Vegetation in the Valley

The Indigenous peoples of the Stoney Creek and Battle River area relied on native vegetation for their survival. They used the trees to build frames for their tipis, canoes and and snowshoes, as well as fuel for their fires.  The berries from the shrubs were a source of fresh fruit and also used to make pemmican more nutritious and tastier. The grasses and other plants were used as a food source and for weaving baskets and other necessities. 

Much of the vegetation was utilized for medicinal purposes discovered over the course of many millennia. The early explorers’ and settlers’ survival depended on learning these skills from the Indigenous peoples.

Today we have lost our direct reliance on our surrounding native vegetation. Building materials come from the lumber yard, food from the grocery store and medicines from the pharmacy. Regardless, we can still appreciate the beauty and tranquility provided by the plants in our surroundings and enjoy the wildlife that utilizes our native vegetation in much the same age-old ways.

The diversity of habitats leads to a wide variety of plants to search out and enjoy. There are approximately eighty species of forbs (broad leaved, non-woody plants), 29 species of grasses and grass likes, 11 species of trees and 28 species of shrubs in the area. Many are found in the riparian area (interface between land and creek) along Stoney Creek. 

This area is of vital importance to the creek’s health. A healthy riparian area is well vegetated with deep-rooted tree, shrub and grass species that stabilize the bank and limit erosion. We can all play a part in maintaining the health of this riparian area and the health of all our natural habitats.

Common Cattail

The cattail is found around marshes, ponds and wet ditches throughout the world and along the Stoney Creek and Mirror Lake. This edible plant is named for its flower spike that resembles a house cat’s tail. Indigenous peoples dried the root stock for flour or served the root stalk roasted or raw. The plants’ pollen was used to enrich flour and the broad leaves were woven into platters and mats.

Canada Thistle

Despite its name, the Canada Thistle originated in Eurasia. It is easily identified with its purple, sometimes white flowers and spines along the leaves.  In times of famine, Indigenous peoples used the stalks as greens and boiled the young leaves. The Canada Thistle yields a high-quality honey.

Water Hemlock

The Water Hemlock grows in wet areas and can be identified by the umbrella like clusters of its white flowers. It is considered one of the most poisonous plants of North America.

Red Clover

Red Clover is not only a wildflower but can also be an agricultural crop grown for animal feed and to enrich soil by taking nitrogen from the air and adding it to the soil. It is an edible plant, high in protein but can cause indigestion when eaten raw. When the flowers were made into a tea it was used by Indigenous peoples to treat coughs, gas or bad nerves. The crushed leaves were placed on a cut to stop the bleeding.

Goat’s Beard or Meadow Salsify

Goat’s Beard has a flower similar to a dandelion but the plant is taller. It was imported from Europe by settlers as a root vegetable, which resembles a parsnip but tastes like oysters. Indigenous peoples also used the root and young shoots for food. In addition, they let the plant’s milky juice congeal into a gum that they chewed to relieve indigestion. 

Common Yarrow

Yarrow is a common weed found in pastures and fields. Its soft, woolly leaves contain a strong-smelling oil containing an alkaloid. Indigenous peoples used it as an astringent on cuts to reduce the clotting time. They also made a tea from the leaves and flowers to treat stomach trouble, headache and sore eyes. An extract from the leaves treated liver ailments, sore throats and even pain during childbirth.

Wild Mint

Wild Mint can be found along stream banks and ditches. This extremely aggressive plant is identified by its minty aroma and flowers of pink to pale purple or white. Many Indigenous peoples used wild mint to alleviate bad breath, to cure hiccups, upset stomach, colds, relieve headaches and fevers, and to clean infected areas.

Rough Cinquefoil

This plant, is identified by its pale-yellow flower which grow in dense leafy clusters. It often grows in moist meadows, on the shores of streams and lakes, roadsides and recently disturbed areas.  Many Indigenous peoples used Rough Cinquefoil as a medicinal tea to remedy stomach cramps and sore throats. They also burned the plant to soothe aching heads, eyes and bones.

Silverweed/Silvery Cinquefoil

Silverweed is identified by its silvery-grey leaf underside and bright yellow flower. Its leaves are divided into five sections. Silverweed is often found in moist meadows and by rivers or lakes. It is an edible plant. The root was eaten by natives in times of famine, either boiled, roasted or raw.

Yellow Avens

The flower of this plant is of a pale-yellow colour and grows in leafy clusters and bends downwards. The stem of the plant is erect and hairy with hairy and toothed leaves. The roots of this plant were boiled by the Woods Cree to make a medicinal tea for relieving sore teeth and throats and treating illnesses associated with teething.

Fireweed

The name Fireweed comes from its tendency to grow from seeds and rhizomes on burned sites. It is a tall plant with long pink flowers and can be found growing in colonies. Fireweed is often found in clearings, roadsides, shaded riverine woods, disturbed areas but most often in areas that have recently had a fire.

Awned Sedge

Awned Sedge is a large tufted plant that resembles grass with a reddish tinge. It is often found in wet meadows, by streams or in shallow ponds and ditches. The young shoots are edible once cooked and the lower fleshier part of the plant can be eaten raw.

Wire Rush

Wire Rush is a long plant with greenish flower clusters and is often found in wet meadows, on the banks of rivers or lakes, or in wetlands. Its flowers can be used to create a pinkish, green or brown coloured dye.

Prairie Crocus

The Prairie Crocus (below) is a very early-flowering plant that blooms on the prairies as early as March. The whole plant is covered with tiny white hair, with purple-tinted flower petals and a warm golden yellow inside. It is not actually a crocus but a member of the buttercup family. 

