Provide Easily Accessible Free Fresh Edible Food when in Season
Teach the Origin of Food and Provide Sustainability for Nimiipuu Way
Improve Dietary Habits through Education and Action Promote Food Security
Increase the Food Supply for Pollinators
Strengthen the Community Bond and Camaraderie in the Town
Beautify Main Street and Instill a Sense of Pride
Kúckuc Temenikées Paaqáham // Five Little Gardens
Welcome to Nez Perce country. Lapwai, Idaho is headquarters of the Nez Perce Tribe, a federally recognized Indian Tribe with more than 3,500 strong enrolled Tribal members. At present, Lapwai is the highest concentration where Nez Perce live and work every day.
Lapwai got its name for being home to a variety of butterflies many years ago. The name ‘Lapwai’ comes from a Nimiipuutimpt, Nez Perce word, łepłéepwey, which means place of the (łéepłep) butterflies. At certain times of the year the butterflies would be in such abundance that they could be visible even from a far distance.
For thousands of years, before being placed on this reservation, the Nez Perce people followed seasonal food and traveled to where they knew ample food supplies would be for the taking. The Nimiipuu, the People, harvested their foods with extended families. Depending on the band of people their diet consisted of primarily plants, roots, berries, meat and fish when available. They consumed fish, especially salmon, wild meats such as elk, deer, big horn sheep and bison, plants such as qém’es (camas), qáws, huckleberries, other roots and medicines harvested for use. The Nez Perce became experts at preserving large amounts of food stored in caches for their winter supply and trade.
The initial focus of ‘The Food for the People Garden Project’ was to develop zeroscape food gardens that replenish themselves with wild traditional and garden variety foods. The gardens were built in Tribal communities on the Nez Perce reservation and offer free food for our people. These gardens work to reduce food scarcity, provide pollinators for the bees and butterflies and educate using the Nez Perce language about traditional foods. The gardens work to support the Nez Perce Tribe Food Sovereignty Initiative that encourages a healthier life-style among the Nimiiipuu people.
According to the U.S. Food Sovereignty Alliance, “Food sovereignty goes well beyond ensuring that people must reclaim their power in the food system to meet their physical needs. It asserts that people must reclaim their power in the food system by rebuilding the relationships between people and the land, and between food providers and those that eat.”
For more information about Nez Perce traditional foods go on the Nez Perce Tribe website, www.nezperce.org and/or Nez Perce National Historical Park, www.nps.gov.
Edible: Delicious, nutrient-rich, and relatively easy to grow berries.
Medicinal: From leaf, root and berry, used for diarrhea, fluid retention, diabetes, gout, pain and swelling (inflammation), throat irritation, and other conditions.
Spiritual: Blackberry canes offer craft material for baskets woven with the stems once the thorns are removed. Berries are jam-packed full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals which can be consumed in larger quantities when entering womanhood (berry-fast).
Edible: After the flowery display, clusters of edible berries form on mature plants, ripening to a deep red, then purple, during the summer. They make a wonderful substitute for blueberries and can be eaten fresh or made into jams and jellies. Birds also enjoy them. Can use the berries in a Native dish called pemmican. This staple food consists of dried meat and animal fat, most often bison, and dried serviceberries, which creates a food rich in fat, calories, and safe from spoiling.
Medicinal: Can use different parts of the serviceberry plant for several medicinal purposes: the fruits are used as juice for treating stomach ailments and as a laxative. Eye- and ear-drops are also prepared from ripe serviceberries. The boiled bark is used as a disinfectant, while the root infusion is used to prevent miscarriage after an injury. Can also be used to prepare a tea from the twigs and stem and administer it to women just after childbirth. Moreover, a tonic from the bark can be given to women after delivery to hasten discharge of the placenta. Be aware that the berries are toxic to livestock, such as cattle, sheep, and goats, since their systems convert a chemical in the fruit to cyanide.
Pollinator: Shrub or multi-stemmed small tree produces fragrant, five-petaled white flowers in early to late spring that supply food for native bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.
Spiritual: With one of spring's earliest, most-vibrant blooms, the plant was a popular indication of winter's passing and the passage of seasons.
