Canada Lousewort

Pedicularis canadensis

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Eosphoropteryx thyatyroides, Trichordestra legitima, Euphydryas phaeton, Herpetogramma pertextalis, Actebia fennica
S13+S15 5 verified Eastern NA
❄️ Winter Food Source: Seeds of Pedicularis genus are consumed by Spruce Grouse, Wild Turkey, Rock Ptarmigan, Willow Ptarmigan, and Snow Bunting. Diet records are at genus level and some species (ptarmigans, Snow Bunting) are primarily boreal/arctic. Wild Turkey and Spruce Grouse are the most relevant to the Ottawa Valley.
S57 genus-level avian diet records; S11 Fruit/Seed Period=Summer

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Ranked S3 (Vulnerable) in Quebec but S5 (Secure) in Ontario and G5 globally. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. The species is common in the Ottawa-Hull area according to Gillett & White (1978), particularly on the Quebec side. Twenty Quebec herbarium specimens are held at CNH/MT, with records from Gatineau Park, Pontiac County, and the Outaouais river corridor.
S22 S3 QC, S5 ON, G5; S26 not SARA listed; S63 common in Ottawa-Hull; S54 20 QC specimens
Rarity Ranks: QC S3 – Vulnerable, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: A hemiparasitic perennial of dry to mesic deciduous forests, oak savanna, and woodland openings. In the Outaouais, found in sugar maple-red oak forests on calcitic marble substrates and in Gatineau Park near Lac Pink. Parasitizes roots of grasses and other herbs via haustoria, though it can grow independently. Typically occurs in small groups in dappled shade on well-drained loamy soils.
S61 hemiparasite; S7 dry forests, savanna, beech-maple; S48 Gatineau specimens on calcitic marble; S54 Lac Pink, parc de la Gatineau

Roles: Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = Medium (not definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 15 bee associations (threshold=3)]
Notes: As a hemiparasite, Pedicularis canadensis forms haustorial connections with neighboring grass and forb roots, drawing water and nutrients while photosynthesizing independently. This can suppress vigorous grasses and shift competitive balance toward forb diversity in prairie and savanna plantings. Best established by sowing seed directly into turf near host grasses rather than transplanting.
S61 hemiparasite; S29 parasitic on grass roots, sow in turf from wild colonies

Category: Analgesic, Gastrointestinal Aid, Dermatological Aid, Blood Tonic, Cardiac, Stomachic, Antidiarrheal, Cough Medicine, Emetic, Antitumor, Aphrodisiac, Orthopedic Aid, Tuberculosis Remedy, Cathartic, Veterinary Aid
S28 Moerman 29 use records across 8 nations; S29 PFAF Medicinal Rating 2/5
Notes: Extensively used by Indigenous peoples across eastern North America. Root infusions and decoctions treated stomach pains (Catawba, Cherokee, Ojibwa), heart troubles (Iroquois), and anemia (Chippewa). Root poultices applied to tumors and swellings (Meskwaki). Leaves infused for sore throats (Ojibwa) and as an abortifacient (Mohegan). Root widely used as a love medicine by Menominee, Meskwaki, and Ojibwa, added secretly to food. Cherokee also used it as a veterinary insecticide against lice.
S28 29 ethnobotanical use records; S29 PFAF Medicinal Rating 2/5

✅ Edible

Foraging Notes: Leaves and stems were cooked as a vegetable by Cherokee and Iroquois peoples. Iroquois seasoned the cooked plant with salt, pepper, or butter. Potawatomi mixed roots with oats as livestock fodder. PFAF rates edibility 1 of 5; USDA rates palatable to humans as No. Not a commonly consumed food plant.
S28 Cherokee Food, Iroquois Food, Potawatomi Fodder; S29 Edibility 1/5; S11 Palatable Human=No