Plants lie at the root of life on earth.
They help to maintain a range of cycles basic to life so that they:
Provide food for many different species
including human beings
We notice when plants are not there
Provide homes for many species
Provide materials for people to use
worldwide to include bamboo for scaffolding; reeds for making
boats and thatching houses; yew for making bows; bog myrtle
for repelling flies
Provide a source of medicinal compounds
- foxglove provides digitalis for stimulating the heart; the
Rosy periwinkle is the source of a treatment for leukaemia;
and St John's Wort can be used in treating depression
Provide a sense of place contributing
to the landscape and making places different from each other
