Native American ethnobotany facts for kids

Native Americans have a deep understanding of the natural world around them. For thousands of years, they have used plants not just for food and building materials, but also as powerful medicines. This article explores some of the amazing ways indigenous people across North America used plants to stay healthy and strong. They found natural remedies for many common problems, from headaches and fevers to cuts and stomach aches. This knowledge was passed down through generations, showing how connected these communities were to their environment.

Amazing Plant Uses by Native Americans

Plants for Everyday Health

Maple Trees

• Acer glabrum var. douglasii (Douglas maple) was used by Plateau tribes to help with diarrhea.
• Acer glabrum var. glabrum was used by the Blackfoot as a morning drink to help clear their system. The Okanagan-Colville people used a special knot in a branch to stop wounded bears while hunting. The Thompson people used a tea from the wood and bark for nausea, which is feeling sick to your stomach.
• Acer negundo (box elder) was used for food, wood, and medicine.
• Acer saccharinum (silver maple) had bark from the south side of the tree used by the Mohegan for cough medicine. Other tribes also used it for different health needs.
• Acer saccharum (sugar maple) was used by the Mohegan for coughs. Its sweet sap was also used to make maple syrup and as a sweetener.

Other Common Plants

• Abronia fragrans (snowball-sand verbena) was used for both food and medicine.
• Actaea racemosa (black cohosh) helped with women's health issues, sore throats, kidney problems, and feeling sad or down.
• Actaea rubra (red baneberry) was used by the Algonquin for stomach pains.
• Agrimonia gryposepala was used by the Iroquois for diarrhea. The Cherokee used it for fever, the Ojibwa for urinary problems, and the Meskwaki and Prairie Potawatomi used it to stop nosebleeds.
• Allium tricoccum was used as both food and medicine.
• Alnus rhombifolia was used by some Plateau tribes for women's health.
• Alnus rubra helped treat poison oak, insect bites, and skin irritation. The Blackfoot Confederacy made a drink from its bark for lymphatic issues and tuberculosis. Studies show it has compounds that fight tumors.
• Artemisia californica (California Sagebrush) leaves were chewed by the Cahuilla for colds and coughs. The Ohlone used it for pain, colds, coughs, and rheumatism (joint pain). They made it into a tea bath or a poultice (a soft, moist mass applied to the body) for asthma.
• Artemisia douglasiana was used for colds, fevers, and headaches.
• Artemisia ludoviciana was used by many tribes for various medicines.
• Arundinaria was used for medicine and many other things.
• Asarum canadense helped with many problems like stomach issues, coughs, colds, and earaches. It was also used to boost appetite and as a good luck charm.
• Asclepias verticillata was used as medicine.

Plants for Specific Ailments

B Plants

• Baccharis sarothroides was used by the Seri people to make a tea from twigs for colds, sinus headaches, and general body aches. This tea was also rubbed on sore muscles. Studies show it has compounds that help with inflammation and act as antioxidants.
• Balsamorhiza sagittata was used for food and medicine by many groups like the Nez Perce, Kootenai, Cheyenne, and Salish.
• Baptisia australis roots were used by the Cherokee in teas to help clear the system or treat toothaches and nausea. The Osage made an eyewash from it.
• Betula occidentalis was used by some Plateau tribes for pimples and sores.
• Blephilia ciliata was used by the Cherokee to make a poultice for headaches.
• Bloodroot was used to help with breathing and other treatments.

