Plants are everywhere, and we have loved, worked with, and played with our plant neighbors for as long as we have existed. These relationships, like any others, can be contentious sometimes (see: poisons, thorns, exploitation, allergies, pesticides, fertilizers, the invention of the weed).
Kinds of Plant Knowledge
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Pigment | What pigments, dyes, and inks can be extracted from this plant? From which parts? How? Who (individuals, peoples) developed these techniques? |
| Prosperity | In which conditions does this plant thrive? What kind of light, soil, heat, humidity, and atmospheric conditions does it prefer? Where on the planet does it tend to grow? |
| Relational | Does it have any adversaries -- plants, animals, fungi, etc. that commonly threaten the fact of or its way of life? What life forms does it threaten itself? Under which conditions? Are there ways to build harmony or must separation be cultivated? What plant (and other) neighbors does it flourish with? What forms of symbiosis is it known to engage in? How can we support its presence in an ecosystem? |
| Fiber | Can this plant produce fiber that can be spun and woven into cloth, used for rope or cord, woven into basketry, beat into pulp for papermaking? Can this plant be used for carving (sculpture, printmaking matrix), building tools, furniture, vehicles, etc.? From which parts? How? Who (individuals, peoples) developed these techniques? |
| Medicinal | What are medical and healing properties of this plant? Which ailments does it address? Which allies are required for these uses? How is it prepared for various medicinal uses? Who developed these techniques? |
| Utility | Can this plant produce adhesives, sealants, varnishes, waxes, binders, pH modifiers, thickeners, textural modifiers, or other substances with material utility? From which parts? How? Who (individuals, peoples) developed these techniques? |
| Recreation | Can this plant be used as a toy, in games, or as a recreational substance? From which parts? How? Who (individuals, peoples) developed these techniques? |
| Food | Can this plant be eaten? Which parts? How? Who (individuals, peoples) developed these techniques? |
| Sacred | What are the sacred meanings of this plant? To whom is it significant? What kind of ceremonies is it used in, and how? Who may use it ceremonially? Are its sacred uses tied to certain times of year or locations? |