Plants play a crucial role in determining where people and animals decide to settle, much like a reliable water source. At Salinas Pueblo Missions, there is a rich variety of plant life. You might come across a yucca plant, and if you take a moment to observe it, you'll start to appreciate its many uses and significance. This plant has served various purposes, from medicinal to dietary, and it remains valuable even today.
The area is also filled with fruit-bearing plants like chokecherries, currants, and gooseberries. These fruits are vital food sources for numerous birds and mammals that either visit or reside in the region. It's likely that the inhabitants from 300 to 600 years ago relied on these fruit-bearing plants when their corn or squash crops were scarce. Even now, many people continue to gather these fruits.
Some plants at the Abó and Quarai sites were introduced in the early 1930s by the WPA, including wild cherries, wild plums, cottonwood trees, and Western Yellow Pines. One of the most interesting plants is the Buffalo Gourd, which is a wild relative of cultivated squash. Similar to squash, the Buffalo Gourd grows on a vine and produces fruit that is about the size of a tennis ball.
