Basket Making Plants

The aboriginal tribes of Australia used every part of the acacia trees in their daily lives including the inner bark fibers, which they made into string, rope and sandals. Similarly, in Africa, Acacia bark and roots were used to make rope, baskets and dyes.

Where in the Garden: Australia/New Zealand, Herb Garden, New World Desert Garden, Old World Desert Garden

Young stalks and the skins of older ferns are used for their shiny black color, adding patterns to baskets.

Where in the Garden: Bamboo, Tropical Rainforest, Walled Garden, Waterfall Area

The leaves of the Agapanthus make a light gray dye and, along with the flower stems, can be used for twining.

Where in the Garden: African Garden, Bamboo, Herb Garden, Lawn Garden, Palm Canyon, South Africa Garden, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden, Walled Garden

Native to the Americas the fiber inside the tough leaves is separated and used for embroidery, stitching, rope, mats, baskets and bags. Depending on the type of Agave fibers can be left to form ribbons or split as thin as a human hair and used for embroidery.

Where in the Garden: CA Gardenscapes, Native Plants and Native People Trail, Eucalyptus Grove, Firesafety Garden, Herb Garden, Lawn Garden, Mexican Garden, New World Desert Garden, Palm Canyon, South America Garden, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden, Tropical Rainforest, Walled Garden

Native to the Americas the fiber inside the tough leaves is separated and used for embroidery, stitching, rope, mats, baskets and bags. Depending on the type of Agave fibers can be left to form ribbons or split as thin as a human hair and used for embroidery.

Where in the Garden: CA Gardenscapes

The outer skins can be used to make a yellow dye, while the stalks and leaves can be used for twining and cordage.

Where in the Garden: African Garden, Hamilton Childen's Garden

It was reported in the Journal of the American Institute as early as 1838 that the cordage of aloe was four times as strong as cordage made from hemp.

Where in the Garden: African Garden, Canary Islands, Firesafety Garden, Hamilton Childen's Garden, Herb Garden, Lawn Garden, Old World Desert Garden, Palm Canyon, South Africa Garden

Leaves and stems are used for twining baskets while the flowers can be dried and used as embellishments.

Where in the Garden: Australia/New Zealand, Walled Garden

Native to Australia, the sheaths have been traditionally folded and stitched to make water proof containers. The seed fronds can be used for weaving baskets.

Where in the Garden: Bamboo, Hamilton Childen's Garden, Waterfall Area

Native to western and southern Africa the tough leaves are suitable for cordage, plaiting and twining and will dry a grayish black.

Where in the Garden: Lawn Garden

Milkweed stalks once dried produce a sisal-like rope fiber from the pith core that can be used for twining and cordage.

Where in the Garden: Hamilton Childen's Garden

The craft of bamboo basketry throughout Asia is centuries old, often passed between generations and steeped in tradition. Although a difficult plant to process the strong and flexible material can be used to make both utilitarian and fine art pieces.

Where in the Garden: Bamboo, Eucalyptus Grove, Herb Garden, Lawn Garden,South America Garden, Tropical Rainforest, Waterfall Area

Aborigines made needles from the wood of the Banksia to use for weaving baskets and mats.

Where in the Garden: Australia/New Zealand

Leaves
Twining, cordage

A native of Central America the species name recurvata means “bent-back” and refers to the long, curved, fibrous leaves that are used to make baskets, rope, brooms, hats and mats.

Where in the Garden: Hamilton Childen's Garden, Lawn Garden, Mexican Garden, Undersea Succulent Garden

Aborigines used the bark of the Kurrajong to make nets that were used for hunting.

Where in the Garden: Australia/New Zealand, Eucalyptus Grove, Hamilton Childen's Garden

Brahea spp., Brahea armata, Brahea dulcis
Mexican Blue Palm, Blue Hesper Palm, Sombrero Palm

Leaves
Plaiting, cordage

Like many fan palms throughout the world, the leaves of these Central American palms have long been used for a variety of products such as hats, mats, rain capes, thatching, ropes and baskets.

Where in the Garden: New World Desert Garden

In Brazil the leaves are dried and used to make hats, brooms, baskets and other crafts.

Where in the Garden: South America Garden, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden

Sedge roots provide an important basketry material used by the Pomo Indians in northern California. The “root baskets” of the Pomo are renowned for their fineness and evenness of stitch while remaining strong and durable.

Where in the Garden: Hamilton Childen's Garden

The Ceanothus was pruned and burned by Native California Tribes to produce new shoots often used for for warps and hoops.  The Miwok tribe used them to create winnowers, seed beaters and burden baskets.

Where in the Garden: CA Gardenscapes, Native Plants and Native People Trail

Native to the California foothills and canyons the Native Americans traditionally burned or cut the Redbud to the ground each year to produce new shoots to work with. The inner bark was treasured because of its naturally occurring red color used for contrasting basket patterns.

Where in the Garden: CA Gardenscapes

One of only two palms native to Europe, the leaves are used to make brooms, mats, baskets and similar items.

Where in the Garden: Canary Islands, Hamilton Childen's Garden, Mediterranean Garden

Brought to Hawaii by the early Polynesian settlers, the Ti leaf is associated with the hula and its goddess Laka. The leaves are woven into capes, skirts and braided into leis.

Where in the Garden: Bamboo, Lawn Garden, Mediterranean Garden, Palm Canyon, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden, Tropical Rainforest, Waterfall Area

Various cycads are used throughout the temperate regions of the world as a source of leaves to make hats, mats, brooms, baskets, fences, twine and cordage. Surface fibers have also been used to make cloth.

Where in the Garden: African Garden, Australia/New Zealand, Bamboo, Eucalyptus Grove, Hamilton Childen's Garden, Lawn Garden, Mexican Garden, Palm Canyon, Tropical Rainforest, South Africa Garden, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden, Walled Garden

The tough fibrous leaves of the artichoke can be used for plaiting and twining baskets.

Where in the Garden: Bamboo, Hamilton Childen's Garden, Herb Garden

Used in both ancient and modern Egypt as the foundation of coiled and plaited baskets. Plaiting Papyrus was also utilized to make rafts, flooring, roofs, clothing and furniture.

Where in the Garden: Mediterranean Garden, Tropical Rainforest

Easily prepared, the leaves of the Sotol have been used by native peoples in the desert southwest and Mexico to make baskets, mats and headbands. Flowers stalks were used as frames for cradleboard backs and in the head dress of the Apache Mountain Spirit dancers.

Where in the Garden: New World Desert Garden

Aborigines used the split leaves to make cords. Also twined to make dillybags, a type of bag worn around the neck to hold tools or gathered food like berries or fish.

Where in the Garden: Australia/New Zealand, Lawn Garden, Mediterranean Garden, Tropical Rainforest, Walled Garden

Although it is mostly known for the red sap it produces, a source for useful dye, the leaves and aerial roots of the Dragon Tree can be used for making baskets and cords.

Where in the Garden: Canary Islands, Hamilton Childen's Garden, Old World Desert Garden

Not actually a rush, nor a grass or sedge, the Cape Rush is a restios, endemic to South Africa. Its stems have been used to make thatched roofs, brooms and baskets for hundreds of years.

Where in the Garden: Australia/New Zealand, Hamilton Childen's Garden, South Africa Garden

Most parts of this versatile tree can be used in basketry. The bark can be folded and sewn to make waterproof containers or stripped to make rope, the branches are suitable twining and the seed pods are long lasting embellishments.

Where in the Garden: Australia/New Zealand, Native Plants and Native People Trail, Eucalyptus Grove

The leaf stems of the Japanese Aralia are dried until just pliable and then used for wickerwork or as a core for coiling.

Where in the Garden: Herb Garden

Strawberry runners (stolons) are a useful material for twining and wickerwork

Where in the Garden: Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden

Not a true Hemp, the fibers from the leaves can still be made into twine, rope, brushes, cloth, mats and hammocks that are resistant to freshwater water and easily dyed.

Where in the Garden: Lawn Garden, Palm Canyon

Often considered an invasive plant, ivy is a versatile weaving material. Used in wickerwork, twining and coiling it can be woven green or dried and re-soaked, split or whole, with the bark on or stripped off.

Where in the Garden: Hamilton Childen's Garden

The leaves of the ornamental Ginger can be woven whole or sized and used for plaiting, twining or coiling.

