#PlantsGiving encourages us to appreciate the remarkable diversity behind holiday gatherings. Keep a tally of the plant families used in your holiday meal and share photos online with #PlantsGiving.
Plants shape every aspect of our lives, yet many people today move through their daily routines without noticing them. The clothes you wear, the food you eat, and even many plastics begin their lives as plants. Plant scientists have named this inability to recognize the plants around us as “plant blindness” or “plant awareness disparity” (PAD): terms meant to describe how modern society, shaped by industrialization and colonial land-use changes, has distanced many people from the plants that support their lives.
Despite being named for over 20 years, it is only recently that a theoretical framework to quantify this phenomenon was developed. However, this framing is not universal. For many Indigenous peoples, plants have never been invisible. They are relatives: beings with histories, responsibilities and roles in the web of life. The teachings, harvesting practices and ceremonies connected to plants offer examples of what it means to sustain long-term, place-based relationships, rather than overlook them.
This difference in recognition matters. It determines whether our actions perpetuate ecological decline or foster resilience. It shapes feelings of responsibility toward the living world and how society interacts with it. Some parts of modern society have largely lost their relationship with plants. Efforts to address PAD are efforts to restore these relationships, rather than simply increasing awareness.
For over 30 years, the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens and Michigan State University Extension have been at the forefront of rebuilding these connections by inviting thousands of visitors to interact directly with plant relatives through education, storytelling, and hands-on exploration. As the gardens enter a new era, our small team is working hard to reinvigorate our tried-and-true educational programming with the latest pedagogical approaches. We are beginning with the digitization of our plant collections, lesson plan and educational activities, so that anyone (teachers, families, community groups) can use and adapt these tools in ways that matter to them. This article is the first in a series dedicated to helping people cultivate meaningful relationships with plants by giving everyone the tools to alleviate PAD through fun and educational activities.
As early as 2018, the botanical community hosted the annual #PlantsGiving celebration online. The rules are simple: keep a tally of the plant families used to make your holiday meal and share photos or video of the delicious outcomes online with the hashtag #PlantsGiving. The post with the most plant families represented wins! But really, everyone wins. #PlantsGiving encourages us to slow down, look closely and appreciate the remarkable diversity behind a single gathering. Plants are brought to the forefront of our minds AND we get to eat delicious food!
There are over 288 plant families that contain edible plant species. One single family (Poaceae – the grass family) produces over 60% of the world’s caloric supply in the form of corn, rice and wheat. There are likely already dozens of options in your kitchen (see Table 1 for some examples).
Table 1. List of common plant-based foods (sorted by plant family)
Plant
Use
Plant Family (Species)
Onion
Seasoning; Side dish
Amaryllidaceae (Allium cepa)
Garlic
Seasoning
Amaryllidaceae (Allium sativum)
Celery
Seasoning; Side dish
Apiaceae (Apium graveolens)
Carrot
Side dish; Appetizer
Apiaceae (Daucus carota)
Parsley
Seasoning; Garnish
Apiaceae (Petroselinum crispum)
Hops
Beverage (beer)
Cannabaceae (Humulus lupulus)
Sweet potato
Side dish; Dessert
Convolvulaceae (Ipomoea batatas)
Squash (yellow)
Side dish
Cucurbitaceae (Cucurbita pepo var. crookneck)
Zucchini
Side dish
Cucurbitaceae (Cucurbita pepo var. cylindrica)
Squash (acorn)
Side dish
Cucurbitaceae (Cucurbita pepo var. turbinata)
Pumpkin
Dessert; Beverage (pumpkin ale)
Cucurbitaceae (Cucurbita pepo)
Blueberry
Dessert; Beverage
Ericaceae (Vaccinium corymbosum)
Cranberry
Side dish; Beverage
Ericaceae (Vaccinium macrocarpon)
Lima bean
Side dish
Fabaceae (Phaseolus lunatus)
Green bean
Side dish
Fabaceae (Phaseolus vulgaris)
Mint
Beverage (cocktails)
Lamiaceae (Mentha spp.)
Sage
Seasoning
Lamiaceae (Salvia officinalis)
Rosemary
Seasoning; Beverage (infusions)
Lamiaceae (Salvia rosmarinus)
Thyme
Seasoning
Lamiaceae (Thymus vulgaris)
Cinnamon
Seasoning; Dessert
Lauraceae (Cinnamomum verum)
Nutmeg
Seasoning; Dessert
Myristicaceae (Myristica fragrans)
Allspice
Seasoning; Dessert
Myrtaceae (Pimenta dioica)
Black pepper
Seasoning
Piperaceae (Piper nigrum)
Barley
Beverage (beer/whiskey)
Poaceae (Hordeum vulgare)
Wheat
Bread; Beverage (beer/whiskey)
Poaceae (Triticum aestivum)
Corn (maize)
Bread; Side dish; Beverage (whiskey/bourbon)
Poaceae (Zea mays)
Apple
Dessert; Beverage (cider)
Rosaceae (Malus domestica)
Paprika (from pepper)
Seasoning
Solanaceae (Capsicum annuum)
Potato
Side dish; Beverage (vodka)
Solanaceae (Solanum tuberosum)
Grape
Beverage (wine)
Vitaceae (Vitis vinifera)
This year, we invite you to celebrate the diversity of foods on your plate and look beyond the relationships behind them. Some plants carry deep ecological and cultural significance to Indigenous peoples of the Great Lakes. Learning their stories helps us reconnect not only with plants, but with the landscapes and histories that shape our region. Here are three examples.
