The Plant Lady

 Acorns (Quercus sp) [Ojibwe: mitigomin]  used by Menominee, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Dakota, Omaha-Ponca, Winnebago, Pawnee

All acorns are edible, but some are sweeter than others, i.e. swamp oak. The bitterness is from tannin but this can be removed by leaching. After leaching the bitterness with wood ash, burying in mud for eight to twelve months, or repeated changes of water, the acorns were roasted and eaten as is or ground into a meal.

 Arrowhead (Sagittaria cuneata, S. latifolia) used by Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Dakota, Omaha-Ponca, Winnebago, Pawnee, 

corms used like potatoes; MUST be cooked, but can also be dried and ground into flour

Aster (Aster cordifolius, A. macrophyllus, A. nemoralis, A. novae-angliae, A. puniceus)

used by Ojibwe 

leaves were boiled and eaten with fish (unable to determine which species was eaten; all were used for medicine).

 Beech (Fagus grandifolia) used by Potawatomi

nuts eaten raw, roasted, or ground into flour/meal

 Blackberry (Rubus villosus, R. allegheniensis) used by Ojibwe, Potawatomi Not only the delectable fruit is edible, so are tender, young sprouts and twigs after peeling them. The leaves are used as an herbal tea and in tea mixtures 

 Blueberry (Vaccinium sp) used by Cree, Menominee, Ojibwe, Potawatomi Eaten both raw or dried/charred for winter usage

 Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) used by Ojibwe, Potawatomi

fresh or dried for winter use

 Bugleweed (Lycopus asper) [Ojibwe: aandegopin] used by Ojibwe

roots dried and boiled

Cattail (Typha latifolia) 

used by Dakota, Ojibwe, Omah-Ponca, Pawnee, Winnebago

roots, young sprouts, white part of older shoots; green cattail is the immature fruit, which can be boiled and eaten; yellow pollen can be added to any baked good after the pollen has been dried.

 Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) 

used by Dakota, Ojibwe, Omaha-Ponca, Pawnee

when fully ripened, eaten fresh or dried for winter use

 Cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus) used by Ojibwe, Potawatomi

cooked and sweetened with maple syrup or sugar; dried for winter use

 Currant (Ribes spp) 

used by Ojibwe

ripe fruits eaten fresh or dried for winter use

 Dandelion (Leontodon taraxicum) 

used by Ojibwe, Mohegan

 Ginger, Wild (Asarum canadense L.) 

used by Ofibwe\

used as a seasoning and cooked with food to aid digestion

 Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) 

used by Ojibwe

leaves/needles used to make a tea

 Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) 

used by Ojibwe

tubers eaten raw 

 Juneberry,  Saskatoon, Serviceberry or Shadbush (Amelanchier spp) 

used by Ojibwe, Dakota, Omaha-Ponca, Winnebago

berries were used for food

 Labrador Tea (Ledum groenlanicum) 

used be Menominee, Ojibwe, Potawatomi 

leaves used to make a tea

 Lamb's Quarter (Chenopodium alba) 

used by Dakota, Omaha, Ojibwe, Pawnee

young, tender greens cooked and eaten, seeds used as seasoning, cereal, and ground into flour

 Maize or corn (Zea mays) 

used by Dakota, Menominee, Ojibwe, Omaha-Ponca, Pawnee, Potawatomi

main staple grain used fresh roasted, dried and/or parched and ground into flour/meal

Maple  (Acer saccharum, A. saccharinum) 

used by Dakota, Menominee, Ojibwe, Omaha-Ponca, Winnebago

Used by many tribes, the sweet sap was made into sugar, but also used as a refreshing drink

Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L., A. exaltata) 

used by Ojibwe, Omaha-Ponca, Pawnee, Winnebago

spring sprouts were boiled and eaten as were the flower buds and young, green pods

 Raspberry (Rubus strigosus Michx) 

used by Dakota, Ojibwe, Omaha-Ponca, Pawnee, Winnebago

fruits eaten fresh or dried for winter use, twigs and leaves used as a tea

 Rose (Rosa virginiana, R. acicularis, R. arkansana, R. blanda)

used by Dakota, Ojibwe, Omaha-Ponca, Pawnee, 

flower buds and rose hips were eaten fresh; fresh and dried hips were used for tea

 Spruce (Picca rubra) 

used by Ojibwe

leaves/needles used to make a tea

 Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) 

used by Dakota, Menominee, Ojibwe, Omaha-Ponca, Pawnee, Potawatomi, Winnebago

 Wild Rice (Zizania palustris) 

used by Cree, Menominee, Ojibwe [manoomin], Potawatomi [manomin]

main dietary staple, boiled, parched and boiled, combined with meats, vegetables, fruits, or by itself

Winter cress  

 Wintergreen, teaberry, checkerberry (Gaultheria procumbens) 

used by Ojibwe

berries were eaten fresh and the leaves were used for tea