Wildcrafting and Mentorship: Succession through the Forest
Virtually all sites have wild plants in them, though in many cases, they are what we call “weeds.” But oftentimes, the edible weeds in a garden are nutritionally superior to the
crop plants. Over time, a permaculture site should increase the amount of self-reliant perennial plants (and volunteer annuals). That way, the gardener/land steward becomes more of a wildcrafter on their site, with lots of tough/resilient plants that can survive on their own and less molly-coddled plants.
So many humans have strayed far from nature. Our modern technologies have cut us off from nature, more and more. This separation isn’t good for the individuals involved, nor for
society. Civilization is large and complex, but it is frail, subject to interconnected disruption as one disaster can spread to the whole. Knowing the food, medicine, and natural resources
Knowing the uses of the weeds and wild plants in your area should be a goal for all permaculturists. It is important to know which ones are edible, poisonous, medicinal or have
