wacky plants

Written byAlexandra Milburn

Illustrated byTerrance Pamplin

ContentsIntroduction ...................................................................... 1

Wildflowers

Butterwort ..................................................................... 2

Cloudberry .................................................................... 4

Common Plantain.......................................................... 6

Common Yarrow ........................................................... 8

Fireweed ...................................................................... 10

Indian Paintbrush ........................................................ 12

Mountain Avens .......................................................... 14

Prickly Saxifrage.......................................................... 16

Red Baneberry............................................................. 18

Silverweed ................................................................... 20

Twinflower .................................................................. 22

Wild Mint .................................................................... 24

Yellow Lady's Slipper .................................................. 26

Aquatic Plants

Cat-tail ........................................................................ 28

Duckweed ....................................................................30

Rat Root ...................................................................... 32

Water-arum ................................................................ 34

Yellow Pond-lily .......................................................... 36

Horsetails

Common Horsetail ...................................................... 38

Sedges

Cotton-grass ............................................................... 40

Shrubs

Black Currant .............................................................. 42

Bog Rosemary ............................................................. 44

Crowberry ................................................................... 46

Ground Juniper............................................................ 48

Labrador Tea ................................................................50

Mountain Cranberry and Kinnikinnick ......................... 52

Prickly Wild Rose ........................................................ 54

Silverberry................................................................... 56

Soapberry ................................................................... 58

Willow ........................................................................ 60

Trees

Black Spruce and White Spruce ................................... 62

Jack Pine ..................................................................... 64

Paper Birch and Dwarf Birch ....................................... 66

Tamarack .................................................................... 68

Trembling Aspen and Balsam Poplar ............................ 70

Reference List .................................................................. 72

Index ............................................................................... 74

IntroductionWild and Wacky Plants of the NWT will introduce you to 35plants that grow in the Northwest Territories. Talk to an elder,your parents, your teachers or a librarian to find out whichplants grow near your community. They may know other factsabout these plants, other ways they can be used, or their namesin the local Aboriginal language.

How to Use This BookIf you are looking for a particular plant, look for the pagenumber in the table of contents. The plants are listed by theircommon names. Their scientific names are included on theplant pages.

If you are just flipping through the book, you can stop at anyplant that interests you. There are lots of activities and recipesyou can try. There are lots of wacky facts and even some jokes!

Be Plant SmartNever eat any part of any plant unless aknowledgeable adult tells you it’s okay.

Never pick more plants than you need. Leave enough plants orberries behind so that new plants will grow next year.

Have fun learning about the wild and wackyplants of the NWT. There are many hundredsmore out there for you to discover!

RulusNumerisUno

1

These leaves are greasy!The leaves of butterwort aregreasy to the touch, likemelted butter. The Latinname for this plant,Pinguicula, means “fat”. InEnglish and Latin this plantis named for its slippery,oily leaves!

ButterwortPinguicula vulgaris

Butterwort grows in damp, gravelly or sandy soils by the edgesof small brooks, ponds or wet areas. Small and delicate,butterwort looks like a purple violet. Yellowish-green leavesgrow at the base of the stem.

Insects become trapped on theslimy leaves, and as they struggle to

get free, the plant releases a substancethat turns the insects into a liquid. The

plant absorbs this liquid as food.

One botanist (a plantscientist) has reportedcounting as many as 500

black flies stuck to the leavesof a butterwort.

Immature shoots

“ Yeah, I ain’t half thebug I used to be!”

3Wildflowers

“Hey, Bugsey. Yalooks a little down!”

At one time, many Aboriginal peoples storedcloudberries in baskets beneath the moss tokeep them cool.

Cloudberries aredelicious with milk andsugar, in jam, jelly orpies, or fresh off theplant.

Try This! If you can collectenough cloudberries,why not try storing them thetraditional way, in baskets, andin the fridge. Which taste better?

CloudberryRubus chaemaemorus

Cloudberry grows close to the ground in moist areas ofbog and peat throughout the NWT. It is one of theearliest plants to bloom in the spring, putting forthlarge, five-petalled white flowers as soon as the groundwarms up. After the petals fall off, a brightred berry forms. When the berry turnsgolden, it is ripe and ready to eat.

Rulus Numeris UnoRemember Rule #1

4 Wildflowers

The leaves are large andleathery with toothededges.

The Dogrib boil the cloudberryflower and apply the tea to soreeyes.

They also use thechewed berries onsores and wounds.

5Wildflowers

Seeds from this plant havelain dormant for as long as 40

years and then sproutedbetween the cracks of a

sidewalk


Common PlantainPlantago major

Common plantain grows as a weed near many settled areas inthe North. The leaves have five to seven obvious ribs. The stemsare 30 cm long with a dense narrow spike of tiny, yellowishwhite flowers. Look around your doorway or yard; there’s agood chance plantain is growing there.

Another name for plantain is “whiteman’s foot” because everywhere

settlers walked, the plantsprung up.

Plantain Salad1. Pick young plantain leaves

early in spring.2. Mix with other salad greens or

wild greens like dandelion.3. Add tomatoes and cucumber.4. Toss with vinegar and oil.

6 Wildflowers

Plantain was thought to control the path leading directly to the realm of the dead. Plantain was used in magic spells by Orcus, the Roman ruler of the Underworld.

Plantain hasstrong healingpowers: so strongthat wounds tofingers werewrapped withbruised leaves andtied with grass byAboriginal peoples.

Many tiny flowersgrow on the spike.

7Wildflowers

Common YarrowAchillea millefolium

Common yarrow grows in dry and open areas. It is topped bylarge, flat, flower clusters. Each tiny flower is yellow in thecentre. The leaves are divided into many parts. Yarrow has atough and woolly stem.

The Gwich’in usethe whole plant tomake a tea forcoughs or ulcers.

