In gardens across North America, Europe, and beyond, we cultivate plants from all corners of the world. Our flower beds burst with Asian chrysanthemums, African marigolds, and South American petunias. Our vegetable gardens produce European cabbage, Middle Eastern eggplants, and Central American tomatoes. Yet in this global botanical exchange, we have often overlooked the rich heritage of plants that evolved in our own backyards—indigenous species perfectly adapted to local conditions through millennia of natural selection.
These forgotten plants once sustained indigenous peoples, provided medicine, attracted pollinators, and maintained ecological balance. Many were pushed aside during colonization, deemed “weeds” or “primitive” compared to imported species. But as we confront climate change, habitat loss, and pollinator decline, these native botanical treasures offer solutions to modern challenges while connecting us to cultural heritage and ecological wisdom.
Why Indigenous Plants Matter
The term “indigenous plants” refers to species that evolved naturally in a region without human introduction. These plants developed in concert with native wildlife, soil microbes, and weather patterns, creating intricate ecological relationships that imported species simply cannot replicate.
Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, explains: “Indigenous plants are not just species but embodiments of relationship. They carry the memory of the land and its peoples in their very DNA.”
The benefits of reintroducing these forgotten plants into our landscapes include:
Ecological resilience: Native plants typically require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides than exotic species. Their deep root systems improve soil structure, prevent erosion, and often better withstand regional climate extremes.
Wildlife support: Indigenous plants provide irreplaceable habitat and food for native insects, birds, and mammals. Research by entomologist Dr. Douglas Tallamy demonstrates that native oak trees support over 500 species of caterpillars, while non-native ginkgo trees support just five.
Cultural preservation: Many indigenous plants hold deep cultural significance as food, medicine, and materials. Revitalizing these plants helps preserve traditional ecological knowledge threatened by globalization.
Food sovereignty: Reclaiming indigenous food plants offers communities greater control over their food systems and access to nutritionally dense foods adapted to local growing conditions.
Climate adaptation: As climate patterns shift, plants that evolved in a region often demonstrate surprising resilience to weather extremes typical of their native range.
Forgotten Food Plants Worth Reviving
Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) – North America
Once harvested by numerous indigenous North American tribes, this common “weed” contains more calcium, protein, and vitamin B6 than spinach. Today it’s typically eradicated from gardens and farms, despite its exceptional nutritional profile and drought tolerance.
Susan Eagle, ethnobotanist and member of the Osage Nation, notes: “Our ancestors cultivated diverse varieties of lambsquarters, selecting for larger leaves and seeds. Colonial accounts describe extensive management of this plant, yet today most people recognize it only as a weed to eliminate.”
Modern chefs have begun rediscovering lambsquarters, prizing its mineral-rich flavor and versatility in salads, soups, and sautés. Its ability to thrive in poor soil while producing abundant nutrition makes it especially valuable for food security in changing climates.
Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) – Mesoamerica
Once a staple grain of Aztec civilization so important it featured prominently in religious ceremonies, amaranth was banned by Spanish conquistadors who recognized its cultural significance. While still grown in parts of Mexico and Guatemala, its potential remains largely untapped.
Amaranth produces nutritionally exceptional, gluten-free seeds containing complete protein with all essential amino acids. The plant’s leaves are also edible and remarkably nutritious. Beyond its food value, many amaranth species are strikingly beautiful with vibrant purple, red, and gold coloration that can enhance ornamental landscapes.
Agricultural researcher Maria Gonzalez explains: “Amaranth requires far less water than corn or wheat while providing superior nutrition. Its ability to withstand heat makes it an ideal crop for regions experiencing warming temperatures.”
Camas (Camassia quamash) – Pacific Northwest
The blue-flowering camas lily once carpeted meadows throughout the Pacific Northwest, providing carbohydrate-rich bulbs that indigenous peoples harvested, pit-roasted, and stored for winter sustenance. Some communities maintained extensive camas prairies through controlled burning and careful harvest practices.
When Lewis and Clark traversed the region in 1806, they survived largely on camas bulbs traded from indigenous communities. Yet within decades, cattle grazing, agriculture, and development had destroyed vast camas meadows. Today, efforts to restore these ecosystems represent not just ecological conservation but cultural reclamation.
“Camas restoration connects ecological healing with cultural revitalization,” explains Frank Lake, research ecologist and descendant of Karuk and Yurok tribes. “When tribes reintroduce traditional burning and harvesting, the entire ecosystem—from soil microbes to pollinator species—responds positively.”
Yacón (Smallanthus sonchifolius) – Andes Mountains
This Andean root vegetable produces sweet, crisp tubers that can be eaten raw like fruit or cooked in various dishes. Unlike many starchy roots, yacón contains inulin, a type of fiber that doesn’t raise blood sugar, making it valuable for diabetic diets.
