Field Of Happiness
Sunflowers With A View in Fairfax
While there is a lot of information we herbalists should pass on to wildcrafting newbies, perhaps the most important is teaching about at-risk plants and why we should not harvest them. 🍃
At-risk plants are either naturally rare in the environment or becoming rare through human influence. Just as some plants reproduce and spread quickly and are often termed as “invasive” plants, there are those that are quite the opposite. These are naturally rare – due to slow growth habits, habitat incompatibility, population isolation, genetic incompatibility, problems with seed dispersal, loss of pollinators (can be caused by human influence), or by competition from or overpopulation of invasive plants and animals ... and so forth! 🌼
As herbalists, our work revolves around plants, so it is important we use plants in a wise manner—protecting and preserving them with their long-term viability in mind, not just for our sakes, but for the sake of the plant and the ecosystem. We must ask ourselves if we truly need the plant we’re considering using and we must help others understand this importance, too.
Becoming a responsible wildcrafter sometimes means not harvesting a plant if the population simply cannot support that impact and sustain itself, or whenever you are not sure what the impact of harvesting could be. This is why it’s so important to study foraging with a mentor or reputable school and to make sure you’re aware of sustainable guidelines before you start harvesting.
Species At-Risk List via United Plant Savers –– Sandalwood, Kava Kava, American Ginseng, Venus Fly Trap, Sundew, Maidenhair Fern, Cascara Sagrada, Squirrel Corn, Goldenseal, Lady’s Slipper, Orchid, Ramps, Lomatium, False Unicorn Root, Peyote, Stream Orchid, White Sage, Osha, Bloodroot, Virginia Dutchman's Pipe Trillium, Beth Root, True Unicorn Root, Blue Cohosh, Echinacea, Elephant Tree, Wild Indigo, Butterfly Weed, Stone Root, Wild Yam, Yerba Mansa, Black Cohosh, Eyebright, Pipsissewa, Chaparro, Pink Root, Mayapple, Slippery Elm, Lobelia, Arnica, Gentian, Goldthread
Ladybug On A Wet Canna Leaf
Ladybugs also known as Ladybird beetles, Lady beetles, Ladybirds, or Lady cows, can have as many as 16 spots, but some ladybugs have no spots at all. One of the most common ladybugs is the seven-spotted lady beetle. It has seven black spots on its back.
While most ladybugs are good, there is one nonnative species that people don’t like. The Asian lady beetle was introduced in California in 1916. Today it’s more common in the East.
A ladybug can eat up to 50 aphids a day. They also eat Mites, Whiteflies, Scale insects, Mealybugs, & Thrips. This makes them valuable allies for farmers and gardeners. Their presence in an ecosystem is a sign of a healthy and diverse environment. Ladybugs not only provide natural pest control benefits to humans, but also serve as a vital food source for other insects, birds, and small mammals. By maintaining a delicate balance in the ecosystem, ladybugs promote stability and overall well-being.
Females will lay up to 1,000 eggs within a few months, generally from spring to early summer.
Ladybugs usually protect themselves from predators by either playing dead or they secrete a fluid from their legs to make themselves taste bad.
You can find out about 6,000 different species of ladybugs around the world. There are about 500 species in the United States alone.
It is a myth about ladybugs is that you can tell their age by their number of spots.
