Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Bearberry

Botanical Information

• Evergreen shrub, grows up to 15 cm
• Prefers exposed rocks and sand
• White urn-shaped flowers bloom throughout the spring and summer

Points of Interest

• Red berries have traditionally been an important food for Aboriginal peoples, especially in the North
• Used in many herbal remedies in North America and Europe, especially to treat kidney stones and urinary infections

Epigaea repens

Mayflower

Botanical Information

• Trailing evergreen perennial, grows up to 15 cm
• Prefers sandy or peaty woods and clearings
• Pink and white flowers bloom in the spring

Points of Interest

• Adopted as the provincial flower of Nova Scotia in 1901
• Nova Scotia was the first province to adopt a floral emblem
• Aboriginal peoples used the leaves in remedies for urinary tract illnesses and other ailments

Populus tremuloides

Trembling aspen

Botanical Information

• Deciduous tree, grows up to 18 m
• Prefers dry or moist woods, prairie parklands, burns and clearings

Points of Interest

• Aboriginal peoples used roots, bark and leaf buds in a wide variety of remedies
• Contains salicin, a compound similar to that found in Aspirin®
• Can be used to make pulp, plywood, veneer, wooden matches and chopsticks
• Commonly called the trembling aspen since it catches the slightest wind - appearing to tremble constantly

Prunus pennsylvanica

Pin cherry

Botanical Information

• Deciduous shrub, grows up to 12 m
• Prefers woods, thickets, clearings and burned areas
• White flowers bloom in the spring
• Fruit appears in the summer

Points of Interest

• Cherries can be used in jams and jellies
• Aboriginal peoples made tea from the inner bark to relieve coughs and crushed roots to treat stomach trouble