Prairie Flax (Linum lewisii)

This native Utah perennial is highly valued for its versatility as a source of medicine, food, and fiber. The Shoshone and Gosiute Tribes make poultices from the plant to treat swelling, while the Shoshone also prepare an infusion from the roots to use as an eye medicine. The Great Basin Indian Tribe uses the roots and stems to create string.

Sacred Thornapple (Datura wrightii)

This dusk-blooming native perennial is used ceremonially, medicinally, and as a food source. Many Tribes use it as a hallucinogen in ceremonial practices. Hopi medicine men chew the roots to induce visions for diagnosing ailments and the Shoshone drink a decoction of the roots to enter a trance state and experience visions. The Navajo dry the fruit—after soaking and boiling it—to preserve it for winter consumption.

Golden Currant (Ribes aureum)

This deciduous native shrub is cherished for its medicinal and nutritional value. The Paiute and Shoshone Tribes prepare a decoction from the inner bark to treat leg swellings. The Paiute and Ute Tribes enjoy the berries as a food source, eating them fresh or drying them for later use.

Northern Maidenhair (Adiantum pedatum)

This graceful fern serves multiple uses as medicine, fiber, and decoration. The Cherokee use a decoction from the whole plant to treat fever. The Hesquiat Tribe value this fern for its ability to enhance endurance; Hesquiat dancers take it to stay light on their feet, allowing them to dance for extended periods without tiring. Similarly, dancers from the Nitinaht Tribe also use it to make them light-footed. Additionally, the Karok and Makah Tribes use the dark stems in their basketry to make black color within their design.

Boxelder Maple (Acer negundo)

This is the most widely distributed of all the North American maples, spanning from coast to coast and stretching from Canada to Guatemala. It can be seen growing in our Natural Area. This tree is highly valued for its natural sweetness, a trait appreciated by many Indigenous Tribes. The Apache, Chiricahua, and Mescalero Tribes utilize its inner bark as a dried food and sweetener. They scrape and dry the inner bark for winter use and boil it to crystallize its sugar.

Stinking Gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima)

This versatile plant has a wide range of uses, including medicine, food, dye, and ceremonial purposes. The Cahuilla Tribe applies its pulp to treat open sores, and dried gourds are crafted into ladles and rattles. The seeds are ground into flour to prepare a nourishing mush, while the bright yellow blossoms are used to produce dye. Additionally, both the root and fruit serve as natural soap and bleach.

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)

Sassafras roots are famously known as the original source of root beer, but Native Americans have been crafting beverages from Sassafras for centuries. The Cherokee and Chippewa Tribes use the roots to make a pleasant, tea-like drink. Beyond beverages, Sassafras is highly valued as a medicinal plant. Many Tribes regard it as a blood medicine. The Chippewa and Choctaw use the roots to thin the blood, while the Iroquois utilize it to treat high blood pressure and nosebleeds.

False Aloe (Manfreda virginica)

The roots of this plant hold siginificant medicinal value. The Catawba, Creek, and Seminole Tribes all use the roots to treat snake bites. The Cherokee Tribe uses the roots to treat diarrhea.