Prairie Crocus are generally limited to unbroken prairie but also grow well in a grazed habitat because animals generally ignore this hairy plant. Even though it is mildly poisonous and can cause inflammation and blistering if eaten, Indigenous peoples used it to treat muscular pains, nosebleeds and to draw out infections in cuts.  

Settlers saw it as a signal that spring was coming. Today we see it as a sign of hope and also a sign that a new beginning is near and with it, better times.

The 11 species of trees and 28 species of shrubs in the Camrose region can be divided into habitats of meadows, eroded slopes, disturbed areas and roadsides, hillsides, swamps and floodplains, streambanks, and open woods

Narrow Leaved Meadowsweet

This slender, erect shrub has white flowers that grow in clusters. It can be found in moist meadows, on the edge of marshes and on roadsides. The blooms contain acetylsalicylic acid which is the main ingredient in aspirin. A tea made from these flowers should help reduce fever and relieve pain.

Red Osier Dogwood

This shrub has tiny white flowers and a broad cluster of whitish to greenish-blue berries. It derives its name from its bright red branches. In the past, the inner bark was smoked like tobacco, broken into pieces after drying in the sun or over a fire. Indigenous peoples also ate the berries of this dogwood.

Canada Buffaloberry

Canada Buffaloberry is a spreading to erect shrub that has smooth, grey bark with female and male flowers on separate plants. The female flowers are reddish-yellow, while the male flowers are brown. This shrub is found on riverbanks or dry pine or spruce woods. It is believed the name is derived from the Indigenous peoples’ use of the berries to flavour buffalo meat. The berries are iron-rich and were used by many tribes to treat blood disorders.

Sandbar Willow

This willow is a spreading shrub or small tree that grows to a height of 3 meters. The branches of a young Sandbar Willow will be reddish or yellow brown, turning grey or greyish red when mature.  It can be found in gravelly or sandy floodplains. Due to their flexible nature, this willow was used by Indigenous peoples for the making of fish nets, ropes and woven bags, mats, and saddle blankets. The inner bark was also shredded and used as diaper linings and wound dressings.

Aspen

The Aspen is a common small to medium-sized deciduous tree with greenish white bark that becomes black and rough near the bottom of the trunk and around the branches. This tree can be found on dry ridges or in well-drained soils. It sends out underground suckers which grow a clone of the parent tree. The Aspen was invaluable to the Cree tribes. The buds, inner bark and leaves were used for medicines in the treatment of rheumatism, coughs, venereal diseases, insect bites, and to stop bleeding. Children ate the sweet pulpy material just under the bark as a treat. Aspen trees were also used to make bowls, canoe paddles, tipi frames and toys.

Saskatoon

The Saskatoon bush grows in thickets and either remains a low-spreading shrub or grows erect to about five meters. It can be found in open woods, in valleys, or on hillsides. The berries are a red-purple to deep purple and were used in making pemmican. The Saskatoon berry is high in iron and copper and was used by some tribes to remedy stomach aches and liver troubles. The berry was also used in Indigenous ceremonies in returning thanks to the earth for the bounty it provided.

White Birch

The White Birch is a slender, long branched tree that grows to a height of about thirty meters. The mature bark is either white or reddish-brown and tends to peel off in papery strips. These bark strips were used by early explorers to write letters and notes. White Birch is a hardwood and was used by Indigenous peoples to build snowshoes, baskets, bowls and canoes. The bark was also boiled to extract an oil that contains methyl salicylate used to treat bruises, burns and wounds.

Balsam Poplar/Black Poplar

Balsam Poplar is a twenty-five meters tall, straight-trunked tree with ascending branches that can be found in the moist low-lying ground of forest, riverbanks and floodplains. The bark of the young Balsam poplar is smooth and green and becomes dark grey, thick and deeply furrowed when it matures. The bark, buds, resin, and flowers had many medicinal purposes for Indigenous peoples. The entire tree would be used to make canoes and for fueling the fire, the ashes of which were used as a soap. The roots of the trees could be split and used as rope.

Common Wild Rose

The Common Wild Rose (below) shrubs grow from three to ten feet tall in meadows, on riverbanks, on hillsides, or anywhere with moist soil. It has red-brown, prickly branched stems and a whitish to pink flower.

Although we love to see and smell its blooms, the rosehip was most important to both Indigenous peoples and early explorers. The rosehip is an edible part of the plant and contains high amounts of vitamin C, A, B, E, K iron and calcium. The rosehips had to be eaten in moderation as they can cause diarrhea and digestive tract irritation. 

Some Indigenous tribes used the rose hips for decoration on clothing and necklaces and provided protection from evil spirits.

Darcy and Lea Polny

The Polnys are graduates of the Alberta University of Arts. They worked as graphic designers for many years as Groundwater Communications while raising their family and now spend time creating fine art. Darcy has written and published two children’s books and won seven international fine art competitions for his watercolours. Lea paints in acrylics and volunteers her design and marketing abilities to support the Bailey Theatre.

Shirley Rostad – member Rotary club of Camrose

Information sources

Four Seasons Environmental Centre material – prepared in 2007 – spearheaded by Ken Duncan; research and writing by Glen Hvenegaard, Chad Winger, Susanna Bruneau, and Kim Macklin. 

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. 

Please consult your health care provider before making any health care decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. 

The Rotary Club of Camrose expressly disclaims responsibility and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your use or reliance on the information contained in this article.

Grete was raised on a farm near Bow City Alberta by Norwegian immigrants. She graduated from the Canadian Lutheran Bible School in 1942 then worked at the Camrose Lutheran college until she married Palmer S. Olson of Armena who became a Lutheran Pastor in 1950. 

Together they served congregations in Provost, Bawlf and Sedgewick in Alberta; Kyle and Birch Hills in Saskatchewan and Prince George, B.C. 

She was mother to Odell, Bev, Grace, Gloria, Joy and Rebecca.