FOOD FROM WILD PLANTS 



By Willard N. Clute. 



r I 'HE native plants of North America have been drawn upon 

 •*■ very little as sources of human food. It is true that 

 America has given the three staple crops — corn, potatoes and 

 beans — to the world, but these are crops originating- in warmer 

 regions and it is still true that practically all the crops we cul- 

 tivate in the United States are of Old World or Tropical 

 origin. 



It may be questioned, however, whether the fact that our 

 garden and field crops originated elsewhere proves that we 

 have no plants that would yield as valuable returns if improved 

 by cultivation. It is probable that our cultivated plants are 

 mostly of European origin simply because the settlers of this 

 country came from that part of the world. The Indians, as 

 everyone knows, found a large amount of vegetable food in 

 the forests and swamps and it is likely that many of these would 

 prove important food crops for the race that succeeded them, 

 if properly cultivated. As a matter of fact ; several such plants 

 in their primitive condition are utilized at present, notably 

 various nuts, berries, and other wild fruits. 



An investigation of the subject has shown that there are 

 more than two hundred kinds of wild plants, mostly in the 

 eastern half of our country, that may be used as food. These 

 are included in the following list. The list is undoubtedly far 

 from complete but it is published as the basis for further work 

 and all who can are invited to add to it. When all the plants 

 of our western and southern states have been added, it is pos- 