They also use theflowers in a drink to

stop nosebleeds. Theplant can be used forskin infections,

sunburns and insectbites.

Drying Wild PlantsPlants like yarrow are easy to preserve by drying.1. Select some plants and hang them upside

down from a line in a dark, dry place, like acloset.

2. Leave them for several days until they feel stiffand dry.

3. Put in a jar or vase. Add some wild grasses andother dried flowers. These arrangements makenice gifts.


8 Wildflowers

Yarrow flowers have a strong, spicy smell. It’s wild, but it’s true: you can use yarrow to keep mosquitoes away. Rub the plants on your clothes or throw some stalks into your campfire if mosquitoes are bothering you.

The great Greek hero,Achilles, used yarrow to stop theflow of blood from his soldiers’ wounds.That is why the scientific name of the plantis Achillea!

FireweedChamerion angustifolium

Fireweed grows just about everywhere in the NWT: alongroadsides, ditches, in recently burned areas and on the tundra.Fireweed has long, narrow leaves that look like willow leaves.The flowers are bright pink and grow on a long stalk.

Fireweed blooms from the bottom of the stalk up, instead

of the other way around.

Seeds are carried far and wide in masses of “fluff”. Fireweed also reproduces fromthe roots. Once it is established, itspreads easily.

10Wildflowers

Mixed with water and bear fat, fireweed has been used by theSahtu Dene for rashes and otherskin problems.

All parts of fireweed are edible. Leaves can be dried and used fortea; young shoots are good when cooked and used in a salad.Fireweed honey is dark and delicious.

Fireweed produces most of itsnectar at noon. Nectar is thesweetish liquid produced by many

flowers, which bees use to makehoney. Check your local fireweed

patch at noon to see how many beesare there collecting nectar.

Count the Bees1. Keep a record of how many bees you see at a particular

stand of fireweed during the day.2. Observe the plants at 10:00 in the morning, at noon and

at 4:00 in the afternoon.3. Do this for three days.4. When do most of the bees visit?

“So what’s the rushbuddy...? Going to aFireweed?“


Time 10:00 12:00 4:00Day 1Day 2Day 3

Number of Bees Seen

Indian PaintbrushCastilleja raupii

Indian paintbrush is a beautiful, purple-flowered plant thatgrows along lake shores, ditches, river banks and other wetareas. It may have one or several stems and each stem has oneflower. The leaves are narrow and tendto twist and curl.

What appears to bepurple petals are actuallybracts (specialized leaves).The tiny, yellow flowergrows from within thesebracts.

Bracts

Flower

12Wildflowers

How do you think thisplant got its name?

Invent Your Own FlowerThere are many, many wild plants in the world. Theymay be big or small, tall or short, pretty or ugly,stinky or sweet. But, there is one plant missing: theone you invent yourself!1. Make up your own flower.2. Figure out where it grows, what is special about

it, whether you can eat it, and what colour it is.3. Make up a name for your flower.4. Draw a picture of your flower and colour it.

Paintbrush roots draw food fromroots of plants close by. Why do allthe work, if another plant will do it

for you?

13Wildflowers

Mountain AvensDryas integrifolia

Mountain avens is one of the first plants to grow in rocky orgravelly places where there are few other flowers. The leaves aresmall and leathery with white hairs on the undersides; the whiteflowers have eight to ten petals.

Mountain avens blooms early in the season.The blooms are replaced by tufted seed headsthat blow off with the wind. Check your localgravel pit or river flats to see if they grow inyour area. They can also be found on thetundra, but are quickly squeezed out by moreaggressive plants.

Plants that are the first to grow in new areas arecalled “pioneers”. Like the people who werepioneers, they prepare the way for others tofollow.

Official PlantsEach province and territory has an officialflower and tree.1. Draw a large map of Canada.2. In an atlas, look up the names of the

official flowers and trees.3. Draw them on the map.4. Quiz your friends to see who

can guess them correctly!

14Wildflowers

Mountain avens is theterritorial flower of theNWT. It is a member ofthe rose family.

Because the flowersalways face the sun, theyact as solar collectors andare a favourite place forinsects to perch to get

warm.

The flowers ofmountain avens turn

and follow the path ofthe sun across the sky.

15Wildflowers

Prickly SaxifrageSaxifraga tricuspidata

Prickly saxifrage grows in rocky or dryareas. The leaves at the base of the planteach have three prickly lobes. The smallwhite flowers have five petals with tinyorange dots. In some areas, you can seeprickly saxifrage growing in large mounds. Inother places, single plants cling to rocks.

The orange dots on the petals actas landing lights for insects. It isthe orange colour that attracts

them to the plants. Whilethere, the insects pick up

and deliver pollen.

16Wildflowers

This plant at one time was used formedicine. Even the ancient Romans

used it, but it is not considered safe touse today.

The wacky thing about this plant iswhere it grows! It looks like it’s growing

out of solid rock! If you lookclosely, you will see there is

actually a small amount ofsoil on the rock for the

plants to root in.

Prickly saxifrage is foodfor animals only. Mountain

sheep eat the plant and hoarymarmots eat the roots.


17Wildflowers

Red BaneberryActaea rubra

Red baneberry grows in moist meadows and sunny forestopenings. It grows tall, up to one meter, and looks like a shrubwith very large leaves. The bright red, glossy berries growon a long stalk.

This is serious!The berries from this plant may look yummy,but they are extremely poisonous, just like allother parts of the plant. Even though birds orsmall animals eat the berries, it doesn’t mean it’sokay for people to eat them.

Some people may think thatanything that comes from natureis good for you.That is not always true.

18Wildflowers

Rulus Numeris UnoNever eat any plant or berriesunless an adult can tell youit’s alright to do so.

Look up “bane” in your dictionary. Whatdoes it tell you about thisplant?