Where in the Garden: Bamboo, Herb Garden, Lawn Garden, Mediterranean Garden, Palm Canyon, South Africa Garden, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden, Tropical Rainforest

Leaves of many bulbous plants are suitable for weaving. The tough, dried leaves of the Daylily are terrific for twining, stitching, coiling and cordage.

Where in the Garden: Lawn Garden, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden

Used extensively by Native Americans, the leaves or roots are pounded to expose the long, strong fibers which can be processed into threads for baskets, blankets, shoes and cords.

Where in the Garden: Native Plants and Native People Trail

The brown leaves of the iris are tough and can be lightly soaked in water then used for twining, or braided into cordage then twined or coiled. The flowers are a good source of a natural lavender or purple dye.

Where in the Garden: CA Gardenscapes, Firesafety Garden, Hamilton Childen's Garden, Herb Garden, Lawn Garden, Mediterranean Garden, South Africa Garden

The reddish leaf stalks that are shed each year by the Jacaranda can be twined or stitched into beautiful coiled baskets, while the seed pods are a good source for embellishments.

Where in the Garden: Mediterranean Garden, Tropical Rainforest

Like many vines, Jasmine is a good source of strong material for wickerwork, twining and random weaving.

Where in the Garden: Lawn Garden

A staple in Southern California native basketry Juncus, or Basket Rush, is prized for its variety of colors; red near the base, followed by several shades of brown, ending in brownish yellow. The rush is split, the pith cleaned out and then used for coiling and twining.

Where in the Garden: CA Gardenscapes, Native Plants and Native People Trail, Hamilton Childen's Garden

When the long leaves of the Red Hot Poker are rehydrated or weaved they have a soft, silken texture and are tan in color with gray spotting that creates interesting variations in color.

Where in the Garden: Australia/New Zealand, Hamilton Childen's Garden

The branches of the Bay Laurel are pliable and make a good material for wickerwork. Wreaths, garlands and crowns of Bay were woven in ancient Greece and Rome.

Where in the Garden: Australia/New Zealand, Firesafety Garden

Fresh Lavender is an aromatic herb that can be gathered fresh and coiled or woven into a basket. Use both the stalks and flower stems.

Where in the Garden: Hamilton Childen's Garden, Herb Garden, Mediterranean Garden, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden, Walled Garden

A coastal dune grass, Wild Rye has been used by native peoples throughout North America to make very fine mats, baskets and sacks, braided into rope and used as stitching for coiled baskets.

Where in the Garden: CA Gardenscapes

Used for making hats, baskets, bags and nets, the tender leaves of Livistona australis are also eaten like cabbage.

Where in the Garden: Australia/New Zealand, Bamboo, Tropical Rainforest

Originally used to make a fishing basket, Aboriginal people split each rush, soaked the fibers to make them soft and wove basketry traps for catching eels. Today they also make a variety of useful and decorative coiled baskets from rush.

Where in the Garden: Australia/New Zealand

The vines of Honeysuckle are best used once they have been coiled and dried, then soaked in boiling water to remove the outer bark.

Where in the Garden: Tropical Rainforest

The Esparto Grass is a valued source for rope, baskets, shoes and paper in the Mediterranean region. The name is derived from the Greek word “sparton” for rope.

Where in the Garden: Hamilton Childen's Garden, Herb Garden

The young new growth, even with tight velvety flower buds, make a good material for wickerwork.

Where in the Garden: Waterfall Area

Many of the first peoples of North America used Mahonia as a dying agent to create beautiful yellow baskets and garments.

Where in the Garden: CA Gardenscapes

Like many fruit trees the pruned branches, shoots and suckers can be used for wickerwork and shaped while green into handles or ribs. The bark and leaves can be used as a dying agent to create a yellow tan.

Where in the Garden: Hamilton Childen's Garden, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden

The soft bark of the Melaceuca can be used in plaiting or as embellishments to baskets. Aborigines folded and stitched the bark to make containers, sealing them with bees wax to carry water.

Where in the Garden: Australia/New Zealand

Mulberry branches have been used for generations in Punjab to make baskets, or tokre, which had a variety of purposes from transporting food to keeping chickens warm at night.

Where in the Garden: Hamilton Childen's Garden

Widely used in native American Southern California basketry, deergrass forms the basis for coiled baskets. The grass was prized by tribes who cultivated it by grooming, trimming and burning it to the ground regularly to produce the fine stalks that were turned into exceptional pieces.

