A wooded path. Photo from Acres Land Trust.

By John E. Woodmansee
Ag and Natural Resources Extension Educator, Purdue Extension Whitley County

COLUMBIA CITY — Most of us are familiar with meats, vegetables, and a few other consumer products we use. In many cases, it’s fairly clear where these products come from. Did you know that we get several products from the woods (besides lumber for building materials)? Let’s explore a few of those today.

John Woodmansee

Since it’s just past prime mushroom season, let’s start there. Many people find hunting for morel mushrooms a fun activity that leads to some delectable food. A few other types of mushrooms can be harvested, but you must know how to identify the “for-sure” edible mushrooms from others. When in doubt, throw it out.

In his Purdue Extension program entitled “Woodland Management for the Private Woodland Owner,” Purdue Forester Lenny Farlee has indicated that other plants of potential economic benefit grow in woodlands. These include ginseng, ramps (wild leeks), and goldenseal. These can be collected or cultivated in forest understories. Ornamental materials like grapevine or running cedar are from the woods.

Farlee has also taught woodland owners about woodland fruits, like persimmon, paw-paw, wild plum, black and red raspberry, crab-apple, and juneberry. Nuts include walnut, hickory, pecan, hazelnut, chestnut, and butternut. Fruits and nuts from trees and shrubs are collected and sold as-is or in specialty food items.

Let’s not forget syrups, which are primarily derived from maple, but can also come from black walnut and birch. During a recent trip to Alaska, I purchased some birch syrup. It has a somewhat stronger taste than traditional maple syrup, and my personal preference is still maple syrup.

North Carolina Forestry Association identified some everyday products we use that come, at least in part, from products derived from the woods in their educational curriculum, “Goods from the Woods.” I’ve adapted a few items from the resource below.

Toothpaste contains cellulose gum, a natural product derived from wood. Toothpaste may also contain terpenes, a chemical derived from wood that is used to sweeten the spearmint or peppermint flavor of many toothpastes and mouthwashes.

Many beauty products, including lotions, contain Vitamins A and E, which come from wood extracts.
Glues and adhesives can be made from hard resins, a natural substance that comes from trees.
Chewing gum is made by using the rosin or storax of trees such as spruce.

Many spices used in cooking — such as nutmeg, bay leaves, and cinnamon — come from trees.

Cinnamon is from the bark of the laurel tree.

Carnauba wax, a resin produced by the leaves of the carnauba tree, is the waxy component of crayons. This wax is also used in car wax, finish coatings on furniture, on apples and other produce, and many other products.

Cellophanes are derived from the sugar components of wood during the pulping process and are used in making such products as wrap and tape.

Aspirin tablets and other medicines in tablet form are held together with lignin, which is the natural glue in wood. The essential elements of aspirin come from the bark of willow trees.

To access NCFA information, go to ncforestry.org.