What is this Plant Good for?

Posted by Kelli Hughart on October 19, 2015March 7, 2017

One day after measuring a tree a lady come up to me and handed me a leaf and asked me what is this plant and what is it food good for (the plant was Narrow-leaf plantain-plantago spp.). So I began to talk to her for a little while. And that conversation went something like this. ‘You know I am an herbalist and of course you also know that I am a part of the Va. Big Tree Project as well and I love trees. But here are some other things that you may not know about me. Did you know that I also am a mother, and a sister? Not only that, but I am a wildlife rehabber and a martial artist. You know I am a naturalist since we are in this group, but did you also know that I am a wife, a best friend, an aunt (Maw-Maw Kelli is my aunt name) too? I am so many more things than a volunteer with the Va. Big Tree project.

So I told you all of this so that I could say that plants are the same. They are not just good for one thing. They have many different areas where they shine and are very versatile when we really get to know them at a deeper level. They are much like us, at first you just knew me as Kelli the lady who measured this tree, but now you know a little more about me. So when we meet a plant we may just know one thing about it, but as we get to know it more and more we learn so much more about it and we understand that it is not just ‘good for x.’ After that I taught her one simple use for the plant and told her how the animals use it as well.

So why am I writing a blog on this? Do you really care? Well maybe not but I want you to think about ALL the things that you are. All the things you care for and love. What is someone said you are only good for ‘making pizza’ and you know you have way more things you enjoy and want to be known for. So I offer this to you as well to consider that with the plants.

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Maw-Maw Kelli