Edible Plants and Wild Resources of the Chihuahuan Desert By Katherine Brooks, M.A. Archaeology New Mexico State University
Over the past two thousand years the Southwest has been continuously occupied. For the majority of that time humans sustained themselves by gathering plants and other materials which were abundant in the Chihuahuan Desert. Today, we are still surrounded by many of those same wild resources. It is the goal of this presentation to examine both native uses for indigenous resources, and to explore present day purposes and benefits for the continued use of native vegetation.
The Chihuhuan Desert and surrounding land area is mostly shrub. Yuccas and agaves, growing with grasses and often Creosote Bushes, give this desert its characteristic appearance. Prickly-pears and Mormon Tea are also prevalent, as is Tarbush. Honey Mesquite grows along washes and playas. White-thorn Acacia, Allthorn and Ocotillo are other large, conspicuous plants of the Chihuahuan Desert.
Prickly Pear, Opuntia sp. Consumption of cactus pads was practiced among the majority of Southwestern cultures predominately during times of food shortage because the joints and stems were tasteless and mucilaginous (Ebeling 1986:516). Hopi boiled and ate the stems of Opuntia sp. in the spring and summer (Hough 1897). Other cooking practices for the cactus pads and joints included drying and pit-baking (Russell 1975). Prickly pears are very shallow rooted. It can survive long-term drought conditions or variable climates because it can obtain moisture from light rain showers and store the moisture in succulent pads protected by a waxy coating. Nearly 1,000 plant species are endemic to the region and 345 of them are cacti!
Tohono O odham communities used to create a fermented prickly pear fruit beverage called navai t (Castetter and Underhill 1935:26).
Creosote Bush, Larrea tridentata Creosote leaves can be used to make tea (DerMarderosian and Beutler 2005), ethnographic studies support the use of creosote as a medicinal tea documenting its use among the Seri, Tohono O odham, Maricopa and Yavapai (Ebeling 1986, Whalen 1977:210). Normally the creosote bush, which is considered a medium to large shrub is under 4 feet tall. However, with plenty of water, it may reach as much 12 feet tall. The creosote plant can survive without any rain for two years, making it the North American champion for drought tolerance.
The Mogollon probably grew Helianthus petiolaris or wild sunflower, one of the few New World plants that originated in the North American Southwest (Ebeling 1986). Extremely drought tolerant, fast growing and colorful. Sunflowers, Helianthus petiolaris Mormon Tea, Ephedra viridis Navajos used the tea for coughs and nasal congestion; the plant contains pseudoephedrine! This medium-sized shrub is drought resistant, grows up to 4 feet high and has numerous green, jointed, leafless branches. Today it is one of only three remainders of what in ancient times was a much larger Family, having endured not just one mass extinction, 65 million years ago, which demolished +/- 70% of extant species) but a previous event 250 million years ago, when about 90% of species disappeared.
Yucca species thrive in rocky, dry soil with full sunlight. Generally they grow to be about ten feet tall, they are highly drought resistant and produce edible fruits and cream colored flowers. Yucca sp. Yucca stalks were boiled and eaten in the spring (Bell and Castetter 1941:14). However, Yucca root is also very fibrous and was used as a detergent and shampoo among many pueblo cultures and would have been heated, stirred and agitated in a vessel to release the saponin content of the root.
Pinyon Pine, Pinus sp. It may reach up to 35 feet, but the norm is more likely 10 feet. A native to high plains, mesas, plateaus, canyons, foothills and lower mountain slopes, the pinyon pine requires little water, produces wonderful cones, large for pine, and quite edible and tasty. It is frost resistant, tolerant of drought, and requires full sunlight.
White Thorn Acacia, Acacia constricta The individual plant may look almost frothy with its small, green lace-like leaves. It often loses its leaves during frigid weather or a prolonged drought. It blossoms in the spring and sometimes again in late summer, bearing miniature yellow blooms and producing a sweet nighttime desert fragrance. Acacia grows from a few feet to 15 or 16 feet in height, often forming dense thickets. Modern desert inhabitants plant the Whitethorn Acacia in gardens, knowing the plant requires relatively little water, attracts wildlife (i.e., quail, dove, and other birds), and enriches the surrounding soil. http://www.desertusa.com/mag09/apr09/whitethorn-acacia.html
Conclusion The Chihuahuan Desert receives only about 10 inches of rainfall per year. As a unique and diverse environment, the Chihuahuan Desert should be utilized for those qualities. And, just because grass, trees and flowers not indigenous to the region can grow here, doesn t mean that we should use our limited resources to foster there growth.
References Bell, Willis H., and Edward F. Castetter 1941 Ethnobiological Studies in the American Southwest: The Utilization of Yucca, Sotol, and Beargrass by the Aborigines in the American Southwest. The University of New Mexico Bulletin Vol. 5, No. 5:3-74. Castetter, Edward F., with Willis H. Bell and Alvin R. Grove 1938 Ethnobiological Studies in the Southwest: The Early Utilization and the Distribution of Agave in the American Southwest. The University of New Mexico Bulletin Vol. 5, No. 4:3-92. Castetter, Edward F., and Willis H. Bell 1942 Pima and Papago Indian Agriculture. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. Castetter, Edward F., and Ruth M. Underhill 1935 Ethnobiological Studies in the American Southwest: The Ethnobiology of the Papago Indians. The University of New Mexico Bulletin Vol. 4, No. 3:3-84. Ebeling, Walter 1986 Handbook of Indian Foods and Fibers of Arid America. Berkeley: University of California Press. Harrington, Harold D. 1967 Edible Plants of the Rocky Mountains. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. Russell, Frank 1975[1908] The Pima Indians. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.