“The Ten Most Useful Plants in Pennsylvania Before Columbus” is the featured presentation at the monthly meeting of the Trevose Horticultural Society on Tuesday, July 18, at 7 p.m. at the Bensalem Senior Center, 1850 Byberry Road, Bensalem.
Long before Columbus arrived, Native Americans used their botanic resources for food, medicine, building materials, fibers and dyes. They took advantage of the unique properties and hundreds of plant species to meet specific needs. Chris Applegate is an educator with Churchville Nature Center and Bucks County Master Gardener specializing in native plants. She will review 10 plants that were among the most useful to the original people of Pennsylvania. Applegate will provide examples to support her selections along with some really “old school” garden tools.
Applegate has taught primitive skills and Lenape lifeways at Churchville Nature Center since 2005 and at the Museum of Indian Culture in Allentown since 2015. She has also done historical presentations, demonstrations and workshops throughout the area, including Circle Legacy in Washington Borough, the Native American Youth Camp at Peters Valley School of Craft in Layton, New Jersey, and PBS39 in Bethlehem. She has taught on a range of topics, including natural dyes, cordage, finger weaving, corn husk basketry and wampum. She enjoys beekeeping and basket making.
All meetings are open to the public; a donation of $5 is requested from non-members. For more information, contact 856-866-9163, visit TrevoseGardeners.org or follow on Facebook.
