Sustainable Toilet Paper?

Guest Post: by Tammy

“Lamb’s Ear” So, what does this plant have to do with prepping?

Most important seems to be as wound dressing, but, most convenient is Toilet Paper!

 
Yes, toilet paper. The leaves of this plant are about 4 inches by 2 inches, and very soft and fuzzy, making for a very good tissue with excellent cleaning properties.

I mean, really, just how much room do you have to store hundreds of rolls of toilet paper? If the SHTF, I doubt if a lot of toilet paper will still be manufactured, and storing enough to last you for the rest of your life is impractical at best.

But if you start growing this plant now, it will be naturalized and spreading by the time you may need it. Or add some seeds for this plant to your preps, and start them when you need to, they are very easy to grow, and come back year after year.

Mullein and Borage both have similar leaf types and can also be used as toilet paper. I chose the Lamb’s Ear because it has other uses also.

 
Woolly Lamb’s Ear-Stachys Byzantina (woolly hedgenettle)

Zones 4-9, 6-12 inch tall Perennial. (Flower spikes up to 18 inches)

They’re drought tolerant, deer resistant, and easy to grow.

Herbalists sometimes refer to it as ‘wooly woundwort’.

Lamb’s ear is related to Betony (both are Stachys), and is sometimes called woolly betony.

 
It is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds.

Besides the sopping up of blood and use as a dressing, lamb’s ear has also been used as a poultice and has analgesic properties.

It was used either alone, or to help hold in other herbs like comfrey. It is used for bee or wasp stings, and reduces the swelling from both.

It was used for centuries as a “women’s comfort” for hemorrhoids, menstrual flow, birthing, for nervous tension, and as a skin aid..

Not only is it useful medicinally, but it’s also edible! Some people enjoy Lamb’s Ear fresh in salads or gently steamed as greens. You can also make a pleasant tea by steeping dried leaves in boiling water. Pick fresh, young leaves for best flavor when consuming

Lamb’s ear has been used as a natural dye for wool.

 
Does anyone know of other plants that can be used this way (TP)?