C Plants

• Calypso (orchid) was used by the Nlaka'pamux of British Columbia for mild epilepsy.
• Cardamine diphylla was used for food and medicine.
• Ceanothus integerrimus branches were used by Indigenous peoples of California to help women after childbirth.
• Ceanothus velutinus was used by certain Plateau tribes to make herbal tea that caused sweating, helping with colds, fevers, and flu. Leaves were also used to prevent dandruff. It was called "red root" and used for lymphatic issues and tumors. Studies confirm its effectiveness for high blood pressure.
• Chimaphila umbellata was used by some Plateau tribes in a tea for tuberculosis.
• Claytonia virginica (Virginia spring-beauty) was used by the Iroquois. They gave a cold drink from its roots to children with convulsions. They also ate the roots, believing it prevented pregnancy. The Algonquin people cooked the roots like potatoes.
• Cleome serrulata was used by tribes in the southwest to make a drink for stomach illnesses and fevers. Poultices were used on the eyes.
• Commelina dianthifolia was used by Keres to strengthen tuberculosis patients.
• Cornus sericea berries were eaten by Plateau tribes to treat colds. It also helped slow bleeding.

D Plants

• Devil's club was used by Native Americans for adult-onset diabetes and tumors. Studies showed it could stop tuberculosis microbes. The Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska call it "Tlingit aspirin" and use it for medicine and ceremonies. It's made into lip balms, ointments, and teas.

E Plants

• Echinacea was widely used by Plains Indians for its healing qualities. It was used for snakebites, anthrax, and pain relief. In the 1930s, it became popular as an herbal medicine. While not used for cold prevention, some tribes used it for cold symptoms. The Kiowa used it for coughs and sore throats, the Cheyenne for sore throats, and the Pawnee for headaches. Many tribes, including the Lakotah, used it for pain. Native Americans learned about it by watching elk eat it when sick.

The whole echinacea plant, fresh or dried, was used. They made teas, poultices, or used the leaves directly. Echinacea has oils that boost the immune system, helping people recover faster from illnesses. Modern studies show it can shorten a cold by 1-4 days and reduce the chance of getting a cold by 58%.

• Encelia farinosa (brittlebush) was used by the Seri for toothaches. They heated a branch and placed it in the mouth to "harden" a loose tooth. The Cahuilla also used it for toothaches and chest pain by heating the plant gum and applying it to the chest.
• Ephedra californica was used by the indigenous peoples of California.
• Equisetum hyemale was used by some Plateau tribes. They boiled the stalks to make a drink that helped the body get rid of extra water.
• Erigenia bulbosa was chewed by the Cherokee for toothaches.
• Eriodictyon crassifolium was used by the Chumash people to keep airways open for easier breathing.
• Eriodictyon trichocalyx (Yerba Santa) was used by the Cahuilla to purify blood and treat coughs, colds, sore throats, asthma, and tuberculosis. It was also used as a rub, a poultice, and a tea bath for rheumatism, tired limbs, sores, and fevers. The Chumash also used it as a rub for feet and chest.
• Eriodictyon californicum (Yerba Santa) was used by Native Americans for asthma, upper breathing infections, and allergies. The Chumash used it as a poultice for broken bones, wounds, insect bites, and sores. A steam bath was used for hemorrhoids.
• Eryngium aquaticum was used by the Cherokee for nausea, the Choctaw people for snakebites, and the Delaware people for intestinal worms.
• Erythrina herbacea roots were used by Creek women for bowel pain. The Choctaw used a tea from the leaves as a general health tonic. The Seminole used root extracts for digestive problems and seed or inner bark extracts as a rub for joint pain.
• Eurybia macrophylla (bigleaf aster) was used for both food and medicine.

G Plants

• Gaultheria hispidula (creeping snowberry) leaves were made into a tonic by the Algonquin people for overeating. The fruit was eaten. The Anticosti used it as a calming medicine. The Micmac used a tea from the leaves or whole plant for various purposes. The Ojibwa people used leaves to make a drink.
• Gaultheria procumbens was used by various tribes.
• Gentiana villosa roots were boiled by Catawba Indians to relieve back pain.
• Geranium maculatum was used by the Mesquakie tribe to make a root tea for toothaches and painful nerves. They also mashed the roots for hemorrhoids.
• Goldenseal was mentioned by Prof. Benjamin Smith Barton in 1798 as being used by the Cherokee for cancer treatment.
• Gutierrezia microcephala was used by Native Americans for various reasons. The Cahuilla used a drink from the plant as a gargle or placed the plant in their mouths for toothaches. The Hopi and Tewa used it to help with gas, as decorations for prayer sticks, and for roasting sweet corn.

