Edible
and Useful Plants "Room"
Sambucus_pubens,Red-berried Elderberry |
Though overshadowed commercially by "exotic" species of fruits,
nuts, and extracts, many native trees and shrubs have useful and
under-appreciated qualities. Because they lack a history of careful
selection for traits such as size and taste, our native species
have tended to languish in the shadow of their bigger, and usually,
sweeter foreign relatives. In some cases, local indigenous species
are directly related to foreign plants that have been cultivated
and improved by hundreds of generations of Europeans and Asians.
The exotic species have formed the basis for successful agricultural
industries in the New World, while their native cousins have continued
to survive only in the wild. Examples include the Wild Crabapple
(Malus coronaria), native plums and cherries (Prunus
sp. ), the American Hazelnut (Corylus americana),
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) and the Common Persimmon (Diospyros
virginiana).
Asimina triloba,Pawpaw Tree |
However, many natives stand alone in their superiority for use
as food or for other qualities: blueberries (Vaccinium sp.)
and mulberries (Morus rubra) are unsurpassed for their
fruit; the sap of the Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) produces
delectable syrup; extracts from the roots of Sassafras (Sassafras
albidum) and Birch (Betula sp.) trees yield excellent
flavor for soft drinks and candy; Witchhazel (Hamamellis virginiana)
is exploited for its medicinal sap; and, to some, the creamy fruit
of the Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is better than banana.
Lesser-known species that have nonetheless been used in various
forms by generations of local inhabitants include Butternut (Juglans
cinerea), Chinquapin (Castanea pumila), Elderberry
(Sambucus canadensis), Hickories (Carya sp. ),
Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.), and Black Haw (Viburnum
prunifolium).
The plants in this section of the arboretum have been grouped according to their useful portion: fruit, nut or extract.