Selected Plants of Navajo Rangelands
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Algerita
Tsinłitsoi
(Berberis trifoliolata)
(a.k.a agarita, agrito, currant-of-Texas, wild currant)
Edible berries
Good for wildlife
May cause injury
Antelope bitterbrush
Tsék’ina’ałch’ízhii
(Purshia tridentata)
(a.k.a buckbrush, bitterbrush)
Good livestock forage
Antelopehorn
Azee’l̷a’dilt’éhé
(Asclepias asperula)
(a.k.a green-flowered milkweed, spider antelope horns)
Poisonous to livestock
Beeplant, Rocky Mountain
Waa’
(Cleome serrulata)
(a.k.a Rocky Mountain beeplant, Navajo spinach)
Edible seeds and seedpods
Biscuitroot
Nímasiichilí
(Lomatium spp.)
(a.k.a Foothill biscuit root, Giant biscuit root, Gray's biscuit root)
Provides wildlife forage and habitat
Bluebells
Dahiitiíhídą́ą́’dootł’izhí
(Campanula rotundifolia)
(a.k.a American bellflower, Bluebell bellflower, Harebell)
Bulrush
Lók’aatł’ohtsoh
(Schoenoplectus acutus)
(a.k.a Tule, common tule, hardstem tule, tule rush, hardstem bulrush, or viscid bulrush)
Provides wildlife habitat and forage
Potentially invasive
Colorado piñon
Chá’oł
(Pinus edulis)
(a.k.a Piñon pine, common pinyon, two needle pinyon, twoneedle/two needle pinyon, Colorado pinyon)
Provides wildlife forage
Common purslane
Tsiighájiłchíí
(Portulaca oleracea)
(a.k.a Little hogweed, red root, pursley)
Edible leaves
Weedy
Cow parsnip
Azee’haagai
(Heracleum maximum)
(a.k.a Indian celery, indian rhubarb, pushki)
Provides wildlife and livestock forage
Potential skin irritant
Coyote willow
K’ei’łibáhí
(Salix exigua)
(a.k.a Sandbar willow, Narrowleaf willow)
Provides wildlife and livestock forage and habitat
Provides erosion control
Death camas
Yiíłtsíniitsoh
(Zigadenus paniculatus)
(a.k.a Foothill deathcamas)
Poisonous to livestock
Devilweed
Ni’ ił tł’ hii
(Chloracantha spinosa)
(a.k.a aster, Aster spinosus, buena mujer, spiny chloracantha)
Dropseed, pine
Tł’ohyilzólí
(Blepharoneuron tricholepis)
(a.k.a hairy dropseed)
Provides livestock forage
Indicator of healthy rangeland
Evening primrose
Tł’é’yiigáhii
(Oenothera spp.)
(a.k.a Tufted evening primrose, stemless primrose, fragrant evening primrose, white stemless evening primrose, gumbo lily)
Filaree
Dahįįtiíhídą́ą́’łikaní
(Erodium cicutarium)
(a.k.a Storksbill, Redstem filaree, Alfilaria, Redstem stork's bill)
Provides wildlife and livestock forage
Noxious
Four-winged saltbush
Díwózhiiłbéíí
(Atriplex canescens)
(a.k.a chamiza, fourwing saltbush, fourwinged saltbush)
Good livestock forage
Foxtail barley
Azéé’iilwo’iitsoh
(Hordeum jubatum)
(a.k.a bobtail barley, squirreltail barley)
May injure grazing animals
Globemallow
Azeenitł’inii
(Sphaeralcea spp.)
(a.k.a Scarlet globemallow)
Wildlife and livestock forage
Grama, black
Tł’ohnást’ąsłizhiní
(Bouteloua eriopoda)
Good livestock forage
Easily killed by overgrazing
Groundsel, threadleaf
Azeehááldzidí
(Senecio flaccidus var. flaccidus)
(a.k.a wooly groundsel, Senecio longilobus)
Toxic to livestock
Halogeton
Chil’bit’ą́ą́h t’ó
(Halogeton glomeratus)
Poisonous, especially to sheep
Noxious, Invasive
Horsemint
Kétłoh
(Monarda spp.)
(a.k.a Bee balm, Mountain mint, Oregano de la Sierra)
Provides good insect forage
Hummingbirds like it
Indian paintbrush
Dahiitįį́hídą́ą́’tsoh
(Castilleja spp.)
