If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take one plant and one tree with you (that was guaranteed to survive!) what would you take and why?
If you feel so inclined, please do introduce yourself and let us know a bit about your own herbal journey and what you’d like to read more about!
If it really was a desert island it would be Aloe Vera ( sure to survive) to protect my skin and can also eat/drink the flesh if any tummy problems. Coconut is the obvious tree perfect to avoid dehydration so good for the skin and cooking and numerous other things !
Of course! Aloe! Having grown it myself I know how quickly it multiplies so it would also be relatively easy to establish. I recently had to gift some baby plants to my neighbours as it was taking over my house! Reading through this thread is really creating an urge to compile a list of "survival" plants!
Mine would probably be dandelion (though nettles would be a close second and probably oregon grape/barberry 3rd). I will always remember the great-niece of an old "granny lady", an herbalist in the Appalachian mountains. We were lying in a field of clover, drying in the sun after a swim in a creek. She picked a dandelion and told me, "You are a lot like a dandelion. You are tough and adaptable... attractive, sometimes annoying... and there is a lot more to you than most people would think." As they say, flattery will get you everywhere! Aanyway, you can make wine, bitters , tea or tincture and enjoy eating the greens.. even pickle the buds. I love herbs I can eat!
What a fantastic compliment to receive! Dandelions are definitely up there as one of my favourites too! It's so interesting that the "weeds" like nettle and dandelion which grow so abundantly all around the world, are the ones that have the most versatility. It's almost as if the plants know their medicine is so needed by humans, they make themselves available to us wherever we are :) Thank you for sharing this wonderful story! I've never tried pickling the buds but I would love to make that a project!
No doubt - plantain, bugleweed, burdock, couchgrass, deadnettle, slef heal,/prunella... can't do without them! I am always amazed as an American herbalist how many "weeds" such as dandelion were brought here by our ancestors as food and medicine. Even the common brown snails everyone complains about were brought here as something like tiny livestock in their dormant stage by the Irish and several other nationalities. People get freaked out when I tell them I eat snails rather than poison them. I try to explain the brown snails are considered more of a delicacy than the turban snails served as escargot in France. Always use/eat your invasive species - they are here for a reason!
In some old herbals plantain is given the nickname "white man's footsteps" as it can be found everywhere the European explorers visited. Plants have such great survival strategies! I have to say that you're braver than me when it comes to eating the snails Judson! Although I applaud the idea, I'm not quite sure I could stomach the texture! I'm even a bit squeamish about eating the local shellfish we have in abundance here on the Cornish coast, however in a survival situation, I'm sure I'd get over my fears very quickly.
You would probably be surprised. They are just like winkles. Dropping them in boiling salt water kills them immediately and removes the slime. Drain off that water. Then, you can either pick them out of their shells and sauté in butter with shallot and cream, or you can make a Belgian style stew, leaving them in the shell and long simmering with herbs, aliums, bacon and wine.
It would have to be my namesake, Nettle, so many uses for life, and a tree, well . . .Hazel, for the wonderful bounty she gives us and fast sunshoots to work with.
How lucky you are to have such a beautiful name! And of course, the hazel tree would be just perfect. I've read about making flour from hazel nuts, but have never actually tried it as it looks like such a laborious process. However, if I was on a desert island and had the time on my hands, I think it would be a worthwhile project!
I'll begin the conversation by saying that my plant would without a shadow of a doubt have to be NETTLE.
Every part (root, leaf, seed) has some use. The leaves can be cooked and used like spinach (in fact during the first and second world wars nettles were considered to be a valuable food item, without which, many people would have starved.) Fresh nettle seeds can be crushed and the oil used in lamps. The roots and leaves make great fertiliser (I simply wouldn't be able to stop myself from gardening and cultivating other species on the island the moment I was able!) It can also be used to make shampoo, dyes and even beer! .... I think I may actually need to write a full post about this!
In regards to a tree....at first I went with pine as it has anti viral properties, and who wants to be stuck on a desert island without a Christmas tree! However, on second thoughts, I would have to say that Elder would be my tree of choice. I couldn't live without making my annual batch of elderberry syrup, and the flowers make such a useful cordial. It's the gift that keeps on giving!
Any thoughts? Let me know if these would be YOUR choices!
That's lovely Sarah. It's fascinating to know how certain plant have so many uses. When the food crisis eventually arises, nettle may be our saviour!
The plant I would bring is the sunflower.. as its majestic to look at and can bear sunflower seeds that are nutritious. The tree, would be a coconut tree so the coconut flesh can be eaten and the water drunk.