Edible: They don’t have a long shelf life, so eat the delicious, healthy fruit fresh off the plants, store in the refrigerator up to three days, or freeze as soon as you’re able to and enjoy from the garden all season long
Medicinal: It has been known for centuries to be used to induce labor and help alleviate certain health problems. The leaves contain antioxidants, potassium, and other beneficial compounds like magnesium, calcium, and other vitamins, such as Vitamins C and B. Smoking raspberry leaf has become increasingly popular as it is a great natural alternative to tobacco without nicotine.
Pollinator: The flowers of the raspberry are very attractive to the bees and bumblebees, because they produce a lot of nectar with a high percentage of sugar
Spiritual: Traditional ceremonies, smoking, prayer, and can be used to prepare a woman for childbirth as well as relieve morning sickness.
Edible: The stems, rhizomes and leaves of ginger all emit the aroma and taste of ginger. Albeit without the fiery heat cultivated ginger (Zingiber officinale) produces. Whilst the flavoring is pleasant and fragrant, wild ginger is not officially considered safe to consume due to toxins. Some foragers claim the risk is only present if large amounts are eaten, however there are other ways to enjoy the flavor of wild ginger without risk. The toxins are not likely to transfer to water, so wild ginger tea and infusions should be perfectly safe to create. Once water has been steeped with wild ginger it can be utilized in many ways, from cocktails to ice-cream!
Pollinator: Provides shade with its heart shaped leaves, grows large colonies of brownish purple wildflowers that attract small pollinating flies
Medicinal: Ginger contains chemicals that might reduce nausea and swelling. These chemicals seem to work in the stomach and intestines, but they might also help the brain and nervous system to control nausea. People commonly use ginger for many types of nausea and vomiting. It's also used for menstrual cramps, osteoarthritis, diabetes, migraine headaches, and other conditions.
Edible: The fruit, although rather dry and mealy, can be eaten and may be cooked with other foods. The leaves can be dried and added to tobacco or used as a substitute. Processing involves gathering the leaves and drying them, after which they may be stored whole, coarsely chopped in herbal tea mixtures, or finely ground and encapsulated.
Medicinal: Traditional medicinal uses include a tea made from the roots that can be drunk to treat a persistent cough or to slow excessive menstrual bleeding. The stem decoction can be drunk to prevent miscarriage, to speed a woman’s recovery after childbirth, or to bring on menstruation. The leaf decoction can be drunk to treat bladder and kidney problems. The astringent fruit with grease can be given to a child to treat diarrhea. The main modern use for the leaves is as a diuretic (activity is probably rather minimal) and urinary tract antiseptic for infections of the bladder, urethra, and kidney.
Pollinator: It will attract butterflies and other pollinators to your gardens with its urn-shaped flowers. In fact, it is the host plant for several butterflies including the hoary elfin and brown elfin.
Edible: The leaves of wild bee balm are edible raw or cooked. They are also used as a flavoring in salads and cooked foods. The flowers make an attractive edible garnish in salads. Fresh or dried flowers and (or) leaves can be brewed into an aromatic tea.
Medicinal: Due to the presence of a high thymol content which is a strong antiseptic (also in thyme), Monarda has been used in infusion form for a variety of ailments in its long past: colds, flu, upper respiratory problems, gas, diarrhea, nausea, fevers and whooping cough, and topically for skin problems and wounds. The boiled leaves were historically wrapped in cloth for sore eyes, headaches, muscle spasms, fungal infections, and under bandages to slow bleeding. The leaves were chewed on battlefields and used for this purpose. Used as a mouthwash, a strong infusion seems to give relief from sore throats, toothaches, and mouth sores.
Pollinator: Bee balm's attractive colors and minty orange scent is favorite for hummingbirds, bumble bees, butterflies and moths.
Edible: Echinacea leaves, flowers, and roots can be used to make tea and tincture. This herbal tea has a very strong floral flavor that’s somewhat bitter. It’s a flavor that takes a while to get used to. The roots are believed to have the highest concentration of active ingredients and thus, have the most benefits. However, echinacea root tisane tastes even stronger than those made of the leaves and flowers. You can make echinacea tea more palatable by adding some sweetness. Raw honey, agave, stevia, and milk can improve the taste greatly. You can also pair it with other herbs, tea, or even fruit to mask the strong flavor and even enhance its effects. Elderberry, lemongrass, lemon balm, peppermint, and citrus fruits complement this herb nicely.