It’s hard to believe,But it’s trueThis plant is reallyBad for you!

One little biteand you mightsay goodnightFOREVER! 19Wildflowers

When the weather turns bad, the flowersclose halfway. When it rains, the leavescrowd together to form a protectiveroof over the fragile flowers.

Silverweed is a plant of legend.One legend tells us that fairiesand spirits gather in themoonlight to chat and dance onthe beautiful silvery arms of silverweed.

SilverweedPotentilla anserina

Silverweed grows on gravelly shores of rivers or lakesthroughout the NWT. It has green leaves with silver undersidesand long, reddish runners that creep along the ground, takingroot as they go. The yellow flowers have five petals and areshaped like roses. Silverweed is easy to spot because the brightyellow of the flowers stands out against the dull background ofthe gravel.

20 Wildflowers

“Meet me at the silverweeddance hall at midnight.“

At one time, travellers, soldiers and runnersput silverweed in their shoes. They believedit would make their feet more comfortable and their journey more pleasant!

Silverweed is a goodplant to try in a plant

press. Once pressed andmounted, it will keep its

colours for many years.

Wildflowers 21

TwinflowerLinnaea borealis

Twinflower is a delicate and dainty plant that grows in forestedareas and in some areas of tundra. Two nodding pink flowersgrow from the two stalks of a forked stem. The flowers aresweetly scented. Small, blunt-tipped leaves grow along thetrailing stems.

Linnaea borealis comes from CarolusLinnaeus (1707-1778), who classifiedand named plants. Twinflower was one ofhis favourites, so it was named after him.Borealis means northern.

Linnaeus was a botanist(a scientist who studies plants).22 Wildflowers

The fruit of twinflower issticky burrs that attach toclothing or animals. Thisis how the the seeds arespread.

“No, you are.”

“No, you are.”

“ You’re more beautiful.”

Wildflowers 23


Wild MintMentha arvensis

Wild mint grows in meadows, moist ditches and along riversand lakes. The stem is square and purplish. Mauve flowers growwhere the leaves are attached to the stem.

Local Aboriginal groups use mint leaves to maketea or add them to regular tea. You can evenbuy mint tea in the grocery store now. Manypeople drink it to soothe their stomachs or calma cold.

Mint TeaDo this only with adult supervision.1. Pick a handful of mint leaves.2. Boil a pot of fresh water.3. Put the mint leaves into the pot.4. After five minutes, pour the tea

through a strainer.

In the summer, try mint tea as acool drink by refrigerating andthen adding ice cubes.

24 Wildflowers

You can tell it’s mint as soon as you touch the leaves: they give offa strong minty smell.

Mint was used during Medievaltimes (600-1500 A.D.) as a

room deodorizer.

It was one of the plantsspread upon floors to give

rooms a fresh, sweet smell.

Wildflowers 25

Yellow Lady’s SlipperCypripedium parviflorum

You will know lady’s slipper the first time you seeit. The yellow flower is shaped like apouch and really does look like a slipper.Yellow lady’s slipper grows in moist woods.

The fragrance of lady’s slipperattracts many bees. The bee enters

through an opening at the topof the pouch and leaves

through a tiny hole in theback. As the bee exits, itdeposits pollen.

26 Wildflowers

Lady’s slipper was used as a love charm by theSouth Slavey. A single strand of a certain girl’shair was tied about the stem andcarried next to a man’s heart inthe hope the girl wouldcome to him.

Lady’s slipper is a member of the orchid family. Like other members of this family, the plants cannot be transplanted because they need certain fungi in the soil.

Lady’s slippers are fragile plants. Itmay take as long as 15 years for aflowering plant to grow from aseed. In many areas, lady’sslippers are dying out because ofover picking. Once picked, thewhole plant dies.


You can eat all parts of cat-tail as long as it isgrowing in a clean, natural marsh:• Young spikes can be eaten like corn on the cob.• Young shoots can be eaten as greens.• Pollen from the male “tail” can be used to make

pancakes and muffins.• Roots can be pounded into flour.

The “down” or fluff from cat-tails can be used likegoose down to stuff pillows or mattresses.

Aboriginal groups in the North have alsoused it with moss in baby bags to keepbabies warmer and more

comfortable.

Cat-tailTypha latifolia

Cat-tails grow in many places in the North. Cat-tails have adistinctive fuzzy “tail” at the tip of their dense, brown spikes.The tail is the male part of the plant, which turns golden whenfull of pollen. After the pollen is shed, the tail falls off, leavingthe brown female spike.

at the edge of ponds

and on cats, of course!

Waterfowl and songbirds nestin cat-tail stalks.Muskrats eat thestalks. Birds also usethe fluff from lastyear’s bloom forbuildingnests.

Female

Male

by streams and sloughs

in marshy areas

You can findcat-tails...

Aquatic Plants 29

The South Slavey used duckweedas an indicator plant (a plant thattells something about theenvironment). They knew they wouldget an itchy rash if they drank waterfrom a pond that had duckweed.Because duckweed grows in waterthat is still, with no running source,the water may be unhealthy to drink.

DuckweedLemna minor

Duckweed is a tiny plant that grows on the surface of still,shallow pools of water. It grows close to the edge of the waterand spreads out in a large, green sheet.

Duckweed has noroots, no stems, andflowers that are sosmall you need amicroscope to seethem. But, what itdoes have are smalland smooth discs thatfloat on top of thewater with one tinyrootlet danglingunderneath. The flowersgrow in pits at the edgeof the discs.

30 Aquatic Plants

Takethe sniff test:

Does it smell fresh and cleanor like old gym socks?

Duckweed gets itsname from the birdsthat like to eat it:ducks. Duckweed

gets spread fromplace to placebecause it sticksto the birds’ feetand feathers.