If it really was a desert island it would be Aloe Vera ( sure to survive) to protect my skin and can also eat/drink the flesh if any tummy problems. Coconut is the obvious tree perfect to avoid dehydration so good for the skin and cooking and numerous other things !
Of course! Aloe! Having grown it myself I know how quickly it multiplies so it would also be relatively easy to establish. I recently had to gift some baby plants to my neighbours as it was taking over my house! Reading through this thread is really creating an urge to compile a list of "survival" plants!
Mine would probably be dandelion (though nettles would be a close second and probably oregon grape/barberry 3rd). I will always remember the great-niece of an old "granny lady", an herbalist in the Appalachian mountains. We were lying in a field of clover, drying in the sun after a swim in a creek. She picked a dandelion and told me, "You are a lot like a dandelion. You are tough and adaptable... attractive, sometimes annoying... and there is a lot more to you than most people would think." As they say, flattery will get you everywhere! Aanyway, you can make wine, bitters , tea or tincture and enjoy eating the greens.. even pickle the buds. I love herbs I can eat!
What a fantastic compliment to receive! Dandelions are definitely up there as one of my favourites too! It's so interesting that the "weeds" like nettle and dandelion which grow so abundantly all around the world, are the ones that have the most versatility. It's almost as if the plants know their medicine is so needed by humans, they make themselves available to us wherever we are :) Thank you for sharing this wonderful story! I've never tried pickling the buds but I would love to make that a project!
No doubt - plantain, bugleweed, burdock, couchgrass, deadnettle, slef heal,/prunella... can't do without them! I am always amazed as an American herbalist how many "weeds" such as dandelion were brought here by our ancestors as food and medicine. Even the common brown snails everyone complains about were brought here as something like tiny livestock in their dormant stage by the Irish and several other nationalities. People get freaked out when I tell them I eat snails rather than poison them. I try to explain the brown snails are considered more of a delicacy than the turban snails served as escargot in France. Always use/eat your invasive species - they are here for a reason!
In some old herbals plantain is given the nickname "white man's footsteps" as it can be found everywhere the European explorers visited. Plants have such great survival strategies! I have to say that you're braver than me when it comes to eating the snails Judson! Although I applaud the idea, I'm not quite sure I could stomach the texture! I'm even a bit squeamish about eating the local shellfish we have in abundance here on the Cornish coast, however in a survival situation, I'm sure I'd get over my fears very quickly.
You would probably be surprised. They are just like winkles. Dropping them in boiling salt water kills them immediately and removes the slime. Drain off that water. Then, you can either pick them out of their shells and sauté in butter with shallot and cream, or you can make a Belgian style stew, leaving them in the shell and long simmering with herbs, aliums, bacon and wine.
It would have to be my namesake, Nettle, so many uses for life, and a tree, well . . .Hazel, for the wonderful bounty she gives us and fast sunshoots to work with.
may you walk in beauty, Murray xx
How lucky you are to have such a beautiful name! And of course, the hazel tree would be just perfect. I've read about making flour from hazel nuts, but have never actually tried it as it looks like such a laborious process. However, if I was on a desert island and had the time on my hands, I think it would be a worthwhile project!
I'll begin the conversation by saying that my plant would without a shadow of a doubt have to be NETTLE.
Every part (root, leaf, seed) has some use. The leaves can be cooked and used like spinach (in fact during the first and second world wars nettles were considered to be a valuable food item, without which, many people would have starved.) Fresh nettle seeds can be crushed and the oil used in lamps. The roots and leaves make great fertiliser (I simply wouldn't be able to stop myself from gardening and cultivating other species on the island the moment I was able!) It can also be used to make shampoo, dyes and even beer! .... I think I may actually need to write a full post about this!
In regards to a tree....at first I went with pine as it has anti viral properties, and who wants to be stuck on a desert island without a Christmas tree! However, on second thoughts, I would have to say that Elder would be my tree of choice. I couldn't live without making my annual batch of elderberry syrup, and the flowers make such a useful cordial. It's the gift that keeps on giving!
Any thoughts? Let me know if these would be YOUR choices!
That's lovely Sarah. It's fascinating to know how certain plant have so many uses. When the food crisis eventually arises, nettle may be our saviour!
The plant I would bring is the sunflower.. as its majestic to look at and can bear sunflower seeds that are nutritious. The tree, would be a coconut tree so the coconut flesh can be eaten and the water drunk.
I hadn't thought given a thought to coconuts! What an excellent idea! The husks could even serve as little bowls for foraged food :)