Medicinal: reduces inflammation, improves immunity and lowers blood sugar levels, used as a painkiller and for a variety of ailments, including toothache, coughs, colds, sore throats, and snake bites
Pollinator: Aside from a myriad of pollinating insects, the nectar-rich flowers of coneflowers are also very attractive to ruby-throated hummingbirds. Once flowers have faded, and seeds have ripened, songbirds such as American goldfinches forage the spent heads and eat the seed.
Edible: Flowers have a spicy-sweet fragrance like clove and vanilla and make a decorative addition to Spring salads. The berries are an excellent native food source by themselves and are also useful in recipes for their wonderful flavor sweetened into jams, jellies, pies, or even currant ice cream.
Medicinal: Black currant seed oil contains a chemical called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). GLA might improve immune function and help decrease swelling. Black currant berries contain chemicals called anthocyanins, which have antioxidant effects. There is interest in these chemicals to prevent skin aging and wrinkles. People use black currant for eczema, gout, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, muscle fatigue, wound healing, and many other conditions.
Pollinator: Flowers provide nectar to hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. Birds, bears and rodents eat the fruit.
Edible: Is an herb from the mint family, the leaves, which have a mild lemon aroma, are used to make medicine and flavor foods.
Medicinal: Contains chemicals that seem to have a sedative and calming effect. It might also reduce the growth of some viruses and bacteria. People use it for cold sores, anxiety, stress, insomnia, indigestion, dementia, and many other conditions.
Pollinator: Attracts bees, butterflies and other beneficial pollinators with its small white flowers and is commonly planted around beehives.
Edible: The young shoots, stems, flower buds, immature fruits, and roots of showy milkweed were boiled and eaten as a vegetable by various indigenous groups of eastern and mid-western America. In some areas the young leaves and stems were used as greens.
Pollinator: Because of their unusual structure and relatively large size, the flowers of showy milkweed require relatively large insects for effective pollination.
Medicinal: The sap of Asclepias speciosa was used as a cleansing and healing agent by some of the desert tribes for sores, cuts, and as a cure for warts and ringworm. The silky hairs were burned off the ripe seeds, which were then ground and made into a salve for sores.
Edible: Put a couple tablespoons of fruit in a cup, add a mint leaf or two and a spoonful of honey, then pour in hot water till the cup is not quite full. Let it rest a minute or two, then stir very gently and sip your tea!
Edible: The leaves of wild bee balm are edible raw or cooked. They are also used as a flavoring in salads and cooked foods. The flowers make an attractive edible garnish in salads. Fresh or dried flowers and (or) leaves can be brewed into an aromatic tea.
Medicinal: Aid in colds, flu, upper respiratory problems, gas, diarrhea, nausea, fevers and whooping cough, and topically for skin problems and wounds. The boiled leaves were historically wrapped in cloth for sore eyes, headaches, muscle spasms, fungal infections, and under bandages to slow bleeding. The leaves were chewed on battlefields and used for this purpose. Used as a mouthwash, a strong infusion seems to give relief from sore throats, toothaches, and mouth sores.
Pollinator: Bee balm's attractive colors and minty orange scent is favorite for hummingbirds, bumble bees, butterflies and moths.
Edible: However, arrowleaf balsamroot is not the easiest plant to forage, as the single taproot can grow deep, weighing as much as 30 pounds. For this reason, it is best to harvest the plant parts in the early spring, before the plant blooms. The plant’s tissues contain 30% protein and the roots are used as a substitute for coffee when dried, but can also be baked or steamed as a common food source. Arrowleaf’s protein and low maintenance growth make this plant a perfect option for forage for cattle and wild animals, including sheep and deer.
Medicinal: Builds up the immune system, can be peeled to eat raw the tender inner portion of the young immature flower stems, leaves can also be eaten raw, seeds can be toasted and eaten or ground into meal, to make the roots more palatable they can be baked for several days in a fire pit
Pollinator: This plant blooms starting in April and through July, although you might be lucky to find a few blooms still going in September. A wide variety of wildlife utilizes arrowleaf balsamroot. Deer, elk, bighorn sheep and pronghorn eat the leaves, stems and flowers. Arrowleaf balsamroot is attractive to native pollinators, the seeds are eaten by birds and rodents and it is believed that the presence of arrowleaf balsamroot may serve as an indicator of good habitat for sage-grouse.