H Plants

• Hamamelis virginiana, also known as Witch Hazel, was used by Native Americans. They boiled the stems to make a liquid that treated swellings, inflammation, and tumors. Early settlers learned this remedy. It's used for sore muscles, skin and eye inflammation, and to stop bleeding. Many tribes used it: the Menominee for sore legs, the Osage for skin ulcers, the Potawatomi in sweat lodges for sore muscles, and the Iroquois in tea for coughs and colds.

Witch hazel helps tighten body tissues. It has compounds that reduce inflammation. However, modern witch hazel extracts often don't contain these compounds due to health concerns.

• Heracleum maximum was used by various Native American peoples. A common use was making poultices for bruises or sores. A drink from the flowers could be rubbed on the body to keep flies and mosquitoes away.
• Holodiscus discolor was used by tribes like the Stl'atl'imx. They steeped the berries in boiling water for diarrhea, smallpox, chickenpox, and as a blood tonic.
• Holodiscus dumosus was used by the Paiute and Shoshone for stomachaches and colds.
• Hydrangea arborescens was used to treat kidney and bladder stones.
• Hydrangea cinerea was used by the Cherokee.

I Plants

• Ilex verticillata was used by Native Americans for medicine, which is why it was called "fever bush."
• Iris missouriensis roots were used by some Plateau tribes for toothaches.

J Plants

• Jeffersonia diphylla was reportedly used by the Cherokee for dropsy and urinary problems, and as a poultice for sores. The Iroquois used a tea from the plant for liver problems and diarrhea.
• Juniperus communis berries were combined with Berberis root bark by Western American tribes in an herbal tea.
• Juniperus scopulorum leaves and inner bark were boiled by some Plateau tribes to make a drink for coughs and fevers. The berries were also boiled into a drink to help with constipation and colds.

K Plants

• Krascheninnikovia lanata was used for many different health problems.

L Plants

• Larrea tridentata was used by Native Americans in the Southwest for many illnesses, including tuberculosis, chicken pox, painful periods, and snakebites. It is still used as medicine in Mexico.
• Lobelia was used for breathing and muscle problems, and to help clear the system. The most common species used today is Lobelia inflata.

M Plants

• Mahonia aquifolium was used by some Plateau tribes for upset stomach.
• Mahonia nervosa root was made into a drink by some Plateau tribes for rheumatism.
• Mahonia repens roots were used by the Tolowa and Karok of Northwest California for blood and cough tonics, and by other tribes for various purposes.
• Malosma root bark was used by the Chumash to make an herbal tea for diarrhea.
• Menispermum canadense was used by the Cherokee to help with constipation. The root was used for skin diseases. The Lenape used it in a salve (a healing ointment) for skin sores.

P Plants

• Pectis papposa was used as food and medicine.
• Persicaria amphibia was used as medicine.
• Pinus quadrifolia resin was used by the Cahuilla to make a face cream, often by girls, to prevent sunburn. The resin was also used as glue for pottery and arrowheads. The nuts were given to babies, ground into a drink or mush, roasted, and traded. Pine needles and roots were used for baskets, and bark for house roofs. The wood was burned for heat and incense. The Diegueno also ate the nuts and seeds.
• Pinus strobus resin was used by the Chippewa to treat infections and gangrene.
• Pluchea sericea was used to stop diarrhea and as an eyewash.
• Podophyllum peltatum was used to make you throw up, clear the system, and get rid of worms. They also boiled the poisonous root and used the water for stomach aches.
• Populus tremuloides bark contains a substance that can be used like quinine (a medicine for fever).
• Prunus emarginata was used by Kwakwaka'wakw and other tribes for medicine, such as poultices and bark drinks.
• Prunus virginiana root bark was made into a rough drink to prevent or treat colds, fever, and stomach problems by Native Americans.
• Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium, ssp obtusifolium was used for various purposes.