Duckweed looks like pond scum, but,this is the wacky part: it isn’t!If you see duckweed growing in yourarea, bend down and pick it up. You’llbe surprised to findthat it doesn’t smell like scum or feellike scum.

Eight duckweedson your fingertip.

Aquatic Plants 31


This plant is known as“rat root” becausemuskrats eat it.

Rat RootAcorus americanus

Rat root grows in wet areas or along borders of streams. It haslong, sword-like leaves and small, brownish flowers crowdedonto a spadix. The root is thick, with many smaller rootletsdangling from it.

Rat root is considered strongmedicine by local Aboriginal

peoples. It can be used forcoughs, colds, sore throatsand stomach problems. Rat

root is one of the most widelyknown and used medicines

from nature.

32 Aquatic Plants

Rat root is alsocalled “sweet”flag even thoughthe root actuallytastesbitter.

Meet My FriendRat root and water-arum (page 34)

have their roots underwater and theirflowers above water. Look at both

drawings. Can you think of two other ways the plants

are alike and twoways they

are different?

Spadix

Aquatic Plants 33

Water-arumCalla palustris

Water-arum grows at the edges of ponds and lakes.Sometimes it grows out into the water in large mats.Its leaves are bright green and heart shaped; its flower has aspathe and a spadix.

Rulus Numeris UnoNEVER try to do thisyourself: water-arumcontains a poison thatcan cause death.

Water-arum is a beautiful plant. Its scientific name describes itwell: Calla means “beautiful”; and palustris means “of themarsh”.

The South Slavey used the fresh or dry rootsto soothe a sore mouth. Only the juice of theroot was swallowed, not the pulp. Never trythis yourself. If not prepared in the rightway, this medicine could turn into a poison.

Water-arum is not food forpeople, but for animalsonly. Muskrats eat the root; bears eat the leaves and spadix

34 Aquatic Plants

SpatheSpadix

The spathe looks likeit is the flower, but it is actually a leafthat has been modified; the tiny,yellowish flowers are packed onto thespadix.

36 Aquatic Plants

Yellow Pond-lilyNuphar lutea

Yellow pond-lily can be found floating on the surface of pondsand lakes. Large heart-shaped leaves surround the yellowflower. The underwater root is attached to the flower by a longand flattened stem.


What appears to be thepetals are actuallysepals.

The South Slaveyharvested the roots of

this plant in the fall. They didthis by wading into the water and uprooting

the plants with their feet or a comb-like tool.They prepared the root by slicing it and frying it infat or boiling it with sugar. It was said that eatingit would make you

“get fat quick”.

Beaver, muskrat and moose eatthe roots too, as well as the

leaves. Butwithout fat orsugar!

38 Horsetails

Horsetails grew as tall as trees 300 millionyears ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Over millions of years, the remains of theseancient plants turned into coal, that can be

burned today as fuel.

Another name for common horsetail is “scouringrush”. The leaves contain a hard, glassy substancecalled silica, which makes them rough enough toclean pots. The Gwich’in use horsetails for cleaningpots and pans when in the bush.

Common horsetail waseven used at one time by

knights to clean theirarmour.

Geese are known to eathorsetails, and bears eatthem when they come out ofhibernation in the spring.

Common HorsetailEquisetum arvense

Common horsetail grows in moist soil in the forest as well asfarther north. It has three stages of growth. In early spring, itshoots up as a straight, colourless stalk with a cone at the tip.In early summer, green branches appear from the ringsaround the stalk. At the same time, the cone withers. Later inthe season, the branches droop downward. Like ferns,horsetails reproduce by spores, not seeds. The sporesare under the cone.

Late summer

Earlysummer

Early spring

40 Sedges


Cotton-grassEriophorum angustifolium

Cotton-grass is a fluffy-topped plant that grows in wet areas.The fluffy tops nod up and down when the wind blows. Whenthe plants are mature, the fluff breaks away and carries theseeds with it. The seeds are small, three sided and black.If you pull apart the fluff, the seeds are easy to see.

Over 400 years ago, cotton-grass wasused in northern Europe for

medicine. But, it turned out thatthe side effects were worse than

the illness!

Cotton-grass is used by the peopleof Nunavut for food. The peopleeat the lower, pinkish stemsraw or preserve them inseal oil. They also use thefluff as wicks for theirstone lamps (qulliq).

Sedges 41

Seed fluff

Seed HoldersPlants have many different ways of holdingseeds. The seeds of cotton-grass are held in thefluff. The seeds of pine are held in cones. Theseeds of black currant are held in the berries.1. Collect several different seed holders.2. Glue or tape them to a piece of cardboard. 3. How big is the biggest one? How small is

the smallest? 4. How many different holders can

you find?

Another use of cotton-grass is to stuff pillowsand mattresses.

42 Shrubs

Black currants are good in jams, jelliesand syrups. Aboriginal peoples use theberries for food, as well as making a teafrom the dried leaves. The stems havealso been used as a cough medicine.

Black CurrantRibes hudsonianum

Black currant is a bush that grows in moist woods. It has leavesthat look like maple leaves, with three large sections. The leavesare hairy on the surface and the edges are toothed. The flowersare small and white. Delicious black berries replace the flowersin late summer.

Get a whiff of this plant! If yourub the leaves, they release a smelllike a tomcat has passed by.


Blossoms

Black Currant Sauce1. Collect 4 cups black currants.2. Wash and put in a pot with a little

water and sugar.3. Boil until a thick sauce forms.4. Serve warm over vanilla ice cream.

YUM!

44 Shrubs

Andromeda was the beautifuldaughter of a legendary king. Jealous

bad guys chained her to a rockso a sea monster would eat her.She was rescued by her hero,Perseus, and they lived happily everafter. Why do you suppose this plant

was named after her?

