Mayapple ..... (
Podophyllum peltatum )
 Mayapple ..... ©
Harvey Kirsch DigiPixels_Image 2004
Mayapple blooms from April to June. It starts out looking like a lot of tiny green open umbrellas popping out of the ground. By the end of May or early June the single green bud hidden under the leaves turns into a single white flower. This flower becomes a lemon yellow berry which is edible and can be used to make a jam. Caution the rest of the plant is very poisonous; although First Nations used the roots in small quantities as a laxative. It is also being used to treat Skin Cancers. It can be found in Southern Ontario, Western Quebec and south to Florida.
NOTE .... Just because all our reference materials suggest the berries are edible, err on the side of caution and do not consume. Eating the wrong berry from the wrong plant could be fatal, or make you very sick. Do not consume any wild berries unless you are positive you know what you are eating.
  
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 Mayapple Flower Bud
 Green Mayapple Berry
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