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Leafy Legacies Database
For Site Plant Indicators
HAR's Leafy Legacies Database For Site Plant Indicators is a growing archive of site plant indicators—a record of botanical echoes left by past human activity. Whether tracing persistent tree lines marking abandoned homesteads, resilient flora reclaiming industrial ruins, or subtle vegetal cues signaling long-buried archaeological features, this initiative brings historical ecology into focus. By crowdsourcing plant observations linked to site types, we refine the art of recognizing living heritage, helping archaeologists, preservationists, and history enthusiasts decode landscapes with greater precision. These overlooked ecological footprints—rooted in memory, disturbance, and adaptation—offer a fresh way to anticipate site visibility, strengthen conservation efforts, and deepen our ability to read the long shadows of history in the plants that persist. User-friendly archaeologist-bent field plant guides are forthcoming!
By engaging with this database and the Deep Time Commons, you agree to credit John S. Harris, with Harris Anthropological Research LLC (HAR) in any resulting presentations' and publications' acknowledgements. Additionally, please provide HAR with a copy of non-confidential works that arise from this resource.
Flower Image | Leaf Image | Stem/Bark Image | Seed/Fruit Image | Common Name | Genus | Species | Variety | Anthropogenic Vegetation Category | Describe in Greater Detail | Archaeological Site Type or Other Cultural Site/Landscape Type | Cultural Feature Type | Relational and Spatial Pattern Description | Degree of Synanthropy | State or Province | Country (if not U.S.A.) | Literature Reference | Reference Link | Number of Observations | Growth Habit | Other (Non-literature) Reference | Other Field Observations or Habitat Notes | Ethnographically Observed/Ethnohistorian Noted Behaviors and Interactions With Plant | Herbarium Specimen URL | Ethnographic, Ethnohistoric, or Archival Reference | Plant Indicator Verified | Preferred Growth Setting | Species Preferred Growth Settings | Species' Dispersal Mechanisms | Species Settings and Dispersal Method References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rubus | botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | SH | Yes | ||||||||||||||||
Prunus | botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | TR | Yes | ||||||||||||||||
Vaccinium | botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | SH | Yes | ||||||||||||||||
Chinese Tree-of-Heaven | Ailanthus | altissima | Anthropophytes, Botanical co-occurrences | Historic Sites, cemetery | Burial | Casual Synanthrope | TN | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegeattion and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | TR | No | |||||||||||||||||
Douglas-Fir | Pseudotsuga | menziesii | High sociability, Higher abundance, Non-random distribution pattern | Historic Sites, domestic site | Make cluster around structure walls/foundations (from seeds rolling off roof) | Urban-Sensitive Species | MT | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegeattion and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | TR | No | |||||||||||||||||
English ivy | Hedera | helix | Anthropophytes, Botanical co-occurrences, plant-site association | May co-occur with bulb plants, daffodils, vinca, tulips, roses, rhubarb, horseradish, and other exotic plants in the midst of native vegetation thriving in a historic domestic site. May co-occur with evergreens or Vinca minor at cemeteries. | Historic Sites, domestic site, cemetery | Burial, Residence | Around foundations at domestic site, occurs with other evergreen plantings or Vinca in grave plots. | Casual Synanthrope | OR, NY, MO, TN | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegeattion and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 3 | VI | No | |||||||||||||||
European gooseberry | Ribes | reclinatum | L [R. uva-crispa L.] | Human created / introduced, anthropophyte, non-random distribution pattern, plant-site association | historic site, mining camp, domestic site | garden | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | MT | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegeattion and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana, 62. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | SH | No | ||||||||||||||||
Haller's thift | Armeria | maritima subsp. halleri | plant-site association | ancient European mining sites | Mining site | slag pile | Casual Synanthrope | Saxony-Anhalt | Germany | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press. | 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||
Harlequin blueflag | Iris | versicolor L. | botanical co-occurrence, higher abundance, high sociability | occurs with Antennaria spp. | Precontact Sites, House Sites | House depressions | Precontact house depressions from the Middle Dorset Period (around 300 CE) | Tangential Synanthrope | Newfoundland | Canada | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press.
| 1 | HE | No | |||||||||||||||
Nootka rose | Rosa | nutkana | botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | SH | Yes | ||||||||||||||
Pacific crabapple | Malus | fusca | plant-site association, botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | TR | Yes | ||||||||||||||
Parry's agave | Agave | parryi Engelm. | Plant-site association, high sociability, lower vitality, | Precontact Sites, Habitation sites, Pithouse villages, Pueblos | field. garden, houses, lithic scatter, ceramic scatter | By be up or downhill of a midden, or downhill of a house- within to the east or southeast of the densest scatter of sherds or lithic scatter | Casual Synanthrope | Arizona | Minnis, P.E. and Plog, S.E. (1976) ‘A study of the site-specific distribution of Agave parryi in east-central Arizona’, Kiva, 41(3/4), pp. 299–308.