“Where inheavens can

that Perseus be?“

The South Slavey have mixed bog rosemary with otheringredients to make medicine for people who have a stomachache, with bodyaches and acough. Thesepeople knewhow to preparethe medicineproperly.

Bog RosemaryAndromeda polifolia

Bog rosemary grows in muskeg, damp tundra and turfy areas. Itis a small, trailing shrub with delicate pink flowers that droopfrom pink stems.

Rulus Numeris UnoNEVER try to do this yourself:bog rosemary contains apoison that can cause death.

45Shrubs

It may be easy to confuse bogrosemary with other plants that

look the same.

Deep groove on top

Edges rolledunder

White underneath

Check out the leaves for these features:

Although there is aplant calledrosemary that is used

as an herb to flavour food, it isnot the same plant at all.

Evergreen

46 Shrubs

Berry Ink• Gather a cup or so of ripe crowberries.• Remove stems and leaves.• Put berries in a jar and press them with the back of a

spoon until they are mushy.• Add a little water and stir. The more water you

add, the lighter coloured the ink will be.• Put a square of paper towel into another jar a

little ways to form a sieve.• Pour berry mixture into paper towel. Only the

liquid will drain through. This is your ink.• Keep the container covered until you are

ready to use the ink. You will need astraight pen with a nib or a fountainpen, or a sharpened quillof a feather.

CrowberryEmpetrum nigrum

Crowberry grows close to the ground in sandy and rocky areasthroughout the NWT. As it branches out, it forms mats,sometimes covering rocks. It is evergreen (leaves stay green allyear) and its bristly leaves look like evergreen needles, but theyare soft to the touch. The berries are purplish black, shiny andsmooth.


This plant should be calledravenberry, because there aremore ravens than crows inNWT.

The Dogrib boil crowberry branches and roots tomake a tea for mouth infections. If boiled with

tamarack, the tea can be drunk to cure bad colds.

Pick crowberries only from an areathat has many plants. Never takeall the berries.

Crowberries are a delicious-tasting berry, and arecollected for food during the late summer. Besidespeople, snow geese also eat the berries!

48 Shrubs


Here’s a really wild way to use theberries, a recipe for tapeworm medicinefrom a 1500 BC Egyptian papyrus.“A remedy to treat tapeworm: juniperberries five parts, white oil five parts, istaken for one day.”

Ground JuniperJuniperus communis

Juniper is a common shrub across the North. Itsspreading branches and bright blue berries are seenwherever there are woods and barren places. Theneedles are short and overlapping.

Juniper berries and young leaves canbe used to make a pleasant-tastingtea. The Gwich’in people use junipertea for colds and coughs.

It is NOT recommendedthat you try this yourself!

• Up until the Second World War, juniperbranches were burned in hospital roomsto disinfect them.

• Juniper was one of the plants used to spread on floors duringthe 16th century to makerooms smell freshand clean.

50 Shrubs

Labrador TeaLedum groenlandicum

Labrador tea is a bush that grows inpeaty soils. Its leaves are evergreen withwoolly undersides. After one year, thewool turns from white to rusty red.Small, white flowers grow in clusters atthe top of the plant. “Obviously the

new leaf on thestem.”

Make Your Own Northern PotpourriPotpourri is a blend of plants and spices that give a pleasingsmell to a room. You can make your own by gathering parts ofnorthern plants and mixing them together. You do not have topick the whole plant.

Here are some plants that work well:• Labrador tea leaves: dry, spicy smell• Rose petals: sweet, delicate smell• Pine needles and cones: green, woodsy smell

1. Once you have chosen your plants, let them dry for severaldays.

2. Add small pieces of bark and other leaves and petalsuntil you have just the mixture you like.

3. Put the blend in a jar in your room so you will have the scentof nature all year long.

4. Try your own combinations of otherplants for a differentpotpourri.

51Shrubs


Labrador tea is known as moth herb inEurope, because it was hung in closets tokeep moths away. It wasalso thought tokeep awayillness andghosts!

Because the leavesof Labrador tea rollunder at the edgesand theundersides arewoolly, it helps

the plant holdmoisture andprotects it from the

cold winters.

Labrador tea has been used to make tea by many NWTAboriginal groups. They use it as a relaxing drink to

make you sleep or to ease a headache. It shouldonly be used once in a while because tomuch is not good for you.

52 Shrubs

“Yummy.”

“ Too dry raw.”

Mountain CranberryVaccinium vitis-idaea

Mountain cranberry grows throughout the North in areas offorest and on the tundra. Its leathery, shiny leaves stay green allyear. Its flowers are pink and shaped like bells. The berries aredark red and shiny.

Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) grows close to theground like cranberry. To tell the plants apart, look at theunderside of the leaves. Cranberry leaves have small, blackbristly points, and kinnikinnick doesnot.

Mountain CranberryVaccinium vitis-idaea Kinnikinnick

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi


53Shrubs

Cranberries arehigh in Vitamin C andcan be used in jellies,

jams and desserts. The juice is used forkidney problems by many people. Local

Aboriginal peoples use the cranberries ina medicine for coughs and colds.

Our mountain cranberry isalso called low-bushcranberry, rock cranberry,

lingonberry andpartridgeberry, depending on

what part of country or the worldyou live in. That’s why plants havescientific names. There is only one

scientific name per plant, no matterhow many common names there are.

54 Shrubs

Prickly Wild RoseRosa acicularis

Prickly wild rose can be found in open woods, burns and alongriverbanks. It is named for its prickly stems. The large, pinkflowers have five petals and a sweet smell. The flowers last onlya short time, and are replaced by rose hips (berries), whichcontain many, many seeds.

For centuries, roseshave been seen as

symbols of love andromance. Even today, rosesare given as gifts to lovedones on specialoccasions.

