You may think of summer as peak season for PEI’s wild berries, but a few tasty treats are at their best this time of year. One of my fall favourites is Wild Lily-of-the-Valley (aka Canada Mayflower, Maianthemum canadense).   Wild Lily-of-the-Valley is NOT the same as the popular garden plant of the same name. The sweet-smelling European Lily-of-the-Valley ( Convallaria majalis ) contains toxic cardiac glycosides that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and irregular heart

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI.  I recently received this...

Late summer is such a wonderful time on PEI. Warm days and comfortably cool nights, water temperatures perfect for swimming, and an...

Some PEI plants are revered while others are reviled, but today’s plant is both. Meet Common Milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca ).   Our Island...

PEI’s midsummer roadsides are lined with colourful wildflowers. White, yellow, gold, pink, purple, and brown are common, but blue stands...

PEI has various species of tall, white-flowered plants growing in our roadside ditches. Many are members of the Carrot Family ( Apiaceae...

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI. Apologies to my fellow...

We often associate Asters with fall, but PEI has members of this family that flower in spring and summer too. Right now, the bright...

PEI has several yellow wildflowers that are sometimes mistaken for Dandelions. In early spring it’s Coltsfoot; in summer, it’s the...

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI! Over the past week, I’ve gotten...

Lupins aren’t the only colourful wildflower decorating the Island’s roadside ditches in June. Dame’s Rocket ( Hesperis matronalis ) is...

On PEI, wild food is everywhere. While walking to a meeting in downtown Charlottetown recently, I spotted some delicious, edible...

Today’s PEI plant is one that many of you will be familiar with. This time of year, the scent of its flowers and sound of bees buzzing...

On PEI, it’s common to mistake any tall, white, roadside flower for Queen Anne’s Lace (aka Wild Carrot). But there are at least eight...

PEI’s Magnolia trees ( Magnolia  spp.) are putting on an amazing show right now (Photo 1). You’re likely familiar with the beautiful...

Magnolia flowers ( Magnolia spp.) aren’t just beautiful, they’re delicious! With a flavour that’s a combination of ginger, cloves, and...

On PEI, spring foraging offers up lots of leafy greens and tasty roots, but there are crunchy succulents on the menu, too. Today’s...

Some of the Island’s earliest spring wildflowers appear on their plants before the leaves. From the subtle blooms of Red Maple and Beaked...

Last week, we looked at how and why mammals such as Raccoon and Skunk were introduced to PEI in the early 1900s. These were among our...

Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored how and why PEI lost its large, native mammals during the 18th and 19th centuries. But in the...