Edible: This versatile shrub can be grown for its ornamental value in summer as well as for a tasty supply of blueberry-like fruits.
Medicinal: The flowers, seeds, berries, and leaves are used for medicine and contain essential oils as well as antioxidants such as quercetin. Might decrease swelling, have antiviral effects for indigestion, bacterial or viral infections, memory, diabetes, common cold, and many other conditions.
Pollinator: Attracts pollinator species like hummingbirds, bees, moths, and butterflies.
Edible: Even when fully ripe, the acidic berries [of all Mahonia species] are too bitter to eat raw–they should be cooked into pies, jellies and jams. The flowers are edible, but bitter. The fruit needs to be picked and processed into jam or jelly very quickly, and it stains everything.
Medicinal: Oregon Grape has been used to treat all of the following ailments: poor liver function, digestive problems, eczema, acne, giardia, herpes, and malaria. It is most commonly used for its function as an anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic properties.
Pollinator: Oregon grape plants are extremely beneficial and attractive to wildlife. Flowers provide for pollinators like bees, moths, butterflies, and hummingbirds, while the fruits, which may remain on the plant into winter, are favorites among birds such as towhees, robins, and waxwings, as well as mammals. Some butterfly and moth species rely on Oregon grape plants to host their larvae, including the brown elfin butterfly. Year round cover may support arthropods, birds, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals.
Edible: Although they are technically edible, it is not recommended to consume ornamental peppers and the leaves are toxic to humans and pets. They have been grown for their looks, not their taste. Some of them are very hot (10k-30k Scoville heat units).
Medicinal: The possible health benefits of cayenne pepper may lie in one of its active components, capsaicin. The chemical irritant is what produces the burning sensation in the mouth and on the tongue, and it may also positively contribute to a person's health. There are various recipes for homemade capsaicin available online, which are mostly made by combining peppers with oils, such as olive or coconut oil. People feel pain when a chemical called substance P delivers pain messages to the brain. It's thought that capsaicin could reduce the amount of this substance, resulting in the reduction of pain.
Pollinator: The compact plants bloom inconspicuous off-white flowers – sometimes with a purple tint that require pollination either by hummingbirds, bumblebees or by hand.
Edible: Blueberry whole fruit, juice, and powders are commonly consumed in foods. Blueberry bushes are deciduous shrubs that produce clusters of edible small purple-blue berries in the summer. They are only one of many berry-producing bushes within the Vaccinium family.
Medicinal: Are high in fiber, which can help with normal digestion. They also contain vitamin C, other antioxidants, and chemicals that might reduce swelling and destroy cancer cells. People use blueberries for aging, memory and thinking skills, high blood pressure, athletic performance, diabetes, and many other conditions.
Pollinator: Their branches tend to grow outward and downward, so they'll trail over the sides that will produce fruit all summer until your area's first frost. These small shrubs will give you a tasty harvest without needing a lot of space and these blueberry plants also have pretty spring flowers and bright fall foliage to sweeten the deal.
Edible: While not considered toxic to humans or animals, it does have a rather unique adaptation, it contains not only external, but also internal idioblasts. Idioblasts are specialized sac-like cells that typically exist externally on leaves to hold oils, resin, tannins, or anything else the plant has evolved to use to protect itself from predators.
Medicinal: Used for digestive disorders including upset stomach, diarrhea, and constipation. It is also used for respiratory disorders such as bronchitis and asthma. The plant is also used to treat heart conditions, high blood pressure, and nervous disorders.
Pollinator: Great for bees, this summer blooming perennial was bred for its compact habit, long bloom time and self-cleaning flower spikes. It grows in a variety of garden conditions and is an excellent choice for rain gardens and containers. The late summer blooms offer plenty of nectar for pollinators, including hummingbirds and keeps weeds at bay.
Spiritual: This essence strengthens the resolve of those who are easily swayed or overpowered by the forces, actions, or words of others. For those who are learning to stand up for themselves and make room for their own inner power.
Edible: All parts of the astilbe plants are 100% safe no matter if they are simply chewed or consumed. Both the flowers, foliage, and stems are completely non-toxic.
Medicinal: Known for its medicinal effects, and has been used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation, cancer, chronic bronchitis, and headache.