Nothing to Sneeze AtSome people are allergic to pollen of certain plants. Roses areone of the plants that you can easily remove pollen from.1. Take a piece of transparent tape and touch it to the stamens,

holding with both hands.2. Pull the tape gently away from the plant and fold in half. You

now have a sample of rose pollen.3. Try this with a couple of other plants.4. Look at the different samples

under a microscope. Do yousee anything that mightmake peoplesneeze?


The petals of prickly wild rose have been usedby many local Aboriginal peoples to make eyedrops. You can also chew the petals and putthem on bee stings to take away the sting.Or, you can eat the petals fresh from the

plants for a treat or bake in pies.

Rose hips are high in Vitamin Cand can be used to make teas,jams and jellies.

Silverberry flowershave no petals, only four yellow sepals.

SilverberryElaeagnus commutataSilverberry is a shrub that grows mostly along rivers.It has silvery leaves and berries, and its yellowflowers are sweetly scented. The twigs have rustybrown scales. Silverberry reproduces throughseeds and through sending out runners fromthe roots.

Sepals

57Shrubs

At one time, the seeds ofsilverberry wereused by the Gwich’in people todecorate ceremonial clothing.Why not give it a try yourself?

Pick berries only from are area where they are plentiful. Makesure you leave enough berries on the shrubs to ensure newplants will grow next year.

Seeds into BeadsDo this only with adult supervision.1. Boil the berries to remove the flesh.2. While the seeds are still soft, pierce them with a

needle and thread.3. Let the seeds dry on the thread.4. Oil the seeds to keep them from drying out.5. Make a necklace or fringe for a jacket.

If you squeeze the ripeberries, your fingerswill get stickyand slippery.

SoapberryShepherdia canadensisSoapberry is a shrub that grows over 1m high in open woodsand gravelly or sandy areas. The leaves are long and oval withsilvery hairs on the underside. Twigs and leaves are coveredwith scales and are rough to the touch. In August, the shrub hasmany bright red, juicy berries.

The Sahtu Dene use soapberry as amedicine to cure constipation. A teamade from the leaves and stem can beused as a wash for cuts and swellings

Rulus Numeris UnoNEVER eat anyberries unless youknow for sure theyare edible.

59Shrubs

With a name like “soapberry”,it’s hard to imagine the berriesbeing tasty. Try this traditional recipe for

ice-cream and see for yourself.

Soapberry Ice Cream1. Gather 4 cups fresh soapberries.2. Put the cleaned berries in a clean pot or metal

bowl.3. Add 1 cup cold water.4. Whip using an egg beater or a willow whisk.5. When mixture becomes foamy, gradually add 1

cup sugar and continue beating the froth untilstiff.

6. Serve right away.

If you are not sure how toidentify soapberryshrubs, take alongsomeone who can.

The South Slavey madedrinking straws fromcylinders of bark strippedfrom branches. They used thestraws to suck up drinkingwater from streams.

Fine strips of the inner bark ofwillow were used to make fish netsby many Aboriginal groups. Theyknotted and twisted thestrips into line for thenets.

The Inuvialuit boilwillow to make dyefor clothing.

WillowSalix spp.Willow grows just about everywhere in the NWT: riverbanks,open forest, moist meadows, river flats and stony tundra. Thereare over 40 different kinds of willow here. A few are as large astrees, but most are low shrubs with branches that stand up orare low along the ground. Willow leaves arelong and pointed.

The flowers ofwillow are calledcatkins.

Male

FemaleCatkins

61Shrubs


Other uses of willow by local Aboriginalpeoples are as whistles, pipe stems, bows,canoe ribs, emergency snow shoes, snares

and baskets.

Willow is an important food formany animals including moose,caribou, bison, muskoxen, beaver,hare, ptarmigan and lemmings.Willow shoots, leaves, twigs and

bark provide something foranimals to eat in everyseason.

Willow contains a compound called salicinfrom which headache and pain relieverswere first made. The next time you take a

pill for a headache, think of the willow.

Tea made from willow bark has been used as a painreliever since the time of the Ancient Greeks.

“Horatio, do get me my willow tea.”

Fruit

The bark of the trunk is rough and scaley.Black spruce has male and female cones. Thefemale cones are purplish in colour, turningto dark brown. The male cones are dark redand grow lower down. They produce pollen.

Spruce is used as medicine by many Aboriginal peoples ofthe North. The cones, boughs, inner bark and gum are allused in medicine. It can be used for colds, headaches,toothaches, skin rashes and sore eyes, depending onwhich part of the tree you use. The boughs are often usedas flooring and bedding for camps out on the land.

62 Trees


The seeds have wings and are carried easily bythe wind. Birds and mammals eatthe seeds.

Some people think that the scales ofspruce cones are actually the seeds,

but they aren’t. Tiny seeds lie insidethe scales of the female cone.

The short, four-sided needles stick out on all sides ofthe branches, with many pointing upward.

Black SprucePicea marianaBlack spruce is one of the most common trees ofthe NWT, growing in wetlands and rocky soils. Itsbranches bunch up at the top of the tree, but thebranches lower down the trunk tend to droop.

Black spruce cone

White spruce cone

White spruce (Picea glauca) isclosely related to black spruce. It has a Christmas

tree shape, longer cone and usually grows onhigher, drier ground.

When squirrels are finished with acone, it looks like corn on the cob with

no kernels.

New trees grow fromspruce seeds and also

from the tree itself. In winterthe lower boughs are weighed

down by snow. As the boughs lieupon the ground, they eventually takeroot and start new trees! This is called

“layering”.

Be a SquirrelTry eating the seeds the way asquirrel does:1. Have someone tape or tie your thumbs to the palm of your hand.2. Try to get at the seeds using only four fingers as squirrels do.