Manoomin (wild rice) – A plant relative central to Anishinaabe homelands
Manoomin, also known as good berry, good seed and wild rice (Poaceae – Zizania spp.) is a plant central to Anishinaabe identity, governance and history. Its presence guided Anishinaabe ancestors to the Great Lakes, fulfilling the prophecy that their migration would end “where food grows on the water.” For generations, they have maintained reciprocal relationships with manoomin through careful harvesting, ceremony and stewardship practices that affirm responsibilities to this relative and uphold treaty-reserved rights across the region.
These relationships were deeply disrupted by settler colonialism, making many historic manoomin lakes unsuitable for growing. At the same time, commercial paddy-grown Zizania was developed in places like Minnesota and California as a dependable commodity crop. From a distance, these paddies can look like a success story of agricultural innovation and efficiency; but they also represent a shift away from lake-based, treaty-governed manoomin and the seasonal rice camps, teachings and responsibilities that surround it. In many stores today, when people reach for a bag labeled “wild rice,” they are often buying paddy-grown grain that is not part of those relationships.
Ecologically, wild Zizania species are sensitive plants that require clean, slow-moving water about a foot deep. Northern wild rice (Zizania palustris) has been selectively bred into stable commercial cultivars like ‘Itasca-C12’ grown in Minnesota and California. Commercial wild rice paddies are designed for efficient growth and mechanical harvest, and as a result, provide a considerably different habitat than natural, lake-grown manoomin. Tribally-harvested manoomin from natural lakes is carefully and collaboratively monitored to ensure sustainability and honor its cultural significance. This stewardship is labor-intensive, which is why lake-grown manoomin often costs more (approximately $14 per pound). The price reflects care and an ongoing commitment to protect a plant who has sustained the Anishinaabe peoples.
Sunchoke (sunroot) – A generous native food with deep history
Sunchokes, also known as sunroot (literal translation of an Indigenous name), Jerusalem artichokes and earth apples (Asteraceae – Helianthus tuberosus), is a native North American plant relative that has long been cultivated and harvested by Indigenous communities and nations. They are most like potatoes in terms of culinary use and flavor (albeit slightly sweet). Despite being unrelated to artichokes and native to North America (not Jerusalem), the tuberous roots of this plant can be eaten raw, cooked or pickled and because they do not contain starch, they do not trigger glycemic spikes in people with diabetes.
Unlike manoomin, sunchokes are extremely resilient, easy to cultivate and long-lived. They can be somewhat “poorly behaved” in gardens because they can outcompete surrounding plants, but if you harvest annually, they are fairly easy to contain. The tuber color varies but is generally white or purplish-red. Popular varieties include ‘Supernova,’ ‘Fuseau’ (white and red varieties), ‘Jack’s Copperclad,’ and ‘Golden Nugget.’
Chokecherry – A food, medicine and ceremonial relative
Chokecherry (Rosaceae – Prunus virginiana) is a large shrub or small tree covered in white blossoms in late spring. The fruit of wild varieties are sour and bitter (the origin of the plant’s common name), but are an important source of food for wildlife and have been used by Indigenous peoples across North America in a variety of foods, medicines and ceremonies. Even today, the fruit are used in pemmican (a mixture of chokecherry, tallow and dried meat); jams, preserves or syrups; sunbaked cakes; and wines. While the wild varieties often have unpalatable fruit, cultivated varieties have been developed with sweeter fruit, ornamental architecture and attractively colored foliage. Popular varieties include ‘Boughen’s Sweet,’ ‘Canada Red,’ and ‘Schubert.’
Why these plants matter for #PlantsGiving
Participating in #PlantsGiving is not just a celebration of plant diversity. It is an opportunity to strengthen relationships with plants who have nourished communities for generations. By incorporating culturally significant ingredients like manoomin, chokecherries and sunchokes into our meals, we are not just expanding our palates, but reconnecting with the landscapes, histories and stewardship practices that shape them. These foods carry stories of resilience, reciprocity and ecological wisdom. Seeking them out at farmers markets, growing them yourself, and incorporating them into your holiday meal is a way to celebrate diversity, support Indigenous food sovereignty, and take significant strides towards alleviating plant awareness disparity.
Plants invite us to slow down, notice and remember. #PlantsGiving is one small way to renew these relationships and thank the plant relatives who sustain our lives.
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