Pollinator: New growth in the spring emerges as yellow to light green, and then darkens to a deep chocolate to dark purple color as they mature. These stunning leaves create a beautiful medium sized, mounding perennial that is topped with pinkish-purple flowers in mid-spring.
Edible: Is non-toxic and non-poisonous to people and animals.
Medicinal: Also known as Alumroot, a name derived from their medicinal properties as a pain reliever, an anti-inflammatory and can be dried, ground into a powder and sprinkled on wounds. It has also had a place as a treatment to rub on the gums of teething babies.
Pollinator: The bright red flowers attract hummingbirds in early seasons and can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, is resistant to deer and rabbits, and are great as a cut flower.
Edible: Is a perennial evergreen plant known for stunning foliage, and it is non-toxic and non-poisonous to people and animals. The leaves are edible adding a slightly sour taste to salads and sandwiches. This variety is edible, you must first cook the berries as you would any other edible variety and not to be eaten raw.
Medicinal: Used medicinally to shrink tissues in nose bleeds, sore throats, ulcers and piles.
Pollinator: Wildlife enjoys the shade of the evergreen foliage close to the ground for shade while the pink or white flowers are held open in sprays above the foliage.
Edible: The best part of the hosta is the ‘hoston’, the rolled up leaf as it emerges in the spring, although many varieties are still pretty good even once they have unfurled. The best way of cooking them depends on the size of the hostons. Small ones are delicious if you fry them for a few minutes, then add a little light soy sauce and sesame oil. The slight bitterness of the hostons complements the saltiness of the soy sauce very well. Similarly, they go very well with stir fries. The chunkier hostons are better boiled briefly and used as a vegetable.
Medicinal: This herb can also bring relief to hemorrhoids when applied as a poultice or as a sitz bath. Overall, plantain can be used as an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-obtrusive, astringent, a demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, hepatic, nutritive, and vulnerary.
Pollinator: Pale lavender flowers bloom in late summer on 20-inch spikes. This medium-sized plant is a standout in shade or woodland gardens.It is topped by lavender blooms in summer that attract hummingbirds and other pollinators.
Edible: While deer enjoy eating Hosta, this variety may be slightly less palatable to deer than others. From the shoots sprouting out of the ground up to the flowers, the entire hostas plant is edible. The most common part of the plant to eat is the early spring shoots. Consider it like you would asparagus spears and you are good to go. The large opened leaves of the hostas can also be eaten.
Medicinal: Used to treating sunburn, cuts, scrapes, nail infections, menstrual pains, and other wounds. Hosta is also an effective diuretic. When used externally, it cleanses the blood and helps to eliminate toxins in the body. In the interior, it flushes out waste material, eliminates bacteria, and improves the digestive system.
Pollinator: Showy and exceptionally fragrant, attracting hummingbirds and bees, mostly-white leaves light up the shade with lavender blossoms on 20-inch cream-colored stalks.
Edible: Deer and rabbit resistant but some flowers and plants may be harmful or poisonous to people or pets if touched or ingested.
Medicinal:
Pollinator: This easy perennial is grown mainly for its attractive, coppery red, heavily lobed foliage. Each finger-like leaf has a burgundy red center. Olive green summer leaf color. Creamy white, bottlebrush-like flowers. The flowering bells on the plants are a favorite among bees, butterflies and hummingbirds
Edible: The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as food, medicine and children's toys. Cook and eat leaves as a vegetable.
Medicinal: The leaves are applied to the head as a remedy for headache and the leaf-sap is dripped into the eyes as a treatment for inflammation.
Pollinator: An attractive and cheerful evergreen vine that sprawls along the ground and clambers up on anything that will support it. The twining stems will reach 6-8 feet and are covered with triangular-shaped leaves that have winged petioles and nearly year-round, but strongest from summer through fall, orange tubular flowers that have dark purple, almost black throats.
Edible: The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as food, medicine and children's toys. Cook and eat leaves as a vegetable.
Medicinal: The leaves are applied to the head as a remedy for headache and the leaf-sap is dripped into the eyes as a treatment for inflammation. They are used as an antidote for poisons and drugs, including the treatment of drug addiction.
Pollinator: An attractive and cheerful evergreen vine that sprawls along the ground and clambers up on anything that will support it. The twining stems will reach 6-8 feet and are covered with triangular-shaped leaves that have winged petioles and nearly year-round, but strongest from summer through fall, orange tubular flowers that have dark purple, almost black throats.
