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.