12 Sugar And Gums Plants You Can Find In The Wilderness

Close-up of natural tree sap dripping from bark, showing how sugar and gums plants produce resin in the wilderness.

Long before refined sugar filled supermarket shelves, resourceful pioneers and Native Americans relied on sugar and gums plants found in the wilderness to satisfy their need for sweetness and energy. These natural sources of sugar were more than treats, they were vital survival foods that provided quick calories during long journeys or harsh winters. From the towering sugar pine to the sweet-sapped maple and the fragrant sweet gum, the wild offered many ways to sweeten tea, preserve food, or simply sustain energy on the trail.

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Survival Foraging and Community Gardens

Survival foraging in public parks

When survival foraging is on my “TO DO” list for the week, I often referred to, what I call a rule of fair foraging, “Reap where you did not sow, but only if it would otherwise go unused unless you take it?” And it’s amazing how much goes unused . . . especially in community gardens.

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