Where in the Garden: CA Gardenscapes, Native Plants and Native People Trail, Hamilton Childen's Garden, Lawn Garden, New World Desert Garden

Grown in other 100 countries the fibers of the Musa are exceptionally strong and straight making them ideal for plaiting, twining and stitching.

Where in the Garden: Hamilton Childen's Garden, Palm Canyon, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden, Tropical Rainforest

Native to Southwestern Asia the dried leaves are commonly used in Pakistan to make baskets and ropes.

Where in the Garden: Eucalyptus Grove

Widespread over the American Southwest and Northern Mexico, beargrass was a critically important plant to native peoples. Leaves were used for a variety of baskets, mats, thatch, cordage and wrapping material.

Where in the Garden: New World Desert Garden

Branches
Wickerwork

Coinciding with the annual olive tree pruning in Palestine is the ancient tradition of weaving olive branches into beautiful, strong baskets, called Qiralla.

Where in the Garden: Hamilton Childen's Garden, Herb Garden, Mediterranean Garden, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden

Native to the Old World tropics and subtropics Pandanus trees are of cultural importance throughout these regions. The leaves are processed and woven into mats, hats, baskets, rope, twine, sails and thatching.

Where in the Garden: Bamboo, Palm Canyon

Although not as hardy as other vines the Passionfruit vine can be used for wickerwork or twining, especially when used with a variety of other plant materials.

Where in the Garden: Hamilton Childen's Garden, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden

The stems of the Mock Orange can be used in fine wickerwork and were valued because of their lightness by native American basket weavers.

Where in the Garden: Herb Garden

The deep red, leathery sheath the Philodendron sheds can be used in plaiting, twining or to embellish a basket.

Where in the Garden: Hamilton Childen's Garden, Palm Canyon, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden, Tropical Rainforest, Waterfall Area

Although native to the Canary Islands the leaves and seed stalks of this palm have been used by many cultures throughout the world for basketry.

Where in the Garden: Canary Islands, Tropical Rainforest

Phormium tenax
New Zealand Flax

Leaves
Twining, coiling, wickerwork, stitching, cordage

The extremely tough leaves of the Flax can be harvested at any time stripped into various widths and used for twining, coiling, plaiting or cordage.

Where in the Garden: Australia/New Zealand, Hamilton Childen's Garden, Herb Garden, Lawn Garden, Mediterranean Garden

Many varieties of long leaf pine needles have been used for generations, throughout many temperate countries worldwide, resulting in fine baskets that lend themselves to an extremely wide variety of patterns and shapes.

Where in the Garden: Bamboo, Canary Islands, Native Plants and Native People Trail, Hamilton Childen's Garden, Tropical Rainforest, Walled Garden, Waterfall Area

The tender shoots, suckers and leaf stems of the Sycamore are suitable for wickerwork, while the seed pods are used to embellish baskets.

Where in the Garden: Hamilton Childen's Garden

The bark, twigs, shoots and sprouts of fruit trees have been used by cultures worldwide for basketry and dyes.

Where in the Garden: Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden

A temperate fern found on every continent except Antartica. The people of the Washoe tribe of California and Nevada use the Bracken Fern to create black and brown patterns in their exceptional baskets.

Where in the Garden: Bamboo, Hamilton Childen's Garden, Mediterranean Garden, Tropical Rainforest, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden, Walled Garden, Waterfall Area

Found on tropical Pacific Ocean islands, this palm had many uses including fans, umbrellas, hats, baskets and thatching. A very flexible leaf when young it can be split down to 1/8 inch for very fine weaving.

Where in the Garden: Lawn Garden

Over 100 varieties of this Bromeliad exist throughout the Andes. Once the sharp edges of the leaves are removed the fibers can be fashioned into cordage and netting.

Where in the Garden: South America Garden

Branches of Sumac can be used for wickerwork but most commonly the Sumac has been used by Native Americans for coiling once the slender branches are split, dried and sized. Sumac can also be used to create a reddish/burgundy dye.

Where in the Garden: CA Gardenscapes, Native Plants and Native People Trail

Collected in the fall and winter, leaves and thorns removed, coiled and left to dry for 2-4 weeks, rose canes are a good source for wickerwork or hoops and ribs.

