
Plants and Their Uses
The following list contains plants and traditional knowledge, along with widely and publicly available information about them. The following material is not for use as an identification guide for harvesting, processing, or using plants for food or medicine, as there are many edible plants that look similar to poisonous ones.
Consumption of wild foods and self-medication with herbal medicines should only be done under the guidance and supervision of experienced Elders and knowledge keepers. We have purposely not included instructions about how to prepare the plants for use as medicine, as plants and plant derivatives should not be consumed or used unless absolutely identified, properly prepared, and the user is aware of how they will react.
References:
Coqualeetza Education Training Centre, Upper Stó:lō Ethnobotany, 1982.
Galloway, Brent, Tó:lméls ye siyelyólexwa (Wisdom of the Elders). Coqualeetza Education Training Centre, 1980.
Gray, Beverley, The Boreal Herbal: Wild Food and Medicine Plants of the North. Aroma Borealis Press, 2011.
Keane, Kahlee, The Standing People Wild Medicinal Plants of British Columbia. National Library of Canada, 2015.
Kloos, Scott, Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants. Timber Press, Inc., 2017.
MacKinnon, A. et al., Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada (New Ed). Lone Pine Publishing, 2014.
Pojar, Jim and Andy MacKinnon, Plants of Coastal British Columbia (Revised Ed). Lone Pine Publishing., 2014.
Ritchie, Wendy. “Traditional and Common Herbs with Remedies for Wellness.” First Nations Health Authority.
Turner, Nancy J., Food Plants of the Coastal First Peoples. (Royal BC Museum Handbook) Canada, UBC Press for the Royal BC Museum, 1995.
Turner, Nancy J., Plant Technology of First Peoples in British Columbia (Royal BC Museum Handbook). Canada, Royal BC Museum, 2007.
Varner, Collin., Edible and Medicinal Flora of the West Coast, British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. Toronto, Heritage House Publishing Co., Ltd., 2020.
Photographs © M. Teresa Carlson and Dr. Alan R. Reid
Xéyth'elhp
Red Alder
Alnus rubra
Xwókw'eltel
Large-leaved Avens
Geum macrophyllum
Shxwelméxwelh
Sqw'ólmexwelhp
Blackberry (Wild Trailing)
Rubus ursinus
Xwelítemelh sqw'ólmexwelhp
Blackberry (Himalayan)
Rubus armeniacus
Tselqó:me:lhp
Blackcap
Rubus leucodermis
Halq'eméylem name unknown
Pacific Bleeding Heart
Dicentra formosa
Xéyxemels
Burdock
Arctium minus
Q'áyxelhp
Cascara
Rhamnus purshiana
Sth'á:qel
Cattail Rush
Typha latifolia
Xpá:yelhp
Western Red Cedar
Thuja plicata
T'elémelhp
Wild Bitter Cherry
Prunus emarginata
Lhó:me
Red Clover/White Clover
Trifolium pratense/
Trifolium repens
Halq'emeylem name unknown
Coltsfoot
Petasites frigidus
Chewó:lhp
Cottonwood
Populus balsamifeara
Sp'á:th'elhp
Red Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
Qwáyúwél
Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
Qwó:pelhp
Devil's Club
Oplopanax horridus
T'emó:sa
Western/Yellow Dock
"Wild rhubarb"
Rumex occidentalis
Méthelh
Spreading Dogbane
Apocynum androsaemifolium
Th'exwíyelhp
Red-Osier Dogwood
Cornus stolonifera
Lá:yelhp
Douglas Fir
Pseudotsuga menziesii
Sth'íwéq'ehlp
Red Elderberry
Sambucus racemosa
Halq'eméylem name unknown
False Hellebore
Varatrum viride
Tl'asíp
Licorice Fern
Polypodium glycyrrhiza
Xaweqál
Parsely Fern/American Rockbrake
Cryptogramma crispa
Sthxa:lem/Thxa:lem/
Slháwéls te spá:th
Sword Fern
Polystichum munitum
Xéyeslótel
Wild Ginger
Asarum Caudatum
Máts'íyelhp
Black Hawthorn
Crataegus douglasii
Sth:í:tsemelhp
Beaked Hazelnut
Corylus cornuta
Halq'eméylem name unknown
Heal-all/Self-heal
Prunella vulgaris
Mélemélhp
Western Hemlock
Tsuga heterophylla
Q'éyt'o
Wild/Orange Honeysuckle
Lonicera ciliosa
Xémxem
Common Horsetail
Equisetum arvense
Xémxem
Giant Horsetail
Equisetum telmateia
Sqá:lá:lhp
Red Huckleberry
Vaccinium parvifolium
Th'el'á:ltel
Juniper
Juniperus communis
Tl'íkw'iyelhp
Kinnikinnik/"Indian tobacco"/Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Móqwem
Labrador Tea, Swamp Tea
Rhododendron groenlandicum
Stl'éleqw'
Chocolate Lily
Fritillaria lanceolata
Sxàmeléxwthelh
Tiger Lily
Lilium columbianum
Qw'emétxw
Yellow Pond-Lily/Spatterdock
Nuphar polysepalum
Q'emówelhp
Broadleaf/Bigleaf Maple
Acer Macrophyllum
Sí:ts'elhp
Vine Maple
Acer circinatum
Sth'élhp
Mock Orange
Philadelphus lewisii
Qwíqwelhp
Sitka Mountain-Ash
Sorbus sitchensis
Q'ém:es
Pine Mushroom
Tricholoma matsutake
Th'éxth'ex
Stinging Nettle
Urtica dioica
Qá:thelhp
Oceanspray/Ironwood
Holodiscus discolor
St'áxet
Nodding Onion
Allium cernuum
Selíyelhp
Oregon Grape
Berberis nervosa
Halq'eméylem name unknown
Pacific Ninebark
Physocarpus capitatus
Pipehomá:lews/
Slháwels te pípehò:m
Common/Broad Leaf Plantain
Plantago major
Pipehomá:lews
Ribbed/Sword Plantain
Plantago lanceolata
Qá:lqelhp
Nootka Rose
Rosa nutkana
T'aqá:lhp
Salal
Gaultheria shallon
Elílá:lhp
Salmonberry
Rubus spectabilis
Ts'eslátselhp
Saskatoon Berry
Amelanchier alnifolia
T'át'ets'em ts'esémelep
Sheep Sorrel/Sour Weed
Rumex acetosella
Ch'ó:kw'e
Skunk Cabbage
Lysichiton americanus
T'á:ts'ehlp
Spirea/Western Hardhack
Spiraea douglasii
Ts'qw'élhp
Sitka Spruce
Picea sitchensis
Halq'eméylem name unknown
St. John's Wort
Hypericum perforatum
Schí:yá:lhp
Wild Strawberry
Fragaria vesca/
Fragaria virginiana
Halq'eméylem name unknown
Tansy
Tanacetum vulgare
T'qwémelhp
Thimbleberry
Rubus parviflorus
Xaxt'ó:les
Trillium
Trillium ovatum
Lhxwáléws
Vanilla Leaf
Achlys triphylla
Halq'eméylem name unknown
Watercress
Rorippa nasturium-aquaticum
Xwá:lá:lhp
Scouler's Willow
Salix sitchensis
Xaweqál
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium