5. Native Manitoba Plants - A List Adapted from: NATIVE MANITOBA PLANTS in Bog, Bush and Prairie Manitoba Agriculture, revised 1982. Author: Hector Macdonald (Also as a pdf...) TREES AND SHRUBS Black current Blueberry Blue-fly honeysuckle 4 – the blue-black berry is edible This shrub, in general, is unlike many of its honeysuckle relatives in that it produces an edible, tasty, blueberry-like fruit. It typically grows to 4-6’ tall and as wide. Opposite, elliptic to ovate, glaucous green leaves (each to 2-3” long) have slightly wavy leaf margins. Pale yellowish-white flowers (to 5/8” long) bloom in late spring to early summer (April-June) in pairs along the shoots. Fruits ripen in early summer to deep blue with reddish-purple insides. Fruits are pruinose with an oval-teardrop to almost-globose shape. Variability in growing characteristics results in part from the large geographic distribution of this shrub. It's invasive in North America. Bog Myrtle – fragrant crushed leaves – used to perfume clothes in storage and repel moths  Buck thorn – berries edible?? Buffalo Berry – round, sour berries used for jelly. Described as mealy. Chokecherry  Lang’s Crossing Crowberry Gooseberry Hackberry Hazel High Bush Cranberry  Minnedosa  Adam Lake Trail Manitoba Maple - early settlers made sugar from sap Mountain Ash - bitter red berries can be used for jelly Paper Birch - canoes Pin Cherry - jelly Raspberry Red Currant Red Berried Elder  Sandcherry  Prunus pumila, commonly called sand cherry, is a North American species of cherry in the rose family. It is widespread in eastern and central Canada from New Brunswick west to Saskatchewan and the northern United States from Maine to Montana, south as far as Colorado. It grows in sandy locations such as shorelines and dunes. Prunus pumila is a deciduous shrub that grows to 0.61–1.83 metres (2–6 feet) tall depending on the variety. The fruit is a small cherry 13–15 mm in diameter, ripening to dark purple in early summer. Sumach - used for tanning leather Wild Plum VINES AND CLIMBERS Hops Wild Grapes  Spruce Woods WOODLAND PLANTS Dewberry Indian Hemp - fibres used for snare making Jewel Weed - used for poison ivy Wild Ginger - Indians used this plant as medicine FERNS AND MOSSES Club Moss 36 - used as diapers in the bottom of baby carriers – absorbent/had some qualities to prevent rashes LAKE, STREAM AND MUSKEG PLANTS Cattail Wild Mint  MOIST PRAIRIE PLANTS Jerusalem Artichoke - fleshy roots used as a vegetable Sunflower - the root served as wild potato Wild Liquorice - edible roots  Wild Strawberry DRY PRAIRIE PLANTS Coneflower Indian Bread Root Prairie Onion  Senega Root - thick roots sold for medicinal purposes Wild Parsley - large deep tap rot used as food GRASSES Wild Rye Wild Rice Activities Photos and information about plants listed are readily available via a Google search. We have included just a few samples, including some taken by the author. Further research into each plant could lead to a full profile including more local photos and maps of the locations. |
