Roseroot

Rhodiola rosea. A small plant (growing 2-16’’ tall), native to the cold regions around the globe (including north NB!). In the wild, it grows on sea cliffs and high-altitude mountains. Hardy to zone 1, these plants are not picky about soil, grow in anything from gravel and heavy clay to sand and peaty loam. At lower altitudes, they prefer part shade. The plants make a nice rock garden addition.

The young succulent leaves and shoots can be eaten raw or cooked like spinach, and have been used like aloe to treat cuts and burns. They have a bitter flavour, which adds a zing to a salad, and also makes them a great flavouring agent for vodkas and cordials.

The rose-scented roots (and the leaves) have been historically used medicinally, although modern research shows that the concentrations of active compounds differ between different regions, plants, and preparation methods, and medical research is inconclusive on the effects of use.  If harvesting roots for medicinal use, wait until plants are at least 3 years old (or even 4-5 years old), since larger roots mean higher rosavin and rosin content.