Edible: You can consume the petals, leaves and the hips (fruits) in a variety of ways, from rosehip tea and grilled rose petals, to roasted rose stems.
Medicinal: They’re rich in vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E, and have minerals such as iron, selenium and zinc. Rose petals: contain sedative properties, are antibacterial, astringent, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, a diuretic and contain mood-enhancing properties. Medicinal properties of roses: soothing a sore throat, nervous tension, anxiety/grief, PMS/menopause, headaches, peptic ulcers, hypertension, fluid retention, bronchitis/cold, urinary tract infection, heart disease, digestion issues, etc.
Pollinator: Maintains its color to the end and provides a delightfully fruity scent, inviting butterflies and other pollinators to the garden. Grandiflora roses typically produce larger flowers on longer stems.
Edible: You can consume the petals, leaves and the hips (fruits) in a variety of ways, from rosehip tea and grilled rose petals, to roasted rose stems.
Medicinal: They’re rich in vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E, and have minerals such as iron, selenium and zinc. Rose petals: contain sedative properties, are antibacterial, astringent, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, a diuretic and contain mood-enhancing properties. Medicinal properties of roses: soothing a sore throat, nervous tension, anxiety/grief, PMS/menopause, headaches, peptic ulcers, hypertension, fluid retention, bronchitis/cold, urinary tract infection, heart disease, digestion issues, etc.
Pollinator: Maintains its color to the end and provides a delightfully fruity scent, inviting butterflies and other pollinators to the garden. Grandiflora roses typically produce larger flowers on longer stems.
Medicinal: A tea made from the entire plant was taken to cure stomach aches and to expel intestinal worms. Herbalists used these teas to treat menstrual disorders and for birth control. The plant has also been used as a laxative.
Pollinator: Although this perennial plant has grass-like leaves, it is actually more closely related to Iris. While grass flowers are typically inconspicuous and wind-pollinated, blue-eyed grass flowers are conspicuous and colorful because they must attract insect pollinators in order for fertilization to occur.
Edible: You can consume the petals, leaves and the hips (fruits) in a variety of ways, from rosehip tea and grilled rose petals, to roasted rose stems.
Medicinal: They’re rich in vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E, and have minerals such as iron, selenium and zinc. Rose petals: contain sedative properties, are antibacterial, astringent, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, a diuretic and contain mood-enhancing properties. Medicinal properties of roses: soothing a sore throat, nervous tension, anxiety/grief, PMS/menopause, headaches, peptic ulcers, hypertension, fluid retention, bronchitis/cold, urinary tract infection, heart disease, digestion issues, etc.
Pollinator: Maintains its color to the end and provides a delightfully fruity scent, inviting butterflies and other pollinators to the garden. Floribunda roses are known for their clusters of small to medium-sized blooms.
Edible: The young leaves can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable but are not recommended. The crimson flowers are used to make an edible dye for coloring cakes, jellies and desserts. The seeds can be crushed as a pepper substitute.
Medicinal: The root is used in the treatment of stomach complaints. A pinch of the powdered root is said to relieve hunger, it can also be used after overeating to relieve the discomfort. A poultice of the powdered root can be applied to swellings.
Pollinator: The trumpet-shaped flowers are visited by bees, moths, and perhaps hummingbirds. At least one moth species, Neoheliodines nyctaginella, uses members of this genus as its larval food plant. The leaf-footed bug Catorhintha mendica feeds specifically on four-o'clocks, too.
Edible: You can consume the petals, leaves and the hips (fruits) in a variety of ways, from rosehip tea and grilled rose petals, to roasted rose stems.
Medicinal: They’re rich in vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E, and have minerals such as iron, selenium and zinc. Rose petals: contain sedative properties, are antibacterial, astringent, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, a diuretic and contain mood-enhancing properties. Medicinal properties of roses: soothing a sore throat, nervous tension, anxiety/grief, PMS/menopause, headaches, peptic ulcers, hypertension, fluid retention, bronchitis/cold, urinary tract infection, heart disease, digestion issues, etc.
Pollinator: Maintains its color to the end and provides a delightfully fruity scent, inviting butterflies and other pollinators to the garden. Floribunda roses are known for their clusters of small to medium-sized blooms.
