Site Suitable Native Plant Species List

The Meadow Natural
Burial Ground
Site Suitable Native Plant Species

Table of Contents
Evergreen Trees…………………………………….……………………....5-8
Douglas Fir ……………………………………………...………...6
Shore Pine………………………………………………………….7
Western Red Cedar………………………………………...………8
Deciduous Trees……………………………………………….……… ....9-15
Paper Birch………………………………………………..…….. 10
Big Leaf Maple……………………………………………...……11
Red Alder…………………………………………………………12
Bitter Cherry………………………………...……………………13
Gary Oak …………………………………...………………...14-15
Shrubs……………………………………………………….…………...16-27
Serviceberry …………………………………..……….…………16
Cascara……………………………………….………..………… 17
Red Elderberry……………………………….…….……………..18
Snowberry …………………………………………...…………...19
Thimbleberry…………………………………............................. 20
Mock Orange ……………………………………..…………..21-22
Red Flowering Currant……………………………………..…… 23
Baldhip Rose………………………………….……….……….... 24
Hazelnut …………………………………….…….……………...25
Oceanspray ………………………………….…………………...26
Salal…………………………………………….……………….. 27
Herbaceous/Groundcover……………………………………...……….. 28-38
Kinnikinnik …………………………………….…….………......29
Fireweed .…………………………………….............…………..30
Big-Leaf Lupine…………………………..……………………... 31
Bleeding Heart………………………….……………………….. 32
Nodding Onion ………………………….……………………….33
Great Camas……………………………..………………………. 34
Great White Fawn Lily………………………….………………. 35
White columbine …………………………………….…………...36
Fringecup…………………………………….………………….. 37
Western Trillium……………………………………………….. ..38
Ferns ………………………………………………..…………………...39-41
Sword Fern ……………………………………………………... 40
Braken Fern ……………………………………………………...41
Work Cited…………………………………………………..……………....42
What is Ethnobotany?
3

Ethnobotany is the systematic study of the interactions between a culture and
the plants in its environment, particularly the knowledge about and use of
such plants (Webster).
4

Douglas Fir
(Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Maximum Height: 300’
Light Needs: Shade Intolerant
Water Tolerance: Dry
Distinguishing Characteristics: Very long lived. The
thick bark of mature Douglas fir trees make them resistant
to fire. Attractive to butterflies.
Ethnobotany: Coastal indigenous peoples used the wood
for fuel, spear handles, harpoons, fire tongs, and
fishhooks. The pitch was used to seal the joints of tools
and other implements, for caulking canoes and to make
salves for wounds and skin irritations. The pitch, like that
of many coniferous trees, was used to make a medicinal
salve for wounds and skin irritations.
6

Shore Pine
(Pinus contorta)
Light Needs: Highly Adaptable
Water Tolerance: Dry or Wet
Distinguishing Characteristics: Can have a “twisted”
appearance and rarely takes a straight form. Birds favor
its nuts.
Ethnobotany: A tea from the bark was made by
indigenous peoples for stomach disorders, and to purify
the blood, and it was applied externally on cuts and sores.
The pitch was used for stomach aches, coughs and sores,
7

for waterproofing and as a cleansing agent. Its gum was
chewed to give women fertility. Sheets of the bark were
used to make baskets and small canoes.
Western Red Cedar
(Thuja plicata)
Light Needs: Shade Dependent
Distinguishing Characteristics: Good for bird shelter
and nests. Have long lives, up to 1000 years.
Ethnobotany: Western red cedar tree is the cornerstone
of the coastal northwest US & Canadian Salish Indian
culture. The bark, which strips off without harming the
tree, is used to make cord, clothing, hats and baskets. The
8

wood is used for house planks and posts, totems and
mortuary poles, tools, dishes, canoes and fishing gear.
Salmon is still dried over red cedar fires. Red cedars were
also believed to have strong spiritual and physical
medicine for many other ailments.
Deciduous
Trees
9

