Do Plants Matter?

Do Plants Matter?

Maria Fadiman is an ethnobotanist. This means that she studies the interactions between humans and plants. There are five main connections between people and plants: fiber, food, construction, medicine, and rituals. These are all ways we interact with plants, or ways that plants interact with us.

Let's start with fiber. Fiber has been useful to humans in more ways than one. Textiles like clothes and fabric is a common usage. Paper, ropes, baskets, and rugs are other ways that humans have used plant fibers to benefit.

Next, plants have been used as a source of food for many centuries. Seeds, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and cereals are all different types of plants that we consume daily. Around 70% of our diet is completely plant based, making plants very significant in our meals and daily lives.

Not only are plants used for diet, but they are key to building the structures we have around us today. Wood and bamboo are the two most common types of plants used in construction. Plants aren't just used for structural integrity, but also erosion control. Plants can be used to prevent soil erosion through their root systems. Plants can also be utilized for visual and site aesthetics such as wood flooring or bamboo structures.

Plants have helped humans in the field of medicine since the beginning of time. Different plants can be brewed as tea to help with relaxation like chamomile tea. Other plants' oils can be used to minimize irritation to skin from different skin conditions.

Over the years, different cultures and societies have adopted different plants for rituals. One common plant used in a ritual around the world is the Christmas Tree. This tree has symbolized the start and celebration of a holiday throughout the whole world. Similarly, another example of a plant used as a ritual is the pumpkin. Pumpkins are used to signify Halloween, another common holiday celebrated by many.