Spiritual: Blooms in flushes throughout the season and named for Frida Kahlo who is remembered for her self-portraits, pain and passion in bold, vibrant colors that draws in bees and butterflies
Edible: Is an edible, unique addition to the garden. A native member of the Allium family, which includes onions and garlic, its stems can be used much like chives and the bulbs are also edible.
Medicinal: Can be dried and combined with hot water to make a poultice to treat respiratory issues. This poultice can also be applied onto areas that are sore and swelling such as the throat or the chest (3). The juice can be used to treat kidney stones, sore throats, colds, and croup.
Pollinator: Moderately attractive: bees including sweet bees and bumblebees; also highly attractive to honey bees.
Spiritual: Onions have long been associated with spiritual cleansing and protection.
Edible: Even when fully ripe, the acidic berries [of all Mahonia species] are too bitter to eat raw–they should be cooked into pies, jellies and jams. The flowers are edible, but bitter. The fruit needs to be picked and processed into jam or jelly very quickly, and it stains everything.
Medicinal: Oregon Grape has been used to treat all of the following ailments: poor liver function, digestive problems, eczema, acne, giardia, herpes, and malaria. It is most commonly used for its function as an anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic properties.
Pollinator: Oregon grape plants are extremely beneficial and attractive to wildlife. Flowers provide for pollinators like bees, moths, butterflies, and hummingbirds, while the fruits, which may remain on the plant into winter, are favorites among birds such as towhees, robins, and waxwings, as well as mammals. Some butterfly and moth species rely on Oregon grape plants to host their larvae, including the brown elfin butterfly. Year round cover may support arthropods, birds, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals.
Edible: A decoction of the roots is a tea substitute, tastes like a weak sassafras tea,
Medicinal: Boil the roots making a tea that resembles sassafras, though weaker in flavor, for coughs, sore throats, can be used in dressings on wounds and boiling the plant in water can treat sore or inflamed eyes.
Pollinator: Great for bees, butterflies, birds and deer resistant
Spiritual: Brew was used in sweat houses as a body wash for aches and pains.
Edible: Echinacea leaves, flowers, and roots can be used to make tea and tincture. This herbal tea has a very strong floral flavor that’s somewhat bitter. It’s a flavor that takes a while to get used to. The roots are believed to have the highest concentration of active ingredients and thus, have the most benefits. However, echinacea root tisane tastes even stronger than those made of the leaves and flowers. You can make echinacea tea more palatable by adding some sweetness. Raw honey, agave, stevia, and milk can improve the taste greatly. You can also pair it with other herbs, tea, or even fruit to mask the strong flavor and even enhance its effects. Elderberry, lemongrass, lemon balm, peppermint, and citrus fruits complement this herb nicely.
Medicinal: reduces inflammation, improves immunity and lowers blood sugar levels, used as a painkiller and for a variety of ailments, including toothache, coughs, colds, sore throats, and snake bites
Pollinator: Aside from a myriad of pollinating insects, the nectar-rich flowers of coneflowers are also very attractive to ruby-throated hummingbirds. Once flowers have faded, and seeds have ripened, songbirds such as American goldfinches forage the spent heads and eat the seed.
Edible: The young shoots, stems, flower buds, immature fruits, and roots of showy milkweed were boiled and eaten as a vegetable by various indigenous groups of eastern and mid-western America. In some areas the young leaves and stems were used as greens.
Pollinator: Because of their unusual structure and relatively large size, the flowers of showy milkweed require relatively large insects for effective pollination.
Medicinal: The sap of Asclepias speciosa was used as a cleansing and healing agent by some of the desert tribes for sores, cuts, and as a cure for warts and ringworm. The silky hairs were burned off the ripe seeds, which were then ground and made into a salve for sores.
Edible: The flowers of sticky purple geranium are edible, and can be added to salads or used as a garnish. The leaves are edible raw or cooked.
Medicinal: The leaves were used topically for their soothing effect. Being in the rose family its roots are astringent and were used as a powder for sores and nosebleeds. The powdered root infused in water was a treatment for bleeding wounds, sore eyes, and consumed as a tea for diarrhea.
Pollinator: Sticky purple geranium is pollinated by flies, butterflies and native bees found within the Palouse ecoregion of eastern Washington.
Edible: A tea-like beverage is made by boiling the dried leaves and stems for a short time. Bearded tongues are known for their ability to accumulate excessive levels of selenium. Too much selenium is toxic to poultry, causing acute or chronic selenium poisoning.
