If you are local to Oxford, CT, you have probably heard of the Little River Nature Preserve located along route 67 right across from the Oxford town hall. You may even be walking through right now!
We were recently given the option to adopt a native plant garden and we jumped at the opportunity!! We chose a part-shade, forest edge location because if you know us, you will know that we like the uncommon choice. The plants found here are often overlooked and may not be the showiest, but offer tons of benefits to both wildlife and humans.
Below are all of the plants that we have in our adopted garden plot. We've included benefits to wildlife and the overall ecosystem, along with ways humans have used these in both the past and today.
**For human uses, please note that many of these are historical uses and may not be used in the same way today (example, elderberry bark is toxic but was used as a pain killer historically). Please do your own thorough research before using any of these plants! We'll include some notes about how we use them personally today, along with notes about possibility toxicity.
Keep a look out for our next post - tips on how to grow these plants in your own gardens!
Any questions? feel free to reach out or visit us at an event! We're always happy (and excited) to talk about plants!
For more information about the Little River Nature Preserve and the Oxford Main Street Project, please visit https://oxfordmainstreetproject.wordpress.com/