Green Neighbours Wild and Medicinal Plants of Calgary's East End – eBook Available!

Feb 23, 2025

5 min read

Calgary's east end is home to an incredible variety of native plants, each playing a vital role in the ecosystem. My eBook is your guide to understanding many species and their place in Calgary’s natural landscape. It also offers a wealth of resources with numerous links for further learning about the history of Fish Creek Provincial Park.

While exploring this eBook, you’ll start to notice the distinctive traits of native plants—ranging from their leaf and stem forms to the components traditionally used in herbal medicine. Whether you’re a nature lover, a gardener aiming to include native species, or just someone who enjoys being outdoors, this ebook provides a deeper understanding of the plant life flourishing here. It also discusses some invasive plant species, and plenty of information on how you can contribute to maintaining and enjoying nature.

📖 Featured Plants in the eBook

🍃 Dandelion🌼 Goldenrod🌿 Wild Mint🌾 Common Mullein🌸 Yarrow🌱 Fireweed🍂 Buffaloberry

…and many more!

🌊 The 2013 Flood:

One of the most significant events to shape parks and lands was the 2013 flood, which altered the landscape, impacted plant populations, and led to ongoing conservation efforts. This eBook takes a look at how the flood changed the park and how the ecosystem continues to recover.

Through this ebook, you’ll gain a greater appreciation for Fish Creek Park’s past, present, and future, along with the plant life that makes it so unique.

A peek into my eBook, Green Neighbours, unveils a treasure trove of information carefully curated to enhance your understanding and appreciation of the diverse flora thriving in this beautiful natural setting. As spring approaches and the landscape awakens from its winter rest, you'll discover numerous fascinating plants in our 4a zone, each with unique traits, adaptations, and ecological roles that contribute to the ecosystem.

In this eBook, I aim to offer an insightful look at one of the remarkable plants you might encounter while exploring the many green spaces, extensive trails and winding paths. From vibrant wildflowers that paint the ground in a kaleidoscope of colours to resilient shrubs lining the paths, each plant narrates its story of adaptation to the local environment, showcasing the intricate balance of life within this habitat.

I've not only cataloged numerous plants but also included detailed descriptions highlighting their traditional uses, herbalist insights and folkloric insights as well as physical characteristics, growth habits, and the specific conditions under which they thrive. Accompanying these descriptions are stunning photographs capturing the essence of these plants in their natural settings, allowing readers to visualize the flora's beauty and diversity. Moreover, the eBook explores the rich history of Fish Creek Park (a huge protected park in Calgary), examining how the area has evolved over the years, including significant events that have shaped its landscape and ecology. This historical context is crucial for understanding the role these plants have played in the ecosystem and their cultural significance to the local community.

By intertwining botanical aspects with historical narratives, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between nature and the park's history, learning how past events have influenced the present-day environment. Whether you are a casual nature enthusiast, an avid gardener, or someone simply looking to explore the beauty of the outdoors, this eBook serves as a comprehensive guide.

Additionally, the eBook emphasizes conservation and stewardship, offering practical tips on protecting the parks and its inhabitants. It also includes information on the Friends of Fish Creek Park, detailing how you can participate in various initiatives and volunteer opportunities to help preserve and enhance this precious natural resource for future generations.

I hope to inspire greater appreciation for the beauty and complexity of plant life, fostering a sense of responsibility and engagement with the natural world around us.

Among the various plants you’ll encounter during your walks through nature is wild mint, which is covered in my ebook:

Wild Mint

Botanical Name: Mentha arvensis

Some Common Names: Field Mint, Wild mint, Brook Mint,

Canadian Mint.

Family: Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

Habitat: Wild mint is plentiful in the park along water’s edges and

river banks.

Native Plant Alberta: Yes

Typical Blooming: You can expect to see wild mint starting to bloom in late spring, with peak blooming typically occurring in May and June.

Propagation: Cuttings or root division

Identification: All plants from the mint family have a square stem making them easy to identify and can become invasive when grown in the garden by sending out its horizontal runners and rhizomes. This aromatic herb has singular or branched stems. Its oval-shaped leaves, 1 to 8 cm long, are covered in aromatic oils. Flowers, small and clustered, come in various colors like purple, pink, or white, and grow in grassy areas, meadows, and near water bodies.

I was excited when I stumbled upon wild mint for the first time. Its oval, oblong to chordate leaves come to a point at the tip with toothed edges. Mint has charming little flower clusters formed a cylindrical or slightly conical shape around the stem, almost hidden by the pairs of opposite leaves. The square stem, a distinctive trait of the mint family, confirmed its identity. As I plucked a leaf and rubbed it between my fingers, it released its aromatic oils, filling the air with the refreshing scent of mint. I found it growing along a waterway that flowed into the river.

Traditional wisdom, herbalist insights or folkloric uses: Wild mint, with its menthol content, aids digestion by relieving gas and spasms in the digestive tract. It's often consumed after meals for this purpose. Additionally, menthol in mint soothes muscles, supports digestion, and encourages bile production in the liver.

Mint can ease menstrual cramps and nausea, even encouraging delayed menstruation. It also improves circulation, relieves heart palpitations, and reduces cold and flu symptoms. A mint compress soothes itchy skin, arthritis pain, and headaches, while mint tea combats motion sickness-induced nausea.

Herbalist Susun Weed, in her book, Abundantly Well, notes that mint can aid digestion. She recommends infusing vinegar with mint for use in salads, marinades, or with beans and greens.

Mint can relieve gas, migraines associated with digestion and other digestive issues, and externally to cool inflammations.

According to the article, Traditional Plants, found on the website, albertametis.com, along with strengthening the heart muscle, this herb is cleansing and strengthening to the entire system.

Interesting facts:

Mint is a flavouring for drinks, sauces, and jellies. The leaves and plant can be used as a natural pesticide or air freshener. Since mint can flower throughout the growing season it is a wonderful food for pollinators.

Harvest Guidelines:

When harvesting, choose stems with green, undamaged leaves and flowers. Tie them into small bundles with elastic bands. Keep the bundles in the shade to prevent them from getting too warm. It’s tempting to harvest a lot of mint when you find it (mint tea and summer drinks) but remember it’s important to leave enough for the pollinators.

As stated throughout the ebook, harvesting is prohibited in Alberta Provincial Parks. Nonetheless, the ebook discusses certain areas in Alberta where harvesting might be permitted.