Asarum candense (Wild Ginger)

“I found myself sitting on the forest floor that was carpeted with wild ginger. The song of the ginger was pouring out of the mouths of its purple flowers, offering me treasures: heart-shaped leaves, rich soil, breezes sighing in the graceful arms of maples, and certain other wordless blessings” (plant spirit medicine, eliot cowan).

This native woodland perennial loves shade and when happy will form a thick groundcover. A purple-brown flower hides beneath heart-shaped leaves. Its spicy root was once used as a substitute for ginger but contains an unknown concentration of the carcinogen aristolochic acid. Some say when cooked it is fine, but the risk is present.  

Asclepias syriaca (Milkweed)

A native perennial, with opposite oval leaves that emit a milky white sap when broken. Sweet smelling clusters of purple flowers become a summertime hub for an assortment of pollinators, shelter seekers and predators. Be like a moth and find them by their intensified nocturnal scent.  Milkweed is the fodder for the larva of the migrating monarch butterfly. This cooperative community yields a self-rupturing seedpod that sends feathered seeds across a windswept field. Milkweeds also reproduce asexually through underground rhizomes. All parts of plant are edible-cooking will decrease bitterness.

I dream to one day see this plant growing alongside mugwart in a “vacant” city lot.

Fraxinus americana (White Ash)

A north american native tree growing to around 70 feet. Leaves are opposite pinnate (feather-like), dark green on the top and lighter on the bottom. They can be distinguished from green ash by their relative lack of hair. Small, wind-pollinated flowers turn into clusters of dangling samaras (seedpods) in July. Foliage turns maroon/dark reddish green in the fall. White ash is a pioneer species, establishing itself on fertile, abandoned fields. In an urban environment, they are suitable as a yard, street or roadside tree. 

Pinus strobus (Eastern White Pine)

These are the 150-240 foot giants that once dominated the forests of the east coast.  Upturned branches spiral around a central straight trunk. 3-5inch needles form bundles of 5. Male pinecones perch like rice-crispies, along with new growth on the tip of each branch.

The architectural infrastructure of colonial amerika was built with lumber from the white pine. The british military also coveted the tree for ship masts and declared the tallest ones property of the king. The settlers resisted, declared war and chose the emblem of the white pine for the first revolutionary war flag.

Plantago major (Common Plantain)

Of no relation to the tropical fruit. Called “white man’s footprint” by the Americans Indians, this small herbaceous perennial grows in cities from brooklyn to san francisco and in fields and lawns around the country. Deeply ribbed oval leaves and small seed-producing spikes emerge from a common central point.

Edible and high in vitamins C & A. Cook like spinach, eat raw when young or make tea. Medicinally, it is used to treat sores, rashes and insect bites. Look for it in the cracks of sidewalks and in any untreated grassy area. 

Asimina triloba (Pawpaw Tree)

Although it is often associated with the midwest, the range of this native fruit trees stretches from florida to western new york state and west to nebraska. small understroy tree (20'tall) with large smooth ovate (egg shaped) leaves. small burgandy flower appears in april giveing way to nutricious fruits akin to bannanas or custard. full of calcium, iron, magnesium and compounds known to inihibit the growht of mammalian tumor cells. smaller size and tolernace of some shade makes it sutitable for the city. 

Pickin' up paw-paws; put 'em in a basket.

Pickin' up paw-paws; put 'em in a basket.

Pickin' up paw-paws; put 'em in a basket.

Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch.

Hamamelis vernalis (American Witchhazel)

a meium to large schrub which provides a sweet breath of frangrance in the dead of winter. orange to deep red to yellow flowers appear in winter on naked branches. this midwest native is not to be confused with the east coast Hamamelis virginiana which blooms in the fall. thick, scalloped, obovate (egg shaped with narrown end at base)leaves turn golden yellow in fall with some dead brown foliage remaing on the plant throughout winter.