Paper Birch
(Betula papyrifera)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Noticeable by its flaking
bark. Seeds for birds.
Ethnobotany: Indigenous peoples used Paper Birch to
make a medicinal tea. Spruce gum may also be chewed
and swallowed as a medicine. In the past, the Gwich’in
also used birch to make net needles, paddles, drum
10

frames, chairs and furniture, toboggans, snow shovels and
scoops, and handles for knives, axes, awls, slingshots, dog
whips and sleds.
Big Leaf Maple
(Acer macrophyllum)
Light Needs: Shade adaptable
Distinguishing Characteristics: Good nectar and seed
source for birds. It is the largest species of maple in the
Puget Sound region of Washington State.
Ethnobotany: Natives ate the fresh cambium in small
quantities. The inner bark was also used to make baskets
and rope. The leaves, like Skunk Cabbage leaves, were
used as a base for drying berries. The large leaves were
also used for storing food during the winter or burned in
11

steaming pits to add flavor to food. The wood was made
into paddles. It was also used for spindle whorls and
various other implements such as oars and combs.
Red Alder
(Alnus rubra)
Light Needs: Shade adaptable
Distinguishing Characteristics: Quick growing, builds
soil nutrients.
Ethnobotany: Red alder wood was used for smoking
salmon and other fish and made into handsome bowls,
rattles, and other wood handcrafts. Red Alder bark was
also used to make orange and red dyes. The inner bark has
12

been eaten as a spring food, and used medicinally for
respiratory issues due to its antimicrobial properties.
Bitter Cherry
(Prunus emarginata)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Bright red cherries,
white blossoms in Spring.
Ethnobotany: The bitter fruits were eaten, though
disagreeable in flavor were best used in jams. The cherry
bark was peeled from the tree and polished to a rich red.
Strips of the bark were woven into decorative baskets to
give color to work.
13

Gary Oak
(Quercus garryana)
Light Needs: Shade adaptable but prefers sunlight
Distinguishing Characteristics: Garry oak trees flower
in spring as the leaves appear. The leaves are deeply
lobed dark green above and greenish–yellow with red to
yellow hairs below.
Ethnobotany: The Salish peoples of the Puget Sound
region in Washington State ate the acorns. The wood was
used to make combs and digging sticks as well as for fuel
The acorns of all the oaks are potentially edible when
properly prepared. Acorns of the latter group are usually
14

higher in bitter-tasting tannins. Acorns, like other nuts,
were commonly gathered from the ground in the fall by
women and children. Sometimes acorns were buried in
the ground over winter before being used. Acorns were
also dried and made into meal for use in soups and other
dishes. The bark was one of the ingredients in the Saanich
'4 barks' medicine used against tuberculosis and other
ailments.
15

Serviceberry
(Amelanchier alnifolia)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Berry like fruit eaten by
wildlife
Ethnobotany: Many indigenous peoples ate Saskatoon
berries, made medicine from roots, stems and berries to
treat a wide range of minor complaints, and made arrows,
digging sticks and drying baskets from the wood. Today
the fruit is still valued, and commercial and garden
varieties have been developed. Serviceberry has bright
white blooms in spring and its blue berries ripen in mid
summer.
17

Cascara
(Rhamnus purshiana)
Light Needs: Shade Adaptable
Distinguishing Characteristics: Edible blue and black
berries
Ethnobotany: The bark was boiled and the tea (or syrup)
was drunk by several First Peoples. The bark was best
considered harvested in late October and early November
because the sap has descended down the trunk. After the
bark was harvested it was allowed to age before use
because the fresh bark is said to be nauseating. Usually a
handful of bark per quart of water was boiled for use.
18

Red Elderberry
(Sambucus racemosa)
Water Tolerance: Seasonal Moisture
Distinguishing Characteristics: Butterflies, birds and
wildlife are attracted to the flowers in spring and summer
months. It’s fast growing. Grows quickly in forest edges,
clearings or newly disturbed site that are moist or wet.
Ethnobotany: The fruits were boiled to make a sauce or
cooked with the stems intact. The berries made an
excellent tangy jelly. Caches of red elderberries have been
found in archaeological sites dating back hundreds of
years. The stems, bark, leaves and roots, especially in
19

fresh plants, are toxic due to the presence of cyanide-
producing glycosides so were avoided.
Snowberry
(Symphoricarpos albus)
Distinguishing Characteristics: White berries persist
throughout winter months. The fine branches make
wonderful dense cover for nesting birds and other critters.
Ethnobotany: The white berries were considered
poisonous by indigenous tribes and animals rarely eat
them. Various medicines have been made from the
snowberry plant, but the literature that is available is
generally vague. The Navajo have made sore throat and
cold remedies from it and the Paiute are known to have
used the snowberry for indigestion or stomach pains.
20