BlackSpruce

WhiteSpruce


Jack PinePinus banksianaJack pine grows in thin soils and sandy, rocky areas. The treesthat grow in the open may be twisted, but trees that growtogether are tall and straight. Pine needles are yellow-green andsharp at the tip. They grow in pairs from the branches. In thespring, the tips of the branches have small male cones, whichare filled with pollen. The much larger female cones growfarther down the branches.

The Dogrib people boil the peel of jackpine and drink it for shortness of breath.They also make a tea from the stem of asmall pine tree, add sugar and put intosore eyes.

Jack pine seeds are released whenthe female cones burst open. Somecones open only when thetemperature is 50 degrees Celsius,

as in a fire. Other cones may openand release their seed after a hotday on the branch. You can see bothtypes of cones on the same tree.

Pop ConeWatch jack pine cones “burst” when heated.Do this only with adult supervision.1. Collect some female cones.2. Put them in a frying pan.3. Put the pan over medium heat until the cones

open and release the seeds.This is what happens to cones during a forest fire.

64 Trees

Jack pines are indicators ofclimate change. Scientists cantake cores from the trees andstudy the rings. This willtell them what theweather was likebefore weathermeasurements wererecorded.

65Trees

Paper BirchBetula papyriferaPaper birch is an easy tree tospot because of its white,papery bark. It grows inrocky or gravelly areas and in well-drained forests. The bright green leaveshave teeth at the edges. In the fall, the leavesturn yellow anddrop to theground. The barkcan be pulled off in strips, butif too many layers are pulled off,the tree may die.

Birch seeds arean importantfood for birdsin the winter.

Seed66 Trees


Dwarf BirchBetula nana

Fall colours

Dwarf birch (Betula nana) isa low-growing birch of boggy or wetareas. It is one of the few woods to

use for fires onthe tundra.

This is one useful plant:Paper birch is best known for making canoes and baskets.Wherever it grows in the North, it has been used by Aboriginalpeoples for food, medicine, storage or decoration. You can eventap the trees for birch syrup!

Here are just a few of the things that birch wood has beenused for:• snowshoes• toboggans• knife handles• drum frames• paddles

Birch bark can also be used asa cast for a broken arm or leg.

Paper BirchBetula papyrifera

67Trees

The Dogrib use tamarack as agood, all-around remedy. Theinside layer of bark is boiledand used to wash wounds.

The tea made from thesmall, fresh tamarackbranches is especially

good for stomachproblems.

TamarackLarix laricinaTamarack grows in wet and boggy areas and in the mountainswhere there have been landslides. It has scaley bark and long,slender branches with little woody knobs (fascicles) that holdbundles of soft, green leaves.


Tamarack has recentlyreplaced jack pine asthe official territorialtree.

Although tamarackleaves look like evergreen

needles, they’re not!They turn yellow in

the fall and dropoff, just like birch

or aspen leaves.

Like evergreen trees, tamarack hascones. In spring, the female cones are adark red colour, turning leathery and

brown as they age.

Finish this poem:

The tamarack looks evergreenStanding high just like a –––––.

Needles yellow, then they dropTamarack’s bare right to the –––.

Now, write your own poem on a separatepiece of paper.

69Trees

Trembling AspenPopulus tremuloidesTrembling aspen is a common tree in forested areas of the NWT.The bark is smooth, pale green or white. Theleaves are almost round, with asharp tip. In thelate summer, theleaves turn brightyellow.

Trembling aspen isa favourite food ofbeavers.

70 Trees

The World’s Biggest!In the Muskeg River Demonstration

Forest, close to Fort Liard, the world’slargest recorded trembling aspen grows. Itis 36 m high. That’s about the same height

as a ten-storey office building!

The leaf stalk of this plant isflattened at right angles to theflat surface of the leaf. Withthe slightest breeze, the leafstalk moves in one direction,

and the leaf blade moves the otherway. This makes the leaf “tremble.”

“ What? Are yaafraid I’m more

poplar?”

Balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera), a closerelative to trembling aspen, is an importantmedicine tree for the Dogrib. Its buds are stickyand have a medicine smell.

TremblingAspen

Balsam Poplar

TremblingAspen

Balsam Poplar

71Trees

Reference ListAndre, Alestine and Fehr, Alan. 2001. Gwich’in Ethnobotany: Plants Used by the

Gwich’in for Food, Medicine, Shelter and Tools. Gwich’in Social and CulturalInstitute and Aurora Research Institute, Inuvik, Northwest Territories.

Angier, Bradford.1978. Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants. Stackpole Books,Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Balian, Alex and Falstein, Mark. 1979. Plants No. 7116. Educational Insights,Compton, California.

Burt, Page. 1991. Barrenland Beauties: Showy Plants of the Arctic Coast.Outcrop Ltd., Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

Coombes, Allen J. 1985. Dictionary of Plant Names. Timber Press, Beaver,Oregon.

Elias, Thomas S. and Peter A. Dykeman. 1990. Edible Wild Plants: A NorthAmerican Field Guide. Sterling Publishing Co. Inc., New York, New York.

Farrow, Judy. 1993. Arctic Plants of Baffin Island: Inuktitut Names and TraditionalUses (Draft Document). Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

Fischer-Rizzi, Susanne. 1996. Medicine of the Earth. Rudra Press, Portland,Oregon.

Fitzharris, Tim. 1986. Wildflowers of Canada. Oxford University Press, Toronto,Ontario.

Heatherley, Ana Nez. 1998. Healing Plants: A Medicinal Guide to Native NorthAmerican Plants. Harper Collins Publishers Ltd., Toronto, Ontario.

Hosie, R.C. 1979. Native Trees of Canada. 8th ed. Fitzhenry and Whiteside Ltd.,Don Mills, Ontario.

