

10 Arrowleaved Aster Symphyotrichum urophyllum Asteraceae (Composite) family The flowers of asters make colourful additions to salads and can be sugared to make delicate decorations for cakes and deserts. Asters provide an important last season nectar crop. Offering smaller florets than the similar panicle aster S. lanceolatum. Most new world asters have now been reclassified into the genus Symphyotrichum the Greek symphysis, for 'junction', and 'trichos', for hair. The species name means leaves with a tail like tip, relating to their arrow shape. Plants in full sun tend to have more conical floral tips than those growing in shadier conditions. Blooms late summer - autumn Full sun - shade, sand, loam, dry soil Ht: in cm Virginia Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum virginianum Lamiaceae (Mint) family Ht: 1-3 ft m The flowers and leaves are edible raw or cooked and can be dried into a refreshing mint tea. Cut stalks to dry as flowering begins. Additional uses include as a bath additive, in the dryer to freshen clothes, and as an insect repellent. Deer don t like its scent and will avoid areas where it is planted. Pycnantehmum means many clustered flowers, making this plant attractive to a wide range of pollinators. Blooms August-September Full sun-part shade, dry-moist soil, sand-loam

11 Blue Vervain Ht: 2-5 ft m Verbena hastata Verbenaceae (Vervain) family Also known as Simpler s Joy, vervain has many medicinal and cosmetic uses. Traditionally used as a tea which helps clear congestion, but also made into tinctures, salves, creams, foot soak & herb baths. The Dakota word for this plant means medicine. Larval host for common buckeye butterfly and verbena moth. Seeds are enjoyed by cardinals, sparrows, juncos and other small birds. Foliage is bitter and avoided by most mammals. Blooms late summer Full - partial sun, mesic-moist, loam or clayloam. Experience your own Taste of Canada by growing native species in your own garden. Remember to always purchase from ethical growers who offer plants propagated from local seed sources. Never take plants from wild spaces or buy from nurseries that do. For information about obtaining space in one of Malvern s Community Gardens, please call the Malvern Family Resource Centre at MFRC.org, ext. 221 or drop by one of our work group sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.