NATIVE AMERICAN FOOD PLANTS

Only when documentation has been found are specific tribal names given. Only 

species considered safe to consume and not endangered are included.


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


Bugleweed roots


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 Abnaki, Algonquin, Blackfoot, 

Cherokee, Cree, Crow, Dakota, Navajo, 

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 Chippewa/Ojibwe

used as a seasoning and cooked with food 

to aid digestion


Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta var. cornuta)

used by Chippewa/Ojibwe, Karok,

Menominee, Potawatomi, Sanpoil and 

Nespelem, Shuswap, Skagit, Snohomish, 

Squaxin, Swinomish, Thompson, Tolowa, 

Yuki

Nuts eaten raw, roasted, or dried for winter 

use


Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) 

used by Ojibwe

leaves/needles used to make a tea


Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus 

tuberosus) 

used by Cherokee, Cheyanne, Hopi, 

Iroquois, Lakota, Ojibwe, Omaha


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 (Muskeegobug

 Aniibi,  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 Arawak, Dakota, Menominee, 

Ojibwe, Omaha-Ponca, Papago, Pawnee, 

Pima, Potawatomi, and 

throughout Mesoamerica.


main staple grain used fresh roasted, dried 

and/or parched and ground into flour/meal





Maple  (Acer saccharum, A. saccharinum) 

used by Algonquin, Cherokee, Dakota, 

Menominee, Ojibwe, Omaha-Ponca, 

Potawatomi, 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  Barbarea vulgaris

used by Cherokee, Mohegan, Shinnecock


Leaves used in salads or parboiled, rinsed, 

and cooked until tender as potherbs.

Wintergreen, teaberry, checkerberry 

(Gaultheria procumbens) 

used by Abenaki, Algonquin, Cherokee, 

Iroquois, Ojibwe

berries were eaten fresh and the leaves 

were used for tea; dried fruit cakes soaked in

 warm water and cooked as a sauce