| https://www.academia.edu/116048002/A_Study_of_the_Site_Specific_Distribution_ofAgave_Parryiin_East_Central_Arizona | 1 | SU | Yes | ||||||||||||||||
Saskatoon serviceberry | Amelanchier | alnifolia | botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | SH | Yes | ||||||||||||||
Sitka mountain ash | Sorbus | sitchensis | botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | SH | Yes | ||||||||||||||
Virginia strawberry | Fragaria | virginiana | botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | HE | Yes | ||||||||||||||
alder | Alnus | Historic Sites | Urban-Sensitive Species | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | TR | No | |||||||||||||||||||||
alder buckthorn | Frangula | alnus | planting regime, non-random distribution pattern, plants-site association | may be found around doorways and windows to residences | Historic sites, farmstead, residences, domestic sites | found around residences | Casual Synanthrope | PA, NY, MA | Augé, C.R., 2022. Field Manual for the Archaeology of Ritual, Religion, and Magic. Berghahn Books, 203. | 1 | SH | No | |||||||||||||||||
alpine foxtail | Alopecurus | alpinus Sm. | plant-site association, botanical co-occurrence, high abundance, high sociability | occurs predominately with Poa arctica R. Br. and with Stellaria lonipes to a lesser degree | Village Sites, Habitation sites | house depressions, walls, floors | Tangential Synanthrope | Avannaata, Nunavut | Greenland, Canada | McCartney, N.G. (1978) ‘Lichens from three archaeological sites, Somerset Island, N.W.T. Canada’, The Bryologist, 81(4), pp. 610–613. Published by the American Bryological and Lichenological Society. Accessed 7 November 2016.
| https://www.jstor.org/stable/3242356 | 1 | GR | Yes | |||||||||||||||
apple | Malus | domestica | Human-created/dependent species, Anthropophytes, Plant-site association, Botanical co-occurrence, Non-random distribution pattern, Planting regime, Higher abundance | May co-occur with lilacs, locust trees, and cherry trees at domestic sites and homestead sites | Historic Sites, domestic site, homestead, logging skid road | Burials, Roads, Middens, Orchards, Residence | Around agricultural spaces on historic homesteads and domestici sites, and along middens at logging skid road sites | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | NY, MT | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 3 | TR | No | |||||||||||||||
arctic bluegrass | Poa | arctica R. Br. | plant-site association, botanical co-occurrence, higher abundance, high sociability | occurs predominately with Alopecurus alpinus Sm., and with Stellaria lonipes to a lesser degree | Village Sites, Habitation sites | house depressions, walls, floors | Thule and modern Inuit peoples | Tangential Synanthrope | Avannaata, Nunavut | Greenland, Canada | McCartney, N.G. (1978) ‘Lichens from three archaeological sites, Somerset Island, N.W.T. Canada’, The Bryologist, 81(4), pp. 610–613. Published by the American Bryological and Lichenological Society. Accessed 7 November 2016.
| https://www.jstor.org/stable/3242356 | 1 | HE | Yes | ||||||||||||||
beaked hazelnut | Crataegus | douglasii | plant-site association, botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | SH | Yes | ||||||||||||||
bearberry | Arctostaphylos | uva-ursi | botancial co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | SH | Yes | ||||||||||||||
blackthorn | Prunus | spinosa | anthropophyte, planting regime, non-random distribution pattern | along fence lines | historic sites, agricultural field boundaries | Casual Synanthrope | Augé, C.R., 2022. Field Manual for the Archaeology of Ritual, Religion, and Magic. Berghahn Books, 203. | 1 | TR | No | |||||||||||||||||||
breadnut | Brosimum | alicastrum | plant-site association, botanical co-occurrence | Precontact Sites, Cenotes, Agricultural Sites, Ceremonial sites, | Associated with Mayan ceremonial sites at natural sinkholes/cenotes in the company of abandoned orchard /garden species | Casual Synanthrope | Yucatán, Quintana Roo, and Campeche | Mexico | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press.
| 1 | TR | No | |||||||||||||||||
bromus | Bromus | Historic Sites | Casual Synanthrope | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 2 | GR | No | |||||||||||||||||||||
buffelgrass | Cenchrus | ciliaris | plant-site association | Habitation Sites | middens | Iron-age middens | Casual Synanthrope | Botswana | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press. | 1 | GR | No | |||||||||||||||||
central Australian cabbage palm | Livistona | mariae | Human dependent | low energy context, low spreading ability, non-hospitable habitats between its location and point of origin, being more than 500 mi away from nearest genetic relation (Livistona rigida), and Aboriginal cultural memory recalling it being deliberately brought south into Australian, suggests human intervention in its distribution | Urban-Sensitive Species | Northern Territory | Australia | Bowman, David M.J.S, Jason Gibson, and Toshiaki Kondo
2015 Outback Palms: Aboriginal Myth Meets DNA Analysis. Nature 520(33). | https://www.nature.com/articles/520033a | 1 | TR | No | |||||||||||||||||
cheatgrass | Bromus | tectorum | Anthropophytes, High sociability, Botanical co-occurrences, Non-random distribution pattern | May co-occur with other disturbance vegetation, like kochia (Bassia scoparia) or halogeton glomeratus | Historic Sites, industrial waste sites | Tangential Synanthrope | NV, NM, CO | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | GR | No | |||||||||||||||||
clover | Trifolium | Higher sociability, Higher abundance, Non-random distribution pattern | Historic Sites, domestic sites, farmsteads | Grows in concentrated patches over back filled house and barn foundations | Tangential Synanthrope | MO | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||||
common buckthorn | Rhamnus | cathartica | plant-site association, planting regime, non-random distribution pattern, anthropophyte | found in hedges, old gardens, and disturbed settings. It's hedge community includes: Crataegus spp., Gleditsia triacanthos L, Maclura aurantiaca Nutt., and Arborvitae. | Historic sites, agricultural sites, domestic sites | roads, fence lines, hedges, gardens, pastures, | linear growth patterns along hedges, property lines, partitioning of domestic and agricultural spaces, old fence lines, and old roads | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | ME, MI, OH, MA, WI, IL, NY, Ontario, Saskatchewan | Canada | Kurylo, J. and Endress, A.G. (2012) ‘Rhamnus cathartica: Notes on its early history in North America’, Northeastern Naturalist, 19(4), pp. 601–610
| https://bioone.org/journals/Northeastern-Naturalist/volume-19/issue-4/045.019.0405/iRhamnus-cathartica-i--Notes-on-Its-Early-History-in/10.1656/045.019.0405.short | 1 | SH | No | ||||||||||||||
common pawpaw | Asimina | triloba | Non-random distribution pattern, Plant-site association | Precontact Sites, Historic Sites, Settlement, Trail | Trail | Urban-Sensitive Species | KS | Blasing, R.
