A Practical Guide to Edible & Useful Plants

More than 5,000 flowering plants make their home in Texas, and the uses of these plants are generally unknown to many people. Less than one hundred years ago, plants were the source of most medicines, fibers, cosmetics, and dyes. Now, many of these products are made synthetically from petroleum derivatives. Native Americans relied on wild plants for thousands of years -- for food, clothing, shelter, and medicines. Early pioneers of Texas and the Southwest soon learned of the many benefits plants provided.