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

Pinus banksiana

Jack pine

Botanical Information

• Coniferous evergreen tree, grows
  up to 20 m
• Prefers barren, sandy or rocky soil
• Cones remain closed for many years, often until after a fire

Points of Interest

• Leaves and bark used medicinally by Aboriginal peoples in ointments and stimulants
• Roots were used to sew canoe seams and bark roofs; seams were sealed with resin
• Suitable for lumber and pulpwood

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 AspirinŽ
• 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

Saxifraga oppositifolia

Purple saxifrage

Botanical Information

• Perennial herb, grows up to 10 cm
• Prefers tundra, moist calcareous gravels and wet cliffs
• Single purple flower blooms in the spring

Points of Interest

• Adopted as the floral emblem of Nunavut in 2000
• Flowers have a pleasant fresh taste
• One of the first plants in the Arctic to flower

Viburnum alnifolium

Hobblebush

Botanical Information

• Deciduous shrub, grows up to 2 m
• Prefers woods and cool ravines
• White flowers bloom in the spring

Points of Interest

• Bark and leaves traditionally used for medicinal purposes