1986
Archaeological Survey of the Upper Deep Creek Drainage, Kansas. Wichita, KS. | https://www.academia.edu/38425857/Blasing1986_ArcheologicalSurveyOfTheUpperDeepCreekDrainage_Final_PDF | 1 | TR | No | |||||||||||||||||
common periwinkle | Vinca | minor | Human-created/dependent species, Higher sociability, Higher abundance, Anthropophytes, Plant-site association, Non-random distribution pattern, Planting regime | Historic Sites, burial/cemetery, domestic site | Burials, Residence | In the yard area of historic domestic sites and around house foundations, around headstones in burials/cementeries. Vinca minor can independently volunteer downstream from a historic cemetery | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | VA, NY, MO, TN, NV | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 5 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||
common yarrow | Achiellea | millefolium | botanical co-occurrence | historic site, field | garden | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | Augé, C.R., 2022. Field Manual for the Archaeology of Ritual, Religion, and Magic. Berghahn Books, 208 | 1 | HE | No | |||||||||||||||||||
copper flower | Elsholtzia | haichowensis Sun. | plant-site association | Historic sites, mining sites | slag piles | inhabits copper mining sites | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | Hubei | China | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press.
| 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||
copper flower | Haumaniastrum | katangense | Plant-site association, high sociability, higher abundance, | associated with dense carpets over copper and cobalt enriched soils from ancient mines and smelters | Mining site, Smelting Site, Slag piles | slag piles | Casual Synanthrope | Tanganyika, Haut-Lomami, Lualaba, Haut-Katanga | Democratic Republic of Congo | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press.
| 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||
cottonwood | Populus | deltoides | Historic Sites | Casual Synanthrope | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | TR | No | ||||||||||||||||||||
curlytop knotweed moss | Cirriphyllum | cirrosum | higher abundance, high sociability, botanical co-occurrence, plant-site association | occurs with Drepanocladus uncinatus and Aulacomnium palustre, and Saxifraga cernua. | Village sites, Habitation sites | Tangential Synanthrope | Nunavut | Canada | McCartney, N.G. (1978) ‘Lichens from three archaeological sites, Somerset Island, N.W.T. Canada’, The Bryologist, 81(4), pp. 610–613. Published by the American Bryological and Lichenological Society. Accessed 7 November 2016.
| https://www.jstor.org/stable/3242356 | 1 | MO | Yes | ||||||||||||||||
daffodils | Narcissus | Human-created/dependent species, Anthropophytes, Plant-site association, Non-random distribution pattern, Planting regime | Historic Sites, burial/cemetery, domestic site | Burial, residence, cellar footprints, brick foundation piers | Around foundations of residences and cellars, residential walkways, around old lanes and yards in domestic spaces, and around headstones of graves | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | VA, NY, MO, TN, NV | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 9 | HE | No | |||||||||||||||||
daylilies | Hemerocallis | Botanical co-occurrences, Anthropophytes | May occur with lilacs | Historic Sites, domestic sites | Privy | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | Watts, May Theilgaard
1999
Reading the Landscape of America. Nature Study Guild Publishers, Rochester,
NY. | 1 | HE | No | |||||||||||||||||||
daylilies | Hemerocallis | Botanical co-occurrences, Anthropophytes | May occur with lilacs, sugar maples, morning glories, periwinkle, hydrangeas, roses, sumac, Lombardy poplar, white poplar, black locust | Historic Sites, domestic sites | Yard | residence front yards (post-1820) | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | VT | Sanford, Robert, Don Huffer, and Nina Huffer
1995
Stonewalls and Cellarholes: A Guide for Landowners on Historic Features and
Landscapes in Vermont’s Forests. Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Waterbury,
VT. | https://outside.vermont.gov/agency/ACCD/ACCD_Web_Docs/HP/Resources_Rules/Digging_Into_Archaeology/Stonewalls_and_Cellarholes.pdf | 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||
daylilies | Hemerocallis | Botanical co-occurrences, Anthropophytes | May occur with lilacs | Historic Sites, domestic sites | Privy, Yard | residence back yard | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | Manitoba, NY | Stewart, John J
1977 Landscape Archaeology: Existing Plant Material on Historic Sites as Evidence of
Buried Features and as Survivors of Historic Species. Bulletin of the Association for
Preservation Technology 9(3):65–72. | https://www.jstor.org/stable/1493548 | 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||
dispersed rim lichen | Lecanora | dispersa | plant-site association | marble, limestone headstones | cemetery | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | WI, MT | Howard, C., 2023. MOSS Field Note #14 - Cemetery Lichens. Montana Outdoor Science School. Available at: https://outdoorscience.org/moss-field-notes/cemetery-lichens [Accessed 15 April 2025].
| https://outdoorscience.org/moss-field-notes/cemetery-lichens | 1 | LI | https://lichenportal.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=53798 | Strongly associated with gravestones and urban stone structures. | No | |||||||||||||||
dog's mercury | Mercurialis | perennis | plant-site association, botanical co-occurrence | indicator of limestone walls or foundations, found in the company of Acer campestre and Vicia dumetorum | Historical sites | walls | Casual Synanthrope | Baden-Württemberg | Germany | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press.
