Hey guys, I was wondering if any local newfoundlanders or people who have visited there before would be able to tell me about the kinds of plants and trees that grow there? It seems berries are abundant. Apples seem to grow there too? but are they everywhere wild like they are in ontario? or more scarse? Any medicinal herbs(weeds) that grow? goldenrod, mullein and lionstooth are some ive found.. Im going to be checking it out in a few months and Im trying to get an idea of what im going to be looking at. thanks.
As a Newfoundlander and part of an old Newfoundland family, I will answer your question. First of all, Newfoundland is vast, and there's very different scenes within the island. There are peatlands, barrens, forests, mountains, cliffs - all depending on where you are. As a whole, the elevation increases the further west you go as the tip of the Appalachian mountains runs through the western coast of the island. (The mountain range that St. John's (in the east) sits on was at one point higher than the Alps - many moons ago). And the ground is essentially rock. This makes it difficult for many different types of plants to grow. However, the flora is probably close to a boreal forest. Most of the trees are coniferous - pine, fur, spruce, and most of the plants are small shrubs. Apples can be grown, but they are not abundant, and I have never seen a wild apple tree there. You might be thinking of a 'Bakeapple' berry (or cloud berry) that grow in the bogs. There are many types of wild berries that grow, however, they have a very short growing season (about august - late september). If you are exploring the inner part of Newfoundland, watch out for the bogs!
There are also a species of mushrooms they call "liberty caps" you have to take a lot they should get you fucked up. I've taken them in decent sized amounts but I have not "tripped" yet. I have seen my friends trip however and it is quite a laugh.
Not much grows here. The soil is acidic. Although, there are some nice berries (like, a LOT of berries) there are also Saskatoon berries (that's what my mom calls them, but she's from the Prairies) and people here don't seem to realize that you can eat them, so there are plenty fresh ones growing around. There are also some mushrooms (I mean for food, not tripping balls...Although there are some of those too, I think).
