Hey, that's VERY interesting. I had not heard of that before so I will now keep my eye out for some seed.

I, too, have concentrated on perrenials. We have well established rhubarb, low bush blueberries, a couple of so-so apple trees, wild rose, and cat-tails. The last couple of years I have planted: more apple trees, a self-pollinating cherry tree, red currant and black currant bushes, blackberry, gooseberry, elderberry, and asparagus.

The most important thing I plant is fence posts - my sheep keep escaping and eat my hard work.

Very interesting, I had not heard of that plant before but when I asked about it in my local plant group, turns out a few of them are growing it, so I will be getting some this spring nd adding it to my own gardens, thanks so much for sharing that info on them.

Very Interesting, thanks.
I will have to see if I can get some in my area to grow.
Now to find a few seeds first.

Heres a little more about them.
http://nativeplants.evergreen.ca/search/view-plant.php?ID=00076

Edited to add:
It's found growing in the wilds but seems to be found mainly growing with poison ivy. oh joy.
Apios cultivation was attempted twice in Europe (1635 and 1845), but both attempts ended in failure -- no doubt the requirement of 2-3 years for tuber maturity was the main factor (potatoes require only one growing season).
more info here:
http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.river/groundnt.html

More good info:
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Apios_americana.html

Propagation
Seed - pre-soak for 3 hours in tepid water and sow February/March in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c[134]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for their first winter, planting them out in late spring or early summer. Division can be carried out at almost any time of the year, though spring is probably the best time. Simply dig up the roots, harvest the tubers and replant them where you want the plants to grow. It is also possible to harvest the tuber in winter, store them in a cool fairly dry but frost-free place over the winter and then plant them out in the spring. The tubers lose moisture rapidly once they have been harvested, so make sure that you store them in a damp medium such as leaf mold.

we have had good luck with choke cherry trees not only for the cherrys but the bark can be made into a tea for sore throats, coughs and pneumonia. some caution though, the leaves, bark and wood can produce hydrocyanic acid and can cause cyanide poisoning. Alder buds are high in protein and can be eaten as well as the inner bark can be dried and ground into a flour substitute. you can make a tea from the leaves to treat bug bites, poison ivy, and burns. Willow leaves, buds and inner bark are high in vit. c although bitter they can be eaten. willow bark contains salicin which is related to acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and will relieve pain and fever. pretty well every weed is edible so you may want to consider cultivating some such as wild carrot, goldenrod, dandelion, coltsfoot (dried can be a salt substitute),and our favorite burdocks. also wild blackberries and raspberries are good to have around. don't forget about all the trees as well, all the inner barks makes a good starch substitute plus maple sap, spruce sap, oaks for the acorns, poplar's inner bark is sweet and edible and leaves are good for sores and aching muscles and make a good rub down for worked horses, even birch sap can be boiled down for syrup and fermented to make wine, beer or vinegar. the list is endless so its good to have a variety of plants and trees around and know how to use them. there is some really good books on edible and medicinal plants and its worth picking one up. good luck 🙂

there is some really good books on edible and medicinal plants and its worth picking one up. good luck 🙂

Countryboy, do you have a favourite title or two on edible and medicinal plants that you would recommend ? Something suitable for Nova Scotia ?

I have Frank Tozer's The Uses of Wild Plants. It's good but it list plants not native to Eastern Canada and it has B&W diagrams . I would have preferred a more localized book with a colour picture of each plant for easy identification.

I picked up a good one last summer at a used book store in Bridgewater. It's called Edible Wild Plants of Nova Scotia by Heather MacLeod and Barbara MacDonald.

I have blackberries blueberries and raspberries too! started asparagus last year(apparently a very good antibiotic btw). I have a few sugar maples and big birch but have yet to try getting syrup. I have the equipment but am remembering when I was a kid and my mom bitching about boiling the sap for days to fill a thimble. Definitely good for shtf but maple syrup is easy to come by now. Never heard tell of birch sap vinegar, wouldn't mind finding out more about that. I make apple cider and apple cider vinegar, would be similar no doubt.

This year I am also going to start a few pear trees, hazelnut, artic kiwi, russian olive. as well as comfrey for green manure and lovage to attract the wasps that chase away the tent catapillar eating my hop vine. Lovage is a perennial celery type plant all edible. root like carrot, leaves like celery for soup or salad and seed like fennel. But I'm most interested in chasing the tent worms away. But I am likely just inviting the deer to a buffet.

tagged

Hey,RP. Sorry I cant help on this subject. My expertese on local survival Flora came to an abrubt halt the moment I left the other side of the continet. Im still blown away that Sascatoons are a tall tree here and not a low bush. It makes them a real pain in the but to get any usefull amount of food off of them. Cutting them down to pick them would be...um...counterproductive. I guess I will never have te ability to survive on Sallel berries ever again.

My favorite book is Edible & medicinal plants of canada by MacKinnon, Kershaw, Arnason, Owen, Karst, Hamersley-Chambers, pub. by lone pine. Lots of good pic. lots of uses especially medicinal parts and even the poisions of the plants. although the disclaimer says its not a how to guide its very knowledgeable. even though its for all canada it still really good and you never know you might be traveling some time and need something. there was another one i was looking for, dont quote me on this but i think it was called edible wild plants of n.s. by peter j. scott, when i did finally find it i wasn't as impressed with it so i didn't buy it. i tried goggleing it but got nothing, i did come across one called edible wild plants of cumberland county that looked good but i think it was pub. in the late '70s. The poplar leave rub down i was talking about is a old farmer trick and i've done it before not sure if it works or not but the horses were'nt sore or stiff the next morning

Great resource for plant info is plants for a future pfaf.org plant database, they also sell hard copies which I've order and can't wait to get their woodland gardening book.

Please post local resources for prepper plants, guys and gals. I got soap wort at the great village nursery and they have a perennial plant sale on now. I also picked up a self-fertile hardy kiwi vine at Parkers plants in Truro some kiwi vine require a male and female and the male often dies so I was quite glad to come across this one.

up-date on my apios amerciana (indian potato)plant, I have manage to germinate three and am quite pleased. If all goes well I will make some seed available at the end of the season to those who want it to.

The Northern Bushcraft website has a great page for edible plants of Nova Scotia.

http://northernbushcraft.com/guide.php?ctgy=edible_plants&region=ns

There are links at the bottom of the page for edible mushroom and also berries.