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Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts
2021
Ethnobotany Interpretive Signs at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden
Magalloway E. Gammons [email protected]
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Recommended Citation Gammons, Magalloway E., "Ethnobotany Interpretive Signs at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden" (2021). Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts. 326. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/utpp/326
This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Welcome to the ethnobotany tour of the Fort Missoula Na ve Plant Garden!
Follow the signs to learn about 10 important na ve plants and their tradi onal Salish uses.
The Salish (Seliš) people have lived in what is now western Montana for thousands of years. Before se ler contact, the Bi erroot Valley was the center of their territory, and what is now Missoula was an important area for cu hroat trout fishing and for harves ng plants for food and medicine.
In 1891, the Salish were forced onto the Flathead reserva on along with the Kalispell and Kootenai people, known collec vely as the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Salish people now live throughout western Montana and beyond and are revitalizing their tradi ons which include a deep knowledge of plants and their uses.
** Please don’t harvest from this space if you aren’t trained. Misiden fica on can result in poisoning yourself. Golden currant – stm̀ tú Ribes aureum
Golden currant is a mid-sized shrub with dis nc ve leaves, whose opening are one of the first signs of spring in Missoula. Its yellow flowers a ract early pollinators, and songbirds enjoy ea ng its berries. Find golden currants along streams, plains, and
woodlands throughout the state. Berries range in color from translucent yellow Three-lobed to deep red or black leaves
This plant is both edible and medicinal. Currants can be eaten fresh in the summer, dried like raisins for future use, or mashed with meat to make pemmican, an important tradi onal food for the Salish.
Clusters of yellow tubular flowers Chokecherry – ɫx̣ʷoɫx̣ʷalqʷ Prunus virginiana
Pointed, finely Clusters of toothed leaves white flowers
Chokecherry is a small tree that is common throughout the state. Its fragrant flowers a ract many pollinators, and its ripe fruits are a tasty food source for many birds and mammals. The cherries, though tart, are edible and full of an oxidants.
Chokecherries ripen in September, which is called łx̣ʷłosp̓ qniʔ̓ or “chokecherry month” in Salish. The cherries can be harvested in abundance and made into pemmican and jellies or dried for later use. The Salish also have medicinal uses for chokecherry bark, Dark purple cherries branches, and resin. Blue elderberry – ckʷikʷ̓ Sambucus cerulea
Dusty dark Clusters of fragrant blue berries white flowers
Elderberry shrubs grow alongside streams and in mountain forests, providing food and shelter for wildlife. Cooked elderberries are also a tasty treat for humans, and make delicious wine, jams, syrups, and pies. But be careful-- uncooked or unripe berries contain alkaloids that can cause nausea.
All parts of blue elderberry shrubs have medicinal or edible value to the Salish people. The berries boost the immune system, and a tea made from elderberry bark has been used to aid Thin, pointed leaves mothers in childbirth. Bi erroot – sp̓éƛ̓m Lewisia rediviva
Pink to white petals This small wildflower exists as an unassuming cluster of leaves for most of the year, un l it blooms in early summer in an extravagant show of pink petals. The delicate beauty of Bi erroot has made it Montana’s state flower. You can find it growing close to the ground in open, dry soils in west and central Montana.
Bi erroot is very important in Salish culture. Historically, in Clusters of thick late spring, Salish women would dig huge quan es of green leaves at the base of the plant bi erroot, then peel, wash, and dry the roots in the sun. Present-day Missoula, including the Fort Missoula area, was an important bi erroot digging ground prior to development and the forced removal of the Salish people.
Edible root **you should never harvest Bi erroot from the wild! Ponderosa pine – sʔátqʷłp Pinus Ponderosa Long, fragrant needles in clusters of 3 This majes c evergreen is Montana’s state tree. You can iden fy it by its excep onally long needles and reddish bark, which smells richly of vanilla (take a sniff!). Many birds, chipmunks, and squirrels eat ponderosa pine nuts and use its bark and needles for nes ng.
The Salish people have many edible, medicinal, spiritual, and household uses for Ponderosa pine. Large, woody cones with sharp The seeds, sap, and cambium layer are all edible, points at the p and were tradi onally eaten as treats. There are of each scale also various medicinal uses for the resin, needles, and pitch. The wood of Ponderosa pines is a fine building material. Black co onwood - mulš Populus trichocarpa
This large deciduous tree grows along waterways in dense stands called “galleries.” It Broad, heart-shaped leaves has ridged, grayish bark and broad green leaves. In spring, co onwoods produce long fluffy puffs of “co on” which are carried on the breeze for miles to disperse seeds.
The Salish people have long known of the an - microbial and an -inflammatory proper es of co onwood and have used the bark and leaves for a variety of medicinal purposes. The edible sap of young co onwoods can also be eaten as a sweet treat.
Wooly catkins Red osier dogwood - stéčcxʷ Cornus sericea
White, flat- topped clusters Red-osier dogwood (also known as ”red willow”) is of flowers bloom in a medium-sized shrub with dis nc ve red bark. In midsummer the late summer, its sour white berries are eaten by many animals. Red osier dogwood can be found in moist soils along streams and rivers across Montana. Smooth, pointed leaves Red osier dogwood is so abundant in this region that the Salish name for the Bi erroot River, nstetcčxʷtetkʷ, means “waters of the Red Osier Dogwood.” Salish people have many uses for this na ve plant. The sour white berries can be mixed with serviceberries for ea ng. Its flexible branches can be used to make sweat lodges, snowshoes, and other useful items. The leaves and inner bark Red bark are also used in a smoking mixture with tobacco. Rocky Mountain juniper - púnłp Juniperus scopulorum
This species of juniper grows like a tree, with Scaly leaves shredded gray bark and scaly evergreen leaves. Its blue ”berries” are eaten by many birds and small mammals. Junipers are extremely hardy, slow- growing, and long-lived. They commonly live for 100-300 years, but some have survived for over 3,000 years! Dusty blue-green “berries” Rocky Mountain juniper has many medicinal uses. The Salish have used a tea made from the needles and berries to treat colds, pneumonia, fevers, and more. The branches from juniper trees are commonly burned as a purifying incense. Oregon-grape - scals̓ Mahonia repens
This evergreen shrub has waxy, pointed leaves that resemble holly. Its small yellow flowers a ract pollinators in early spring, and its dusty blue “grapes” feed birds in the fall. The fruits are edible, but sour, and make lovely preserves.
Oregon-grape has been a prized food plant for the Salish people, who tradi onally ate the berries cooked or dried, o en with the addi on of a sweetener. The bright yellow roots are known by the Salish to aid in healing wounds, respiratory illnesses, and rheuma sm.
Clusters of small, round, yellow Dusty blue flowers “grapes”
Pointy leaves vary in color from purple to bronze to deep green Serviceberry - słáq Amelanchier alnifolia Berries range from red to deep blue Clusters of flowers with 5 white petals This common na ve shrub can be found throughout Montana in forests, meadows, and along streams and rivers. Its fragrant, early-blooming white flowers are a sign of spring turning to summer. Bees love the blooms, and the shrubs provide food and shelter for many wildlife species.
Serviceberries are an important tradi onal food, and they can be harvested in abundance in the fall. Since they are not par cularly juicy, the Salish tradi onally preserved the berries in dried cakes or as pemmican. Medicinally, the berries are a mild laxa ve, and the bark and leaves are astringent. Lightly serrated round leaves Bibliography
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