| 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||
dropping saxifrage | Saxifraga | cernua | higher abundance, high sociability, botanical co-occurrence, plant-site association | occurs with Drepanocladus uncinatus and Cirriphyullum cirrosum, and Aulacomnium palustre. | Village sites, Habitation sites | Tangential Synanthrope | Nunavut | Canada | McCartney, N.G. (1978) ‘Lichens from three archaeological sites, Somerset Island, N.W.T. Canada’, The Bryologist, 81(4), pp. 610–613. Published by the American Bryological and Lichenological Society. Accessed 7 November 2016.
| https://www.jstor.org/stable/3242356 | 1 | HE | Yes | ||||||||||||||||
eastern poison ivy | Toxicodendron | radicans | Plant-site association, Concentration of apophytes | Well known ground disturbance indicator, may occur with scrub grass | Unknown ground disturbance area | Casual Synanthrope | NY, VA | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | HE | No | |||||||||||||||||
eastern red cedar | Juniperus | virginiana | Botanical co-occurrences, Non-random distribution pattern | May occur as natural succession of abandoned farmland in the Midwest | Historic Sites, farmsteads | Casual Synanthrope | McClelland, Linda Flint, Timothy J. Keller, Genevieve P. Keller, and Robert Z. Melnick
1999
National Register Bulletin: Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Rural
Historic Landscapes. Washington D.C.
<https://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/pdfs/nrb30.pdf> Accessed 31 January
2017. | https://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/pdfs/nrb30.pdf | 1 | TR | No | ||||||||||||||||||
eastern red cedar | Juniperus | virginiana | Botanical co-occurrences | May co-occur with Vinca minor, daffodils, yucca at cemeteries | Historic Sites, cemeteries | Burial | Casual Synanthrope | VA | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | TR | No | ||||||||||||||||
field maple | Acer | campestre L. | plant-site association, botanical co-occurrence | indicator of limestone walls or foundations, found in the company of Mercurialis perennis and Vicia dumetorum | Historical sites | walls | Casual Synanthrope | Baden-Württemberg | Germany | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press.
| 1 | TR | No | ||||||||||||||||
field pumpkin | Cucurbita | pepo | Human dependent/ cultivated, apophyte | C. pepo was cultivated over vast distances and its cultivars vary widely from zucchinis, various squashes, gourds, and pumpkins. | domestic sites, villages | gardens, fences, waste lots, middens, dumps | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | TX, OK, MO, AR, LA, IL, KY, MS, AL, FL | Cowan, C. Wesley, and Bruce D. Smith
1993 New Perspectives on a Wild Gourd in Eastern North America. Journal of
Ethnobiology 13(1):17–54. | https://ethnobiology.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/JoE/13-1/CowanSmith.pdf | HE | can occur a floodplain valleys and gravel bars as part of natural seed dispersal | Yes | ||||||||||||||||
freckle pelt lichen | Peltigera | aphthosa | high vitality, high abundance, plant-site association | Village sites, Habitation sites | Middens, floors | Thule winter dwelling floors and middens associated | Tangential Synanthrope | Avannaata, Nunavut | Greenland, Canada | McCartney, N.G. (1978) ‘Lichens from three archaeological sites, Somerset Island, N.W.T. Canada’, The Bryologist, 81(4), pp. 610–613. Published by the American Bryological and Lichenological Society. Accessed 7 November 2016.
| https://www.jstor.org/stable/3242356 | 1 | LI | Yes | |||||||||||||||
garden valerian | Valeriana | officinalis L. | botanical co-occurrence, anthropophyte | may be found in the company of other garden escapees or garden herbs in the context of a house garden or residence doorway | historic site, domestic site, residence | doorway, walkway, stoop | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | Augé, C.R., 2022. Field Manual for the Archaeology of Ritual, Religion, and Magic. Berghahn Books, 208. | 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||||
golden shield lichen | Xanthoria | fulva | plant-site association | cemetery | headstone | Tangential Synanthrope | OH, NY | Howard, C., 2023. MOSS Field Note #14 - Cemetery Lichens. Montana Outdoor Science School. Available at: https://outdoorscience.org/moss-field-notes/cemetery-lichens [Accessed 15 April 2025].
| https://outdoorscience.org/moss-field-notes/cemetery-lichens | 1 | LI | Yellow-orange foliose lichen found on older marble gravestones. | No | ||||||||||||||||
great wood-vetch | Vicia | dumetorum L. | plant-site association, botanical co-occurrence | indicator of limestone walls or foundations, found in the company of Acer campestre and Mercurialis perennis | Historic sites | walls | Tangential Synanthrope | Baden-Württemberg | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press.
| 1 | HE | No | |||||||||||||||||
herb of the cross (vervain) | Verbena | officinalis L. | botanical co-occurrence | may occur with other herb and shrub plantings around doors of a residence on in a house garden | historic site, domestic site, residence, field | residence, walkway, garden | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | Augé, C.R., 2022. Field Manual for the Archaeology of Ritual, Religion, and Magic. Berghahn Books, 208. | HE | No | |||||||||||||||||||
holly tree | Ilex | planting regime, non-random distribution pattern, botanical co-occurrence | historic site, domestic site, residence | walkway, front yard, front road | Urban-Sensitive Species | Samuels, Gayle B.
1999
Enduring Roots: Encounters with Trees, History, and the American Landscape.
Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, CAN,28,31. | 1 | TR | Holly trees were often planted during weddings in the front of a houses on the occasion of a wedding, buying or building a new house, and births of children. When planted to commemorate a wedding, they were called marriage or coffin trees. When planted on the occasion of children, they were called birth trees. There may a row of holly trees or other evergreen trees planted in a row in front of the house and between the house and a main road. The fate of the person(s) represented were thought wrapped up in the tree, if misfortune befall the tree, then the person would be affected, and if the represented people experienced ill, the tree would show illness. | Samuels 1999 | No | ||||||||||||||||||
honey locust tree | Gleditsia | triacanthos | Botanical co-occurrences, Higher abundance | May occur with apple trees and lilacs, associated with Cherokee sites | Precontact Sites, Historic Sites | May occur at Cherokee sites | Casual Synanthrope | NY | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | TR | No | ||||||||||||||||
honey locust tree | Gleditsia | triacanthos | Non-random distribution pattern, Plant-site association | Precontact Sites, Historic Sites, Settlement, Trail | Trail | Associated with Cherokee trails and settlements throughout the Southern Appalachian Mountain region | Casual Synanthrope | KY, TN, VA, NC, SC, GA, AL | Warren, Robert J.
2016 Ghosts of Cultivation Past - Native American Dispersal Legacy Persists in Tree
Distribution. Plos One 11(3):e0150707
<http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0150707>. | http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0150707 | 1 | TR | Yes | ||||||||||||||||
hooked fork moss | Drepanocladus | uncinatus | higher abundance, high sociability, botanical co-occurrence, plant-site association | occurs with Aulacomnium palustre and Cirriphyullum cirrosum, and Saxifraga cernua. | Village sites, Habitation sites | Tangential Synanthrope | Nunavut | Canada | McCartney, N.G. (1978) ‘Lichens from three archaeological sites, Somerset Island, N.W.T. Canada’, The Bryologist, 81(4), pp. 610–613. Published by the American Bryological and Lichenological Society. Accessed 7 November 2016. | https://www.jstor.org/stable/3242356 | 1 | MO | Yes | ||||||||||||||||
imperial taro | Colocasia | antiquorum Sun | Anthropophyte, plant-site association | Village sites | found growing near unpopulated Maori villages | Casual Synanthrope | New Zealand | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press.
| 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||||
lemon Balm | Melissa | officinalis | Botanical co-occurrences, Plant-site associations | May occur with daffodils, periwinkle, mint, and garden herbs | Historic Sites, domestic sites | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | VA | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | HE | No | |||||||||||||||||
lilac | Syringa | vulgaris | Human-created/dependent species, Anthropophytes, Botanical co-occurrences | May occurrence with apple trees, cherry trees, or locust trees | Historic Sites, homesteads | Casual Synanthrope | WI, MT, TN, NY | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 2 | SH | No | |||||||||||||||||
lilac | Syringa | vulgaris | Human-created/dependent species, Anthropophytes, Botanical co-occurrences | Historic Sites, domestic site | Privy | May be found along privies, and in the company of day lilies | Casual Synanthrope | Manitoba, NY | Stewart, John J
1977 Landscape Archaeology: Existing Plant Material on Historic Sites as Evidence of
Buried Features and as Survivors of Historic Species. Bulletin of the Association for
Preservation Technology 9(3):65–72. | https://www.jstor.org/stable/1493548 | 1 | SH | No | ||||||||||||||||
lilac | Syringa | vulgaris | Human-created/dependent species, Anthropophytes, Botanical co-occurrences | Historic Sites, domestic site | Residence's front door or gate, or lining walkways | May also be found with Lombardy poplars | Casual Synanthrope | VT | Sanford, Robert, Don Huffer, and Nina Huffer
1995
Stonewalls and Cellarholes: A Guide for Landowners on Historic Features and
Landscapes in Vermont’s Forests. Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Waterbury,
VT. | https://www.bing.com/search?q=Sanford%2C+Robert%2C+Don+Huffer%2C+and+Nina+Huffer+1995+Stonewalls+and+Cellarholes%3A+A+Guide+for+Landowners+on+Historic+Features+and+Landscapes+in+Vermont’s+Forests.+Vermont+Agency+of+Natural+Resources%2C+Waterbury%2C+VT.&cvid=48ce5778269e47b781c77a0fea3cd0e9&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGDkyBggAEEUYOdIBBzMwNGowajmoAgiwAgE&FORM=ANAB01&PC=U531 | 1 | SH | No | ||||||||||||||||
lilac | Syringa | vulgaris | Human-created/dependent species, Anthropophytes, Botanical co-occurrences | Historic Sites, domestic site | Privy | May be found along privies, and in the company of day lilies | Casual Synanthrope | Watts, May Theilgaard
1999
Reading the Landscape of America. Nature Study Guild Publishers, Rochester,
NY. | 1 | SH | No | ||||||||||||||||||
lilies | Lillium | Botanical co-occurrences, High sociability, Higher vitality, Concentration of Apophytes, Anthropophytes | May occur with stands of yampa, arrowleaf balsam, onions, and biscuitroot at Precontact sites. May occur with decorative species like wisteria, trumpet vine, Vinca minor, and periwinkle) at domestic sites yards | Historic Sites, Precontact Sites, domestic sites | fire pits, yards | May occur at Archaic fire pits, or in domestic yards | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | CO, NY | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||
lilies | Lillium | Plant-site association, Botanical co-occurrences, Concentration of apophytes, Anthropophytes, Non-random-distribution patterns, | May occur with irises | Historic Sites, cemeteries | Burial | May be used as a grave marker | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | Samuels, Gayle B.
1999
Enduring Roots: Encounters with Trees, History, and the American Landscape.
Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, CAN, 31. | 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||||
lilies | Lillium | Plant-site association, Botanical co-occurrences, Concentration of apophytes, Anthropophytes, Non-random-distribution patterns, | May occur with irises | Historic Sites, cemeteries | Burial | May be used as a grave marker | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | TX | McWilliams, Jennifer K.
2017a Plants as a Reflection of Culture and Popularity in Historic Cemeteries in Central
and East Texas. Bulletin of the Texas Archaeological Society 88:97–104. | https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1310492/?q=McWilliams%2C%20Jennifer%20K.%20%202017a%20%20%20%20%20Plants%20as%20a%20Reflection%20of%20Culture%20and%20Popularity%20in%20Historic%20Cemeteries%20in%20Central%20%20and%20East%20Texas.%20Bulletin%20of%20the%20Texas%20Archaeological%20Society%2088%3A97%E2%80%93104.%20 | 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||
limber pine | Pinus | flexilis | Non-random distribution pattern, Plant-site association | Precontact Sites, Historic Sites, Settlement, Trail | Trail | Urban-Sensitive Species | ND | Beckes, M.R., B.K. Jagler, T.L. Burge, and T.G. Love
1982 Possible Cultural Origin of an Isolated Stand of Pinus Flexilus in the Little
Missouri Badlands. In 39th Annual Plains Anthropological Conference, Bismarck, North
Dakota. Unpublished Paper. | 1 | TR | No | ||||||||||||||||||
long-stalk starwort | Stellaria | lonipes | high abundance, plant site association, botanical co-occurrence | occurs with Alopecurus alpinus and Poa arctica | Village sites, Habitation sites | Tangential Synanthrope | Avannaata, Nunavut | Greenland, Canada | McCartney, N.G. (1978) ‘Lichens from three archaeological sites, Somerset Island, N.W.T. Canada’, The Bryologist, 81(4), pp. 610–613. Published by the American Bryological and Lichenological Society. Accessed 7 November 2016.
| https://www.jstor.org/stable/3242356 | 1 | HE | Yes | ||||||||||||||||
mint | Mentha | Human-created/dependent species, Botanical co-occurrences | May co-occur with yucca, lemon balm, daffodils, periwinkle, and other kitchen herbs at domestic sites | Historic Sites, domestic sites | Casual Synanthrope | OR, VA | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 2 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||||
oak | Quercus | Non-random distribution pattern, Planting regime, Higher abundance, High sociability | Higher tree cover/abundance in Precontact villages, where it may also co-occur with hickory, butternut, and walnut. The ecotone between in oak savannah and pine-prairie communities may attract camp sites, especially in terrace settings. | Historic Sites, Roads, Villages, Precontact Sites, Campsites | Urban-Sensitive Species | VA, NY, WI, NM | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | TR | No | ||||||||||||||||||
oval-leaf blueberry | Vaccinium | ovalifolium | botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | SH | Yes | ||||||||||||||
pale wolfberry | Lycium | pallidum | High abundance, plant-site association, | Precontact sites, House Sites | Pueblos | Tangential Synanthrope | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press. | 1 | SH | No | |||||||||||||||||||
periwinkle | Vinca | Human-created/dependent species, Anthropophytes, Plant-site association, Non-random distribution pattern, Planting regime | Historic Sites, domestic site | among cellar holes | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | Manitoba, NY | Stewart, John J
1977 Landscape Archaeology: Existing Plant Material on Historic Sites as Evidence of
Buried Features and as Survivors of Historic Species. Bulletin of the Association for
Preservation Technology 9(3):65–72. | https://www.jstor.org/stable/1493548 | 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||||
periwinkle | Vinca | Human-created/dependent species, Anthropophytes, Plant-site association, Non-random distribution pattern, Planting regime | Historic Sites, domestic site | on the north side of a house | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | ME, NH, VT, MA | Sanford, Robert
2015 Reading Rural Landscapes: A Field Guide to New England’s Past. Tilbury House
Publishers, Thomaston, MA. | 1 | HE | No | |||||||||||||||||||
periwinkle | Vinca | Human-created/dependent species, Higher sociability, Higher abundance, Anthropophytes, Plant-site association, Non-random distribution pattern, Planting regime | Historic Sites, burial/cemetery, domestic site | Burials, Residence | In the yard area of historic domestic sites and around house foundations, around headstones in burials/cementeries | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | VA, NY, MO | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 5 | HE | No | |||||||||||||||||
periwinkle | Vinca | Human-created/dependent species, Anthropophytes, Plant-site association, Non-random distribution pattern, Planting regime | Historic Sites, domestic site | intellentionally planted in the front yard of residential spaces | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | VT | Sanford, Robert, Don Huffer, and Nina Huffer
1995
Stonewalls and Cellarholes: A Guide for Landowners on Historic Features and
Landscapes in Vermont’s Forests. Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Waterbury,
VT. | https://www.bing.com/search?q=Sanford%2C+Robert%2C+Don+Huffer%2C+and+Nina+Huffer+1995+Stonewalls+and+Cellarholes%3A+A+Guide+for+Landowners+on+Historic+Features+and+Landscapes+in+Vermont’s+Forests.+Vermont+Agency+of+Natural+Resources%2C+Waterbury%2C+VT.&cvid=48ce5778269e47b781c77a0fea3cd0e9&gs_lcrp=EgRlZGdlKgYIABBFGDkyBggAEEUYOdIBBzMwNGowajmoAgiwAgE&FORM=ANAB01&PC=U531 | 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||||
purple sage | Salvia | dorrii ssp. mearnsii | plant-site association | Village sites, Habitation Sites | Houses | Casual Synanthrope | Arizona | Huisinga, K.D. (2001) ‘Cultural influence as a factor in determining the distribution of a rare sage: Salvia dorrii ssp. mearnsii’, in Maschinski, L. and Holter, J. (eds) Southwestern rare and endangered plants: Proceedings of the Third Conference. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, pp. 228–237.
