Food: Edible nuts in late summer.

Medicine: The bark is steeped in salt water for a poison ivy lotion

AMERICAN ELDERBERRY (Sambucus canadensis)

Medicine: Astringent, diuretic, promotes sweating, laxative. Inner bark used in pain killer. Crushed leaves act as an insect repellant.

Technology: Elderberries make a purple to lavender dye. The branches of the tree have hollow stems with easily removed pith, and are perfect for flutes or whistles.

ASH (Fraxinus species)

Medicine: Chippewa made a tonic from the inner bark of ash, and they used a decoction of dried ash roots as an ingredient in enemas. Application of the sap from the White ash (F. americana) was used by Connecticut Native Americans to treat cancerous growths. Other antiseptic or diuretic medicines were made from the leaves, bark or seeds of White ash.

Technology: Black ash (F. nigra) bark was collected in sheets and used to cover wigwam frames. Snowshoe frames, sleds, and other items were made by carving and bending the wood. White ash was used to carve ladles by the Iroquois. Basket splints were made by pounding apart the growth rings, or layers, of soaked ash trunks. Splints were finished for weaving by cutting to size and hand splitting the ash into fine ribbons of wood.

BASSWOOD (Tilia americana)

Medicine: A tonic made from the flowers and leaves alleviates the symptoms following colds.

Technology: Fibers were stripped from the inner bark of the basswood tree. After long pieces of bark were removed from the tree the sections were soaked to facilitate separating the fibers from the inner bark. Basswood fibers could be used immediately for simple lashing, or the fibers could be dried and stored for future use. Other items made from dyed basswood fibers include tumplines or burdenstraps used to carry heavy loads, fine twined storage bags and closely woven mats used to strain maple syrup. Sheets of basswood bark were also used as winter coverings for wigwams. Iroquois found the wood ideal for carving, the grain being soft and light.

BEDSTRAW (Galium aparine)

Note: Also called Cleavers

Food: Seeds can be roasted as caffeine-free coffee substitute.

Medicine: A tea from the plant helps urinary tract disorders

Technology: A variety of bedstraw (G. triflorum) was used to perfume stored belongings.

BINDWEED (Convolvulus sepium)

Note: Member of the Morning Glory family.

Ceremony: Aztecs recognized the hallucinogenic properties of seeds of native members of the Morning Glory family.

Medicine: Medicine from the roots, stem, and leaves have alaxative effect.

Other Medical Uses: The stems and roots have been used medically in the past but they have an unpredictable purgative action and so are seldom used today.

BIRCH (Betula species)

Ceremony: Indian legend surround the distinctive markings of the birch tree. The bark of this tree was never taken without acknowledgement its importance to Native Americans and without offering and thanks to the spirits that provide it.

Food: Broken twigs of the Yellow birch (B. alleghaniensis) and Black or Sweet birch (B. Nigra) have a wintergreen fragrance. A sap can be collected and boiled down from Yellow birch. From Black birch harvest the twigs, red inner bark and larger roots. The inner bark can be boiled or ground into a flour. Twigs and inner bark can be steeped into a tea. Wintergreen flavor is stronger in Black birch.

Medicine: Chippewa made a medicine from Black and White birch (B. papyrifera) for stomach pain.

Technology: New England tribes used the bark of White or Paper Birch for many purposes. Large bark sheets were stripped from the tree in late spring to use as house coverings or to build canoes. Smaller pieces of bark were cut into patterns and used to make dishes and utensils, including seamless maple sap collecting dishes and maple sugar storage containers (makaks). The bark was also cut and folded to make baskets, fans and even tinder to fish by torchlight from canoes. Folding and biting single thin layers of the paper produced dental pictographs, or birch bark transparencies, that could be used for beadwork designs and patterns for other decorations.

BLUE FLAG (Iris versicolor)

Note: Often planted near indian villages to ensure a good supply.

Food: Rhizomes are poisonous.

Medicine: A panacea for many ills and believed to influence the lymphatic system, the plant was used a poultice for treating sores and bruises.

BRACKEN FERN (Polypodium vulgare)

Note: Also called Brake Root.Medicine: The brown root has an unpleasant smell and taste, but when boiled and eaten made an effective worm medicine.

BULLRUSH (Scirpus validus) 

Food: Roots eaten by Chippewa. Pollen, young shoots, and seeds are also edible.

Technology: Using twining and under-over techniques, fine mats and bags were woven from the leaves and stalks. The fine mats were used inside the wigwam to cover the lower walls, or for sitting and eating upon.

BURDOCK (Arctium minus)

Note: Similar to european introduced Great Burdock, only this plant is smaller.

Food: Edible greens, fresh or in soups. Roots and stems may be eaten if boiled in several batches of water.

Medicine: Chippewa used the plant in a medicine for coughs.

Technology:The leaves were sewn together, and sometimes
reinforced with a birchbark headband, to make a hat for working in the hot summer sun.

BUTTERFLY WEED (Asclepias tuberosa)  

Note: Also called Indian nosy.

Food: A member of the Milkweed family, so most parts of the plant contain toxins. A crude sugar is produced from the flowers.

Medicine: Poultices for sores were made from the powdered root. A tea from the root encourages sweating. A tea was also made to induce vomiting during certain rituals.

Other Medical Uses: Listed in the U. S. Pharmacopeia in the 19th century the root was once widely used for lung problems such as asthma and bronchitis. It was made into a tea or sometimes eaten raw. Large doses of the root were sometimes used as a purgative. The root was also applied to sores.

Warning: Contains cardiac glycosides which are toxic in large amounts.

CATTAIL (Typha latifolia)

Food: The roots may be ground into a flour. The sticky sap between the leaves is an excellent starch and can be used to thicken soups and broths. The white colored shoots at the base of the leaf clusters can be boiled or steamed or sliced and eaten raw in salads.

Technology: The leaves and stalks were used extensively in making sewn exterior mats for wigwams. String could also be made from fibers at the base of leaves. By folding a few leaves from the cattail stalk, Chippewa made simple dolls and small toy ducks that really float. The small ducks were usually made in groups of five to resemble a flock. The fluff from cattails was often used to insulate footwear in the winter, or to pad a baby's cradleboard.

COMMON WOOD SORREL (Oxalis montana)

Food: The distinctive shamrock-shaped, three-lobed leaves are edible, though they may have a sour taste.