A blog about a (yule) log: Plants of Christmas

In Sweden and Poland, it was the custom to place straw under the Christmas Eve tablecloth. Sometimes a sheaf of grain was also brought in to stand in a corner, bringing the wholesome influence of the corn spirit into the home. The straw was then used to bind fruit trees or as feed for cattle to make them fruitful.

Image: Yule straw was an important part of European winter celebrations.

(Rubus idaeus)

Since exploding nuclear power plants are likely to be a problem in a post-apocalyptic world, it would be useful to know which edible plants are likely to do well under such conditions. Fortunately, the Museum has an entire collection of plants that have been bombarded with gamma rays from the old Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment. And the clear winner is: Wild Red Raspberry. This plant actually increased in abundance when other plants withered and died!

Identification: A short, spiny shrub with compound leaves in threes, and white, five petaled flowers which turn into delicious giant, slightly radioactive (but that’s the least of your worries) raspberries.

Image: Wild Red Raspberry: Delicious and radiation tolerant.

(Zizania spp.)

Wild rice has been cultivated by Indigenous people in Manitoba for at least 2000 years and is now found in many northern wetlands. Wild rice is much higher in protein, iron, and vitamins E and B6 than white rice. Plus it’s loaded with fibre so bowel irregularity is one less thing you’ll have to worry about.

Identification: This tall, aquatic grass grows in shallow wetlands and river banks. It has separate male and female flowers that dangle from the stems.

Image: You can learn more about wild rice in The Manitoba Museum’s Boreal Forest Gallery.

(Taraxacum officinale)

Yes, dandelions are “weeds” but during the apocalypse they’ll be everywhere and you can eat them, so they are your friends. The leaves are edible and very high in iron and vitamin A. The roots are good roasted and ground as a cocoa substitute or to make “coffee”. You can even eat the flowers! Plus as mentioned in a previous blog (http://www.manitobamuseum.ca/main/botany/2012/05/14/the-virtuous-dandelion/) they appear to have some anti-cancer properties.

Identification: If you can’t identify a dandelion you’re completely hopeless. Let the zombies eat your brain!

Image: Bees love dandelion. You should too!

(Arctium lappa)

This is another “weedy” plant with an annoying habit of possessing fruits that stick to your socks, pants, jackets, and hair. But despite that, young burdock roots (called gobo in Asia where it originated) are edible and tasty when cooked. It grows well in disturbed, high nitrogen soils, which there will probably be a lot of.

Identification: Burdock has very large spade-shaped leaves and tall stalks with purple, thistle-like flowers. The fruiting heads have hooked prickles that stick to clothing easily.

Image: Burdock: the plant you love to hate. The burs will stick to you but you can dig it up and eat it (ah, sweet revenge).

(Chenopodium album)

A popular and highly nutritious pot herb in northern Europe at one time, it has largely been supplanted by spinach and lettuce. However, while spinach and lettuce need to be coddled, Lamb’s Quarters is a tenacious survivor, often growing in the nastiest of habitats. It will be everywhere once farmer’s fields are abandoned and since you can eat it raw, you can forage while keeping your eyes peeled for intelligent robots trying to wipe humanity off the earth.

Identification: An annual herb with slightly fleshy, triangular leaves and tiny, greenish-white flowers that produce round, black seeds.

Image: Lamb’s-quarter’s: its downright ugly but it can keep you alive.

(Sphagnum spp.)

There’s a reason why bog mummies don’t decompose! Sphagnum moss has antibacterial and antifungal properties and can help prevent wounds from becoming infected. It is also highly absorbent and can be used as an emergency bandage for zombie bites.

Identification: Sphagnum mosses are found in boggy areas, are often reddish in colour, and have short branches clustered together and a little pom-pom of leaves at the top.

Image: Sphagnum moss-the perfect plant for zombie bite emergencies!

(Prunella vulgaris)

Heal all has been used traditionally to umm, well, heal all sorts of things. Since it contains tannins, essential oils, and saponins it has astringent, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties. The plant can be used as a poultice on wounds and as a bonus it’s also edible containing vitamins A, C, and K!

Identification: This member of the mint family occurs in moist prairies and wetland edges. It has opposite leaves, a square stem and a dense spike of white and purple two-lipped flowers.

Image: Heal all: you can eat it or use it staunch a wound.

(Salix spp.)

Tea made from willow bark contains salicin, which is related to acetylsalicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin. In spring, the young leaf buds are edible, being especially rich in vitamin C. Young shoots and shredded inner willow bark can also be cooked and eaten. Additionally, most willows are very pliable and can be used to make rope, fishing nets, baskets, or shelters.

Identification: Typically found around wetlands, willows have a distinctive cap-like scale over the leaf and flower buds, and simple, linear leaves. Their flowers occur in dense, fuzzy clusters.

Image: Willow bark tea can cure those apocalypse blues headaches!

(Betula papyrifera)

Once we run out of gas, transportation will be a problem so you’ll have to go back to using the oldest form of North American transportation – a canoe. Since zombies and mutant pigs can’t swim, water transportation is a definite advantage.

In addition to making great canoes, the outer bark of paper birch can be peeled off and used to make tents, torches, kindling, slings, sleds, snowshoes, arrows and a variety of containers. Birch sap can also be collected in the spring like maple sap and eaten.

Identification: Recognizable by its distinctive whitish bark and catkins (caterpillar-like hanging flower clusters).

Image: A traditional birch bark canoe can help you evade those landlubber zombies.

(Typha spp.)

This is probably the most useful edible plant in Canada as most of the parts can be eaten. The rhizome can be eaten raw if necessary or used to make a type of flour. Fresh shoots can be eaten like celery. The green flower heads can be eaten raw or cooked like corn on the cob. The high protein pollen can be used as flour. The fluff can act as emergency insulation and the leaves used to make sleeping mats.

Identification: Long, strap like leaves and an unusual flower stalk that looks like a hot dog on a stick.

Image: Cattail: Abundant and nutritious food for when you’re on the run.