| https://www.fs.usda.gov/rm/pubs/rmrs_p023/rmrs_p023_228_237.pdf | 1 | SH | Yes | |||||||||||||||||
pussytoes | Antennaria | botanical co-occurrence, higher abundance, high sociability | occurs with Iris versicolor L. | Precontact Sites, House Sites | House depressions | Precontact house depressions from the Middle Dorset Period (around 300 CE) | Tangential Synanthrope | Newfoundland | Canada | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press. | 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||
quaking aspen | Populus | tremuloides | Direct modification to plant | Arboglyph trees, Culturally Modified Trees | Historic Sites, Culturall Modified Trees, Basque Sheepherding Sites | Casual Synanthrope | NV, CO, OR | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 2 | TR | No | |||||||||||||||||
quaking aspen | Populus | tremuloides | Direct modification to plant | Arboglyph trees, Culturally Modified Trees | Historic Sites, Culturall Modified Trees, Basque Sheepherding Sites | Casual Synanthrope | NV | Mallea-Olaetxe, Jose
1992 History That Grows on Trees: The Aspen Carvings of Basque Sheepherders.
Nevada Historical Society Quarterly 35(1):21–39. | 1 | TR | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||
quaking aspen | Populus | tremuloides | Botanical co-occurrences, Non-random distribution pattern | May occur as natural succession of abandoned farmland in the Midwest | Historic Sites, farmsteads | Casual Synanthrope | McClelland, Linda Flint, Timothy J. Keller, Genevieve P. Keller, and Robert Z. Melnick
1999
National Register Bulletin: Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Rural
Historic Landscapes. Washington D.C.
<https://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/pdfs/nrb30.pdf> Accessed 31 January
2017. | https://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/pdfs/nrb30.pdf | 1 | TR | No | ||||||||||||||||||
red elderberry | Sambucus | racemosa | botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | SH | Yes | ||||||||||||||
red osier dogwood | Cornus | sericea | botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | SH | Yes | ||||||||||||||
rhubarb | Rheum | rhabarbarum | Anthropophyte, Plant-site associations | May occur with relict fruit trees, grapevines, and watercress | Historic Sites, domestic sites | Garden | Chinese Mountain terraced gardens | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | MT, ID | Wegars, Priscilla
1993 Idaho’s Chinese Mountain Gardens. In Hidden Heritage: Historical Archaeology
of the Overseas Chinese, Priscilla Wegars, editor, pp. 65–95. Baywood Publishing
Company, Amityville, NY. | 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||
rhubarb | Rheum | rhabarbarum | Anthropophyte, Plant-site associations | May co-occur with horseradish and remanat garden plants | Historic Sites, domestic sites | Garden | Obligate/Full Synanthrope | NY, MT | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||
ribbed bog moss | Aulacomnium | palustre | botanical co-occurrence, plant-site association, high sociability, higher abundance | occurs with Drepanocladus uncinatus and Cirriphyullum cirrosum, and Saxifraga cernua. | Village sites, Habitation sites | Tangential Synanthrope | Avannaata, Nunavut | Greenland, Canada | McCartney, N.G. (1978) ‘Lichens from three archaeological sites, Somerset Island, N.W.T. Canada’, The Bryologist, 81(4), pp. 610–613. Published by the American Bryological and Lichenological Society. Accessed 7 November 2016.
| https://www.jstor.org/stable/3242356 | 1 | MO | Yes | ||||||||||||||||
rowan tree | Sorbus | aucuparia | non-random distribution pattern, plant-site association | historic site, domestic site, cemetery | residence, grave | May be found at the four corners around a residence or grave, or at the head of a grave | Casual Synanthrope | Inverness-shire | United Kingdom | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana,68. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | TR | Apotropaic use | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana,68 | No | |||||||||||||
russet buffaloberry | Shepherdia | canadensis | botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | SH | Yes | ||||||||||||||
salmonberry | Rubus | spectabilis | botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | SH | Yes | ||||||||||||||
spring sandwort | Sabulina | vernia | plant-site association | associated with ancient European mining sites | Mining sites | slag piles | Casual Synanthrope | Saxony-Anhalt | Germany | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press.
| HE | No | |||||||||||||||||
squashberry | Viburnum | edule | botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | SH | Yes | ||||||||||||||
star moss | Tortula | ruralis | high sociability, plant-site association, botanical co-occurrence, higher abundance | Village sites, Habitation sites | Casual Synanthrope | Avannaata, Nunavut | Greenland, Canada | McCartney, N.G. (1978) ‘Lichens from three archaeological sites, Somerset Island, N.W.T. Canada’, The Bryologist, 81(4), pp. 610–613. Published by the American Bryological and Lichenological Society. Accessed 7 November 2016.
