Breadroot (Pediometum esculentum)
"Do you butter it or boil it?"Breadroot flower, Prairie turnip, staple Indigenous food for thousands of years
Breadroot or prairie turnip
Story
Breadroot, or prairie turnip, is a culturally important plant on the tall grass prairie.
Its large taproot has been harvested as an important staple food by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The root can be cooked in a variety of ways or dried for storage.
This photo shows the beautiful purple and white flower of the Breadroot, which blooms in midsummer. It is a reminder of the cultural and ecological heritage of the prairies in Manitoba.