Spanish colonizers focused on potatoes, largely ignoring yacón despite its importance in indigenous Andean diets. Today, as diabetes rates soar globally, yacón’s unique properties make it especially valuable. The plant grows well in various climates and produces abundantly with minimal care.
Peruvian agronomist Dr. Carlos Fernandez notes: “Yacón represents just one of dozens of nutritious Andean crops pushed aside during colonization. These forgotten foods often contain unique compounds developed through centuries of selection by indigenous farmers.”
Medicinal Plants Awaiting Rediscovery
Echinacea (Echinacea spp.) – North American Plains
While echinacea has gained commercial popularity as an immune-boosting supplement, its rich indigenous heritage and complete medicinal profile remain underappreciated. Plains tribes used different echinacea species and plant parts for specific ailments—from snake bites to burns to respiratory infections.
Dr. Kelly Kindscher, ethnobotanist at the University of Kansas, explains: “Commercial echinacea products typically use standardized extraction methods that capture only certain compounds. Traditional indigenous preparations used different methods for different conditions, suggesting a more sophisticated understanding of the plant’s complex chemistry.”
Beyond its medicinal properties, echinacea’s striking purple flowers attract numerous pollinator species while withstanding harsh Plains conditions. Its deep taproot improves soil structure and helps the plant survive drought, making it valuable for water-conscious landscapes.
Kawakawa (Piper excelsum) – New Zealand
Sacred to Māori people, this forest shrub with heart-shaped leaves treats ailments ranging from toothaches to rheumatism. Modern research confirms its powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
“Kawakawa exemplifies the holistic understanding in Māori medicine,” explains Dr. Mere Roberts, ethnobotanist of Māori descent. “Traditional knowledge specifies that leaves with insect holes contain the strongest medicine—something scientific research now validates, as the plant produces defensive compounds in response to insect damage.”
As a landscaping plant, kawakawa thrives in partial shade, creating lush undergrowth in forest gardens while attracting beneficial insects. Its distinctive foliage provides visual interest year-round.
Tulsi/Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum) – Indian Subcontinent
Revered in Ayurvedic medicine for over 3,000 years, tulsi is considered a sacred plant in Hinduism. Modern research confirms its adaptogenic properties—helping the body respond to stress—along with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Western medicine has been slow to recognize tulsi’s potential, despite a rich research base in India documenting its effects on everything from blood sugar regulation to cognitive function. As chronic stress-related conditions rise globally, this resilient plant offers accessible support.
Ayurvedic practitioner Dr. Vasant Lad notes: “Tulsi demonstrates how indigenous plants often address whole-body systems rather than isolated symptoms. Its complex chemistry works adaptively, helping different bodies in different ways.”
Ecological Heroes for Modern Landscapes
Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) – North America
No plant better illustrates the ecological importance of indigenous species than milkweed. As the sole host plant for monarch butterfly caterpillars, milkweed species literally determine the fate of this iconic migration. When indigenous milkweed ecosystems disappear, monarchs cannot reproduce.
Once common throughout North America, milkweed was systematically eradicated from agricultural landscapes and dismissed as a nuisance plant. Today, as monarch populations have declined by over 80%, conservation efforts focus on reestablishing milkweed corridors.
“What makes milkweed remarkable isn’t just its relationship with monarchs,” explains Dr. Chip Taylor, founder of Monarch Watch. “These plants support hundreds of pollinator species while producing compounds with potential medical applications, from cardiotonic steroids to novel anti-cancer agents.”
Many milkweed species produce stunning flowers and distinctive seed pods that add visual interest to gardens. Their deep root systems improve soil structure and drought resilience, making them valuable additions to water-conscious landscapes.
Mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) – New Zealand
This scrappy shrub, native to New Zealand and parts of Australia, was once considered worthless land by European settlers who cleared it for pasture. Today, mānuka has gained international recognition for its honey’s exceptional antibacterial properties, effective even against antibiotic-resistant infections.
“Mānuka represents perfect ecological adaptation,” explains New Zealand botanist Dr. Peter Williams. “It thrives on disturbed sites, quickly stabilizing soil after landslides or fires. Its extensive root system prevents erosion while its flowers support diverse pollinator species.”
Beyond its medicinal honey, mānuka offers valuable ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, soil stabilization, and habitat for native birds and insects. Its ability to improve marginal land makes it particularly valuable for restoration projects.
Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) – North American Prairie
Once a dominant grass throughout America’s tallgrass prairies, this elegant plant formed the backbone of one of Earth’s richest ecosystems. Despite being nearly eliminated through agricultural conversion, prairie dropseed is gaining recognition as a superior landscaping grass that requires minimal water and no fertilizer.
“Prairie dropseed exemplifies the missed opportunities in conventional landscaping,” explains landscape architect Thomas Rainer. “Its fine-textured foliage creates movement in the slightest breeze, its fall colors rival any ornamental grass from Asia, and its root system can reach 15 feet deep, making it incredibly drought-tolerant.”
