Roots of the High Plains
The 'underground bread' of the prairie: starchy, high-calorie tubers and taproots that sustained life.
The Starch Economy
Roots were the caloric backbone of the Plains diet. This collection focuses on the starchy taproots that provided essential energy. Prairie Turnip (Psoralidium esculentum) was the most critical wild carbohydrate on the Plains. bohydrates that fueled the Great Plains nations. These plants, often with long, deep taproots designed to survive drought and fire, were harvested with specialized digging sticks.
Many of these roots were eaten fresh in the spring or dried and braided for long-term storage.