Thimbleberry
(Rubus parviflorus)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Raspberry-like berries.
Thimbleberry has no thorns unlike others berry bushes of
its genus. Thimbleberry’s fine branches make dense cover
for nesting birds.
Ethnobotany: Thimbleberries were enjoyed by all First
Peoples fresh, or dried with smoked/roasted clams. The
broad, maple-like leaves can be fashioned easily into
makeshift berry containers. The young shoots were
21

collected in bulk in early spring through early summer
and were eaten raw as a green vegetable (the sprouts are
sweet and juicy).
Mock Orange
(Philadelphus lewisii)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Butterflies like the
flowers
Ethnobotany: The wood is strong and hard; the branches
were used to make harpoon shafts, bows and arrows,
arrow tips for arrows made from the stems of rye grass,
digging sticks, pipe stems, cradle hoops, snowshoes, and
clubs, as well as for breast-plate armor. For arrows, two-
year-old growth was gathered in winter. The largest,
oldest branches were selected in making bows. The leaves
(and flowers), when put in a basket and rubbed (bruised)
22

with water, lather into a froth. The leaves were then
discarded and the froth used for washing the hands and
for shampooing the hair.
Red-Flowering Currant
(Ribes sanguineum)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Butterflies enjoy the
flowers. DEER-RESISTANT
Ethnobotany: The berries are typically eaten fresh. But
because of their consistency, they might have been
included in various cakes with salal or serviceberries, and
included into various soups.
23

Baldhip Rose
(Rosa gymnocarpa)
Light Needs: Shade Tolerant
Distinguishing Characteristics: Pale pink flowers, petite
leaves
Ethnobotany: A pleasant tea can be made from the
young leaves and twigs and was drunk as a tonic. A
decoction made by boiling branches or strips of bark was
used also as an eyewash for sore eyes, for cataracts or to
enhance eyesight. The Makah mashed the leaves as a
poultice for sore eyes and any type of abscess. The
chewed leaves were applied to bee stings, and the ripe
24

hips were steeped, mashed and fed to babies with
diarrhea. Leaves and bark were dried and toasted, and the
resulting powder was smoked. Baldhip rose was used for
protection for dance initiates, young people at puberty or
relatives of the deceased.
Hazelnut
(Corylus contorta)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Wildlife attracted to the
nuts.
Ethnobotany: The nuts were picked in early autumn,
stored until fully ripe and then eaten raw, or roasted. The
long, flexible shoots were twisted into rope.
25

Oceanspray
(Holodiscus discolor)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Long, dense clusters of
flowers.
Enthnobotany: It is commonly called ironwood and was
used by indigenous peoples for digging sticks, arrows,
hooks, needles and nails. Also, many drank an infusion of
the brown fruiting clusters for measles and chickenpox.
26

Salal
(Gaultheria shallon)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Pinkish white flowers
producing purplish fruit
Ethnobotany: Salal was an important food source for
many First Peoples of the area. The dark juicy berries
were eaten both fresh and dried into cakes. Salal berries
were used to sweeten other foods and to thicken salmon
eggs. Sometimes they were traded or sold, usually in
combination with other native berries. The young leaves
were chewed as a hunger suppressant. The leafy branches
were used in pit-cooking, and cooked as a flavoring in
fish soup.
27

Kinnikinnik
(Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Waxy leaves, red
flowers.
Ethnobotany: The evergreen leaves were smoked by a
number of Pacific coastal native groups including Salish,
Haida and Nuxalk who made special pipes from
gooseberry stems. It was also used by the Haida as a
diuretic in kidney disease and to treat infections. It was
best known for treating bacterial infections.
29