R Plants

• Ribes aureum was used as medicine by several tribes.
• Ribes divaricatum was used by various tribes in the Pacific Northwest.
• Ribes glandulosum (skunk currant) root was used in a compound tea for back pain and "female weakness" by the Ojibwa people. The Cree people used a tea from the stem to prevent blood clots after birth. The Algonquin people ate the berries.
• Ribes laxiflorum was used to make an infusion for an eyewash (from roots or branches, by the Bella Coolah). Teas from bark were used for tuberculosis (with roots, by the Skokomish) or for the common cold (Skagit). Leaves and twigs were used as a general health tonic (Lummi).
• Ribes oxyacanthoides was used as medicine.

S Plants

• Sage is a small evergreen shrub used to treat inflammation, infections, and long-term illnesses. It helped with stomach cramps, bloating, bleeding, bruises, skin disease, coughs, sweating, flu, depression, obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Sage could be used in tea, food, as a poultice, or in smoke. It has oils that help with digestion, muscle spasms, and fighting germs. Sage is still used today in food and medicine.

• Salvia apiana seeds were used by several tribes to remove foreign objects from the eye. The Cahuilla women used a tea from the roots for healing and strength after childbirth. Many Native American tribes burn the leaves, using the smoke in purification rituals. A 1991 study showed Salvia apiana has properties that fight bacteria.
• Salvia mellifera leaves and stems were made by the Chumash into a strong tea. This was rubbed on painful areas or used to soak feet. The plant contains compounds that relieve pain.
• Senegalia greggii fresh pods were eaten unripe by the Chemehuevi, Pima, and Cahuilla. The Cahuilla dried and ground the pods for mush and cakes. The Havasupai ground it for bread flour, and the Seri ground it to mix with water and sea lion oil for porridge. The Diegueno used it as animal food. The Cahuilla and Pima used it for building and firewood. The Havasupai split twigs for baskets and used bundles as brooms. The Papago broke twigs for baskets and curved them for difficult weaves. Papago deer hunters wore branches as a disguise. The buds and blossoms were dried for perfume. Branches were used to get saguaro fruits, and rods to remove flesh from animal skins. The Pima used the wood for bows.
• Silene latifolia, subspecies alba: A drink from this plant was used by the Ojibwa as a medicine. Note that this plant came from Europe and was not originally from the Americas.

T Plants

• Tobacco was used for many different medical purposes.
• Trichostema lanatum was used for various medical reasons.
• Trichostema lanceolatum was used by natives of northern California for colds and fevers, pain relief, and to keep fleas away.
• Triodanis perfoliata was used for various purposes.

U Plants

• Poultices made from Umbellularia leaves helped with rheumatism and nerve pain. A tea from the leaves treated stomach aches, colds, sore throats, and cleared mucus in the lungs. The leaves were steeped in hot water to wash sores. The Pomo and Yuki tribes of Mendocino County treated headaches by placing a leaf in the nostril or washing the head with a laurel leaf drink.

V Plants

• Virginia iris was used by the Cherokee and other tribes in the southeastern United States for its healing properties. The root was pounded into a paste for skin sores. A drink from the root treated liver problems. It may have been used by the Seminole to treat shock after an alligator bite.

W Plants

• The inner bark of willow trees was used by Native American groups for headaches, bleeding cuts, skin sores, fever, coughs, hoarseness, stomach pain, and diarrhea. The inner bark was often made into tea, but also into a poultice for broken bones or used to wash skin and hair for healing and growth.

Willow bark contains salicin, a compound like aspirin that reduces inflammation, fever, and pain. Different ways of preparing willow led to its many uses. For example, the Thompson people made a mix of wood, willow, and other plants for broken bones. For a cold, they made a tea from red willow branches and wild rose roots.

Y Plants

• Yucca glauca was used by the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Lakota, and other tribes.