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Other uses
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Plants also provide us with fibres for making cloth, rope, paper etc. There are numerous dyes obtained from plants with which to colour our fabrics. Many plants have oil-rich seeds and these oils can be extracted when they have a variety of uses. Many of them are edible and they can also be used as lubricants, fuel, for lighting, in paints and varnishes, as a wood preservative, waterproofing etc.
The articles below highlight some of these uses.
- Alternative Lighting: Plant Oils and Waxes
- Fibre Plants
- Soap Plants
- Vegetable Oils
Search the database for plants with the following other uses. (Numbers of plants
in brackets).
Building Materials
-
Insulation
Providing insulation against extremes of temperature, sound or electricity.
(
38
)
-
Pipes
For carrying water etc.
(
13
)
-
Pitch
Used for waterproofing, in paints etc.
(
12
)
-
Plaster
Used for covering walls.
(
8
)
-
Roofing
Used to give a waterproof roof to buildings. See also Thatching.
(
30
)
-
Thatching
Used for making thatched roofs.
(
117
)
Clothing
-
Buttons
Plants that can be used as buttons. Not including making buttons from wood.
(
18
)
-
Darning ball
(
1
)
-
Fibre
Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.
(
418
)
-
Latex
A source of rubber.
(
105
)
-
Leather
Substitutes, that is.
(
3
)
-
Needles
Used for sewing, darning etc.
(
15
)
-
Pins
Used as needles and pins in sewing etc. Also used to lance boils, extract splinters from the skin etc.
(
5
)
-
Raffia
A substitute for that material.
(
3
)
-
Starch
Used as a fabric stiffener.
(
29
)
-
Stuffing
Used in making soft toys, mattresses, pillows etc.
(
62
)
-
Tannin
An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.
(
397
)
-
Weaving
Items such as grass and palm leaves that are woven together for making mats, baskets etc. See also Basket making and Fibre.
(
140
)
Dyes, paints, inks and paper
-
Blotting paper
Plant that can be used to make blotting paper.
(
1
)
-
Dye
Plants that provide dyes.
(
1300
)
-
Ink
Plants that can be used as an ink.
(
63
)
-
Mordant
Used for making a dye more permanent, it also affects the colour of the dye.
(
62
)
-
Paint
Plants used directly as a paint. Does not include oil plants and dyes that can be used as ingredients in paints.
(
31
)
-
Paper
Related to the entry for Fibre, these plants have been specifically mentioned for paper making.
(
235
)
-
Pencil
A couple of plants especially mentioned for making the tubes that pencil leads fit into.
(
3
)
-
Size
Used on materials, paper etc to give a surface that will take ink, dyes etc.
(
14
)
Fertilisers
-
Compost
Plants used for activating compost heaps, providing biomass for composting, using as instant compost etc.
(
60
)
-
Fertilizer
Provides a concentrated solid plant food.
(
22
)
-
Green manure
Fast-growing plants that can be used to increase the fertility of the soil.
(
109
)
-
Liquid feed
Plants that can be used to make a liquid fertilizer.
(
29
)
-
Potash
Used for making glass, soap and as a fertilizer.
(
21
)
Fire and lighting
-
Alcohol
Used for fuel etc. (this is wood alcohol, it is not the sort that can be drunk.
(
15
)
-
Biomass
Provides a large quantity of plant material that can be converted into fuel etc.
(
138
)
-
Charcoal
Used for fuel, drawing, deodorant, filter, fertilizer etc.
(
209
)
-
Friction sticks
Used for starting fires when there are no matches.
(
8
)
-
Fuel
Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.
(
471
)
-
Kindling
Plant material that burns easily and can be used for starting fires.
(
6
)
-
Lighting
Plants that can be used as torches etc. See also Oil and Wax.
(
69
)
-
Oil
Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.
(
713
)
-
Tinder
Used for starting fires. See also Kindling.
(
57
)
-
Wax
Used for making candles etc.
(
29
)
-
Wick
Used as a wick for candles, lamps etc.
(
13
)
In the bathroom
-
Baby care
Various plants that can be used in place of items such as nappies.
(
14
)
-
Cleanser
For various materials. Perhaps best included under separate headings.
(
22
)
-
Cosmetic
Used to improve the physical appearence of a person.
(
151
)
-
Cotton wool
Plants that can be used as substitutes for cotton wool.
(
2
)
-
Deodorant
A pleasant smelling plant that is used on the body to mask the human smell.
(
38
)
-
Disinfectant
Plants used for disinfecting.
(
63
)
-
Essential
Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.
(
357
)
-
Hair
Plants used as hair shampoos, tonics, to treat balding etc.
(
181
)
-
Resin
Used in perfumery, medicines, paints, soap making etc. This also includes turpentine, which is extracted from many resins and used as a preservative, water proofer etc,
(
131
)
-
Soap
Plants used directly as a soap substitute.
(
152
)
-
Soap making
Plants used as an ingredient in making soaps. Does not include the essential oils, dyes and oils that are also used in making soap.
(
83
)
-
Teeth
Plants used to clean and care for the teeth.
(
90
)
In the Garden
-
Fencing
Plants that can be used for fencing.
(
108
)
-
Fire retardant
Plants that do not easily burn and can be used in barrier plantings to limit the spread of forest fires.