(a.k.a Pepperweed, perennial pepperweed, whitetop, mesa pepperwort)
Jimmyweed
K’iiłtsoiłizhiní
(Isocoma pluriflora)
(a.k.a Rayless goldenrod, goldenweed)
Poisonous to livestock
May cause illness in humans from meat or milk
Jimsonweed
Ch’óhojiééh
(Datura spp.)
(a.k.a sacred thorn-apple)
Poisonous to humans and livestock
Potential skin irritant
Johnsongrass
Akál
(Sorghum x almum)
Noxious, may suppress other plants
Sometimes toxic to livestock, especially cattle
Knapweed
Ch’it Bilat’a dootłizhigí
(Centaurea spp.)
(a.k.a Spotted knapweed, yellow starthistle)
Invasive, Noxious
Spiny
Knapweed, diffuse
Ch’il lat’á dei nínigí
(Centaurea diffusa)
(a.k.a White knapweed, spreading knapweed, tumble knapweed)
May injure livestock
May decrease range value
Introduced, Noxious
Knapweed, Russian
Ch’ildích’l’iłibáhí
(Acroptilon repens)
(a.k.a Centaurea picris, Rhaponticum repens ,, Turestan thistle, creeping knapweed, mountain bluet, Russian cornflower, hardheads)
Toxic to horses; potentially toxic to other livestock
Noxious
Kochia
Ch’il nilt’ǫlí
(Bassia scoparia)
(a.k.a Kochia scoparia)
Potentially toxic to livestock
Introduced, Noxious
Lambsquarters
Tł’oh dei hałgaí
(Chenopodium album var. missouriense)
(a.k.a lamb's quarters, Chenopodium missouriense, Aellen)
Leafy spurge
Ch’il abcí tsoh
(Euphorbia esula)
(a.k.a Faitours-grass, wolf's milk)
Noxious, Introduced
Toxic to cattle
Skin and eye irritation in humans
Poisonous
Loco, rattleweed
Dá’ághálii
(Astragalus allochrous)
(a.k.a rattleweed, Half-moon milkvetch)
Toxic to livestock
Mormon tea
Tł’ohozihii
(Ephedra spp.)
(a.k.a tall mormon tea, longleaf ephedra, joint fir, green ephedra)
Potentially toxic to sheep and cows
Mountain mahogany
Tsé’ásdaazii
(Cercocarpus montanus)
Provides forage for wildlife and livestock
Provides wildlife habitat
Muhly, sandhill
Béé’ézhóó’
(Muhlenbergia pungens)
(a.k.a wickiup grass)
Controls wind erosion on sand
Navajo tea
Ch’ilgohwéhí’deí
(Thelesperma megapotamicum)
(a.k.a Thelesperma subnudum)
Useful to humans
Navajo tobacco
Dziłnát’oh
(Rumex crispus)
(a.k.a curly dock)
Introduced
Toxic to livestock and poultry
Navajo wild carrot
Chaasht’ezhiitsoh
(Rumex hymenosepalus)
(a.k.a sand dock, dock root, canyaigre, wild rhubarb)
Useful to humans
Needlegrass, desert
Tł’ohtsahí
(Pappostipa speciosa)
(a.k.a Stipa speciosa, Achnatherum speciosa)
May injure livestock
New Mexico feathergrass
Tł’ohdit’ódítsoh
(Hesperostipa neomexicana)
(a.k.a Stipa neomexicana)
Seeds may injure livestock
Withstands heavy use in spring and fall
Nightshade
Ma’iidą́ą́’
(Solanum spp.)
(a.k.a silver nightshade, western horsenettle)
Toxic to livestock
May cause injury
Oregon grape
Tséch’ilndtł’izíyilt ’ą́ą ’í
(Berberis aquifolium )
(a.k.a Oregon grape holly, Mahonia aquifolium)
Penstemon
Tsédídééh
(Penstemon spp.)
(a.k.a Rocky Mountain penstemon, beardtongue, penstemon strictus)
Good for wildlife
Pepperweed
Os si tsóh
(Lepidium alyssoides)
(a.k.a Tall whitetop, giant whiteweed, perennial pepperweed, broadleaved pepperweed, clasping pepperweed, Lepidium virginicum)
Invasive
Ponderosa pine
Ńdíshchíí’
(Pinus ponderosa)
(a.k.a Big heavy, black jack, bull pine, ponderosa white )
Good wildlife forage
Potential danger to cattle
Prickly pear
Hoshniteelí
(Opuntia spp.)
