Which wild plants and animals added to the diets of Indigenous peoples of the American Southeast?

Indigenous peoples of the American Southeast relied on a diverse array of wild plants and animals to supplement their agricultural diet of corn, beans, and squash.12

Wild Plant Foods

Beyond cultivated crops, communities gathered a wide variety of wild plants, including:
* Fruits and Nuts: Wild grapes, plums, berries, acorns, and nuts such as walnuts and pecans.1
* Roots and Greens: Wild greens, potatoes, zamia roots, amaranths, and smilax shoots and seeds.1
* Other Sources: Sap from maple and honey locust trees, as well as Chenopodium and orache.1

Wild Animals

The region’s abundant wildlife provided essential protein:
* Land Animals: Deer, black bears, elks, beavers, squirrels, rabbits, otters, raccoons, and forest-dwelling bison. In Florida, alligators and turtles were also consumed.1
* Birds: Wild turkeys were the primary fowl, supplemented by partridges, quail, pigeons, ducks, and geese.1
* Aquatic Life: A wide variety of fish were harvested using traps, nets, and spears. Coastal groups gathered oysters, clams, mussels, cockles, and crabs, while interior groups collected freshwater mussels and crayfish.1