(
17
)
-
Hedge
Plants that can be grown as hedges.
(
885
)
-
Mulch
Used for covering the ground to conserve the nutrients in the soil.
(
92
)
-
Pioneer
Plants, usually trees and shrubs, that can be used to reforest land.
(
131
)
-
Plant breeding
Used in producing new species of plants or improved varieties.
(
16
)
-
Plant support
Usually bamboos, used as canes in the garden for holding up plants.
(
56
)
-
Rooting hormone
Substances that can be used to promote the production of roots in plant cuttings.
(
19
)
-
Rootstock
Plants used as the rootstock for grafting scions onto.
(
80
)
-
Shelterbelt
Wind resistant plants than can be grown to provide shelter in the garden etc.
(
191
)
-
Soil conditioner
Plants grown to improve the structure of the soil. See also Green manures.
(
84
)
-
Soil reclamation
Plants that can be grown in such circumstances an the spoil tips of mines in order to restore fertility.
(
81
)
-
Soil stabilization
Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.
(
349
)
-
Companion
Companion planting is the careful placement of plants (especially vegetables and herbs) which have been shown to have beneficial effects on one another.
(
43
)
-
Fodder
Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.
(
192
)
In the home
-
Bedding
Used as a lining for sleeping on or putting fruits etc on.
(
20
)
-
Besom
A type of broom.
(
5
)
-
Brush
Used for cleaning clothes, as a paintbrush etc.
(
26
)
-
Incense
Aromatic plants that can be burnt to impart a pleasant smell, repel insects and disinfect closed areas.
(
103
)
-
Lining
Used for lining boxes, baskets etc so that fragile items can be more safely carried in them.
(
10
)
-
Packing
Used as a filler in boxes etc in order to protect the contents.
(
17
)
-
Porcelain
(
2
)
-
Pot-pourri
Aromatic plants used to impart a pleasant smell to an area. Can this be grouped with incense or essential oil?
(
51
)
-
Scourer
Used for cleaning pots, pans, plates etc.
(
11
)
-
Strewing
Plants, usually aromatic, that are strewn on the floor to give a nice smell, repel insects etc.
(
50
)
-
String
Plants that can be used for string or can be easily made into a string. See also Fibre. Plants for ropes may be included.
(
132
)
-
Cut flowers
Cut flowers are flowers or flower buds (often with some stem and leaf) for decorative use.
(
4
)
-
Houseplant
A plant grown indoors for decorative purposes.
(
20
)
In the kitchen
-
Bottles
Plants that can be used as bottles.
(
1
)
-
Containers
Plants, such as gourds, that can be used as containers. Does not include baskets or containers made from wood.
(
114
)
-
Cork
Including any plants used as a cork substitute. Cork is used for insulation (sound or heat), fire-retardant, bottle stops etc.
(
16
)
-
Filter
Used to strain out particles from liquids.
(
20
)
-
Fruit ripening
Substances that promote the premature or rapid ripening of fruits.
(
3
)
-
Gum
Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.
(
285
)
-
Pectin
A substance that is used to thicken jams etc and as a culture medium in laboratories.
(
23
)
-
Straw
For drinking with.
(
19
)
-
Waxed paper
Substitutes that is.
(
1
)
Other Uses
-
Broom
Used for sweeping the floor etc.
(
54
)
-
Litmus
Used for testing whether a substance is acid or alkaline.
(
8
)
-
Microscope
(
6
)
-
Miscellany
A rag-bag of items that are difficult to categorise.
(
263
)
-
Musical
Specific mention of plants used as musical instruments. Does not include the various woods that can be used for making musical instruments.
(
35
)
-
Pollution
Plants used to combat pollution.
(
19
)
-
Repellent
Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.
(
477
)
-
Weather forecasting
A few plants that are supposed to help us forecast the weather.
(
6
)
-
Weather protection
Plants that can be used to give the body protection from severe weather.
(
7
)
Pesticides
-
Fungicide
Arrests the growth of, or kills, fungi.
(
36
)
-
Herbicide
Plants or plant extracts that can inhibit the growth of other plants.
(
88
)
-
Insecticide
Kills insects.
(
233
)
-
Parasiticide
Kills external body parasites such as hair lice.
(
195
)
Woodwork and other crafts
-
Adhesive
Glues.
(
93
)
-
Basketry
Plant used in making baskets and other items such as chairs. Includes plants that are only used as an ornamental addition.
(
264
)
-
Beads
Used as necklaces etc.
(
44
)
-
Furniture
A few miscellaneous uses that do not fit easily into other headings.
(
247
)
-
Lacquer
A type of varnish.
(
18
)
-
Nails
A few woods are tough enough to be used in place of metal nails in certain circumstances.
(
6
)
-
Polish
Plants used to give a shine to metals, wood etc.
(
27
)
-
Preservative
For food, or for treating wood, ropes etc.
(
53
)
-
Rust
Plants that can be used to prevent or treat rust.
(
10
)
-
Sandpaper
Plants used to smooth rough wooden surfaces by means of abrasion.
(
9
)
-
Varnish
Plants that can be used as a varnish without any special treatment. Does not include varnishes made from oils etc.
(
52
)
-
Waterproofing
Does what it says. See also Pitch and Oil.
(
59
)
-
Wood
A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
(
1431
)
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