Medicinal: It is analgesic and a decoction of the root was taken for menstrual pain and stomach ache. Cold infusions or powdered Red Penstemon plant was applied to burns, wounds and sores. A decoction of the plant was taken for cough and infusions were taken as a diuretic.
Pollinator: Tough native plant that thrives in heat, drought, and poor, rocky soil and it is visited by a huge diversity of butterflies, moths, and bees. Penstemon attenuatus is a native, perennial forb that grows from a dense crown to a height of 10 to 90 cm. Penstemon attenuatus is a source of pollen and nectar for a variety of bees, including honey bees and native bumble bees, as well as butterflies and moths. Rangeland diversification: This plant can be included in seeding mixtures to improve the diversity of rangelands.
Edible: The stems, rhizomes and leaves of ginger all emit the aroma and taste of ginger. Albeit without the fiery heat cultivated ginger (Zingiber officinale) produces. Whilst the flavoring is pleasant and fragrant, wild ginger is not officially considered safe to consume due to toxins. Some foragers claim the risk is only present if large amounts are eaten, however there are other ways to enjoy the flavor of wild ginger without risk. The toxins are not likely to transfer to water, so wild ginger tea and infusions should be perfectly safe to create. Once water has been steeped with wild ginger it can be utilized in many ways, from cocktails to ice-cream!
Pollinator: Provides shade with its heart shaped leaves, grows large colonies of brownish purple wildflowers that attract small pollinating flies
Medicinal: Ginger contains chemicals that might reduce nausea and swelling. These chemicals seem to work in the stomach and intestines, but they might also help the brain and nervous system to control nausea. People commonly use ginger for many types of nausea and vomiting. It's also used for menstrual cramps, osteoarthritis, diabetes, migraine headaches, and other conditions.
Edible: The fruits, referred to as rose hips are high in Vitamin C. Three rose hips have more Vitamin C than an orange. Many residents of the north use the rose hips for jellies, syrups and as a great source of vitamin C (once the only way for miners to fight scurvy during the long winter months). They should be eaten in moderation as too many can cause diarrhea. The small seeds inside should be discarded before eating as tiny hairs can irritate the digestive system and cause "itchy bum".
Medicinal: They’re rich in vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E, and have minerals such as iron, selenium and zinc. Rose petals: contain sedative properties, are antibacterial, astringent, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, a diuretic and contain mood-enhancing properties. Medicinal properties of roses: soothing a sore throat, nervous tension, anxiety/grief, PMS/menopause, headaches, peptic ulcers, hypertension, fluid retention, bronchitis/cold, urinary tract infection, heart disease, digestion issues, etc.
Pollinator: Maintains its color to the end and provides a delightfully fruity scent, inviting butterflies and other pollinators to the garden. Grandiflora roses typically produce larger flowers on longer stems.
Scientific Name: Rosa acicularis (woodii) (Found In Nimíipuu Country)
Thank you, himéeq’is qe'ciyéw’yew’, to our partners and friends that have contributed to the success of this project. Wisteqn’eemit, a nonprofit arm of the Nez Perce Tribe, especially wants to recognize the generous grant provided by the Steele-Reese Foundation to support this project. We could not have done it without you! It is rewarding to acknowledge that we have influenced the community to continue to grow little gardens in more places to provide free edible food and give our educators a hands-on place to teach the community about Nez Perce traditional healthy garden variety foods. Thank you.
Partners
AmeriCorps NCCC
Lapwai Church of God
Lapwai City Hall
Lapwai United Methodist Church
Moccasin Flats
Nez Perce Tribe
Nez Perce Tribe HIPT Food Alliance
Steele – Reese Foundation
Wisteqn’éemit
Consultants
Nez Perce Circle of Elders
Nez Perce Language Program
Lucinda Simpson, Nez Perce Tribal Member, Traditional Food Gatherer and Culture Bearer
Ethel Greene, Nez Perce Tribal Member, Traditional Food Gatherer and Culture Bearer
Rebecca Walrod, Master Gardner
Dr. Nan Vance, Ecologist Researcher
Harry H. Slickpoo Jr., Nez Perce Language Teacher & Collection Specialist for Hitéemenwees Research Library, who provided all the language translations.