Where in the Garden: Herb Garden, Lawn Garden, Walled Garden

Rosemary can be woven or coiled with other herbs and materials to make beautiful, fragrant, rustic baskets and wreaths.

Where in the Garden: Hamilton Childen's Garden, Herb Garden, Mediterranean Garden, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden

A native of the Gulf Coast States the Cabbage Palm became the dominant basket making material of the Florida tribes, including Seminole, Miccosukee, Choctaw and Houma, who used it for both coiling and plaiting. Once commercially harvested for making brushes and whisk brooms.

Where in the Garden: Bamboo, Lawn Garden, South Africa Garden, Tropical Rainforest

Willow has a wide distribution and has been cultivated by many cultures. Ancient romans used willow for bee hives, baskets and fences.

Where in the Garden: Native Plants and Native People Trail

The flexible stems of Sage are another great garden herb to weave and coil into fragrant baskets and wreaths.

Where in the Garden: CA Gardenscapes, Native Plants and Native People Trail, Firesafety Garden, Hamilton Childen's Garden, Herb Garden, Mediterranean Garden, New World Desert Garden, South America Garden

This shrub was extensively used by many American Indian tribes, including the Cahuilla who made a black dye from the twigs and fruit to color their baskets.

Where in the Garden: CA Gardenscapes, Native Plants and Native People Trail

A very fibrous plant, the Snake Plant has been used by many native peoples of Africa to make mats, rope, baskets and bowstrings.

Where in the Garden: African Garden, Bamboo, Herb Garden, Lawn Garden, Old World Desert Garden, Palm Canyon, Tropical Rainforest

The tough leaves and stems of the South African Bird of Paradise, and fibers made from the plant, can be used for twining, plaiting, coiling and stitching.

Where in the Garden: Bamboo, Hamilton Childen's Garden, Herb Garden, Lawn Garden, Old World Desert Garden, Palm Canyon, South Africa Garden, Walled Garden

The seed fronds, or inflorescence, of the Queen Palm are a tough, textural and pliable source of material for wickerwork, twining, coiling and random weave.

Where in the Garden: Palm Canyon, South Africa Garden

The outer coating of Spanish Moss must be removed before it is spun into a fiber that can be turned into extremely strong cords and fabrics used to make baskets, blankets and clothing.

Where in the Garden: Palm Canyon, Waterfall Area

Native to South America, the leaves and fibers of this palm are very strong, making them useful for textiles, shoes, hats, baskets, fan and other crafts.

Where in the Garden: South America Garden

Used by native and settlers throughout North America, cattail stalks and leaves are an excellent material for almost any kind of weaving from fine cordage and netting to plaiting, twining and wickerwork.

Where in the Garden: Native Plants and Native People Trail

Native to the coastal forests of California and southern Oregon, the young shoots and suckers of the California Bay are a good source for wickerwork.

Where in the Garden: Mexican Garden

Native to Europe and considered invasive in parts of the US, the stems of Vinca minor and V. major can be used for twining and coiling.

Where in the Garden: Australia/New Zealand

Ideal for large baskets, Grapevine can be cut and used at any time. Used whole or split for rims, bark on or off, woven green or dried and soaked, used for wickerwork or coiled, the Grapevine makes strong, beautiful baskets.

Where in the Garden: CA Gardenscapes, Sub-Tropical Fruit Garden

Native to the southwestern US and Baja, the Cahuilla and related tribes used the leaves to weave baskets, sandals, rope, thatch and clothing.

Where in the Garden: Palm Canyon

Found throughout the temperate and sub-tropical regions of the Northern hemisphere, fibers from the leaves of the Giant Chain fern were used by the Karok, Yurok and Tolowa tribes of northern California to weave baskets.

Where in the Garden: Lawn Garden, Tropical Rainforest

Throughout the desert southwest and northern Mexico the Yucca was foremost in native peoples economy. The plant materials - stalks, leaves and roots - were used to create baskets, trays, cordage, cradleboards, sandals, house frames, mats, brushes, brooms, pads, bedding, clothing and furniture.

Where in the Garden: CA , Firesafety Garden, Hamilton Childen's Garden, Mexican Garden, New World Desert Garden