The deep roots of prairie grasses like dropseed built the fertile soils that made the American Midwest an agricultural powerhouse. These same root systems sequester remarkable amounts of carbon—making native prairie restoration a powerful climate change mitigation strategy.
Preserving Indigenous Plant Knowledge
The revival of forgotten plants depends not just on saving seeds but on preserving traditional knowledge about their cultivation, preparation, and use. Across the world, indigenous knowledge keepers work to document and transmit this wisdom before it disappears.
In Australia, the Nyul Nyul Rangers program employs aboriginal community members to document traditional plant management practices. Ranger Phillip McCarthy explains: “Each plant has its season, its proper harvesting method, its preparation technique. Without this knowledge, having the plant itself tells only half the story.”
Similar efforts are underway in North America, where organizations like Native Seeds/SEARCH preserve not just indigenous crop varieties but the cultural context for growing them.
Researcher Gary Paul Nabhan emphasizes: “Seeds carry cultural memory. When we grow a White Sonora wheat that Tohono O’odham farmers have planted for centuries, we’re not just preserving genetics but continuing a relationship.”
Barriers to Revival
Despite their benefits, indigenous plants face significant challenges in returning to mainstream cultivation:
Knowledge gaps: Information about cultivation, preparation, and use has been lost through colonization, language loss, and displacement of indigenous peoples.
Market unfamiliarity: Consumers hesitate to try unfamiliar foods, while producers hesitate to grow crops without established markets.
Regulatory hurdles: Food safety regulations often create barriers for traditional wild plants entering commercial markets.
Land access: Many indigenous communities lack access to ancestral lands where traditional plants grow or could be cultivated.
Intellectual property concerns: As indigenous plants gain commercial value, questions arise about who benefits from their commercialization.
Misconceptions: Many native plants suffer from perception problems, dismissed as “weeds” despite their ecological and practical value.
Success Stories and Future Directions
Despite these challenges, inspiring examples show how forgotten plants are making comebacks:
In the American Southwest, Native American chef Lois Ellen Frank has revitalized interest in indigenous ingredients through cookbooks, restaurants, and educational programs that showcase traditional foods like tepary beans, cholla buds, and mesquite flour.
Australian restaurateur Ben Shewry has championed indigenous ingredients like saltbush, finger lime, and wattleseed, creating international demand for plants once overlooked by Australia’s culinary establishment.
The Indigenous Seed Sovereignty Network connects indigenous seed keepers across North America, facilitating seed exchanges and knowledge sharing that strengthen food sovereignty movements.
Commercial nurseries like Prairie Moon Nursery and Prairie Nursery have transformed the American landscaping market by making native plant species widely available to home gardeners, focusing on their practical benefits rather than just conservation arguments.
How to Participate in the Revival
For those inspired to participate in bringing back forgotten plants, multiple entry points exist:
Learn local ethnobotany: Research which plants indigenous peoples in your region traditionally used, and how these plants supported local ecosystems.
Garden with natives: Replace even a portion of conventional landscaping with indigenous species appropriate to your region.
Support seed sovereignty: Purchase seeds from indigenous-led seed conservation organizations that return benefits to traditional knowledge holders.
Expand your palate: Seek out and prepare indigenous foods available in your region, from ramps and pawpaws in eastern North America to saltbush and quandongs in Australia.
Document and share knowledge: Help record traditional plant knowledge with permission from indigenous knowledge keepers, ensuring it’s shared respectfully and with appropriate attribution.
Advocate for access: Support indigenous land rights and access to ancestral territories where traditional plant relationships can be maintained.
Conclusion: From Forgotten to Foundational
The plants indigenous peoples cultivated, harvested, and honored for millennia were never truly “forgotten” by those who maintained these relationships despite immense pressure. What was forgotten—or deliberately ignored—was their value by societies that prioritized standardization, commercialization, and extraction over diversity, relationship, and reciprocity.
Today, as we confront the limitations of agricultural and landscaping systems built on monocultures and chemical inputs, indigenous plants offer proven alternatives developed through centuries of observation and adaptation. Their revival represents not a step backward but a step forward—integrating traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary science to create more resilient food systems and landscapes.
Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer summarizes this potential: “When we restore native plants, we restore relationship. Between people and land, between the past and future, between our own species and the countless others with whom we share this planet. The plants remember how to heal lands we have damaged. The question is whether we remember how to listen to them.”
By bringing these forgotten plants back into our gardens, farms, kitchens, and pharmacies, we recover not just botanical diversity but ways of knowing and being that recognize humans as participants in, rather than masters of, the natural world. In this renewed relationship lies hope for addressing our most pressing ecological challenges while creating more beautiful, abundant, and meaningful landscapes.