10 Most Useful Plants and Trees For Survival Found in the Wild
Survival skills are something we all need to have, but don’t think are important until that moment arises when we are lost in the wilderness.
Hopefully an emergency situation like this won’t arise for you, but in the event it does, here are the most useful plants and trees that grow in the wild that will help you survive.
They are broken down into two categories, with the benefits of each type listed below.
Survival Trees That Grow in the Wild:
Dogwood trees. These type of trees, often found as members of a deciduous forest, thrive in humid, moist conditions. While they’ve been admired for their beauty (and are still celebrated and recognized as picturesque trees today), dogwoods are also immensely useful.
Native Americans have used a variety of different parts of the dogwood for medicinal purposes, and in a modern-day survival situation, we can do the same.
You can boil the bark and leaves of the tree to create a drink that helps with fevers and reduces chills. A dogwood’s branches make a good substitute toothbrush, as well. Chewing the branches causes the end of the stick to fray, and the soft wood acts as bristles so you can brush your teeth.
Walnut trees. Walnut trees are another type of deciduous tree with a variety of uses. They provide a great and healthy snack via the nuts they produce, but they’re much more than a source of food. The wood from these trees is sturdy and easy to work with, and the shells of the walnuts themselves can be used as a dye.
Of course, having fancy dye won’t help you survive in the woods. So instead, use the dried husks to make a medicinal drink. Apparently, it tastes terrible — but is an effective remedy for parasites. Fresh husks can work as an antiseptic on cuts and scrapes, too.
The walnut tree does fall short in one big way, however, the wood from the tree makes terrible firewood and doesn’t burn well.
Cedar trees. These trees are evergreens with an instantly-recognizable, strong smell. It’s that odor that makes cedar chips effective at repelling pests like ants and moths.
Like many other trees, the needles from cedars can make a tea. The brewed needles can help treat fungal infections that are easy to pick up in survival situations.
Where walnut trees fail at providing good firewood, cedar excels. The splintery bark of the cedar tree provides a great tinder for getting a good fire going. You can pull bark off the tree in strips, which also makes it useful for makeshift cords or even rope.
Willow trees. Willow trees have long been appreciated for their therapeutic properties. You can use the bark of the willow to relieve numerous illnesses and pains.
After boiling dried bark in water for fifteen minutes, the drink it creates can be used to help people suffering from headaches, fevers, and inflammation. The active compounds in willow bark act similarly to modern-day aspirin.
Editor’s Note: 37 Critical Items You Need in case of an Emergency
The Most Useful Plants in the Wild:
Yarrow. This herb is most often found in open spaces like meadows. It grows white flowers in clusters and stands tall at one foot or higher. The flowers are edible and can be used for homeopathic purposes, too. Brewing them and then drinking them as a tea can help relieve colds and flus and can even soothe an upset stomach.
Yarrow is a multi-purpose plant, which makes it even more valuable for survival. Applying the leaves of the herb to open or bleeding wounds not only stimulates clotting but also serves as an antiseptic.
Rose hips. When you think “survival,” your mind probably didn’t jump to “roses.” But rose plants found in the wild do bear fruit that people can use.
The fruits, called rose hips, brew down to make teas people drink even when they’re not in a survival situation. They’re highly nutritious, containing plenty of vitamins, and can be drank in tea form or eaten when ripe.
Before you consume a rose hip in any way, remove the blossoms and the stems. You might want to dig out the seeds as well, as they can cause stomach irritation to some.
Nettles. Although nettles are weeds (often called “stinging nettles” because they hurt if you brush by them with bare skin), you can put them to work for you in the wild.
They’re covered in fine hairs, which is what causes that stinging sensation. Boiling the stalk, leaves, and even the root of the weed will not only take away the sting, but also create a tea that can help treat digestive issues and upset stomachs.
If you suffered a cut or have an infected wound, nettle leaves can clean it. And you can weave the inner stems of the nettle stalk, once dried, into cords or ropes.
Cattails. Out of all the wild plants you can find to use, cattails may be the most prized among survivalists. You can easily identify mature cattails and should seek these out; younger plants are easier to confuse with plants that are toxic to consume.
You can eat both the stems and the roots of cattails. They’re even safe to eat raw (but might be easier to get down if they’re boiled first). Cattail pollen can be used like flour, and their flowers are edible too if you roast them.
If you need shelter, the long leaves of the plant can be woven together for protection from the elements or you can use them as floor mats.
Cattail roots, once cut open and mashed, can be applied to wounds, burns, and bug bites. The stems also produce a substance that looks like honey and has antiseptic properties.
Dandelion. Craving a salad? All parts of the dandelion are edible, and it’s another one of the wild plants that is actually used in non-survival settings from time to time.
You can eat dandelion leaves raw or you can cook them like you would spinach or kale. The roots should be boiled, and once ground up, they make a good coffee substitute. Additionally, you can also crush the stems of the weed and use the liquid inside as a glue.
Pineapple Weed. Pineapple weeds are named appropriately: the yellow bulbs at the end of their stems look like miniature pineapples.
You can eat both the leaves and the flowers of the plant raw. If you dry out the flowers, you can then grind them up and use the powder like a flour for baking. The leaves can also be brewed in a tea or infused (by soaking in water without boiling) to relieve digestive discomfort.
