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The Ethnobotany of Some Native Trees

These native trees play an important part in Florida’s natural and cultural history

Long thin dugout canoe, with museum employee standing for reference. It's made of cypress and is 26 feet long.
Donna Ruhl standing next to a Withlacoochee River Canoe (made of cypress wood). Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

For centuries, people have been in a constant relationship with nature. Plants specifically have provided many uses for humans, and their importance is embedded in cultures across the world. Plants have been used historically and presently for food, fiber, medicine, shelter, fishing, hunting, religion, transportation and more. This relationship between plants (botany) and people/cultures (ethno) is described as ethnobotany.

The phrase “ethnobotany” was first coined in 1895 by John Harshberger, one of Florida’s early botanists. However, people had been using plants for various means for many years preceding this. In fact, the first recorded culturally significant plant remains were found in Iraq at a human burial site estimated at 60,000 years old.

In early days, many Florida native plants provided ample sources of food and materials for Native Americans and settlers that continue to benefit people today. Below are some trees native to Florida that play an important role in our state’s ethnobotanical history.

Caution: the following descriptions are not intended to be a guide for home or personal use. The use of medicinal plants may not be safe without proper preparation or dosage. There is also risk of allergic reactions to certain plants.

A handful of small, dried yaupon holly leaves.
Dried yaupon holly leaves. UF/IFAS.

Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) — The leaves of this holly contain large amounts of caffeine and have been used in ceremonial settings by Native Americans. The bark was used to treat nightmares, and the branches were used to make arrows. Pioneers in the southeastern United States brewed yaupon leaves as a tea, which is still done today.

Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii) — This native pine is popular in southern folk and Native American architecture because of its hard “heartwood,” which is the older wood in the center of the tree. Native Americans also used the wood for lighting to make torches. Commercial uses of this pine include harvesting for the paper and chemical industry (turpentine and gum resins) to make things like perfume, cigarettes and cosmetic products. Components of the tree have also been used historically on the skin to help with irritations.

Redbay leaves are long, lanceolate and shiny dark green. They have a fragrance when crushed.
Redbay foliage. Photo: School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences, UF/IFAS.

Redbay (Tamala borbonia) — Also called swamp bay, this native tree is not the source of the bay leaves you might find in grocery stores. However, its leaves were used in the same way by Native Americans and settlers to flavor dishes. It has also been used medically as an analgesic, as a topical relief for painful limbs and joints, and in rituals such as funerals. Redbay wood has been used for boat making and cabinet making. (You may see redbay also referred to as Persea borbonia.)

Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) — Acorns from live oaks were harvested by Native Americans, settlers and explorers, often to be made into a porridge. Live oak’s wood has been used as fuel and in tool making. Lumber and timbers from its wood are used for building purposes. Knotty growths called galls, formed by insects depositing eggs in a tree’s young wood, have been harvested as a source of tannic acid. The acid is used in dyes, ink manufacturing and medicinally as an astringent.

Sabal Palm (Sabal palmetto) — Also called cabbage palm, the sabal palm is Florida’s state tree and has significant cultural value to Native American communities in the state. The palm has been used traditionally for many things, from food to housing. Its main buds (called “hearts” of palm) were eaten raw or boiled, which is still popular today as “swamp cabbage.” Sabal palm berries were used for medicinal purposes and its fronds were commonly used to build thatch houses, baskets, mats and nets. Cooking tools, arrows and staffs were also constructed from the tree.

A coast plain willow branch with small oval green leaves and cottony white puffs of flowers.
Coastal plain willow. Photo: Scott Zona, some rights reserved.

Coastal Plain Willow (Salix caroliniana) — Also called Carolina willow, coastal plain willow is an interesting tree for its importance in the medical field. A compound called salicin is obtained from this tree, which is used to produce aspirin. Its properties famously help ease pain associated with joint swelling and arthritis.

A cluster of tiny purple-black round fruits on a plant.
Elderberry fruit

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) — Elderberry has long been used in a variety of ways, including as food, medicine, toys, textile dyes and even musical instruments. Medicinally it’s been used to induce vomiting and as a topical antiseptic to treat wounds and bee stings. The berries are edible and are commonly used today for jams, pies, syrups and liqueurs, but they must first be properly processed in order to avoid toxins. Other parts of the plant, including the flowers and foliage, can be toxic as well.

Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) — Bald cypress is considered one of the most important plants in Florida’s history. It was used for dugout canoes, one of the earliest modes of transportation for Native Americans. Because its lumber is resistant to rot, wood of this tree has also been traditionally used for fibers, houses, cooking tools, toys, drums and coffins. While cypress wood is presently used in mulch, it’s not considered Florida-Friendly as it’s often sourced from sensitive wetlands.

A lone, tall sabal palm on a grassy plain. A few clusters of sabal are in the far background.
Sabal palm

Some additional native trees with ethnobotanical significance include red maple, strangler fig, sweet gum, wax myrtle and sassafras. These “giving trees” have played a huge role in Florida’s history, and their importance in today’s world is all the more reason to protect and cherish them.

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