Hutchens, Alma. 1991. Indian Herbalogy of North America: The Definitive Guideto Native Medicinal Plants and Their Uses. Shambala Publications Inc., Boston,Massachusettts.

Johnson, Derek et al. 1987. Plants of the Western Boreal Forest and AspenParkland. 1995. Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton, Alberta.

Johnson, Karen L. 1987. Wildflowers of Churchill and the Hudson Bay Region.Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Kartesz, J. 1999. Synthesis of the North American Flora. NC Botanical Garden, J.of NC, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

72

Kerik, Joan. 1975. Living off the Land: Use of Plants by the Native People ofAlberta. Alberta Culture Circulating Exhibits Program, National Museums ofCanada Fund, Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta.

Lamont, S.M. 1977. The Fisherman Lake Slave and Their Environment: A Story ofFloral and Faunal Resources. MSc thesis, Department of Plant Ecology,University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Marles, Robin J. et al. 2000. Aboriginal Plant Use in Canada’s Northwest BorealForest. UBC Press, Vancouver, British Columbia.

People of ‘Ksan. 1980. Gathering What the Great Nature Provided: FoodTraditions of the Gitksan. Douglas and McIntyre, Vancouver,British Columbia.

Porsild, A.E. and W.J. Cody. 1980. Vascular Plants of Continental NorthwestTerritories, Canada. National Museums of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.

Rabesca, Adele et al. 1994. Traditional Medicine Report Part One and Part Two.Dene Cultural Institute, Hay River, Northwest Territories.

Schofield, Janice J.1989. Discovering Wild Plants: Alaska, Western Canada, theNorthwest. Alaska Northwest Books, Portland, Oregon.

Simmons, Ellen. 1999. Report of Traditional Knowledge and Medicinal Uses ofPlants from the Sahtu. Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development,Government of the NWT, Norman Wells, Northwest Territories.

Stearn, William T. 1983. Botanical Latin. Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Markham,Ontario.

Viereck, Eleanor G. 1987. Alaska’s Wilderness Medicines: Healthful Plants of theFar North. Alaska Northwest Books, Portland, Oregon.

Walker, Marilyn. 1984. Harvesting the Northern Wild. Outcrop, Yellowknife,Northwest Territories.

Walters, Dirk R. and David J. Keil. 1996. Vascular Plant Taxonomy, 4th ed.Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, Iowa.

Wilkinson, Kathleen. 1999. Wildflowers of Alberta: A Guide to Common andOther Herbaceous Plants. University of Alberta Press and Lone PinePublishing, Edmonton, Alberta.

73

Index to Common and Scientific Plant NamesAchillea millefolium ........................... 8Acorus americanus(formerly Acorus calamus) .............. 32Actaea rubra ................................... 18Andromeda polifolia ......................... 44Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ................... 52Balsam Poplar ............................... 70Betula papyrifera ............................. 66Betula nana(formerly Betula glandulosa) ............ 66Black Spruce ................................. 62Black Currant ................................ 42Bog Rosemary ............................... 44Butterwort ....................................... 2Calla palustris ................................. 34Castilleja raupii ............................... 12Cat-tail .......................................... 28Chamerion angustifolium(formerly Epilobium angustifolium) ...10Cloudberry ...................................... 4Common Horsetail ........................ 38Common Plantain ............................ 6Common Yarrow ............................. 8Cotton-grass ................................. 40Crowberry ..................................... 46Cypripedium parviflorum(formerly Cypripedium calceolus) ..... 26Duckweed ..................................... 30Dryas integrifolia ............................. 14Dwarf Birch ................................... 66Elaeagnus commutata ...................... 56Empetrum nigrum ............................ 46Equisetum arvense ........................... 38Eriophorum angustifolium ................ 40Fireweed ........................................10Ground Juniper .............................. 48Juniperus communis ...................... 48Indian Paintbrush .......................... 12Jack Pine ....................................... 64Labrador Tea ................................. 50Larix laricina ................................... 68Ledum groenlandicum ...................... 50

Lemna minor ................................... 30Linnaea borealis .............................. 22Kinnikinnick .................................. 52Mentha arvensis .............................. 24Mountain Avens ............................ 14Mountain Cranberry ...................... 52Nuphar lutea(formerly Nuphar variegatum) ......... 36Paper Birch.................................... 66Picea glauca ................................... 62Picea mariana ................................. 62Pinguicula vulgaris ............................ 2Pinus banksiana ............................ 64Plantago major ................................ 6Populus balsamifera ...................... 70Populus tremuloides ......................... 70Potentilla anserina ........................... 20Prickly Saxifrage ............................ 16Prickly Wild Rose .......................... 54Rat Root ........................................ 32Red Baneberry ............................... 18Ribes hudsonianum.......................... 42Rosa acicularis ................................ 54Rubus chaemaemorus ........................ 4Salix spp. ....................................... 60Saxifraga tricuspidata ...................... 16Shepherdia canadensis ..................... 58Silverberry ..................................... 56Silverweed ..................................... 20Soapberry ..................................... 58Tamarack ...................................... 68Trembling Aspen ........................... 70Twinflower .................................... 22Typha latifolia ................................. 28Vaccinium vitis-idaea ....................... 52Water-arum .................................. 34White Spruce ................................ 62Wild Mint ...................................... 24Willow .......................................... 60Yellow Pond-lily ............................ 36Yellow Lady’s Slipper .................... 26

National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data

Milburn, Alexandra.

Wild and wacky plants of the NWT

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 0-7708-0034-3

1. Botany – Northwest Territories – Juvenile literature. I. Pamplin, Terry, 1953-

II. Northwest Territories. Dept. of Resources, Wildlife and Economic

Development. III. Title.

QK203.N57M54 2002 j581.9719’3 C2002-910292-8

Published by the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development,

Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife

Printed in Canada

Copyright © 2002 RWED

ISBN 0-7708-0034-3

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