Fireweed
(Chamerion angustifolium)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Spikes of large red/pink
flowers. Butterflies attracted to them in the spring and
summer.
Ethnobotany: Medicinally fireweed is widely known for
anti-inflammatory properties. Fireweed seed fluff was
often used by indigenous peoples when weaving blankets
and as a fire starter.The inner part of the stem, especially
in young plants, is sweet and succulent. Some coastal
First Peoples ate Fireweed raw as a green vegetable. The
30

fibrous outer part of the stem (after inner portion eaten)
was twisted into twine for fish-nets.
Big-Leaf Lupine
(Lupinus polyphyllus)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Showy violet flowers
which attract butterflies.
Ethnobotany: Over the centuries, lupine leaves, stems
and roots have been prepared medicinally for a variety of
31

internal and skin issues. However, because they contain
bitter-tasting toxic alkaloids, lupines were not a source of
food for humans.
Bleeding Heart
(Dicentra formosa)
Maximum Height: 20”
Distinguishing Characteristics: Drooping, heart shaped
pink flowers
Ethnobotany: Medicinally, bleeding heart has an
analgesic action and was used to treat pain including
toothache, sprains or bruises. When taken internally as a
tincture, bleeding heart herb had a calming effect and
helped those with anxiety.
32

Nodding Onion
(Allium cernuum)
Maximum Height:20”
Distinguishing Characteristics: Pink, bell shaped
flowers, onion smell
Ethnobotany: The onion bulbs were often steamed and
eaten, and were sometimes chewed raw for pain.
33

Great Camas
(Camassia leitchlinii)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Blue-violet flowers in
long spike, very attractive to native butterflies.
34

Ethnobotany: Camas bulbs were an important staple
food of many Native American peoples, so important that
the camas fields could be owned and inherited. The bulbs
were harvested while they were blooming or soon
afterward so they would not be confused with the death
camas that is highly poisonous.
Great White Fawnlily
(Erythronium oregonum)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Showy white bloom at
the top of stem.
35

Ethnobotany: Indigenous peoples of Western
Washington State steamed and ate the corms and used
juice from the plants for cuts and sore eyes.
Western Columbine
(Aquilegia formosa)
Water Tolerance: Dry to Seasonal Moisture
Distinguishing Characteristics: Nodding, multi-star
shaped red flowers, attracts hummingbirds.
Ethnobotany: Medicinally, indigenous peoples used
Western Columbine as an analgesic to relieve arthritic
pain by rubbing the leaves over aching joints. Some
scraped the roots and smeared the milky pulp on a sore to
36

form a scab. Others chewed the leaves for coughs and
sore throats and made a decoction of roots for a cold
remedy. Some chewed seeds to make a perfume.
Fringecup
(Tellma grandiflora)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Prominent basal leaves,
flowers up stalk
Ethnobotany: The Skagit made tea from Fringecup to
stimulate their appetite. It is also known as a special
37

medicine to the Ditidaht people for its invigorating
properties.
Western Trillium
(Trillium ovatum)
Light Needs: Shade Dependent
Distinguishing Characteristics: Single, white flowers
38

Ethnobotany: Juice from smashed plants used as drops
for sore eyes. The flower represented the trilogy and the
sacred number three.
Ferns
39

Sword Fern
(Polystichum manitum)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Often seen on forest
floor surrounding cedar trees
Ethnobotany: Sword fern fronds were used by First
Peoples as a protective layer in traditional pit ovens,
between food in storage boxes and baskets and on berry-
drying racks. The fronds were also used as flooring and
40

bedding. The large rhizomes were dug in the spring (with
some tribes the rhizomes were only eaten as a starvation
food). The rhizomes were roasted over a fire or steamed
in a traditional pit oven, then peeled and eaten for
digestive issues.
Braken Fern
(Pteridium alquilnium)
41

Distinguishing Characteristics: Unlike the Sword Fern,
sprouts grow alone and not in bunches.
Ethnobotany: Virtually all coastal groups use the
rhizomes as food. Most groups would dig them up in late
fall or winter. They coiled up the rhizomes and allowed
them to dry. One tribe broke the rhizomes into pieces four
finger-widths long and ate them with salmon eggs.
Information gathered from the following sources:
Basic plant info:
Northwest Ecological Services, LLC,
www.nwecological.com
Ethnobotany:
Pojar, Jim and Andy MacKinnon (eds.). 1994. Plants of
the Pacific Northwest coast. Vancouver, BC: Lone Pine
Andre, Alestine and Alan Fehr, Gwich'in Ethnobotany,
2nd ed. (2002)
Wild Plants and Native Peoples of the Four Corners by
William W. Dunmire & Gail D. Tierney
Webster Dictionary
42

Pictures of plants:
Washington State University
http://www.pnwplants.wsu.edu/PlantDisplay
43

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