(a.k.a Plains prickly pear, Opuntia phaeacantha)
Potentially invasive
Forage for wildlife
Rabbitbrush
Ch’ildiilyésiits’óóz
(Ericameria spp.)
(a.k.a rubber rabbitbrush)
Useful for soil stabilization and restoration
Rabbitbrush, green
Ch’ildiilyésiits’ǫ́ǫ́z
(Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus)
(a.k.a yellow rabbitbrush, Douglas rabbitbrush)
Potentially invasive
Red stem peavine
Ch’ilna’át’ó’í
(Astragalus emoryanus)
(a.k.a locoweed, Emory's milkvetch)
Toxic to livestock
Redtop
Tł’ohlátahyíchii’í
(Agrostis gigantea )
(a.k.a blackbent, Agrostus gigantea)
Introduced
Palatable to cattle and horses
Ricegrass, Indian
Ndídlídii
(Achnatherum hymenoides)
(a.k.a Oryzopsis hymenoides, Stipa hymenoides)
Good livestock and wildlife forage
Edible grain
Roundleaf buffaloberry
Dibédą́ą́’
(Shepherdia rotundifolia)
(a.k.a silverleaf)
Wildlife forage and habitat
Rubberweed, bitter
Né’éshjaa’yilkee’é
(Hymenoxys odorata)
(a.k.a Rubberweed)
Toxic to livestock, particularly sheep
Russian olive
Tsin łibáhá
(Elaeagnus angustifolia)
(a.k.a silverberry, oleaster, wild olive, Persian olive)
Noxious
Sacaton, alkali
Tl̷ohdá’ákáłiitsoh
(Sporobolus airoides)
(a.k.a Salt grass)
Good forage
Stabilizes soil
Sagebrush, Bigelow
Ts’ahłibáhí
(Artemisia bigelovii)
(a.k.a Flat sagebrush)
Wildlife and livestock forage
Sagebrush, sand
Ch’ilzhóó’
(Artemisia filifolia)
Potentially toxic to horses
Provides erosion control
Snakeweed
Ch’il Diilyésii dzaa
(Gutierrezia sarothrae)
(a.k.a broom snakeweed)
Potentially toxic to livestock
Sneezeweed
Nií’ii’nił
(Helenium autumnale)
Potentially toxic to livestock and humans
Butterfly forage
Snowberry
Didzé
(Symphoricarpos albus)
(a.k.a Mountain snowberry, Utah snowberry, waxberry, ghostberry)
Early spring forage
St. Johnswort
Biłhaazhch’ih
(Hypericum perforatum)
Toxic to livestock
Pollen source for bees and wasps
Sulphur cinquefoil
Azee tsoxíí, Chil di tsoxíí
(Potentilla recta )
(a.k.a rough-fruited cinquefoil)
Noxious
Thistle, musk
Azee’okani’whooshí, Azee’okani’deniní
(Carduus nutans)
(a.k.a nodding plumeless thistle)
Invasive, Noxious
May cause injury
Thistle, Scotch
Zéé hókanííł béí, Whosh Waa’
(Onopordum acanthium)
(a.k.a scotch cottonthistle )
Noxious
Three-awns, annual
Azéé’iilwo’iiyázhí
(Aristida spp.)
Fleece damage to sheep
Irritates livestock skin, eyes, nostrils
Tumbleweed
Ch’ildeeníní
(Salsola tragus)
(a.k.a Russian thistle, prickly Russian thistle, slender thistle, Salsola kali)
Sign of unhealthy rangeland
May cause injury
Utah serviceberry
Dídzéi dit’odi
(Amelanchier utahensis)
(a.k.a Shadbush, sarvis, Juneberry)
Edible berries
Water birch
K’ishchíí
(Betula occidentalis)
(a.k.a Rocky Mountain birch)
Stabilizes streambanks
Provides wildlife habitat
Western yarrow
Tééhch’ihóózhood
(Achillea lanulosa)
(a.k.a wooly yarrow)
Wildlife and livestock forage
Wheatgrass, slender
Tł’ooléyilts’oozí
(Elymus trachycaulus)
Wildlife and livestock forage
Erosion control
Wheatgrass, western
Tł’oolé
(Pascopyrum smithii)
(a.k.a Agropyron smithii)
Early spring forage is palatable to all livestock
Winterfat
Gahtsohdą́ą́’
(Krascheninnikovia lanata )
(a.k.a White-sage; Eurotia ceratoides, Ceratoides lanata, Eurotia lanata)
Forage for sheep and wildlife
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