Identifying Plants Around Your Area

Knowing the plants around your area is an important part of knowledge that surprisingly few people know. In a study, children could identify more brand logos than plants, let alone the uses of those plants. An unfortunate predicament. Knowing the uses of plants around your area is an insurance that you can at least somewhat life off the land. It is also a useful and free resource. Here is how I learned about my local flora:

1. I go for hikes in natural areas and take descriptive pictures of every plant I find.
2. I either use a plant identification key or I post pictures on UBC Botanical Garden Forum under the plant identification category.
3. Once I know the name of the plant, I search for it in Plants For A Future and in one of my many plant uses books.
4. Then I teach people about the uses of local plants, not only so that I will retain the information better but so that other people have that essential knowledge.

Knowing the uses of plants in your area is an important part of Thrivalism.