Survival depends on your ability to recognize useful trees for fire, food, water, or first aid. They can save your life before you even realize their value.
This article presents 7 essential trees to know as a survivalist: identification, practical uses, and benefits for survival in the wild.
1. American Linden (Basswood): Cordage, fire, and food.
The American linden is your ally. Its inner bark allows for making strong cordage. The leaves and bark are edible, with a slight sweet taste. The soft wood is ideal for friction fire and carves easily. .
2. Black Walnut: Nutrition, durable wood, and natural medicine.
The black walnut offers protein-rich nuts and hard wood perfect for making tools or shelter. The bark can also be used for dyeing or as an antiseptic in infusion. .
3. Douglas Fir: Vitamin tea, resin, and survival flour.
The douglas fir provides edible inner bark, vitamin C-rich needles for making tea, and antiseptic resin. The young shoots are edible, with a lemony taste. .
4. Beech: Nuts, heavy wood, and culinary options.
The beech nuts can be eaten raw or roasted. The dense wood is perfect for making tools and producing fire by friction. The bark can even provide a smoked syrup. .
5. Pawpaw: Nutritious fruits and light cordage.
The pawpaw produces a nutrient-rich fruit with a mango-like taste. The bark peels off into strong fibers usable as cordage, and the wood is as easy to work with as balsa.
6. Maple: Natural syrup and edible young foliage.
The sugar maple offers you sweet sap, edible 'helicopters', as well as young leaves in salads or stir-fries. A valuable source of natural energy. .
7. White Birch: Tinder, containers, and light drink.
The white birch is identifiable by its white bark. This serves as tinder even when wet, as a material for making containers or pots. The sap is sweet, ideal for drinking in case of thirst. .
Conclusion
Knowing these trees gives you a valuable advantage in the wild: food, fire, tools, health… each can become a pillar of your survival. Plant recognition is a crucial skill for any survivalist.