| https://www.jstor.org/stable/3242356 | 1 | MO | Yes | |||||||||||||||||
twinberry honeysuckle | Lonicera | involucrata | botanical co-occurrence | Co-occurs with the following species in relict forest garden communities: Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Cornus sericea, Corylus cornuta, Crateagus douglasii, Fragaria virginiana, Lonicera involucrata, Malus fusca, Prunus spp., Rubus spp., Rosa nutkana, Rubus spectabilis, Sambucus racemosa, Shepherdia canadensis, Sorbus sitchensis, Vaccinium spp., Vaccinium ovalifolium, Viburnum edule | Village site, Habitation site, Forest Garden | forest garden | Ts'msyen, Gitxsan, and Coast Salish territories | Casual Synanthrope | British Columbia | Canada | Armstrong, C.G., Lyons, N., McAlvay, A.C., Ritchie, P.M., Lepofsky, D. and Blake, M. (2023) ‘Historical ecology of forest garden management in Laxyuubm Ts'msyen and beyond’, Ecosystems and People, 19(1). | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26395916.2022.2160823 | 1 | SH | Yes | ||||||||||||||
wax currant | Ribes | cereum | Indirect modification to plant, non-random distribution pattern | wax currants, a bird dispersed species, can grow along former fence lines along grave plots, cemetery boundary fencing, and dilapidated historic wooden structure sites due to birds using these structures as perches thereby leaving a persistent growth pattern of marking these structures' former sites. | cemeteries, domestic site | burial, residence, fence | square, rectangular, linear, or "L" shaped patterns | Urban-Sensitive Species | MT | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana, 58. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=12271&context=etd | 1 | SH | No | |||||||||||||||
western poison ivy | Toxicodendron | rydbergii | Plant-site association, Concentration of apophytes | Well known ground disturbance indicator, may occur with scrub grass | Sun dance grounds area | Tangential Synanthrope | MT | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | HE | No | |||||||||||||||||
western red cedar | Thuja | plicata | Direct modification to plant | Peeled trees | Precontact Sites, Cultural Modified Trees, Tool Processing Sites | basket collection site | Urban-Sensitive Species | MT | Nicolai, Dean Sonneah
2013 The Archaeological Investigation of Cedar Bark Basket Trees in Western Montana:
Background, Methods , And Trial Study of Culturally Modified Trees, Master's thesis.
Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/962/ | 1 | TR | No | ||||||||||||||||
western red cedar | Thuja | plicata | Direct modification to plant, Site plant association, Botanical co-occurrence | Peeled trees, large stumps with spring-board grooves cut from logging site, may co-occur with abundant huckleberries | Historic Sites, gathering grounds, logging site | Urban-Sensitive Species | OR | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 2 | TR | No | |||||||||||||||||
white bark pine | Pinus | albicaulis | plant-site association, manuport species | Crow fasting bed | fasting bed | Urban-Sensitive Species | WY, MT | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | 2 | TR | Crow brought bundles of the soft branches of white bark pine to use as bedding material in a fasting bed | Kornfeld and Osborn 2003:271; Brien 2015:64 | No | ||||||||||||||||
wild potato | Solanum | jamesii | Human dependent/cultivated, plant-site association | Precontact sites, habitation sites, agricultural fields, village, village field, check dams | Tangential Synanthrope | AZ, UT, CO, NM | Kinder, David H., Karen R. Adams, and Harry J. Wilson
2017 Solanum Jamesii: Evidence for Cultivation of Wild Potato Tubers By Ancestral
Puebloan Groups. Journal of Ethnobiology 37(2):218–240. | https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-ethnobiology/volume-37/issue-2/0278-0771-37.2.218/Solanum-jamesii--Evidence-for-Cultivation-of-Wild-Potato-Tubers/10.2993/0278-0771-37.2.218.full | HE | No | |||||||||||||||||||
wisteria | Wisteria | Anthropophytes, Concentration of apophytes, Botanical co-occurrences | May occur with decorative species like lilies, trumpet vine, Vinca minor, and periwinkle at domestic sites yards | Historic Sites, domestic sites | Yards, Residences | residential foundations and yards | Casual Synanthrope | NY | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 1 | VI | No | ||||||||||||||||
wolfberry (pale desert-thorn) | Lycium | pallidum | plant-site association, non-random distribution pattern, high sociability | Precontact sites, habitation sites, horticultural sites, botanical co-occurrence | kivas, architectural features, fields | Favors masonry rubble mounds of Ancestral Puebloan houses, co-occurs with other disturbance loving vegetation in reports | Tangential Synanthrope | NM, CO | Harris, John, 2018. The Sylvan Blindspot: The Archaeological Value of Surface Vegetation and a Critique of its Documentation. Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Scholarworks, Montana. | https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11214/ | 7 | SH | Also see https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-ethnobiology/volume-37/issue-2/0278-0771-37.2.218/Solanum-jamesii--Evidence-for-Cultivation-of-Wild-Potato-Tubers/10.2993/0278-0771-37.2.218.full | No | |||||||||||||||
yellowtuft | Alyssum | corsicum | plant-site association, high sociability, higher abundance | Historic Sites, mining sites | slag piles | inhabits heavy nickel ultramafic serpentine soils | Casual Synanthrope | Haute-Corse | France | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press.
| 1 | HE | No | ||||||||||||||||
yew | Taxus | plant-site association, non-random distribution pattern | cemetery, graveyard, churchyard | burial | Tangential Synanthrope | Augé, C.R., 2022. Field Manual for the Archaeology of Ritual, Religion, and Magic. Berghahn Books, 208. | 1 | TR | No | ||||||||||||||||||||
zinc violet | Viola | lutea | plant-site association, botanical co-occurrence, high sociability, higher abundance | may co-occur with Noccaea caerulescens subsp. calaminaris over mining deposits/slag piles | Mining sites | slag piles | Casual Synanthrope | North Rhine-Westphalia | Germany | Brooks, R.R., 1989. Phytoarchaeology. Endeavour, 13(2), pp.66-71. Pergamon Press.
| 1 | HE | No |
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